This race starts/ends at Sparks Elementary School. Runners are welcome inside prior to and post race - which is great because the outside temperature was in the mid 30s on this day. The school does not have parking to accomodate the full race field, so they provide school bus transport from a local office building. I appreciated the flush toilets, heat, and space to do final preparations. Todd and I travelled from my parents' house - about 45 minutes on race day. We met up with a bunch of maniacs and took some pictures just prior to the run.
The start of the run is rolling hills along two lane roads with a net downhill. The net downhill definitely was nice outgoing and less than ideal on return. Near mile two, we got onto the NCR trail - a crushed gravel rails to trails between 8 and 15 feet wide. Aid stations were about every 2-3 miles usually where a road crossed the trail.
Near mile 8, I met a woman who lives close enough to the trail that she does most of her training along it. Laura was very nice, a fellow NYC refugee for this year. She explained that the course is a gradual up-hill outbound and gradual down-hill return ... except for the last couple of miles. I was glad to hear this becuase like many trails with tree cover, this one was throwing my perception - I felt like everything except the most obvious downhill was an uphill ... and while my legs may know differently, my brain gets psyched out. I reached the halfway point at 2:02 and felt really good. I saw Todd more than a mile before the turn-around, so he was doing great and looked really comfortable.
I felt okay until near mile 16 when my hip flexors (especially the right) started aching pretty badly, especially on uphill climbs. I tried to slow my pace and quickly switched to walking when climbing. Eventually, the pain started to hit my groin and hip flexor. After mile 20, I was walking as much as running ... but determined to finish.
We got off the trail near mile 25, then back on the two lane roads. I got passed by a man, woman, and dog running together. I talked to them later - they live in northern Virginia. Tim, Ariella, and Kody. They did a relay, of sorts ... Tim ran the first half solo, then Areilla and Kody ran the second half with him. It was Tim's first full marathon and Areilla & Kody's first half. They said Kody had run up to 16 miles in training.
The rolling net uphill at the finish was a bear. I think I ran the last half mile without stopping, but I was tempted.
After the race, I met a Maniac named Lyle from Oklahoma. This was his 3rd time at this race and his 98th total ... he'll do 100 in two weeks in his hometown.
Marathon #24 in the books!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/246680499 | 