Back to the Lakefront - Or, The Fourth Time is the Charm

Back to the Lakefront, or “The Fourth Time is the Charm”

Well, on October 5, I returned once again, to the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon, for the fourth time. For you alert readers, this means that I have improved the statistics of the times I’ve signed up and paid for this marathon versus the times I’ve actually run it, making it four out of six times now. (For more information, see my previous blog “Burning Race Fees, or Feet Don’t Fail Me Now”).

Let me say right off the bat, the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon is hands down, one of the best-run, best supported, great-from-start-to- finish races in the Midwest. Race Director Kris Hinrichs, who is very visible throughout the whole weekend event manages a team of hundreds of amazing people – all of whom are volunteers - to turn out a stellar race experience for everyone – runners and spectators alike.

I had previously run the Lakefront Marathon in 2002, 2003 and 2005 and each time it was a really great experience.

This time was no exception.

Went down to packet pickup on a beautiful Saturday morning with my friend Lisa, who had signed up however elected, intelligently not to run as there was a lot going on for her at the time. We picked up our long sleeve technical shirts, chips and the duffle bag-sized plastic draw-string gear bag for our gear drop – one of the many cool touches this race has for the runners. The volunteers even apply a tag to the bag with your bib number on it so on race day, you are ready to drop and go at the start.

So, Lisa and I toured the expo which, while small, has grown over the years and boasts everything from sports apparel from different places, to Select Comfort beds, Chiropractors and Massage, and other Races from around the Wisconsin. Indeed we had a great talk with one of the Green Bay Marathon people and picked up some great ideas for other races to do.

The Lakefront Marathon also sells some great apparel for a reasonable amount of money, however, since I’m always swamped in T-shirts and Sweatshirts, I managed to refrain, however, I couldn’t resist some of the cool Lakefront Marathon neon luggage tags for $1. It’s been my experience that you can see these tags coming up the conveyor belts at the airport from a long way away, and they seem to hang on forever, so it was a good investment.

Lisa purchased a great pink headband from the “I Run Like a Girl” display, where we talked to one of the main employees who was from Iowa. I was unable to talk Lisa into buying some matching apparel, so it was time to leave, as neither of us were in the market for a new mattress or a Chiropractor.

After carbo loading on Sushi, and Multi-grain bread smeared with gobs of my fresh-from the garden Homemade Pesto, I had a pretty good night’s sleep. The next day, as usual, I had to get up and leave at something like 4:45 am for an early bus departure from the Lakefront. It was dark and cold, however I quickly zipped into downtown Milwaukee in the Toyota on I-94, exiting towards the lakefront in time to follow a stream of school busses that were clogging the exit onto Lincoln Memorial Drive. Correctly concluding that the only place these busses were going at that early hour on a Sunday were the Lakefront Pickup area, I followed them into the parking area, where I was directed by a series of flashlight waving volunteers to a very well-positioned front row parking space near the entrance to the shuttle busses. Later, this would prove a really smart move as it was also a short walk from the finish area.

Taking a bearing on some landmarks to find the Toyota in the daylight later in the day, (once again, experiencing 40-plus marathons has taught me a few tricks) I walked over to the lead bus, got on, and in short order was heading up the freeway to Grafton. The Lakefront Marathon is a point-to-point course, and Grafton is a suburb north of Milwaukee where the starting line is.
I talked a little bit with the runner next to me in the seat who was doing his third marathon, and was dressed as if he was going to the North Pole, in several layers, topped off with a hooded sweatshirt. To each his own. After trading a few anecdotes we both fell silent as was most of the bus that early in the morning and completed the half hour ride to Grafton High School, where the bus disgorged us into the parking lot

Another great thing about the Lakefront Marathon is that you get to wait in the warm comfort of the High School for the race to start. There is a cafeteria with tables to sit at, or a gymnasium to stretch out in. I commandeered a table in the cafeteria, and watched the door as I knew there were a few people I might know running the race, and I wanted to be able to see them arrive.

Soon, however the place filled up as other busses arrived, and I was joined at my table by two very energetic and beautiful young ladies from Forest Park Illinois – Denise and Sue, who sat down and hauled out a large bag of Rice Krispy treats, which was their pre-race libation. I offered to share my BumbleBar and we chewed companionably and talked about races, the weather, Illinois, and other typical pre-race chatter. They were experienced runners and we had quite a bit in common – except for the Rice Krispy treats which, while they looked good, it was too early in the morning for me to try something new. Maybe next race.

After awhile, I decided to go out and check the weather, and also decided to use the out door porto potties as the indoor restrooms had filled up. It was probably in the mid 40’s outside, the sun was starting to make an appearance and the outdoor PA system was tuning up. I had some great talks with some first time and long-time runners, including a guy who purposely came up from Chicago every year to run Lakefront as “it’s so much easier and better than doing Chicago!” I agreed.

As race time grew near, I searched in vain for anyone I knew, however it was to no avail. Although there were only 2,750 available slots for this race ( up from 2,500 in previous years) the crowd seemed to be twice that, with many spectators and support crew there, so I was all by myself as it became time to lose the extra clothes and drop my bag off in the very-close-to-the-start line Post Office Truck that would take the gear to the finish line.

I hung around for awhile, enjoying the energy of the crowd and then about 7:45 started shucking off my sweats, stuffing them in my bag. I had been undecided as to what to wear, as it called for cool temperatures in the morning, warming up to about 60 later in the day, with a possibility of rain. I finally decided to wear a short sleeved technical shirt, and of course, my Marathon Maniacs Singlet. I had neglected to check the website to see how many other of my Maniac brethren would be there, however, I was proud to be flying my colors for my hometown race.

As race time approached, I was joined by another Lisa – Lisa Turner, a trainer from my YMCA, who was running her first marathon. Knowing she was quite fast and competitive, it was great to talk with her at the start and to hang with a friendly face.

Kris Hinrichs took the microphone, pumped us all up and then we were off, blasting out of the parking lot, hanging a right, and heading south on the now 26.15 mile trek to the finish line.

It was sunny and cool, with no breeze – probably still in the 40’s. And actually with no breeze, and as the first part of the course was somewhat sheltered, I actually warmed up pretty quickly. Also, it was slightly humid, so my sunglasses were fogging over, which made it difficult to navigate through the crowd. Some wardrobe malfunctions suck!

The course is pretty rural for the first while, taking some rights and lefts along country roads, farm fields and rolling Southeastern Wisconsin terrain. As always, one of my favorite touches is just before the two mile mark, as the course turns right on to some Alphabet-lettered road, there is an Accordian player, with a full PA system cranking out polka tunes for all of us runners as we go cruising by. He’s been there every time I’m run this race. Only in Wisconsin!

So as I had been contemplating the effort that morning awhile before, standing at the start line with Lisa Turner, I had gauged my energy level and concluded that I had absolutely no feel for how my performance would be that day. I’ll blog about this at some other date, however, my training had been as usual totally lacking in Marathon-based efforts, with the sole exception of three Half Marathons I’d run on August 16, August 30th, and September 23rd, two weeks before this race. All had gone pretty incredibly well, however, that’s only “half way”. So, and, as I did feel pretty unenergetic at the start, I had no idea how I would fare.

For lack of a better word, I blasted off from the start, clipping along right from the start at Half Marathon pace. My GPS showed that I was maintaining an average 8:14 or so mile for the first nine or ten miles, not necessarily my typical Mid-pack pace. “This can’t last” I’m thinking to myself as the miles rolled along. While trying not to energize the thought, I was wondering if at some point the wheels were going to fall off and I’d experience a spectacular dismount, having to hobble in for some distance. Nonetheless, since I felt good, I kept going.

We started reaching more civilization as the miles rolled by. There were very regular water stops every two miles or so, water, Gatorade, enthusiastic volunteers and music. I clipped along, keeping the pace alive mile after mile.

The course is not actually all along, or in sight of, Lake Michigan, however it does cover many of the Lakefront Communities in Southeastern Wisconsin, including Grafton, Mequon, Bayside, Fox Point, Whitefish Bay, and finally, Milwaukee. Of course, this is also some of the highest priced Real Estate in this area of the country so the roads are pretty good for the most part. Each town has a sign or something at some point so you know what progress you are making. And I, for one, love point-to-point courses such as this – it feels like you’ve really “covered some ground” rather than running in a big loop.

The miles were very well marked, and my GPS was pretty well synched with the markers which, due to my pace, seem to come pretty quickly. And indeed, the elevation is good – while the course does roll and there are definitely some uphill stretches, it is a net downhill course and the downhills come at great times later in the race and in very stellar scenic places.

And, the Milwaukee Marathon is quite spectator friendly. It also has a marathon relay which is quite popular and the spectator guide which is also a nice touch tells the spectators where they can go along the course to cheer for their runners. And, one other nice touch – your name is on your bib as well, so people can cheer for you by name.

So, I blasted along, enjoying the scenery, water stops and pace. I didn’t really get a chance to talk to anyone much, however, after working the spectators for awhile, I soon acquired a following. “Go Maniac!” A few of them shouted, however, there wasn’t much recognition of the Yellow Flag I was flying.

Turned off the half at around 1:49 on the GPS, on good schedule, and rounded a bend around mile 13.5 – and ran through a sea of spectators. In short order I saw

1) Mary Olson, my good spin friend from the YMCA, who was waiting for her daughter Megan, who was running her first marathon. I stopped to high-five her. “Go! Run!!! She shouted at me. Thanks Mary!!!
2) Patty Lohr, wife of my long-time Chicago running colleague Ralph, who shouted at me from the crowd, giving me a lift. Ralph, apparently was some where behind me. Great to see you Patti!!
3) Joel, A running colleague I had met in Nashotah park the week before who was helping direct traffic and shouted at me “Have a great time in Arizona, Peter!” Thanks Joel – see you in the spring!

Quite the spectator treat, and it gave me a very needed lift to charge into the second half of the race. Another thing I love about this race – its small enough and spectator friendly enough that you can get some great interaction.

So, charge into the second half I did, running down the Wisconsin roads, through the Lakefront towns, and heading, inexorably, towards the lakefront, time ticking by. Around mile 15, the clouds started rolling in and a wind started picking up, however, it had the effect of cooling things off perfectly and didn’t become a stiff headwind to battle or anything – basically, it kept the heat of the day at bay, and provided ideal running conditions.

I kept hearing snatches of conversations, runners discussing pace, nutrition, cramping, blisters. At one point I got in a pack of runners and we were in lockstep for about a mile and a half. I would pass some of them, only to get passed by them again, and on and on. It was like a last 10K do-si-do, however, this was between mile 16 and 20 and too soon to pour it on – also too soon to take anything seriously. However, I ultimately prevailed as they started to fade as the miles continued to roll by.

I began getting views of the lake somewhere in there, and began also doing some zig-zagging through some suburban streets, through parks, along parkways, and down some steep hills. Around mile 19, an athletic black girl cruised effortlessly past me. “Go Maniac!” She shouted as she eased by. “I’m number (something) she shouted over her shoulder. “Go Maniac Yourself!” I called, watching her draw quickly away and admiring her late race kick.

The first of the “twenties” rolled by quickly, 21, 22 and 23, where I again got to see Ralph’s family as Patti jumped out and took my picture. Soon after that, at some point (can’t remember exactly) , standing by a mile marker and a City Sign, a tall, middle age man, called out “Welcome to Milwaukee – you’re almost home!” and indeed we were.

By now, I’m sweeping down the last hill and along the lakefront. The headwind has picked up a little (in Milwaukee, there is ALWAYS a headwind for the last few miles) and I’m getting ready to be done. The lake off to my left looks choppy and the clouds were thickening overhead. My pace per mile has faded slightly by now, however, I decided to quit looking at my watch and focus my energy on the getting to the finish.

I run through along the lakefront sidewalk, through the two final water stops, and onto the grass by the lagoon. The final mile or so winds through veterans park and you can hear the finish line, but not see it. I wove in and out of the boat lagoons, along the bike paths, over the sidewalks, making right and left hand turns. Close to the finish line, I spot Rocky from the YMCA, who is on a bicycle apparently being a spectator. “Still running!” he shouts. “Almost there!” I grunt as I cruise by. I turn into the final, long stretch and see the finish line in front of me and manage to put on a burst of speed, passing a few people in the final stretch. The spectators are loudly enthusiastic and I pump my hands into the air, hearing cheers and shrieks as I get closer. I cross the finish line right after the clock ticks over 3:45, raising my hands above my head in victory as the finish line photo is snapped. I then punch my GPS, breathlessly say hi to Kris Hinrichs, the race director who is standing right at the finish and continue on to the chutes. My GPS registers a 3:44:50, later my chip time will come in as 3:44:47 (an 8:35 per mile pace), placing me 491 out of 1945 finishers, 67 out of 160 in my age group and 387 out of 1,187 male finishers. Upper third, I’m thinking.

This, however, as alert readers might notice, rates as my fastest Marathon time this Century – by a long stretch. The last time I ran a marathon this fast, was back in 1996, when I was, of course, much younger and in fact actually trained for the distance. And also, compared to my other finish times at the Lakefront, again, this set a course record, smashing my previous finish times, by 23 plus minutes.

So what’s up with that? Well, I actually don’t know. Perhaps it was the Half Marathon training I did this summer (blog to follow). Perhaps the sushi/pesto combination helped. Perhaps a judicious dose or two of Miller Lite over the past few months has rewired the neural net. Maybe it’s because it was four months since my last marathon and I was “rested’?

Or, perhaps it was just my day. Either way, I’m more than pleased with the whole experience. Great course, great support, great weather, great time!!! We’ll see what the next one brings

Anyway, I continued through the chutes, picking up a really nice looking finishers medal, a mylar blanket (which I needed – the cool breeze was chilling me off rather quickly) and a bottle or two of water. I hung a right out of the finishers chute, and there was the gear check where an alert volunteer saw my bib, and had my bag waiting for me.

I love this race!
LFM Finishers Medal

The runners exit into an area which includes a massage tent (which, once I decided to notice it, the line was too long) a changing area, and the food tent, which is for runners only, and had plenty of fruit, cookies, soda and other great libations. I ran into Michelle, the other Maniac there who had turned off an amazing time that day as well, and we had a great talk about the race, the Maniacs and all things running, while we stretched and she picked up her gear bag.

I changed in the Men’s changing tent, shucking off my wet clothes and putting on my sweats, which was GREAT, and went back outside where I went over to the finish line in time to see Jim Nowakowski finish, as well as my colleague Ralph, who cruised across the finish line around the same time. Chatted with Ralph a little as he came through the chutes, and then went and said hi to his family, where I received a big hug from Patti, who said she was “so proud of me!” Thanks Patti!

Leaving Ralph and his family, I again bump into Denise and Sue from Forest Park, who had a great race and finished somewhere under four hours. They both seemed happy, and we got to talk for awhile as we toured the merchandise tents, where there were some unbelievable deals, including shirts for a dollar and half price apparel. Once again, I refrained from purchasing – I have soooo many t-shirts and sweatshirts, I just can’t justify buying more – regardless of the deal.

It was there, while having a great conversation with Denise and Sue that I saw one of my ex-girl friends, Sally, who was apparently working the Merchandise tent of the LFM. While I was raptly listening to a story from Denise, whoah, there goes Sally cruising by a few feet in front of my nose, apparently checking the tables. Sally, who is remarried now, used to be the Packet Pickup Captain, and it was a short three years previously in 2005 that, while we were “dating” I had Co-Captained with her for packet pickup, and then ran the race as well, marking the last time I had done LFM previously. Sally looked tired, and we didn’t speak, however, I mentally wished her well in her new life and marriage. Life does move on, and, as I have learned, it continues to be an an amazing experience!

Denise and Sue were having their finishers medals engraved with their finish time (another new and cool feature of this race) and so I gave them my card to reference the blog – if you’re tuning in, girls – great to run with you! Hope to see you in another race soon! Next time, I'll try the Rice Krispy Treats...... Then, I headed back to the Toyota, a short walk across the field. Off in the distance, there were still people finishing the race, however, I had had enough fun for the day. Got back to the Toyota, eased across the grass and onto the street, and soon I’m accelerating up the ramp onto I-94 heading west, and firing up the Cellphone to call Cayelin and report on my progress. As I get a few miles West of the finish area, the first raindrops start hitting my windshield, and by the time I’m clear of Milwaukee, it has turned into a full downpour. Perfect timing!! I head home, shower, fire up the woodstove, and watch the cold rain fall for the rest of the day, enjoying some leftover pesto, a few cold ones, some football, and the thrill of a race well run.

As a post-script, I learned later that Lisa Turner had turned out an incredible 3:33 for this, her first marathon, neatly qualifying her for Boston. Congratulations, Lisa!!

So, I’m blogging in reverse right now, so you know what my next big race was – the 10 miler in Tucson, however the next weekend before that and before leaving Wisconsin, I also ran a very hilly 10K in Wales Wisconsin, with Greg Searcy, Lisa, Liza, Jack and Julie and Liza played paparazzi, providing these very cool photos. (see below) Thanks Liza!! Next up on the blog– Half Marathon Maniac?

Thanks for reading everyone – hope to see you all at a race soon!

Wales 10K - Photo by Liza

Me and Greg Searcy at the Wales 10K - photo by Liza

Back to the Desert - The Carondelet 10-Mile Race Report

Back to the Desert – the Carondelet “Get Moving Tucson” 10-Mile Race Report

The sky is still as a spinning top,
shooting stars drop like burning words from above
If I could just connect all these dots,
the truth would tumble like a Cynic vexed by love
And yet the people keep sayingI'm miles from my home,
miles from my home…..

Cowboy Junkies “Miles from Our Home”


Speaking of Marathons……..

After a pretty outstanding summer tearing up the Southeastern Wisconsin Race Circuit, I left my home in Oconomowoc in the Toyota on Monday Morning, October 13 at 7:53 am SHARP and headed back to Tucson to our Winter Digs.

It was indeed time to put down the Miller Lite, extinguish the cigar, and get back to my partner Cayelin Castell and our life in the Desert. She'd been out there since early August, while I'd been having my fun on Lake Okauchee.

And, also, apparently to return to my blog, which, alert readers will notice, I haven’t posted to since my self-congratulatory story regarding the Valley of Gold Half Marathon in Tucson last March.

It hasn’t been that I haven’t been running – quite the contrary – it’s just that the Muse, and maybe also the time to write has been non-existent since I left Tucson on the first of May.

Either way, lots to catch up on. And, I’ll probably do it in reverse order, or LIFO – meaning, writing about my most recent running experiences and then backing up to some of the other spring and summer experiences

So, off I went on Monday, headed west to Johnson Creek on I-94, south on 26 to I-39, and then down through Illinois, picking up I-55 in Bloomington. Crossed the Mississippi at St. Louis, picking up I-44, and angled down through Missouri to Oklahoma. Emptied out onto I-40 and then fetched up west of Oklahoma City around 10:00 pm for the first night. 890 miles for the day.

On the road at 7:30 am Tuesday after the Best Western Complimentary Breakfast, which, gave me some not-so-complimentary Heartburn for most of the day. Continued west on I-40 through a driving rain storm, walls of water sheeting off the 18-wheelers and SUV’s in my path. Crossed the rest of Oklahoma, and the top of Texas, blasting through Amarillo in the early afternoon. Exited Texas, cranked it up to 85 MPH and made it to Albuquerque by late afternoon, though with the two hour time difference, I’m now ahead of the game. Hung a sharp left in the middle of Albuquerque, where now I’m finally and thankfully out of the rain, and arrowed south, down through the center of New Mexico on I-25, with stunning desert vistas, mountains, clouds, and rolling countryside. Exiting at the Hatch/Deming crossover, I headed straight west into the setting sun for what seemed like forever on some rough New Mexico two-lane, before picking up I-10 west for the home stretch into Tucson. By now, I’m at hour 25 of this marathon drive, the sun has set and I’m getting a little punchy, so I broke out the emergency M&M’s and Pepsi, and made the final push. Picked up a GREAT classic Rock Station, complete with Pink Floyd and vintage Yes tunes, that brought me home in fine style. I arrived at 8:00 pm local time on the dot, 1.890 miles and 27 hours in my Toyota.

And, what better way to celebrate my southwest homecoming, but to run a race the first weekend?

So, Saturday morning at 7:30 am found me toeing the line in downtown Tucson at the Carondelet “Get Moving Tucson” Ten Miler.

Lotta “T’s” in that sentence, si?

Anyway, this race was a very largely attended, very well hyped event that began and ended at the Tucson Convention center, a nine minute ride down the Aviation Freeway from our South Tucson Home.

I arrived about 6:40 am parked in the front row of one of several huge parking lots and , picked up my bib and a Barney-Purple T-shirt in about two minutes. Having some time to kill, I wandered around a little. They had a few booths and a huge tent set up in one of the parking areas fronting the convention center, where they were serving fruit and bagels to all of the runners and walkers, giving away hundreds of spring-loaded bracelet whistles and bells, apparently to blow or ring as you ran or walked, and handing out healthy lifestyle literature. Carondelet is the local Hospital Corporate entity (Think “Aurora Health Care” you Wisconsonites, or “Advocate Health Care” you Illinois people) This was one of their annual outreaches to the community to promote a healthy lifestyle. The event was put on in partnership with “SAR” or Southern Arizona Roadrunners, the local running club of which I’m a snowbird member. SAR had their own tent there, and were handing out brochures for the upcoming races as well as promoting new members. I stopped by to get my fill of race applications and struck up a conversation with Sherilen, Blonde-Ponytailed SAR Office Manager, who was very peppy and waxed enthusiastically about being from Salt Lake City, where there has already been four inches of snow. I countered with my “just-drove-here-from-Wisconsin” rap, and we chortled over all of you people out there who will be freezing come a few weeks from now, while we, the smart Snowbirds will be running in shorts OUTSIDE!

Anyway, apparently being charmed by my chatter, she gifted me with a copy of this years version of the SAR member T-shirt (why yes, another T-shirt, which gawd-knows I need one!) It’s a cool tan version this year, instead of the fire engine red one I received upon signing up last year. So, now I have two, and also possibly some volunteer opportunities. Welcome to Tucson!

Later, I’m at the start line, as mentioned and after an agonizing version of the Star Spangled Banner, the announcer gamely tried to draw out the suspense with a long count down, and Bang! We’re off, through a balloon arch onto the course.

There was a 5k attached to the race as well as the 10-miler, runners, walkers, etc all started at the same time. No chip timing, and consequently, of course all the slower walkers and shorter distance runners were clustered up front. I weaved and dodged and juked around them, and got up to cruising speed after the first two blocks or so but not before a sprinter in front of me, after apparently blasting off, gasped to their friend “That’s it for me” and stopped dead in front of me, necessitating deployment of the Bat Chute as I tried not to run them completely over. Still, it was close.

So, after that near miss, I’m up to speed fairly quickly, though feeling several things. One, it’s dry in Tucson.

Really REALLY dry. In the first few blocks, my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth, making me regret not hydrating more before we started

Secondly, I’m feeling pretty draggy. Not only am I slightly jet lagged from the two hour time change, I’m also feeling my 1,890 mile drive from a few days before, as well as the lack of running since a 10k the weekend before, AND some very slight residue from a Marathon two weeks before that. (more on that later!)

And thirdly, I’m feeling the heavier gravity of 2,600 feet above sea level – though it’s only an additional 1,800 feet above what we are used to in Wisconsin, hey, I feel it each time I come here – and it takes a week or two for me to get used to

So, I’m thinking this won’t be one of my faster days.

The course was pretty cool, though eclectic. There was a lot of weird out and back segments, and we ran on everything from suburban streets, to industrial areas, then onto the Aviation Bike way – and back, then out onto the Barraza-Aviation Highway, of all things, and then back onto another bike path, where we went out…and then back, and into downtown Tucson – first up Fourth Avenue (where the 1960’s are alive and well – there is everything from Tie-Dye stores, to Tattoo Parlors, Hookah Bars, and all kinds of 1960’s psychedelic artwork, as well as the Casbah Tea House, a local vegan destination spot)…and then after going around a corner on University (Where the U of A is) and down University for a block, we made a U-turn, doubling back again, on University, ran back to the corner, hung a left and ran back DOWN Fourth Avenue.

Much of the course featured that out and back and it seemed like for half the race I was passing streams of other runners going the other way – first the faster ones on my right and then the slower ones as I came back the same way.

I have to say that not only is there a large Tucson Running Community, but also these suckers are FAST! Both the men and the women. They are all lean, fit and desert hardened, and I have no idea how they train all summer in the blistering heat in Tucson. As I was coming past the second mile mark, I came to the first of the out and back segments and caught sight of the lead runners as they were coming “back” on that segment. Checking my watch, I noted that it was around 16 minutes, which later showed that these leaders had already passed by a large distance the THREE mile marker at that point. The looked like Cars, cruising at about 30 MPH as they blew past me going the other directions. Woosh!

So, as mentioned, a lot of the course was a two-way street, literally. The course was both very well marked and supported. There were large white arrows, plastered on the ground every 20-30 feet with Field Marking Chalk so you were never in doubt as to where the course was going. And, there were a goodly amount of enthusiastically staffed water stops, though some doubled as both an out and back one, which meant that at some points there were two miles between stops, which for me, the non-desert acclimated boy, made things pretty dry. As a result, I had to stop and make like a camel at each stop, inhaling several cups of water each time.

And, there was only water at each stop – no Gatorade, sports drink or sports gel. Again, these rugged Desert types…they are minimalists!

During the race, at mile three or so, I came upon a guy about my age, who was sporting on of those Camelbak water back packs. It seemed he was toting about a gallon and half of water on his back, and was clipping (or more correctly, Sloshing) along at my pace. In my mind, I instantly dubbed him “CamelBack Man” and figured he was my competition for the day. We ran side by side for a few feet and then he accelerated, apparently being better hydrated than me, as he didn’t have to stop at the water stops. We traded the lead a few times in the first half of the race, and then, after I took a longer water stop as I got more desiccated, he managed to get ahead of me quite a bit.

No matter – I’m already resigned to the fact that this isn’t one of my better days. Have I mentioned that?

Still, I managed to slog along at an okay pace, by my GPS, I was averaging a solid 8:00 to 8:01 pace for the first five miles, and then, apparently, altitude, dryness and over tiredness set in, and I started dropping towards the dreaded 8:15 pace per mile, in the latter miles. Oh well.

I ran over a set of bridges spanning the freeways and Railroad yards, then up, then down Fourth avenue, which took me through miles 7,8 and 9, and then dug in for the final mile, which was first through an industrial area, underneath the deepest bypass in Tucson, and then emptied into the Downtown Tucson Mall, where we weaved, U-turned, and traversed over several walkways, bridges, plazas, and past fountains, finally spitting out into the last quarter mile stretch of road, and a quick U-turn back to the finish line under the same Balloon arch.

As I was emerging from the bypass in the last mile, I once again came upon “CamelBak man”, who was flagging by then. I thought “you’re mine, Sucker” and dug in hard and passed him up. He attempted to catch up to me, however, lugging all that water must have taken it’s toll, because he didn’t have anything to catch me with. After traversing the mall, weaving in and out of the fountains and up and down the walkways, I traversed the final street, hung the final left and thundered into the finish line. The clock read 1:21:50 – a not-so-stellar ten mile time for me, however, it’s consistent with my recent performance on the distance, so I wasn’t too chagrined.

Later I learned that while I was in the upper third of the finishers that day (160 out of 460), my age group placement was a dismal 17. Indeed, these Tuscsonians – the top 15 finishers were well under an hour, the top finisher was around 51 minutes for the distance AND for me to get close to an age group placement, I would have had to break a 6:25 minute pace for the course, instead of my shuffling 8:11.

And also, an Arizona thing – the Age groups were 10-years wide, making the competition that much stiffer.

Still, it’s okay to be a mid packer. I got to see all the sights, and again, am not unhappy with my finish time. Perhaps with my return to Reid Park and doing laps there again, I too, will be come Lean, Fit, and Desert-Hardened after a time.

Who knows?

Post race, there were large quantities of fruit and cookies (including some VERY green Bananas) an abundance of Gatorade and bottled water, and a really good cover band up on a stage turning out some classic rock and roll. There was also a raffle, however, not needing any more stuff, plus, as the announcer intoned to the crowd “It’s starting to get pretty warm out here!” I elected not to stay.

I downed some water and Gatorade, retrieved my new SAR shirt from Sherilen, and headed back home.

I think they did a good job on this race, the course, support, timing and logistics were great. Coulda used a little Gatorade on the course, and of course the five year age groups are better (not that it would have made a difference in My case), however I know I’d do this one again. It’s a great distance and a good training run, and I have an opportunity to beat my time next year. The entry fee was a little stiff at $40 though, I’m not sure that it wasn’t because I was a late sign up, however, that was still pretty high.

Either way, it’s good to be back in Tucson!

So, what’s next? Well, the race circuit does heat up here (hah!) in the fall and winter. I have, potentially on the docket before Thanksgiving, a 10K, a Half Marathon, a couple of 5k’s, perhaps another 10K and who knows what all? This is indeed their racing season here, when the weather breaks and the heat is less intense. I’m planning on a quick return to the Midwest in December to catch up with my community there, and my next scheduled stab at the 26.2 is at the PF Chang Rock And Roll Arizona in January, where my Midwest buddies Rhonda and others will hopefully be joining, and I can run once again with my good friend Mark from Phoenix, who has had a great racing season also.

I am also intending on catching you up with the summer race circuit experiences, including Three Marathons (Eugene, Madison and my Return to the Milwaukee Lakefront a few weeks back), Three stellar Half Marathons, as well as a plethora of 5K’s, 10K’s, four milers, two milers and a ten miler or two. Lots to catch up on and some surprising experiences as well

So, stay tuned, and I hope to see you all at a race soon!

Local Class and Rocking Portopotties - The Arizona Distance Classic Report

The Arizona Distance Classic Report

It doesn’t hurt me
Do you want to feel how it feels?
Do you want to know that it doesn’t hurt me?
Do you want to hear about the deal that I’m making?
You, it's you and me.

And if I only could,
I'd make a deal with god,
And I'd get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems.

Kate Bush, Running up that Hill

I did the Arizona Distance Classic Valley of Gold Half Marathon (A John Bingham Race) in Oro Valley on Sunday March 16

It almost seems like it takes longer to recite and type the title than it does to run the race

At least for me – (and I’ll cut to the chase right away on this one) On a very hilly and windy course at altitudes between 2800 and 3200 feet, I turned off a very cool 1:46:26 placing me 11th in my age group, 121 overall out of 755, and the 93rd out of 294 males that finished today. (Pay attention to these stats, there is something that you alert readers should notice. I’ll comment later)

Either way, this was my fastest half marathon time since 1992 (and in 1992, I was almost 16 years younger). This is also anywhere from 8-10 minutes faster than the half marathon times I was posting at this time last year as well.

For this race, I went out with a good edge from the starting gun and also had a lot to pour on in the last 5K. And, I kept thinking how cool it was that there was "only" 13.1 miles to run.

Only a “Half”.

All this clean living is really paying off.

I'm finally getting what an incredible blessing being a snowbird is - I've gotten stronger and faster being able to train outside all winter And, also at some minor altitude as well. Thank you Reid Park!

The race was held at the Ventana Medical Center in Oro Valley which is just north of Tucson on Oracle Road. In fact, my constant readers may recognize that this race was held at the EXACT spot at which I parked at to catch the bus to the starting line of the ill-fated Tucson Marathon last December. I parked in the exact same parking lot, but this time, I only had to walk across the street to get to the race festivities.

I drove the half hour up to pick up my packet on Saturday as I had some errands to run. In fact, it was just that – Packet Pickup. Get your shirt, get your chip, get out. There was no expo attached to this very largely-hyped event, but from my standpoint, who needed it? The good stuff came on Race Day. I did meet Carrie, one of the lead sponsors from the about-to-be-opened-in-Oro Valley 123 Fitness. She chatted with me about the race, while deftly stuffing packets with propaganda, and fielding volunteer issues.

(The T-shirt was a white Long-sleeve cotton, typical, with the Logo on the front and sponsors on the back. I’ve already found an excellent recipient for this one. Jean, it’s in the mail!)

The weather in Tucson had turned worse on Saturday night. We had been in the 80’s with Sunny Skies all week, very summery, but that night the wind picked up and the temperature dropped. After listening to the wind howl all night, I got up early and headed back across town.

In short order I was parked and using the very sparsely attended Porto potties. And here was something comedic. Somehow, the Porto potties were resting on some sort of tilted skids, and not properly tied down. As people got in to use them, they would buck violently back and forth, like one of those quarter-driven storefront Bucking Bronco rides of my youth. As a result, I darn near spattered my shoes. And from outside, it looked absolutely hysterical. From inside there was nothing you could do, even if you stood rock still, the entire structure wobbled and rocked like some crazed and intoxicated Weebil.

As I exited, I flashed a grin at the chuckling spectators who had lined up as I was within. “Yee-hah!” I said, and they all burst out laughing.

John “The Penguin” Bingham, he of Runners World fame was the sponsor for this event, and indeed, he is really good at throwing a huge party as it were, pumping up the crowd and really sending out high energy. It was soon time to line up for the start, and over the PA System, he made several Penguin-like comments, such as “You’ve paid to have this course open for four hours! Take your time and enjoy! Pretend it’s Disney Land! And “Make sure you start off slow and then just taper off!” A countdown clock hung over the start line counting down the minutes to 7:00 am. A minute before the start, John climbed into a Mustang convertible to lead the race, the Mayor of Oro Valley took over the Microphone, and at exactly the stroke of 7:00 am we were off.

It was cool, with some clouds over the Catalina’s and the sun was not over the mountains yet. Rain was threatened, but the wind was not AS fierce as it had been all night, though it was constant throughout the course. Temperature was in the high 40’s and I was a little cool in a short sleeve technical shirt and shorts.

As mentioned, I took off pretty quick downhill, around a corner, and then started heading uphill for what seemed like the first half of the race. I was dogged for most of the first three miles by the 1:50 pace group, which consisted of one guy, decked out in Gloves and Hat and carrying a bobbing blue sign. I tried to engage him in conversation, but he was totally uninterested, and stiffly repelled my conversational forays. Fine. I dug in a little more and after the third mile, left him behind.

I did run the first mile or so with Barb from Louisiana, who shared in that short time we ran together that she had only found out about the race last night, had done a 12 mile training run the day before and had no idea what she was going to do. And, after telling me this, she put her head down, picked up the pace and was soon far off in the distance ahead of me.

The course was an out and back, a zigzagging loop on four lane road, going out on one side and back on the other, far side. It was entirely through the Dell Webb-built Golf Communities of Oro Valley, those never-ending subdivisions of ubiquitous ranch-style adobe homes that all look alike, where Senior citizens tool around all day in Golf Carts and eat at 4:00 pm every day to get the early bird specials. Not much scenery, though the mountains always made a great back drop. And, not much crowd support either – spectators, though enthusiastic, were few and far between.

And, as mentioned, the hills. I couldn’t find an elevation map on the website, but my GPS later showed a meandering, mostly uphill (both ways) course.

Plenty of water stops, about every 2 miles. As it wasn’t hot, I mostly partook of the Gatorade they offered.

I really hadn’t taken this race seriously. I had no meds, no gel packs, did minimal chafe protection and only took the day before off from running (Saturday - and mostly because I was pretty tired from the busy week I had) Anyway, I treated it much like a 10K in that I took off pretty quick, kept a stiff pace for most of the miles, and, in the last four miles or so, turned it on.

After mile 3, I was pretty much running alone the whole race, though I saw as the race turned around and runners started coming back, a stream of runners ahead of me. I thought to myself, “You know, I’m just not fast” and, I really am not, though today I did pretty well. The best part I remember is that I held a pretty steady 8:15 pace for the first five miles or so, and then started shaving that down in each mile after that. After turning around at the 6.55 mile mark, and returning the way I had come, I began picking runners off one at a time.

I kept sneaking glances at my GPS to track the miles. Each time, and without fail, I hit it on the Sixes – 3.6, 4.6, 5.6, etc

Speaking of GPS, this course was obviously measured using a Garmin Forerunner 205. Specifically, MY Garmin Forerunner 205. Each mile marker was within .01 miles of what my GPS said (5.01 for 5, 7.99 for 8 for example). And at the finish line, my readout was EXACTLY 13.1 miles. Go figure! Is there that much course skew on the other races? Or in Oro Valley, are the Satellites better?

Or, because I was running faster, does the GPS keep up more accurately?

Who knows. Today, my erratic GPS was dead bang on!

Starting at Mile 11, there was a big downhill stretch (that I had remembered as a big UPHILL stretch from the “out” portion) and I was all alone at the time. I poured it on, hammering down the hill and really feeling fast. At one point I looked at my GPS and it had me clocking at a 6:55 mile. Very cool.

So, after hammering down the hill for almost two miles, we crossed a long dry wash, and hung a right and the Finish line was about a block and a half away. I kept up the pace, in fact increasing it for the last 200 yard and crossed the mats holding my hands up high. Clock time of 1:46:32, later my chip time knocked off six seconds off that.

John Bingham called my name as I crossed, and ad-libbed something about my looking great.

I went down the L-shaped finishers chute, collecting a bottle of water, a bottle of Gatorade, and a bottle of “Snapple Anti-oxidant Water”

I drank the plain water, anyway.

Staggering under the load of these new possessions, I had my chip cut off, received my medal – a cool Black Ribboned gold one, with the Bingham Penguin Logo on the back (they were handing them out, not draping them on you though) and met Barb-from-Louisiana in the Chutes. She had been two minutes in front of me and had a blast. We had a finishers photo done together for the heck of it as neither of us would buy one anyway. Here is the link, I am bib number 772 http://www.runphotos.com/browse.cfm

The finish line was pretty cool. There were several laptop computers set up so you could actually check your results immediately. I instantly signed up for a “massage stretch” and there were other vendors, including Chiropractors and Nutritional people. However, there wasn’t much food – Bagels and very Green Bananas was it. And, they were really pushing the Anti-Oxidant water, I saw several people carrying entire cases to their cars.

I refrained. It didn’t look too good.

I had to get some warm clothes right away. The wind picked up and rain started spattering and if anything, the temperature started dropping. I was freezing, so went off to the car to get some dry clothes.

Finish Line Photos, more story below:

I returned for my massage stretch, an outstanding thing to do, with a very adept therapist named Bryan. After wandering around for a bit, shooting a few photos (see them below) it was time to go home. Oh, and to stop on the way at Nico’s Taco Shop and get a Chorizo-and-Egg Burrito, my new Tucson Post-Race Libation.

I half to say (ha!) that the Half Marathon is really a perfect race. Not a full Marathon, which I love, but a different experience. It’s not the 20-something minute 5K sprint, but kind of a nice medium-length conversation, with some opportunity to push. Usually less than two hours, but with a finishers medal. And, not much training necessary, most anyone could walk it should they choose. And, you could do back to back halves on a weekend if you really wanted to.

And, the Half Marathon is getting really popular! You may remember that in Carlsbad in January, the people running the Half, outnumbered the full marathon people 7 to 1 – 6,300 Half Marathoners, 900 full marathoners. And indeed – and here is the thing to notice from the Stats above - more and more Women are doing the Half marathon distance – today they outnumbered the men 462 to 293 = 40% more women went the distance today. That is so cool!!

I haven’t counted how many Half’s I’ve done but maybe I will. And, once again, I’m guessing that this is some great training for the next time I tackle the 26.2

Which is hopefully soon. I’m having trouble pinning down either a March or April Marathon due to logistics the ever-increasing cost of Travel and also our very full lives here in Tucson. And, yesterday I signed up for the Eugene Oregon on May 4th, thanks to a kind invite from Laurence Taoman, who is returning to the distance after a hiatus of a few years. As that course is billed as Flat and Fast (a definite departure from my last six or so) who knows what could happen?.

And one other interesting thing. One of the Statistics that showed up in my Finishers info was something called “Age Grade” Mine said “Age Grade – 61.3%

Wondering what that meant, I clicked on the ? that was next to it and here is what popped up

Age-Graded Results

"AGE-GRADED" results are calculated using tables developed by the World Association of Veteran Athletes (the world governing body for masters track and field, long distance running and race walking). These tables were first published in 1989 and are frequently updated. The tables can be used in two ways: first, by comparing your time to a standard for your sex and age, you can determine your Performance Level Percent. These percentages can be interpreted as follows:
· 100% = Approximate World-Record Level
· Over 90% = World Class
· Over 80% = National Class
· Over 70% = Regional Class
· Over 60% = Local Class

So, that is cool – I’m “Local Class” in my age group. Maybe I’m not that slow after all!

However, and some of you may be thinking it would be really simple to do the math, and say, “Okay, your half time is 1:46, doesn’t that mean that you should be able to run about a 3:30 Full Marathon?

I wish. Hey, it’s twice the distance. And, I have run that fast, but it was about 16-18 years ago. But if I keep training and staying healthy, (and maybe with a friendly course) maybe I’ll continue to narrow the time down.

Thanks for reading everyone! Hope we can either go Half or All the Way together soon!

Running 5K's versus Marathons

5K’s versus Marathons

“Hurts my ears to listen, Shannon, burns my eyes to see. Cut down a man in cold blood, Shannon, Might as well be me…” (more) Jack Straw – Robert Hunter/Bob Weir, the Grateful Dead

I did the "Daves Run for ALS" 5K on Sunday in my NEW Winter Hometown Tucson

It's a pretty small race - maybe 150 people? And maybe not, I'm not a good counter

It's held at the Foothills Mall on the Northwest side of town. It took me longer to drive there than it did to run the race, about a half hour drive across town. And, in fact it is Three Circles around the outside parking lot of the Mall, and a turn in towards the inner stores after the third loop, to get you to 5K. The terrain rolls mildly, and is only broken by parking lot speed bumps and right hand turning.

I haven't done a 5K since Thanksgiving (See my blog from 2007 – “Turkey Trotting in Tucson) and that one really doesn't count being two weeks after the Broken Toe escapade and a cross country one at that. Hence, I didn't know what to expect. As I will elaborate on later, it's like fast food - in and out - versus a leisurely Thanksgiving Dinner spanning several hours. I've had three Thanksgiving dinners (Marathons) since my last 5K, and have been far more acclimated to the pace versus the full-throttle aspects of a 5K. And, it is important to note, that I am the absolute poster child for “slow twitch” versus “fast twitch” muscle groups. Not a sprinter. And, while it takes me a while to get going, once started, I can keep going…..and going…..and going…..

I've actually done this race before - last year, with surrogate stepdaughter Jenna. And, after last year’s race, we left soon after crossing the finish line, forgoing her second place in her age group finish award, as we hadn't even bothered to check the results. We didn’t even know she had placed. She's fast that girl - and getting faster. Youth. More on that some other time.

With that lesson in mind and also a fresh memory from last spring when I did a 10K called the Deer Run in Wisconsin, and walked away from an age group piece of tin by not checking posted results, I've learned not to “assume”. So, even though my time was virtually identical to last years (22:40 versus 22:39 - another year older and another second slower - Damn!) which didn't put me in the money the prior year, I waited for results.

(By the way, my GPS scored the course as a 3.18. I must be pretty erratic or my GPS is just continuing to screw with me.)

So, to my surprise, I placed third in my age group. By One single second. I didn't realize that some guy was trying to take me out at the finish, but he was. Didn't though. The reason I probably didn't notice was that immediately after crossing the finish line, I had to instantly and rapidly lateral sideways to avoid a teenage female track star who was violently puking her breakfast Cheerios all over the finish chutes.

And, the Third Place award (s) were an Iridescent (read Puke - apropos!) Yellow "Nike Store" tote bag AND a silver-colored plastic Nike Water Bottle. Had I been Second, I would have got a pair of athletic socks, in addition to the Nike Swag, and had I been First, a "Runners Shop" Gift Certificate would have been mine AS WELL AS the Nike Swag.

Too much Nike Swag. In retrospect, I'm actually sorry I waited. More plastic to litter the Landfill after I give it away.

As a result of that experience, and because I’m always looking to write about my running, I was inspired to do an as comprehensive as possible discussion of 5k’s versus Marathons. The differences are legion, not the least of which was the surly nature of this particular Tucsonian Sunday morning crowd. A mixed crowd, largely younger, cliquish, and unfriendly to outsiders (myself). It felt like a club that I didn’t belong to and wasn’t invited to. Before and after the race, I couldn't scare up a conversation to save my life. I think 5k's can be like that, crowd-wise. But, more on that later.

So, let’s start out with the obvious. 5k’s are shorter than Marathons. 23.1 miles to be exact. However, this is both a good thing, and a bad thing for many reasons.

5k’s are flat out, pedal to the metal, 110% of Max Heart rate anerobic sprints from the minute the gun goes off. Unlike the Marathon where you can actually use the FIRST 5k to hit your pace, you don’t have that luxury here.. You gotta get off the mark fast – and continue to run faster – to be a Player.

And indeed, they are over quickly. For me, in 22 minutes and 40 seconds today. (And, I’ve been faster, but I’ve never broken 20 minutes yet. Close, but not for 20 years.) Anyway, because you are so flat out the whole way, the course is meaningless. Scenery, crowd support, a fellow runners opinion – who cares? I am trying to keep the body moving just below the puke stage, so I honestly don’t give a rats ass what is going on around me. I just don’t want to trip or bump into someone, that’s my minimum considerations.

And also water stops. In 5k’s, every second counts. Stopping to take water eats into that severely – suppose you lose 10-15 seconds on a water stop? As a percentage of the total elapsed time, it is pretty substantial. And, with my personal physiology, snatching a cup and gulping it down doesn’t work. I wind up choking, coughing and wearing most of the liquid as a result. AND losing precious seconds. So, I usually forgo the water unless the heat is relentless that day. I figure that I can stand anything for 20-something minutes, so I usually just blast on through. And actually on many 5k’s I've run, they don’t even bother with water stops!

And, 5k’s really bring out the competitive animal in me, hence the lyrical excerpt at the top of this narrative. (sooner or later, I’m gonna get that entire song quoted, it’s one of my favorites and also one of my favorite running tunes) Many times I’ve found myself in the last half mile of a 5k running down someone who looks remotely my age in hopes of placing myself even further into the winners circle. Having Been That Guy, the one like today who missed the guy one second in front of him (Me) and was then 4th in his age bracket and out of the placement, I don’t like to give up when possible victory is in sight.

I don’t get that urge in Marathons, in fact, I’ve been known to purposely lag behind someone in a finishers stretch as they have been in front of me the whole race and I don’t feel it’s fair to run them down at the end of four hours. There ain’t a snowballs chance in hell that I would place in my age group at most marathons, so I can be more courtly and sportsmanlike, not being attached as it were. And hey, everyone goes home with the same finishers medal anyway, right?

And distance. I’ve driven for hours, and flown for thousands of miles to run a Marathon. Today, driving an hour round trip to do a 22 minute 5K really struck me as not the best use of my time. And, it added to the cost of the race – I’ll talk about that more later. I did it mostly because I wanted to do a race – any race- and this one was on the calendar and in the same town as me. (I do forget sometimes what a sprawling metropolis Tucson really is, not a sleepy little desert town) Anyway, once again, traveling to enjoy an extended, hours long experience, with a guaranteed finishers medal makes much more sense than doing the same for a 5k

And now for the crusher. Marathons, by the way, are more financially economical to run than 5k’s!. Yup, you got that right! Marathons are a much better deal. Simple math will tell you that.

For instance – This race, which I signed up for by check was discounted because of my membership in SAR, which cost $40 or so. Forgetting that (and I am because I can make an excellent case without it) the discounted entry fee was $16, payable by Check. I mailed in my entry form, so with stamp and all (and forget the envelope and pen ink, as well as printer cartridges and paper to print the online entry form) I’m out $16.41 for this race. For this, I got to run 3.1 miles. receive a pretty simple short-sleeved white T-shirt and partake of the simple finish line libations (which today were muffins and banana’s both which were cut in half, bagels which were cut in thirds and Water) Anyway, the cost per mile run works out to $5.29.

And okay, I know what you are thinking, you math wizards out there who want to suggest I use my GPS measurement for this calculation. I won’t do it!! Let’s keep it apples to apples here. Damn GPS. Another cost-per-mile.

So, here we go – compare this to my last Marathon, the Lost Dutchman. Even signing up late as I did, the entry fee, including the Usurious and Unconscionable Highway Robbery Active.com processing fees was $84.07. For that I received a long-sleeve T-shirt in a small bag of Swag, got bussed to the start line in fine style, where partook of some good start line libations, campfires, and clean Porto potties. Following this, I ran the 26.2 Very Well Supported Miles, where they fed, watered and gel packed me at very consistent intervals. I finished the race where I received a very high class multi-colored finishers medal, and partook of the finish line libations, which included all the bottled water I could want, a hot breakfast burrito WITH salsa, all of the above mentioned 5K snacks and then some. I could have also had a post-race massage had I chosen. My gear was transported to the finish for me and I picked it up easily. And then, I got a bus ride right back to my car as well.

Forgetting also that at this Marathon, I not only made a new friend, but also had several great conversations and connection with participants I had never met before, the economics are even better. The cost works out to $3.21 per mile. And, had I not missed the early discounted entry fee cutoff, it could have been an even more amazing $2.48 per mile, or less than HALF the per-mile cost of the 5K. For all this amazing stuff and hours of fun!!!!

(Imagine me chortling to myself as I make this case. Imagine the Judge, trying not to laugh as the Jury intones “Your honor, we find for the Plaintiff. Also, for the Bailiff. Case dismissed!” Except for the fact, of course, that if I am paying for plane tickets and hotel rooms, the per mile cost of the race shoots through the roof. However, you can write about that in your blog – and argue your case before the Jury. I like my argument better)

Taking this a step further, I think that Marathon crowds in general are more friendly and fun than 5K people. Again, here is that fast food versus Long, Leisurely dining comparison. Fast food is not a commitment, it is a convenience – in and out, get back on the road with your tank filled. There is little if any savoring of the experience, in many cases you want to get it over with as soon as you can. I think that is why, at 5K’s, there is typically a huge turn out of the younger teen-and-twenty-something runners here (especially the one hurling in the finish chutes) With the resident NPD and ADD of today’s youth, the time of a 5K it is all they can sustain an interest in time-wise, and then, after 20 minutes or a half hour, they need different stimulation.

(Okay that was a little harsh. But, I couldn’t resist. And, there has got to be at least a small nugget of truth there)

Ah, but the Marathon is an extended experience. For some (though not me) there are the months of training and anticipation. The Pre-race Expo, where you can, at some of the larger races obtain large bags of free Swag. Pre- and post race festivities. Many miles to run. Many hours to enjoy. Scenery that unfolds and changes. The whims of the weather, which can in fact shift during the time you are out on the course. The possibility of meeting a new friend or friends. The 50-state Club and Marathon Maniacs where you can be an instant member of a very large community. Being able to talk, enjoy, share (as you aren’t breathless the whole way). A thing to Savor and appreciate, as you would a fine multi-course meal, or again, Thanksgiving Dinner.

People are drawn to that which they resonate with, and while I have met some actual marathoners and made some great acquaintances at 5K events (including my good Friend Gregg Herman, who if he is still reading right now might be howling – sorry Gregg, but you are right – I like to run more than you do!! And, you have diplomatic immunity, this isn’t about you), I have made more and better friends during Marathons. Except of course, for Gregg, who is a great friend even if he won’t run a marathon with me. And Scott, who I met at a 5 mile race, became a Marathoner and has been a tour guide extraordinaire, taking me to Toronto, Quebec and Portland for some of the most amazing Marathon experiences of the collection.

(warning - Woo-woo time – if you don’t want a quick side trip to the New Age, scroll down about 4 paragraphs)

In Shamanic Astrology, we describe all of the 12 Astrological houses as having Archetypal qualities , meaning, that there might be certain tendencies embodied by individuals, based upon the major aspects and placements of the planets of their natal or birth chart.

Shamanic Astrology defines the Archetypal qualities of Taurus, as that of embodying Beauty, Pleasure, Intimacy, and Receivership – in essence, appreciating and savoring the “Garden of Earthly delights” Or, in blunt layman’s terms, really personally appreciating everything and every experience to the last drop. And, the more drops there are, well, that is even better.

In my Natal Astrological chart, I have both my Moon and Mars position in Taurus. Moon being Lineage, and Mars position being the Masculine identity - that’s a long way of saying that I have an inherent, inborn tendency to really savor my experiences. And to resonate with long-lasting experiences. As running races for me is really a total joy, that is why I like the long races – simply, it is just more to enjoy! I’m not a fast food guy if I can help it, so I more appreciate the long races and use my “Taurean Tendencies” to notice, enjoy and appreciate each aspect of the entire course. And, of course to write about them for you!

So, having said all this, made both the economic and personal case for the Marathon versus the 5K, you may be asking yourself, so, Peter – why the heck are you wasting your time with 5K’s?

Well, the answer is simple. To run better marathons. Embodying some of these other Taurean qualities as I do, I am also a totally lazy bastard when it comes to training as many of you have surmised from my blogs. I like to run races, but I don’t like to spend a lot of time training for them. 5K’s are designed to force me to do some speed work, to get me out of my normal every day shuffling 8:30 to 9:00 per mile pace. (in today’s 5K I averaged a 7:17 mile – THAT is a good pace out of the comfort zone for me!) And indeed, much of my success in getting my marathon times down back down below four hours in the last year had to do with doing several 5 and 10K races last summer, sometimes two in a weekend. (and indeed, I also collected my share of age group awards, by the way!) Without 5K races, honestly my reading friends, I would never EVER go out and do that kind of speed work and compete at that level. No way. It hurts too much. And no incentive - there isn’t any possibility of winning a medal (or some useless plastic) on a speed work session. Or, to cut another man down in cold blood……

There really aren’t any bad races, short or long. All of them are good in some way, just some are better than others. As for me, given the choice, I’ll go long every time. Not only is it a better deal, it is usually just a better experience. More bang for your Buck!

Either way, I hope to see you all at a race soon!

The Lost Dutchman Marathon Report - February 17, 2008

Lost Dutchman Marathon Report

There ain't a place a man can hide, Shannon, will keep him from the sun.

Ain't a bed can give us rest now, you keep us on the run

Keep on movin’, just a mile to go…..Keep on movin, my old buddy you’re moving much to slow….

Half a mile from Tucson, by the morning light. One man down and another to go, my old buddy you’re moving much too slow….

Jack Straw, Robert Hunter/Bob Weir – The Grateful Dead

It occurred to me over the last months or so that all of my race report blogs follow a very specific template.

I was reminded of this while reading two “trash” novels during my travels this month.

I’m a big fan of Clive Cussler books; he of the nautical thrillers, starring Dirk Pitt and the quasi-real resources of NUMA. Having read all 30 or so of Clive’s offerings, I noticed that he too, follows a specific template in all of his books.

The books begin with a flashback to a prior time – anytime from BCE, up to World War II.

There is some sort of Maritime Disaster. Or other disaster. A bad guy gets away. A treasure, or piece of information is lost, or hidden somewhere.

Enter current day. Somewhere, some intelligent, but beautiful woman is performing some research/exploration/excavation – who knows? Some disaster occurs. Dirk Pitt, who happened to be in the area, equipped with some amazing piece of technology, manages to save the babe, as well as her colleagues, in the nick of time against insurmountable odds. Dirk, of course, as he rescues the damsel, secures a dinner date with her.

Romance ensues. Intrigue follows. A bad guy, of some foreign extraction appears with desires of world domination or destruction. The lost treasure is pursued. At some point there is a trip to NUMA Headquarters to consult with some futuristic computer equipment with the resident Computer Genius Hiram Jaeger. There is always a big violent car chase, with Dirk Pitt driving one his many classic cars. The cars are always riddled with bullets or fly through the air, but Dirk always manages to get away while thwarting, or taking out some bad guys. Dirk and his ever-present buddy sidekick Al Giordano get captured, by the evil Villain who, confident that Dirk is helpless and doomed, monologues the whole world-domination/destruction scheme while placing Dirk and buddy Al, and sometimes the beautiful babe, in a slow lingering death situation.

They always manage to escape and, using the monologue information save the world in the nick of time, as bomb timers count down to next to zero, or some sort of thing. And, they retrieve some long lost treasure, like the Titanic, or the corpse of Genghis Khan.. The end of the book has them driving away in the now restored classic car while the public flocks to the new museum showcasing the lost but now found treasure.

And, as a Hitchcockian touch, Cussler started inserting himself into the novels a few years back. He usually shows up in the middle of nowhere, when hope appears lost to help Dirk and Al out of some jam. He always tells them his name, and they feign confusion to each other “He seems familiar, doesn’t he?”

They are all pretty good reading, those Clive Cussler books. Familiarity and consistency is sometimes nice to count on, when you want to be entertained or just zone with a novel.

Maybe not so much with my blogs, though.

So, my template seems to go something like this:

I make some pithy comments, or Rock and Roll Reference to the narrative I am about to write.
I travel to the race
I go to the expo and comment thereon
I get up the next day and head out
I get to the start line and comment about that
I make some observations about the weather
I run the race.
Narrate things that happened, like meeting someone fun, or not so fun.
Complain about the Elevation Map versus reality
Comment about Marathon Maniacs
The support is either good, okay, or something else.
The miles roll by
The last 10K is usually tough. Sometimes I come up with some Zen-like comments or insightful observations during that time
I cross the finish line, and, lately, I am miraculously under four hours despite my best efforts
I make observations about the finish line festivities, food, people, etc.
It either hurts, or doesn’t
I either like it or I don’t
And, I always comment on Medal and T-shirt

That’s my template, seemingly!

And you, my good friends and faithful readers tune in and share these things with me which I totally appreciate.

Now, I am not suggesting that I am on par, or even in the same writing Universe as Clive Cussler. As I am a Marathon runner, who, in my races at least am not “plugged in” to an I-pod to take me away from my mental processes (specific blog on this to follow), this whole template thing was something that percolated out of the grey matter during my Carlsbad experience.

Especially after I wrote that blog about Carlsbad.

That being said….and said for a few pages….

……I had an Awesome time at the Lost Dutchman Marathon on Sunday. My 41st marathon.

Now, I have done “the Dutchman” twice before. Once in January of 2004, shortly after my exodus from the Midwest and my previous life. The second time was last February (2007), kicking off my return to Marathoning after a 15 month Hiatus. I did not do a blog at the time, because……well, I don’t know why! I just started later that year, so there!

Anyway, I had a great familiarity with all of the aspects of this race, and indeed I felt very willing to come and experience the fun again. Even though this is by no means a “Flat and Fast Boston Qualifier” (it is, in fact a Boston Qualifier anyway) there are many great aspects to the whole “Dutchman Experience” that keeps me coming back.

The Lost Dutchman Marathon is held in Apache Junction, Arizona, which is a short drive east of Phoenix. The town is under the shadow of the Superstition Mountain Range, known as “The Superstitions” (oo-oo, LOVE that name – Superstitions! It brings chills to the spine and also starts Stevie Wonder singing in my head “Very Superstitious! Writing on the wall……..”)

Apache Junction is a small town, but has a great hometown atmosphere. The population seems to be largely retired people and they turn out in droves to volunteer for all aspects of this annual event. And, they bring a joy, enthusiasm and tremendous energy to making this a really great event for all concerned.

Arrived late afternoon on Saturday for Packet Pickup, which was held in the Apache Junction Community Center. Now, the Lost Dutchman Marathon is not the only race that day. In addition to the Marathon, there is a Half Marathon, a 10K, and 8K AND a 2 mile walk. Something for everyone! Packet pickup for all the races was at the same place, but again, the cadre of volunteers made it a seamless event. I knew that they were capping off the Marathon at 600 runners, and I don’t think it filled, anyway.

The Expo was really really small, befitting the understated nature of the races. I had not expected much, and wasn’t disappointed, Honestly though for me, the expo is not what it is all about. As I am a Race Veteran, it’s not about buying souvenirs, apparel and running gear – I do all that online, anyway. And, since I generally give away the shirt, it’s not about that either. And, the Lost Dutchman shirt was okay, a long sleeve cotton shirt with a Logo and lots of advertisers on the back. The real premium money for the event came later – more on that at the finish line.

Spent the night at Cayelin’s friend Pam’s house, east of Phoenix, watching great videos and eating about a quart and a half of Chicken Fried Rice and half a dozen pot stickers. Thanks again Pam! Hit the highway at 0400 to get to the bus stop for the start line as early as possible.

The Bus to the start departs from the Apache Junction Rodeo grounds, starting around 5:00 am for a 7:00 am start. Again, as I had run this race twice before, I knew it was a good idea to get there early, get some good parking and make sure you got on an early bus to get a good “campfire position” More on that in a minute.

Got there about 4:50 am, parked the Toyota in the dark, along with several other cars already there, and after some last minute gear shuffling, I dropped my remote in the trunk, tied the ignition key to my shoe and headed towards a line of bright Klieg lights marking the bus stop

I remembered this year, to take careful note of the position of my car, where I had parked. In years past, I had neglected this, parking in the dark and heading to the busses right away. This resulted in some extensive searching for my vehicle upon returning – in full daylight by then - at the exact time you don’t want (post race, with Frankenstein-legs) to be wandering around looking for your car in a large rodeo parking lot.

Got on the bus and grabbed a seat near the front. Noticed a guy sitting there wearing a Chicago Marathon Hat and Pullover.

“When did you run Chicago?” I inquired, settling into my seat.

“Nine Times” he replied.

Thus I met a new running colleague – Mark, from Phoenix. Having a mutual “Chicago Marathon” addiction (I’ve done it 13 times as faithful readers will remember) we had much to talk about. We passed the time on the drive to the starting line hollering over the roar of the bus engine at each other across the aisle, comparing Marathon stories and sharing other observations. As it turned out, we also ran almost the whole race together – and again, more on that later.

The starting line is a long bus ride on a dark desert highway, to the Peralta trailhead out in “The Superstitions” The bus took off from the rodeo grounds, and after a significant distance on Highway 60, took a left and started heading up hill. We soon left the pavement and were truly heading out into the sticks on an unpaved, muddy and rolling road.

Now, I had checked the Lost Dutchman Website home page prior to leaving on Saturday. A chill swept though me as I read the following:

Attention Full Marathoners: Due to the heavy rains we have had this winter, four of our normally dry ravines are still running across the first two miles of the marathon route. Right now the forecast is for rain today and clear sunny weather Saturday and Sunday. Currently the ravines are passable, however you will get your feet wet unless you are a really good long jumper. It is not a serious hazard, just a trickle of water, but up to 6 inches deep. Please use caution. IF we get a lot more rain today, we may have to change the course in which case the mileage will be correct, and your result, if you qualify for Boston, will be accepted by the BAA. Changing the start is very unlikely, but I want you to know in advance that it is a slight possibility. You will still be starting the alternate marathon course on Peralta Trail, but at a different point. We will do our very best to get you from start to finish safely. Thanks for your understanding. Based on the changing forecast, or the weather, I will update this message. –

Grady McEachern, Race Director.

Nice to know, I was thinking as I read this. The first six miles of the course are all on the rolling, dirt roads leading out of the Superstition trail areas and in years past, it had been mostly dry and dusty – and actually optimal running conditions, considering. The concern I had was getting wet feet in the first two miles, and then squishing and squelching my way for the next 24.2. I considered various scenarios, like wrapping my feet in plastic bags, carrying dry socks…. Not optimal, but hey, I’ve run in worse conditions. Finally though, I decided to just commit myself to Allah, and hope for the best.

Back to the bus ride. (Jeez, I’m on page 5 in this story, and I am still on the bus!) Anyway, the bus fell silent as we headed off road. All of the runners were peering intently ahead as we rolled up and down the hills headed to the encampment for the starting line. We were waiting to see the shine of deep puddles and water hazards as we descended into each wash.

Our bus driver, a very friendly lady, told us that there were a few wet places early on and they weren’t too bad. And indeed, as we got closer we did splash through some puddles at the bottom of some washes, none of which looked too terribly deep or bad. I resolved to traverse laterally, or do whatever I needed to do to stay dry.

We saw the starting line off in the distance – a ring of about 30 small blazing campfires Arriving at the trail head, our bus stopped and an exuberant lady entered. “Welcome to the Lost Dutchman Marathon! Your bus is going to turn around and you can get off, and join us around the campfires. There is snacks, water, coffee and Gatorade, the gear check bus is there (pointing) the Porto potties are there, and we will also have a warming bus if you get too cold. The race will start in about an hour at 7:00 am!” We all clapped, and she exited. After the bus went further up the trail and turned around, we all got off and headed to the campfires.

A really nice touch is that the race staff puts carpeting squares circling all of the campfires, which, by the way, were Dura flame logs, set alight and other sticks put on top. Mark and I picked a fire, claimed a carpet square apiece, and sat down to warm up, inhale some camp fire smoke and continue our conversation. The campfires with the dark Superstition mountains at our back lent a tribal air to the whole proceedings, making the actual upcoming race seem a bit surreal. Felt like Summer Camp.

Busses kept arriving, and soon the place was full, with about 350 runners wandering around, doing their pre-race routines. I was noshing on my new, and highly recommended pre-race bar – Bumblebar – an organic, honey and sesame seed-based energy system. Good stuff – and I am thinking about asking them to sponsor me - see more at http://www.bumblebar.com/

The sun began lightening the mountains to our back, and soon it was time to check gear, and head for the starting line. It was COLD, about 41 degrees (okay you Midwest people, I know that ain't nothing for what the winter has been like for you!) damp and humid, which was different for central Arizona in February, and I kept a long-sleeve t-shirt and throwaway gloves to keep me warm as we headed down to the start line.

At the starting line, I once again booted up my GPS, waited a seemingly long time for it to sync with the satellites, and when the display turned digital, I was ready to run. Still chatting away, I never heard the pre-race announcements, (maybe there weren’t any?) but suddenly a gun went off and we were off, down the dirt road.

The first mile was straight downhill, a fast clip. I blasted off and headed down the hill with the rest of the thundering herd. I knew that the latter miles of the course were grueling, so I thought that the best strategy today would be to put as much “in the bank” as I could in the early part of the race for my eventual collapse in the latter half.

The course rolled up and down, mostly down. We splashed through the first shallow wash, tiptoeing over boulders and shallow water. So far so good. Through the next few miles, there were two wash crossings – neither of which did more than muddy the bottom and sides of my feet.

The uncertain part of the course over, it was time to settle in.

Elevation map - as usual, it doesn't really do justice.....

The sun was rising now, to our backs and all of the runners cast long shadows ahead on the desert terrain. There was a lot of chattering going on, splits, pace, hydration, gels – typical running stuff.

At the six mile aid station, having warmed up enough to get sweaty, I decided to chuck my long sleeve shirt and gloves. I offered it to a volunteer. “Put it anywhere, we’ll bring it back for you!” she said. Cool! I thought, It would be good to have a chance to throw this shirt away again.

I caught up with Mark again, and we resumed our conversation, running our way up and down the undulating hills, heading back to the pavement and civilization.

We exited the dirt road into a subdivision. The pavement seemed much harder in comparison to the dirt road’s we had been on for the first hour or so.

By the way – since the Lost Dutchman is a really small race, they have yet to do Chip Timing. Everything is “by the bib” and you go by clock time, or gun time at the start. The Mile markers are understated, but easy to see (especially if you have a GPS and know they are coming) There are, however, no clocks on the course so it is good to bring your own watch so you know where you are at time-wise

In case that matters to you, that is….

We headed out on to Route 60 for a mile or so, still heading west with the sun at our backs. The temperature was moderate, 50’s warming to 60’s and for the whole race was absolutely perfect. To our right, the Superstitions were a great view the entire way, shrouded in shadows from the rising sun – and also hazy with the humidity in the air. Any time you looked up in this race, there were great views of the desert mountains.

We clocked mile seven at a little over an hour, pacing about an 8:40 pace.

The course left route 60 and turned inland towards the mountains again. An enthusiastic cadre of Senior Citizens manned an aid station in the parking lot of a Walgreens at around Mile nine. I took a gel, and some banana and Gatorade and continued on.

The course described a big loop for about seven miles, passing through some cool subdivisions as well as past the Gold Coast Resort. We also passed through Apache Land, and Quail Creek on our loop, apparently, though I couldn’t tell the difference – some of it was all roads and elevation to me. Aid stations were every two miles and each group of volunteers went out of their way to cheer all of us on.

I was actually feeling pretty good and paced ahead of Mark at some point as the mid-course hills started to rise up and up and up.

Passed through the Half Marathon point at a 1:58 on the watch hung a left and eased down some long hills.

Well, as usual since my last Marathon, training has not been on the front burner. I got really busy at the end of January, returning to Wisconsin for 11 days to do some consulting work, and do my penance for having a great winter escape strategy. Not being used to the FREAKING COLD AND SNOWY Midwest weather, I didn’t do a whole lot of running while I was there. And, since my YMCA membership is on Snowbird status, I only managed to cadge two guest passes from my fellow members, so spin and indoor running wasn’t much of an option while I was there either. After my trip to Wisconsin, I immediately embarked – the next day – from Tucson to Los Angeles to help my friend Jack Allis in his booth at the Conscious Life Expo. We worked 12 hour days, on our feet for much of the time, and while I did squeeze a short run in while there, most of my energy went towards the expo work.

Returning to Tucson, just six days before Apache Junction, I tried to do some cramming, like you would for an exam – ran four miles Monday, seven miles Tuesday, ran four miles and WALKED four miles Wednesday, and hiked on Thursday. All it did was give me achy legs for Friday and Saturday. Thus, I thought for sure my goose was cooked what with the brutal nature of the latter hills in this race. And, I had concluded that I would probably break my sub-four hour streak on this one. Remember – I had been there before!

Issues did arise, but not because of training. Long about mile 16, I had to, for the first time in many races, make an emergency Porto let stop (sorry all!) which cost me two minutes, and 11 seconds according to my GPS. Exiting the pit stop, I had lost a lot of my pacing, and struggled to regain my stride for the next several miles. Obviously, the Pot Stickers Revenge!

Mark had caught up and passed me, and I could see him off in the distance. I spent the next three miles or so trying to catch up. He was doing some Jeff Galloway work, running and taking short walking breaks. Countless times I would be ready to catch him, and he would end his walking break and be off again, drawing inexorably away.

The course had looped back onto route 60 for a few miles and then back inland. Between Miles 18 and 20 came one of the most memorable parts of the courses. By now, we had caught up with the half marathon course and I started seeing Mile markers for miles 5, 6, 7…and we headed up a long, seemingly never ending subdivision hill. Across the street on the other side, other runners were descending – this was a “keyhole loop” like the Biosphere loop in the Tucson race, complete with a never-ending hill.

There seemed to be several aid stations along the way, but it was really only one, covering both sides of the road. It was a young cadre of volunteers and they all chorused “Turnaround’s just ahead!”

Well no, it really wasn’t

The turnaround for the HALF Marathon came pretty quickly. The full marathoners had to run another half mile partially down hill to our turnaround. Did so and headed back uphill to the crest and aid station again. I caught up to and smacked Mark on the arm, startling him out of an I-pod reverie (I think) “I thought you were miles in front of me!” he exclaimed. “I was, but had to make a pit stop” I explained as we huffed our way back up the hill.

Cresting the hill, we began a long fast downhill stride sweeping past the 20 mile marker. By now I’m hurting and would like to be done, but I knew there was still some fun to be had. GPS clocked me at about a 2:58:59, so I needed some serious pacing to bring it home under 4:00.

Swept down the hill, hung a right – and started heading uphill. Off in the distance, the course rolled, inexorably upwards into the distance.

“Undulating” I said to Mark. “The word is Undulating”

“Undulating” he agreed.

There was nothing to do but slog it out. So we did, running, walking pushing, and watching the mile markers come. Soon, I saw matching mile markers as we caught up to the 10K course as well. Once again, we went off road, onto a dirt covered road and down a huge hill. I used the downhill’s to hammer as fast as I could and eased the uphill’s, walking when I started taching out heart-rate wise.

“There’s something for everyone in this race,” said Mark. “It’s like Trains, Planes and Automobiles – Trails, pavement, trails again”

And indeed, this was true.

Do you remember those old Popeye cartoons? Popeye would be getting his ass kicked by Brutus, and then he would somehow magically ingest his can of spinach, and not only recover fully, but turn into a great big ball of whup-ass on Brutus, knocking him into next year.

That kind of happened for me here. I had saved a few Ninxia Red Juice packs for the final push, and at mile 22, I downed one, and it gave me a good surge. And I needed it. Right before mile 23, there is a world-class aid station, staffed by the “Purple Ladies” an exuberant bunch of Senior citizens who are like a group of geriatric cheer leaders, complete with several cute Burma-shave-like signs. They exhort you down the hill and around the corner to……the Dutchman’s Revenge, a Sheer Uphill stretch of about a tenth of a mile.

I walked up it, of course. At the top there is a huge Arch, a sign that says “It’s all Downhill from here” and “You can see the Finish Line from here” and....a Photographer. Once I caught my breath I sprinted through the Arch holding my hands high. He snapped my picture. “Couldn’t tell I was walking two seconds ago, could ya?” I shouted as I streaked by.

The course rolled off into the distance for the last three miles. More undulating hills, but the net effect looked very uphill. I remember that last year I had probably walked more than ran, my hip flexors screaming at me the entire way as I lurched my way finally to the finish line. The temperature last year by this time was in the high ‘70’s or low ‘80’s so I remember feeling pretty overheated at the same time.

This year, however was different. It really looked like a sub-four was yet again possible if I could keep it together. And as usual, with this goal in sight, it suddenly became important to make it so. I pushed back the pain and pushed on towards the horizon.

I had left Mark after the “Dutchman’s Revenge” Feeling the surge from my Ninxia Red I managed to keep a steady pace over the next miles. I treated myself to yet another Juice pack at mile 24 and, feeling the surge, was ready to get this race done.

The course undulates (yes, that is the word of the day) for the last three miles up Lost Dutchman Boulevard to a peak at the intersection of Idaho Road. You then go right, swoop down a steep hill for about a quarter mile, round a hairpin curve to the right and the finish line is less than 2/10ths of a mile in front of you in the middle of Prospector Park. I pass stalled runners and half marathon walkers as I slog my way up the hill, turn the corner and stretch out into the downhill. The hairpin turn is challenging on the legs, but I head into the finish line as quickly as I can, even putting on a final burst in the last tenth of a mile. This race, by the way, was the first time I claimed my Arizona residence as I signed up, so I was “Peter Klein from Tucson!” as I crossed the finish line. Clock time 3:57:43, which almost exactly synced with my GPS. Hallelujah, the streak is intact!

At the finish line, they handed me a bottle of water and then the finishers medal. The Marathon Finishers medal is outstanding a third-inch thick hunk of metal, in the shape of the state of Arizona. An enameled front with at least eight colors – Blue, green, gold, black, yellow…”7th Annual Lost Dutchman Marathon run for the gold….

Check it out:

That’s where the real money went for the race. And, interestingly, as I was reading feedback on the website yesterday, one of the runners wrote in and admitted that she signed up for the race SOLELY because she was enamored with the picture of the finishers medal – and that she wasn’t disappointed!

Continued through the chutes into Prospectors Park. I waited for Mark, who was about three minutes behind me and as I did that fell into a conversation with this guy who had finished just in front of me. It turned out he was from West Bend Wisconsin, had came out here solely for the race and we had finished at almost the same time. Two Wisconsinites, within seconds of each other in a field, which turned out to be 320 finishers. What are the odds?

That is another thing about the Dutchman While there are many local Arizonans, there was a national flavor to the race as many of the 50-stater people make this a destination run to add Arizona to their roster. During and after the race I met people from California, Colorado, Chicago, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Texas. Very cool to have such a cross section of the country on such a small race

Mark and I proceeded into the park where the finish festivities were already underway. Awards were being given for the 8K and 10K and later the half marathon. The finish line festivities are great. There was a food line (strictly for Runners only!), where again, a cadre of amazing and friendly volunteers dished up pretzels, fruit, yogurt, (with and without Granola) bagels (with and without cream cheese) and the famous Dutchman Breakfast Burritos with some spicy salsa. I wasn’t hungry, but I did partake of the famous burritos – and it was worth it!

Hung around and visited with other runners. Met Sue from Chicago, who was on State 37 I her 50 state journey. She said she didn’t run Chicago because she considered the Chicago Marathon to be a “National Holiday”, and she always hung out at mile 21 with Champagne, tambourine and a boom box to cheer the runners on. I Love the Windy City!

OH Yeah, forgetting my template – I did meet many of my Marathon Maniac brethren before, during and after the race, including Troy from LA, and Art from Minneapolis to mention a few. Troy had done something like 9 marathons SO FAR THIS YEAR and I shamefacedly told him that for me “This was only my second”. As always, it’s great to be a Maniac.

It wasn’t yet Noon, which again, is so weird – I had already put in an eight hour day between travel, race and finishing – and it wasn’t lunchtime yet. Mark and I hung out for a while longer and then picked up our gear. I asked one of the volunteers if anyone had brought in some stuff from the water stops and she told me to stand right there, while she hastened over to a pickup truck and gathered an armful of clothing that was in the back. My old white shirt wasn’t there, but it really didn’t matter. Still, was worth a shot!

Traded contact info with Mark who I am sure I’ll run again with (this was his 47th marathon in something like 9 years – he’s going for “50 by the time he’s 50” a goal which I totally understand.

Got on the bus back to the rodeo grounds, found the Toyota where I’d left it and did a quick change into civilian clothes. I was driving right back to Tucson (yes, without a shower, it was gross!) but I took the time to stretch out on the back of the car, trying in vain to shake some of the stiffness out of my legs.

While I was doing that, I noticed a middle-aged couple, each wearing finishers medals wandering around, peering around the parking lot, obviously looking for a lost vehicle. As this looked familiar, I called out to them “It was DARK when we got here!” They laughed, and we struck up a conversation. Ernie and Tammy from Texas; they were “Retired RV’ers” camping in the Superstitions with their travel trailer. They apparently used their retirement to drive around to do half marathons and other races wherever they could – Tammy had placed first in her age group and was sporting a huge plaque.

We had a great talk – and somehow the topic got to four letter words versus three letter words – We agreed that words like “Work” and “Snow” were definitely four letter words, on the order of obscene, while Three Letter words like “Run” “Sex” and “Eat” were far superior.

You can have some pretty funky post-race discussions as the endorphins jangle your nervous system……..still, I think we made a good point. It’s three letter words for me!

Stopped at the Circle K for a Coke (my post-race treat) and made the two hour and nine minute drive back to Tucson with my cramping legs. The weather, as usual has been stunning and I am grateful for my Winter Desert home

The next day I wrote a complimentary email to the Race Director and lo and behold the day after it was posted on the website! You can read more comments (mine is about a page down) at the following link:

http://www.lostdutchmanmarathon.org/2008feedback.htm

And, as I said in my note to the Race Director, I can’t say enough nice things about the Lost Dutchman Marathon (and, I’ve said about 12 pages worth here) It’s a great destination race, there is a race distance for everyone, and I will probably be doing this race every year I am here in the winter.


I also checked results the next day, confirming my finish time. Another cool addition is that next to my finish time were the words "Course PR!" indicating that this had been my best finish time to date. Nice touch.


And another part where life is stranger than fiction. My finish time differed from my Carlsbad finish time by exactly two minutes 11 seconds - the exact time, per my GPS of my unscheduled pit stop. AND, it was exactly 4 seconds different from my finish time in Tucson. Apparently I'm consistent, if otherwise "irregular"

And again - my GPS clocked the course EXACTLY the same distance as Carlsbad - 26.44 miles. The only consistent aspect between these races is....me! So if you do the math, I get credit for an additional 10 miles over 41 marathons, if the GPS is to be believed.

I’ve already recovered – walking three miles on my return Sunday with Cayelin and hiking three miles in Saguaro East on Monday. I ran three miles yesterday, and four today and while I still have a bit of stiffness, I’m ready to go again – Clean living catches up!

And, on a side note, I accomplished my goal – and then some – of 30 marathons before the 10-year anniversary of my Back Surgery on February 19. I actually ran 31, proving wrong my Neurosurgeon who gravely told me 10 years ago that I had “run my last Marathon” Another example of the Law of Attraction and Mind over Matter.

I don’t know what the next race is – there are some “lesser” races, including a local 5k, an 11 mile Trail Run in the Catalina’s and also the Valley of Gold Half Marathon, but I am really putting together my strategy to somehow gain Iridium Level in Marathon Maniacs this year – which would necessitate either a Four In Four streak (four marathons, four weeks) or Nine Marathons in Nine States for the year. Two down….and counting. Stay tuned

Thanks for reading everyone! And, special thanks to Mark from Phoenix for the excellent conversation, company and pacing. And to all my friends in the Midwest…..Stay Warm! The Snowbirds will be back in April or so!