Colorado Runner

New Blog

2009-02-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

I have transfered my blog to a new site: http://www.coloradorunnermag.com/blogs/dgriffiths

Tecumseh Trail Marathon - 6 Dec 2008

2008-12-08T09:16:00.004-07:00

Tecumseh Trail Marathon (Bloomington, IN)

56th Marathon

12/6/2008

55th Place

4:10:51

The Tecumseh Trail Marathon is run in Yellowwood State Forest, between Bloomington and Nashville, IN. The course is about 90% single track, with a lot of rolling hills (much more than I expected). It is put on by D.IN.O (Do Indiana Off-Road) who put on a lot of trail and off-road triathlon races throughout Indiana. They did a very good job of putting this race on. It was well marked with pink flagging every 100-200 meters. There were aid stations every 3M or so, so you didn't need to carry water if you didn't want to (although I did). At the finish, they had hot soup, cookies, hot chocolate, sandwiches as well as a heated shelter for all the runners to warm up in.

Logistically, this is a point to point race, meaning you have to ride a bus to the start. It is an hour ride, which is probably why the race starts at 10:00 AM. However, the race actually started at 10:20 because we needed to wait on all the buses to get there.

I personally did not have as good a race as I had hoped for. Well, maybe I did. I just went out too hard, not expecting the hills to really take their toll on me. I was on pace for a 3:40 at the half way point (which would have put me in the top 20), but the hills drained me over the last 10M, causing me to slow a lot.

The weather for the race was just plain awful. It was 22 degrees at the start, with a wind chill below 10. It also started to snow about 8:00 AM, causing the trail to have about 1/2 inch of snow on it. Normally, this would be OK, but the snow didn't let up the whole time I was running (again, normally this would be fine). What made it tough was the packing down effect of the runners ahead of me, causing the trail to be slick in a lot of sports. I fell twice (my dad fell 12 times) and twisted my ankle at least three times. But, that is part of running a trail race.

Overall, the race is awesome. The course is challenging and beautiful. The race organization is great. I just wish it was in Sept or Oct, when the weather is a bit more predictable.

Week Log: 30 Nov - 6 Dec 2008

2008-12-08T09:09:00.002-07:00

S: 5M (34:20)
M: 5M (36:59)
T: 5M (37:29)
W: 5M (37:08)
T: 5M (35:30)
F: 0M
S: 26M (4:10)

Week Total: 51M
Took it easy this week due to the marathon on Saturday. Read about it in the next post.

Week Log: 23 Nov - 29 Nov 2008

2008-11-29T10:40:00.002-07:00

S: 12M (1:48:18)
M: 4M (27:00)
T: 5M (34:33)
W: 5M (34:38)
T: 8M (53:09, 5M in 31:03)
F: 0M (up at 4:00 AM to shop...)
S: 12M (1:24:59)

Week Total: 46M (5:42:37)
This was a good step from last week. I took Friday off for two reasons - 1. I got up early to shop and 2. I knew I was doing another long run on Saturday so I didn't want the weekly mileage to be too much of a jump. I am pushing my long runs back to Saturday so we can go to church on Sunday morning as a family.

Week Log: 16 Nov - 22 Nov 2008

2008-11-23T10:20:00.001-07:00

S: 9M (67:00)
M: 5M (35:30)
T: 8M (57:11)
W: 5M (35:30)
T: 4M (30:11)
F: 4M (27:15)
S: 6M (39:30)

Week Total: 41M (4:52:07)
This was a great week and hopefully will jump start my base training. I ran every day, which is also a great start. Now we just need to keep the consistency and creep this up to 80M/week by the end of the year...

Week Log: 9 Nov - 15 Nov 2008

2008-11-23T10:18:00.001-07:00

S: 8M (59:22)
M: 4M (27:58)
T: 0M
W: 4M (29:12)
T: 0M
F: 0M
S: 0M

Week Total: 16M (1:56:32)
I was in Cancun this week and didn't do a lot of running...

Week Log: 2 Nov - 8 Nov 2008

2008-11-23T10:14:00.002-07:00

S: 10M (1:25:15)
M: 5M (33:30) - 3x1M w/ 400 jog (607, 604, 550)
T: 8M (1:00:20)
W: 6M (39:50) - 6x800 w/ 400 jog (300, 255, 252, 249, 245, 241). The 400 jogs were all in 1:55...
T: 0M
F: 7M (1:02:19)
S: 0M

Week Total: 36M (4:41:14)
This was a good week. The M and W runs were at a higher tempo than I have been running in a while, so that made me feel pretty good.

Week Log: 26 Oct - 1 Nov 2008

2008-11-07T09:03:00.002-07:00

S: 10M (1:13:35)
M: 3M (23:01)
T: 5M (35:13)
W: 5M (34:31)
T: 3M (21:53)
F: 5M (35:21)
S: 5M (36:23)

Week Total: 36M (4:20:07)
This was a better week for me. I ran every day for the first time in a while...

Week Log: 19 Oct - 25 Oct 2008

2008-10-26T18:53:00.003-06:00

S: 26M (3:43:50) - Denver Marathon: Stopped watched for pit stops at port-a-johns
M: 0M
T: 3M (24:12)
W: 4M (30:42)
T: 5M (36:36)
F: 0M
S: 4M (29:30)

Week Total: 42M (5:45:50)
The millage on this week was good because of the marathon. The good news was that I didn't have any ill effects over the week after. Hopefully this is a good sign to come and I can start building back up again...

Week Log: 12 Oct - 18 Oct 2008

2008-10-23T13:25:00.002-06:00

S: 4M (28:17)
M: 6M (43:30)
T: 3M (22:37)
W: 8M (1:03:29)
T: 0M
F: 5M (35:33)
S: 5M (41:03)

Week Total: 31M (3:51:28)
This was a good week for me leading up to the Denver Marathon. I need to get the consistency back. My left calf has felt fine over the last few weeks, so switching back to more supportive shoes must have been the trick.

Denver Marathon - 19 Oct 2008

2008-10-19T19:44:00.002-06:00

Denver Marathon (Denver, CO)
55th Marathon
10/19/2008
470thth Place
3:49:49

Today I ran the third annual Denver Marathon. Considering that I have not been running much of this year due to injury and life (having a baby in the house), I was unsure of how this was going to go. I had not run the distance since this marathon last year. I planned on running a mile and then walking a 1/4 mile. I did this for about 5M, then I started pushing the running sections out farther. But, I never went more than 4M at time before walking, just so to make sure I didn't injure myself. So, to run a 3:49 makes me really happy.

Now, onto the race itself.

This was the third annual New Denver Marathon. Each year, I think it has gotten better. The weather was much better this year (last year it was 35 and raining) with the sun out and temperatures in the 50' at the start.

The course was the same as last year, which I like. The section through City Park is a bit much, but it is a nice park. Also, there are two little out and back sections (one as you exit City Park and one in Wash Park) that I am still wondering why they are there. The race goes out the 7th Ave blvd to Cook street and then comes back on the other side. There are five more blocks in that stretch that could be used before getting to the major road of Colorado Blvd. Why not just go out a couple more blocks. I am sure that it is because the start line and the finish line are the same. Overall, the course is really good. You run through all the major parks (City, Cheesman, Washington) and all the nice neighborhoods. The stretch up Santa Fe at the end can get hot later in the day because there is no shade. But, this is only two miles, so it is not bad. There are a few hills along the way, but nothing more than a few blocks.

This year, it seemed that there were more aid stations, with an aid station every mile starting at 16 miles. His really came in handy since the temperatures were rising to a high of around 75 degrees. There were also two gel stops, one at 6 miles and one at 20 miles. There could have been another one at 15 or 16 miles.

I think one of the few bad things about this race is that the cost is pretty high for only getting a short sleeved cotton shirt. I know that this is a very expensive race to put on with the course and the cops and all of that jazz, but you should still get a technical shirt for a race of this nature. If they want to be considered a world class marathon, there should be a least a technical shirt (may a technical finisher's shirt along with the cotton entry shirt?) with your entry fee. The Boulder Marathon has really set the bar high with offering a tech shirt, a tech hat and two pairs of tech socks for less money than this race. Granted, the cost to put that event on is much less.

Overall, this is still one of my favorite marathons and I would highly recommend it to everyone. There have been three of them, and I have done them all.

Week Log: 5 Oct - 11 Oct 2008

2008-10-14T14:24:00.000-06:00

S: 0M
M: 3M (23:27)
T: 7M (54:22)
W: 0M
T: 0M
F: 0M
S: 5M (36:40)

Week Total: 15M (1:54:29)
This week was not good in mileage. I took off three days as we were finalizing the Nov/Dec issue of Colorado Runner and then traveling to Chicago for the Chicago Marathon and the Nike Running Summit. Look for a blog post later in the week on the Nike Summit. It was great and they have a lot of cool stuff coming out in the spring that I think you are going to be really psyched about!

Week Log: 28 Sept - 4 Oct

2008-10-05T08:58:00.002-06:00

S: 2M (18:30)
M: 4M (30:52)
T: 4M (31:19)
W: 0M
T: 5M (40:02)
F: 3M (22:18)
S: 6.2M (48:49)

Week Total: 24M (3:11:50)
No calf pain this week. I switched back to older shoes with more support, so I am wondering if that is something that needs done for the future...

Week Log: 21 Sept - 27 Sept 2008

2008-10-01T07:00:00.001-06:00

S: 0M
M: 3M (20:53)
T: 0M
W: 4M (34:02)
T: 0M
F: 3M (23:12)
S: 0 M

Week Total: 10M (1:18:07)
Still having trouble with the calf

Catching Up

2008-09-24T09:04:00.004-06:00

It has been about a month since I last posted an entry. Over that time, I have been struggling with my left calf again. It has forced me to running only sporadically. Hopefully it will go away before the Denver Marathon so I can at least run most of it. However, I will do it no matter what, just so I don't end the streak of doing them all after only two years.

Week Log: 14 Sept - 20 Sept 2008
S: 0M
M: 0M
T: 0M
W: 0M
T: 6M (50:28)
F: 0M
S: 3M (22:06)
Week Total: 9M (1:12:34)

Week Log: 7 Sept - 13 Sept 2008
S: 6.4M (56:29)
M: 8M (1:00:40)
T: 0M
W: 2M (15:45)
T: 0M
F: 5.6M (50:24)
S: 0M
Week Total: 22M (3:03:18)

Week Log: 31 Aug - 6 Sept 2008
S: 6M (43:24)
M: 0M
T: 0M
W: 0M
T: 0M
F: 4M (30:00)
S: 0M
Week Total: 10M (1:13:24)

Week Log: 24 Aug - 30 Aug 2008
S: 3M (23:18)
M: 8M (58:33)
T: 4.4M (31:21)
W: 0M
T: 0M
F: 0M
S: 10M (1:26:29)
Week Total: 25M (3:19:41)

Week Log: 17 Aug - 23 Aug 2008
S: 0M
M: 8M (1:11:00)
T: 8M (1:06:58)
I did a track workout today: 200, 200, 400, 800, 800, 400, 200, 200 in 37, 38, 77, 238, 233, 72, 32, 34
W: 0M
T: 3M (23:42)
F: 0M
S: 0M
Week Total: 19M (2:41:40)

Week Log: 10 Aug - 16 Aug 2008

2008-08-17T10:57:00.002-06:00

Sun: 0M
Mon: 10M (72:45)
Tues: 5M (34:35)
Wed: 0M
Thurs: 10M (70:12)
Fri: 5M (36:36)
Sat: 10M (76:51)

Total Miles: 40M (4:50:59 / 7:16 pace)

Week Log: 3 Aug - 9 Aug 2008

2008-08-09T09:29:00.002-06:00

Sun: 12M (1:30:49)
Mon: 0M
Tues: 8M (57:56)
Wed: 8M (67:00)
Today I did the same workout as last week - 2M warm-up and 2M cool down. In between, I did the same ladder workout as last week (200, 200, 400, 800, 800, 400, 200, 200) with full recovery jogs (200, 200, 400, 800, 400, 200, 200). This week was a bit faster: 35, 36, 78, 244, 242, 78, 35, 32
Thurs: 8M (559:14)
Today I did 3x1M tempo with 60s jog recovery. I did a negative split today instead of the debacle of last week. Times are still slow, but they are getting better: 634, 615, 612
Fri: 7M (51:39)
Sat: 7M (49:26)

Week Total: 50M (6:16:04 / 7:31 pace)
This was a great week. I did 50M for the first time in a while and it felt really good.

Week Log: 27 July - 2 Aug 2008

2008-08-03T17:07:00.002-06:00

Sun: 12M (1:31:44)
Mon: 5M (34:57)
Tues: 7M (59:34)
Today I did a track workout: 200, 200, 400, 800, 800, 400, 200, 200 with full recovery (200, 200, 400, 800, 400, 200 jog rests). I felt pretty good on the this, though it wasn't a speed demon type workout. I am happy that I ran a decent clip and got faster throughout. My splits were: 37, 39, 80, 247, 241, 78, 37, 36.
Wed: 6M (43:50)
One of the staples of a Jack Daniels training week is a speed workout followed by a tempo type workout the next day. Today I decided to do a tempo run, but didn't feel that it would be beneficial to do a full 3M tempo run since this was my first time doing this in over a year. So, I decided to do 3x1M with 60s rest. I did this on my normal 6M loop. Unfortunately, I ran the first one too fast and then got slower. But, all in all it was a good workout. My splits were: 6:10, 6:14 and 6:24.
Thurs: 5M (36:20)
Fri: 3M (23:24)
Sat: 5M (35:35)

Week Total: 43 (5:25:24 / 7:34 pace)
This was a very good week in that i ran every day and I did two workouts. I need to keep this up if I plan to get back into shape any time soon!

Week Log: 20 July - 26 July 2008

2008-07-28T12:30:00.003-06:00

Sun: 0M
Mon: 8M (1:04:52)
Tues: 8M (59:04)
Wed: 5M (34:35)
Thurs: 8M (59:44)
Fri: 6M (43:39)
Sat: 0M

Week Total: 35M (4:21:54 / 7:29 Pace)

Week Log: 13 July - 19 July 2008

2008-07-21T11:17:00.002-06:00

Sun: 15M (2:21:19)
Mon: 0M
Tues: 9M (1:04:27)
Wed: 8M (1:00:07)
Thurs: 4M (32:30)
Fri: 7M (1:04:45)
Sat: 0M

Week Total: 43M (6:02:19 / 8:30 Pace)
This was a good week for me. Thursday and Friday I ran on the mountain at Boyne Highlands resort in Boyne, MI while I was there for an Association of Running Publications conference. This was great trail running in Northern MI! I was really surprised at how nice the trails were here as I was not expecting that at all!

Week Log: 6 July - 12 July 2008

2008-07-15T11:31:00.002-06:00

Sun: 13M (1:44:25)
Mon: 5M (36:42)
Tues: 3M (21:23)
Wed: 4M (28:27)
Thurs: 5M (37:21)
Fri: 6M (44:30)
Sat: 0M

Week Total: 36M (4:33:29 / 7:35 pace)
Overall, this week was OK. I definitely need to get the miles up a lot from here, so I plan to start running just a bit farther over time. Hopefully I can get it back up to 70M/week in the next month or so. I then hope to stay there for a month and then start creeping it up to 90M/week, which is where I run my best. Once we get to 70M/week, I will add in workouts ever week instead of just sporadically.

Week Log: 29 Jun - 5 July

2008-07-07T18:38:00.002-06:00

Sun: oM
Mon: 3M (21:14)
Tues: 8M (57:45)
Wed: 4M (29:37)
Thurs: 8M (58:15)
Fri: 7M (53:24)
Sat: 5M (36:08)

Week Total: 35M (4:16:23 / 7:18 Pace)
I didn't get a long run this week because I went on last Saturday. I planned to go 15M on Saturday of this week, but Alex was up for an hour at 3:00 AM, so I decided to sleep instead. I will get my long run in on Sunday of next week.

I still have aspirations of getting back in shape to run the Germantown 50K on August 23rd, but that is only seven weeks away and I have a long way to go still...

Week Log: 22 June - 28 June 2008

2008-06-28T11:47:00.002-06:00

Sun: 3M (22:13)
Mon: 6M (44:54), Weights at the gym
Tues: 6M (43:03 - 4x800 w/ 100 jog in 258, 257, 253, 253)
Wed: 8M (57:54)
Thurs: 6M (44:32)
Fri: 0M
Sat: 12M (1:32:43)

Week Total: 41M (5:06:19 - 7:28/mile pace)
Overall, I felt better about this week. Still recovering from lack of sleep due to my son being sick. It took me a while to get re-motivated to run this week, but I think we are all good now...

Week Log: 15 June - 21 June 2008

2008-06-23T08:45:00.003-06:00

Sun: 0M
Mon: 5M (36:26)
Tues: 8M (57:05)
Wed: 0M
Thurs: 0M
Fri: 0M
Sat: 8M (58:23)

Week Total: 21M (2:31:54 / 7:14 Pace)
So, Alex got sick on Tuesday night with ear infections. He was up a lot at night on Wed, Thurs, and Friday. Because of him being sick and me not getting a lot of sleep, I didn't run on those days. Then, on Sat i felt like crap (was planning 10M, but went 8M). Hopefully next week will be back on pace...

Week Log: 8 June - 14 June

2008-06-16T08:28:00.002-06:00

Sun: 7.5M (1:09:51)
Mon: 8.5M (1:01:33)
Tues: 5M (39:26)
Wed: 5M (37:21)
Thurs: 3M (22:30)
Fri: 0M
Sat: 0M

Week Total: 29M (3:50:41 / 8:00 pace)
This week I decided to take an easy week for a couple of reasons. One - I hadn't backed off in a while and Two - the magazine was due at the printer, so i needed to get that finalized.

Week Log: 1 June - 7 June 2008

2008-06-07T16:10:00.003-06:00

Sun: 13M (2:07:28, +/- 2659')
Mon: 5M (38:00, +444' / -385'), Weights at the gym
Tues: 5M (36:11, +475' / -577')
Wed: 5M (36:07, +/- 267')
Thurs: 5M (37:10, +/- 0')
Fri: 5M (36:33, +365' / -318')
Sat: 12M (1:32:32, +/- 722')

Week Total: 50M (6:44:01, 8:05 pace)
Overall, this was a really good week. The first run of the week was really slow, but it was on a course with a lot of climbing. Things are looking good! hopefully I can get a new state by the end of the year!

Week Log: 25 May - 31 May 2008

2008-05-31T11:30:00.009-06:00

Sunday 25 May 2008:
10 Miles / 1:20:34

Monday 26 May 2008
5 Miles / 39:08
Weights at the gym

Tuesday 27 May 2008
5 Miles / 36:52

Wednesday 28 May 2008
5 Miles / 36:53

Thursday 29 May 2008
6 Miles / 44:48

Friday 30 May 2008
4 Miles / 28:44

Saturday 31 May 2008
10 Miles / 1:15:12

Week Total: 45 Miles / 5:42:11 (7:36 Pace)
This is one of the best weeks of training I have had in a very long time. First off, I ran every day (even if it was shorter in the middle of the week). Second, my runs were faster. I haven't had a week at 7:36 pace in a long time. Considering the hills I did this week, this is a very good indicator that things are starting to come around!

Week Log: 18 May - 24 May 2008

2008-05-24T08:22:00.010-06:00

Sunday 18 May 2008
13.1 Miles / 1:40:46
Today was the Colorado Colfax Half Marathon. I decided to just run this as a long run. Surprisingly, I felt pretty good and was able to negative split the event. My calf was tight throughout, but it never really bothered me. When I felt it a little more, I just eased back the pace a bit.

This is a great way to start this week and I felt good, especially after doing 75 minutes yesterday.

See race report here.

Monday 19 May 2008
0 Miles
Weights at the gym

Tuesday 20 May 2008
9 Miles / 1:13:00
The plan today was to do mile repeats again. I was not sure how I would feel after the long run on Sunday, but I figured this was the only way to get back in shape. Plus, my calf was feeling OK so I thought I would go for it.

Last week, I did 4x1M on the treadmill with a 1/4 jog. Today, I thought I would do this at Waterton Canyon between the two and three mile markers. This meant that the first and third would be slightly uphill and the second and fourth would be slightly downhill. What I didn't realize until I started was that the uphill miles would also be in to he wind.

After a two mile warm up, I dropped my H2O bottle and shirt and started out on the first mile. I hit it in 6:39 and then jogged 1/4 mile up the hill before turning around and running the second mile. I did this one in 6:20. I then jogged the 1/4 mile to my bottle, got a drink and started the third mile. My legs were really tired at this point and the wind had picked up, so I decided to only go 1/2 mile and then jog 1/8 mile and then do another 1/2 mile. I did this on the way back too.

So, the workout turned into 2x1M with 1/4 mile jog followed by 4x1/2M with 1/8M jog. I was happy with the workout because my legs were very tired, but I would have liked to have done the 4x1M. The good news is that there was no tightness in my calf!

Splits - 6:39/2:55 (1M/Rest), 6:20/2:50, 3:18/1:43 (1/2M/Rest), 3:20/1:42, 3:01/1:36, 3:00/2:22

Wednesday 21 May 2008
4 Miles / 31:10

Thursday 22 May 2008
10 Miles / 1:17:31
My plan was to do a three mile tempo run but as I got into the warm-up, I realized that I was not feeling the greatest and that I should just do the whole run as an easy run. So, that is what I did. I ran the Frosty's Frozen Five 10M loop at Chatfield. I was going to do a three mile warm-up and then run a tempo to mile six and a four mile cool down. But, I just made it an easy ten miler instead.

I ran the first 5M in 38:45 and the second in 38:46 (but the last mile was 7:20). Overall, I felt OK. The last three miles didn't feel the greatest and I am glad I didn't do the tempo run. I will hold that until next week.

Friday 23 May 2008
0 Miles
Weights at the gym

Saturday 24 May 2008
6 Miles / 54:54

Week Total: 42 Miles / 5:37:21 (8:01 pace)
Overall, this was a great week, except for the last two days where I picked up a bug of some kind. The 13 miler on Sunday was great as was the workout on Tuesday. Even though I felt bad on Thursday, I still did a ten miler, which was something I haven't done in the middle of the week in a long time. I just hope I get over this bug ASAP.

Colorado Colfax Half Marathon: 18 May 2008

2008-05-18T12:31:00.004-06:00

Today I ran in the Colorado Colfax Half Marathon. Two years ago, I ran in the first one and said I would never do it again because the course was terrible. 13.1M; 700 feet of climbing with most of it in the last four miles; Straight down Colfax Ave for 13 miles; no crowds; sun at your back the whole way.

Last years race was a disaster that we all know about (marathon was marked too long, no gels on the course, no port-a-potties at the start). But, they changed race management, changed the course and vowed that the race would be better.

So, needing to run a long run, I decided to run the half as an easy run, just to see how it was.

The first thing I noticed was that there were 80 port-a-johns at the start, which was no in City Park. The half marathon went out of City Park and ran east on Colfax out to Fitzsimmons before heading back to City Park via 17th Ave. It was slightly uphill on the way out and slightly downhill on the way back, which makes for a very fast course. I personally think someone could run 1:07 or 1:08 on this course. There were water stops every two miles - water, Gatorade, and at least one port-a-john at each stop. There were no gels, but usually you don't get those in a half marathon.

The marathon went out of City Park and ran west on Colfax all the way out to Sims. This still made for a long grind in the first half, but that was the high point of the race. After heading back on Colfax for a stretch, the marathon went up and around Sloan's Lake and then ran through a stretch of LoDo before hitting 17th Ave to return to City Park.

Overall, I think the race did an outstanding job of changing the perception that people had garnered last year. I think the new courses are much better (and they allow for the complete re-open of Colfax Ave much sooner in the day). The expo at City Park was very well thought out and very well attended.

The only downside of the race that I could see was parking. City Park is a large park, but there are not a lot of places to park your vehicle. Most of the people used the Zoo or the Nature Museum parking lots. I think for next year they need to direct people into the lots much better so that there is not a frantic run for the start line because of parking situations.

Results can be found at www.onlineraceresults.com and you can find out more about the race at www.coloradocolfaxmarathon.org.

Oh, I ran 1:41 and finished somewhere in the middle of the pack. Considering I had not run this far since last year's Denver Marathon, all I wanted to do was run easy, finish strong and stay healthy. It isn't time to for racing yet.

Week Log: 11 May - 17 May 2008

2008-05-17T13:39:00.006-06:00

Sunday 11 May 2008

9 Miles / 1:11:30

Monday 12 May

0 Miles

Weights at the gym

Tuesday 13 May

7 Miles / 55:05

My plan today was to start doing some up tempo stuff to help increase my aerobic capacity. So today, the plan was to do mile repeats nice and easy. I thought I would start with three and build up to six over the next few weeks.

When I do mile repeats, I do them more as a speed workout as opposed to a tempo run/cruise intervals with really short rest. Instead, I do mile repeats with a quarter mile jog in between.

I planned to do them today on the Platte River Trail, but when I got up it was snowing! On May 13, it was snowing!! So, this meant I was doing them on the treadmill. This was probably a better idea anyway, as this would force me to keep an even tempo and not get going to fast too early. Since I don't know what it feels like to run even moderate pace, mile repeats done the wrong way could be really bad.

I started out with a mile warm up and then went right into the repeats. I set the treadmill at 9.2 MPH and went one mile. Then I walk/jogged a quarter. I thought I could do three, but I ended up doing four! Each one was just a bit faster also, so this was really good. My times were 631, 628, 626, and 623. The rest between each was 300-330.

Now, I know that this is not very fast considering I have done 6xMile with an average of 455 before. So, I do have a long way to go. But, to run four miles at or better than 630 is something I have not done in six months!

On Thursday, I plan to do a three mile tempo run. So, my schedule will be repeats on Tuesday and tempo run on Thursday. I also plan to increase my long runs on the weekends with a long term plan of hitting 15-20 on both Saturday and Sunday.

Wednesday 14 May

6 Miles / 45:58

Thursday 15 May

9 Miles / 1:10:17

The plan today was to do a three mile tempo run. I went to Waterton Canyon to run it because I wanted to stay flat. Even with the climb on the way out, it is very subtle.

I started out with an easy three mile warm up (24:21). Stopped and put my H2O bottle down and then headed off farther up the canyon. I wanted to stay conservative because this was my first one, so I was shooting for 645-700 pace. I hit the first mile in 7:01 and the 1.5M in 10:31. So, I was right on 7:00 pace for the first half, going up hill. I hit two miles in 13:55 coming back down the hill and finished it off with a 6:35 to finish it in 20:30.

I then started my three mile cool down back to the car. After about a mile of it, my left calf started to tighten up some so I stopped and stretched it out a lot. I started back up and it loosened up so I was able to run the while way. It was a pretty slow warm down (25:20), but it was good.

My calf still hurt for the rest of the day, but I kept stretching it. Hopefully it will be OK tomorrow, which is a planned day off anyway.

Friday 16 May

0 Miles

Weights at the gym

Saturday 17 May

9 Miles / 1:13:56

Week Total: 40 Miles / 5:16:56 (7:55 Pace)
Overall, this was a very good week for me. I got in 40 miles and two workouts. However, I need to keep an I on my calf over the next week and really do some stretching.

Week Log: 4 May - 10 May 2008

2008-05-10T14:37:00.006-06:00

Sunday 4 May 2008

8 Miles / 1:03:06

Monday 5 May

0 Miles

Weights at the gym

Tuesday 6 May

8 Miles / 1:02:05

Wednesday 7 May

3 Miles / 23:50

Thursday 8 May

7 Miles / 1:08:08

Friday 9 May

0 Miles

Weights at the gym

Saturday 10 May

10 Miles / 1:45:40

Week Total: 36 Miles / 5:22:49 (9:01 pace)

Overall this was a really good week! I wish the last two runs of the week had been faster, but I did a lot more climbing on those two runs, so it was bound to be slower.

Week Log: 27 April - 3 May 2008

2008-05-03T13:28:00.003-06:00

Sunday 27 April 2008
7 Miles / 1:01:41

Monday 28 April
0 Miles
Weights at the gym

Tuesday 29 April
7 Miles / 53:54

Wednesday 30 April
0 Miles
Weights at the gym

Thursday 1 May
7 Miles / 54:11

Friday 2 May
0 Miles
Weights at the gym

Saturday 3 May
7 Miles / 1:04:50

Week Total: 28 Miles / 3:54:36 (8:22/mile)
This was a good week for me in my slow climb back to full running shape. Next week I plan to increase the four days to eight miles, plus add a short three or four mile run on Wednesday. I am also going to cut the weights back to Mon/Fri and do only one set of 30 on each exercise instead of three sets of ten.

Week Log: 20 April - 26 April 2008

2008-04-26T10:06:00.003-06:00

Sunday 20 April 2008
0 Miles

Monday 21 April 2008
0 Miles

Tuesday 22 April 2008
6 Miles / 52:28

Wednesday 23 April 2008
0 Miles
Weights at gym

Thursday 24 April 2008
6 Miles / 51:36

Friday 25 April 2008
0 Miles
Weights at gym

Saturday 26 April 2008
6 Miles / 49:59

Week Total: 18 Miles / 2:34:03 (8:32 pace)
Well, this week should have been more, but it was due to our race on last Saturday. I am happy that I didn't have any leg issues with six miles. Next week I am going seven miles.

Week Log: 13 April - 19 April 2008

2008-04-21T11:15:00.004-06:00

Sunday 13 April 2008
5 Miles / 41:13

Monday 14 April 2008
0 Miles
Weights at the gym

Tuesday 15 April 2008
5 Miles / 38:23

Wednesday 16 April 2008
0 Miles
Weights at the gym

Thursday 17 April 2008
5 Miles / 39:23

Friday 18 April 2008
8 Miles / 1:16:40
I ran the loop at Greenland today as I was setting out the signs for tomorrow's race. I didn't want to run 8M, but I really had no choice as it was too wet to ride the loop. Plus, I knew that i wouldn't run tomorrow because of the race (or probably Sunday for that matter). So I thought it would be better to go a bit longer today as long as my leg didn't start to hurt.

I felt pretty good for he first 3 miles or so, but after that, the long climb started to get to me, as did the snow and mud still on the trail. I was stopping every once in a while to snap a photo of the course or to put out the arrow signs, but not for very long at each place.

Once I crested the saddle at 5M, I felt fine running back to the shelter. I didn't have any problems with my leg at all, just lack of fitness taking its toll. I usually run this loop in just over an hour on an easy run, so I definitely took it very easy today.

I will most likely by on my feet all day tomorrow, so I will not be running my normal Saturday/Sunday combo this week. I probably will have no desire to run on Sunday either, since we will need to unload everything and get the Uhaul trailer back on Sunday. So I will resume my running on Tuesday, which should give me ample recovery from this run and the race on Saturday.

Saturday 19 April 2008
0 Miles

Week Total: 23 Miles / 3:15:39 (8:29 pace)
This was a good week for me, especially since I did 8 miles on Friday!

Week log: 6 Apr - 12 Apr

2008-04-12T15:15:00.004-06:00

Sunday 6 April 2008

4 Miles / 31:08

Monday 7 April 2008

0 Miles

Tuesday 8 April 2008

4 Miles / 31:09

Wednesday 9 April 2008

0 Miles

Thursday 10 April 2008

4 Miles / 31:09

Friday 11 April 2008

0 Miles

Weights at the gym

Saturday 12 April 2008

4 Miles / 32:00

I went down to Highlands Ranch and ran the Heritage 5K just to have some fun.

Week Total: 16 Miles / 2:05:26 (7:50/mile)

Overall, I felt good this week. I know this is not very many miles, but after being injured for so long, it is good to be able to run four days a week and not deal with pain. Next week I am bumping the four days to 5 miles each day.

Week Log: 30 Mar - 5 Apr

2008-04-05T08:11:00.003-06:00

Sunday 30 Mar 2008
3 Miles / 24:50
I started running again today. I was only going to go 2M, but because I had no pain at all in my calf, I went 3M. I have decided I am only going to run 4 days a week (Sun, Tues, Thurs, Sat) to give my leg a rest day in between. That will make Sat and Sun the only back to back day. If I can go a few weeks like this w/o pain, then I will start to add a very short 3M run on the off days. Let's cross our fingers that i can get back into again since the trails have dried out near the house!

Monday 31 Mar 2008
0 Miles

Tuesday 1 Apr 2008
3 Miles / 24:48
I had no pain in my calf today, but it was a little tight, so I stretched it like crazy after the run (along with everything else). My wife has suggested I start a stretching routine after every run since I have pulled so many muscles in the last few months.

Wednesday 2 Apr 2008
0 Miles

Thursday 3 Apr 2008
3 Miles / 24:42

Friday 4 Apr 2008
0 Miles

Saturday 5 Apr 2008
3 Miles / 27:05

Week Total: 12 Miles / 1:41:25 (8:26/Mile)
I think I may have found a better way to ease back into things. Take M,W,F off hopefully will allow me to get back into running without getting hurt again. I have also started a stretching routine that takes about 15 minutes. I am trying to do it every day and on the days I run i am doing it right after running. On M,W,F I am also going to the gym and either doing a core class on the ball or lifting weights. I might add a bike ride at the gym if I don't do the core class, just to help increase my aerobic capacity, since it is so poor right now.

Week Log: 23 Mar - 29 Mar

2008-03-29T09:02:00.003-06:00

Total Miles: 0
This week I took completely off to let me calf heal. I went back to see Dr. Clark yesterday, and she told me to start running on it. I decided to wait until tomorrow to give it one more day. Hopefully, this will be the end of my woes and I can finally start running again!

Week Log: 16 Mar - 22 Mar

2008-03-22T11:49:00.003-06:00

Sunday 16 Mar 2008
4 Miles / 31:42
I felt good for the first 2M, then my left calf had a sharp pain in it. I slowed down and was able to run all the way back. I think I am going to have to stretch the crap out of it to help it heal.

Monday 17 Mar 2008
3 Miles / 27:18
My calf started to hurt about 1.3M into the run. I stopped and stretched it out, but could only make it 3M before I started to feel in again. So, I stopped. I tried using a hot pack on my calf before running to see if that would loosen it up at all, but I don't think it helped. I need to stretch, ice and massage it like crazy if I want it to get any better.

Tuesday 18 Mar 2008
2 Miles / 18:15
I only made it 2M today before my calf started hurting. This is really starting to piss me off. It just seems like one thing after another. It has been since Nov 10th since I have run 7M in one run. I believe I am going to have to rest this for a week or two to let it totally heal and then start over again, but may at 3M every other day instead of every day. I will plan on seeing Dr. Clark again on Friday. Damn it!! This is so frustrating!

My friend John is going to send me an email with some exercises that he found that are supposed to eliminate all injuries below the knee. He says they only take 5 minutes/day. Hopefully they work. It can't hurt to try if it only takes 5 minutes a day.

Wednesday 19 Mar 2008
0 Miles

Thursday 20 Mar 2008
0 Miles

Friday 21 Mar 2008
0 Miles
I went to see Dr. Clark again today. She seems to think that scar tissue from the original tear in my soleus is stuck to the gastroc. That is why the pain is in a different place now. She do a lot of work on it and then told me to test it tomorrow. I also am scheduled to go back next Friday.

Saturday 22 Mar 2008
1 Mile / 8:02

Week Total: 10 Miles / 1:25:17 (8:28/mile)
Needless to say i am very disappointed in my training right now. I just need to get these injuries taken care of so i can get going again!

Week Log: 9 Mar - 15 Mar

2008-03-15T11:15:00.003-06:00

Sunday 9 Mar 2008
0 Miles

Monday 10 Mar 2008
1 Mile / 8:40

Tuesday 11 Mar 2008
2 Miles / 16:58

Wednesday 12 Mar 2008
3 Miles / 25:56

Thursday 13 Mar 2008
3 Miles / 24:20

Friday 14 Mar 2008
3 Miles / 24:27

Saturday 15 Mar 2008
3 Miles / 26:24

Week Total: 15M / 2:06:45 (8:48/mile)

Denver Marathon - 14 Oct 2007

2008-03-13T13:50:00.003-06:00

Denver Marathon (Denver, CO)
54th Marathon
10/14/2007
149th Place
3:28:28
The Denver Marathon double in size from the first year, so this made it seem like a major marathon. The race director also changed the course just a bit, which I believe was for the better. I had initially planned to race this marathon, but my wife gave birth to our first child only a few weeks before this, so my sleep was not good. Thus, I decided to just run it to finish. The weather this year was brutal - rain and 40 degrees with a stiff wind. Not ideal for marathoning, but much better than heat and humidity!

The only problems I have with this race are the cost ($100 and you only get a cotton shirt), the fact that they say the course is flat and the finish stretch down Santa Fe Blvd.

The organizers say that the course is flat, but it has nearly 900 feet of elevation gain and lost, with 650 of that coming in the first half. This may not seem like a lot at sea level, but when you are running at 5,000 feet above sea level, this is noticeable. For people coming into Denver from sea level, they need to be aware of this and plan for it.

The reason that this last section is bad is for a couple of reasons. One - it is the last three miles of the course, so all the runners are spread out. And two - it is a major street that traffic needs to cross. All of the people coming into town off of US Highway 6 have to stop at Santa Fe. With the race going by on this road, they are stuck there because there is no way to turn off before this. Now, if the organizers moved the course three blocks to the east, this would allow for the traffic coming off of US 6 to turn onto Santa Fe or Kalamath and drive around the race. They could easily make up this distance in the out and back section going out Seventh Ave between miles 14 and 16.

Little Rock Marathon - 4 March 2007

2008-03-13T13:49:00.001-06:00

Little Rock Marathon (Little Rock, AK)
53rd Marathon
35th State
3/4/2007
13th in age group
3:47:25
The Little Rock Marathon is a tour of the capital city of Arkansas, a small state with only 2.5 million people. The race organization was top notch with water stops every two miles and volunteers adding just the perfect touch of southern hospitality. The city shows up to support the race by lining the streets with crowds of spectators. The Little Rock Marathon markets itself as providing the largest finisher's medal in the world, and they aren't kidding. It is by far the biggest medal you will ever see and will likely make your neck hurt if you try to wear it after the race. Participants at this year's race received two shirts: a t-shirt with their registration and a micro-fiber finisher's shirt afterwards. Runners also enjoyed a post-race party when they crossed the finish line. For an extra fee, runners could purchase a pass to the Perks Tent at the finish line. The tent offered free pizza and beer, shorter bathroom lines, pre- and post-race massages, and a private pre-race gear check. The course featured many hills between miles 10 through 18. A lot of runners were not prepared for them, as evident by race splits.

Red Hot 50K+ - 17 Feb 2007

2008-03-13T13:48:00.001-06:00

Red Hot 50K+ (Moab, UT)
52nd Marathon
2nd Ultra
2/17/2007
36th Place
6:18:17
We went out to Moab to get away from the winter of Denver (all the snow). I wasn't really in shape to go 34 miles, but I decided to do it anyway. The first half of the race was pretty easy with a long climb leading up to the second aid station and a long downhill leading to the third aid station. Then we stated the steep and long climb up to the fourth aid station. I had to walk a lot of this, and it took its toll. The section from to the fifth aid station was all on the slickrock above Moab and it was really tough on my legs. This made the last six miles to the finish really hard for me. It ended up as my longest run both distance and time wise.

OBX Marathon - 12 Nov 2006

2008-03-13T13:47:00.000-06:00

OBX Marathon (Outer Banks, NC)
51st Marathon
34th State
11/12/2006
293rd Place
3:52:34
This was the second marathon in my first ever weekend double, so I had no idea what to expect from my legs. Fortunately, they felt OK and I was actually able to run this one a few seconds faster! As for the race itself, it was great. Being the first year, I expected there to be a few hiccups, but there was only one that I could see (not enough Port-A-Johns at the start). Other then the 90 minute rain shower half way in, the weather was perfect. The course started in Kitty Hawk and ran south through the Outer Banks. Passing through various neighborhoods and along the water was really neat. We ran past the Wright Brothers National Historic Site. We also had a short 2 mile section on a rolling dirt road followed by a mile long stretch on a single track trail. This was by far the best part of the course (well, I am a trail runner). The worst part of the course was miles 19-23 when we ran along the main drag and over the bridge. At least we had a whole lane to ourselves! I would also highly recommend this event to anyone looking for a fast race at sea level!

SunTrust Richmond Marathon - 11 Nov 2006

2008-03-13T13:46:00.000-06:00

SunTrust Richmond Marathon (Richmond, VA)
50th Marathon
33rd State
11/11/2006
628th Place
3:53:06
The Richmond Marathon was the first in my first ever weekend double. Needless to say, I didn't know what to expect from this so I took the first marathon very easy. The good thing was that it gave me longer to enjoy the race. This year, the temperatures were record highs. There isn't anything that a runner can do about that, but the race can. They had numerous water stops in the second half of the race (the time when the temperature was getting higher). They also had these great party zones along the course where it felt like the Tour de France as there was only a small tunnel to run through! I enjoyed the first half of the course better than the second half, because it was this portion where you got to see all the colors of the changing leaves and also to run by river. Touted as "The Friendliest Marathon," this race definitely lives up to that billing.

Denver Marathon - 15 Oct 2006

2008-03-13T13:45:00.000-06:00

Denver Marathon (Denver, CO)
49th Marathon
10/15/2006
171st Place
3:39:00
The New Denver Marathon was hyped throughout the year as a "World Class Event." I decided to run it because it was the first one and I wanted to start a streak in my home town marathon. The race did not let me down at all. Maybe one of the best I have done, the course was great (even a bit harder than expected) and the crowds were awesome, especially between City Park and Cheesman Park! My time was not that good because I was still sore and tired from the Mt. Rushmore Marathon the week before. But, I was still able to get through it.

Mt. Rushmore Marathon - 8 Oct 2006

2008-03-13T13:44:00.000-06:00

Mt. Rushmore Marathon (Hill City, SD)
48th Marathon
32nd State
10/8/2006
16th Place
3:34:11
The Mt. Rushmore Marathon has been running for 28 years, but had another face lift this year with a new course. Last year, the course ran from Crazy Horse Monument to Mt. Rushmore. This year, the course ran from Mt. Rushmore to Hill City. There was also the Crazy Horse Marathon that started at Crazy Horse, met up with the Mt. Rushmore Marathon at 10 miles and then finished together. My dad and I entered the Mt. Rushmore Marathon because we didn't have South Dakota in our quest for 50 states. So, this was intended to be a long run for me. What it turned into was a wonderful strength building workout. This was because of all the hills on the hills on the course. The first 10 miles were very hilly, with mile long uphills and downhills along the way (and some of them were really steep). Then we ran into Hill City on the Mickelson Trail (a 105 mile long trail similar to the Highline Canal). Just after the half way point in downtown Hill City, we started a six mile, 600 foot climb to the 19 mile mark. This was when it started to get really hard. That was followed by a run back into Hill City on the Mickelson Trail. This downhill section was beautiful, but my legs were so tired from all the hills that i couldn't get it going so I just managed to finish without walking. There wasn't any food at the finish, which was a problem, but I was able to get food back at the hotel room. Overall, the course was beautiful, but it was the hardest road course I have run.

American Discovery Trail Marathon - 4 Sept 2006

2008-03-13T12:32:00.000-06:00

American Discovery Trail Marathon (Colorado Springs, CO)
47th Marathon
9/4/2006
10th Place
3:08:44
The ADT Marathon starts at America the Beautiful Park, near downtown Colorado Springs at an elevation of 5,980'. This entire race is run on the ADT, half of which is paved and the other half is dirt. Luckily, I knew they course even though I had never run it before. I also got some good advice from last year's winner (who defended, running 6 minutes faster in 3:16) Tania Pacev. She told me to take it easy until 18 miles. That sounded easy enough, so I decided to take her advice. It seemed like I ended up having three gears. The first low gear I used during the first mile (run in 8:02). The next cruising gear I used from miles 2-16 (I didn't wait until 18). During this stretch, I hit all most all the miles between 7:15 and 7:30 (with one in 7:06). I hit the halfway mark in 1:37:00, which was right where I wanted to be. No, there is one thing that I must say about this stretch. The course goes south on the ADT for 2 miles to a turnaround. This stretch is all downhill, losing 100 feet in elevation. At this turnaround, you then run north on the ADT until the 15.5 mile marker. This entire stretch is gradually uphill to the 14 mile marker. You gain all most 500 feet and then it gets fun. From 14 to 17, the course is on the New Santa Fe Trail, which is very rolling, with some short, steep ups and downs that finally go away between the 17 and 18 mile marker. This is why Tania told me to wait until 18 miles before pushing. I didn't wait as I started to push at the turnaround, switching into my third gear, where I ran from miles 16-20. Since the majority of this was back down the hill, I could really get going (since I had held back on the climb to this point). I ran the last 10 miles between 6:40 and 7:00 pace, running it in 68:20. I finished maintaining that pace (6:51 last mile) in 3:08:44. I was really excited about this effort because I have not felt that good in a marathon in a long time. Being able to push for the last 10 miles was really good. One thing that helped was we got to run the last 6 miles with the back end of the half marathon (it started an hour later and ran out and back going north) so we could pass people. All in all this was a great race. The miles seemed in the right place, the course was half dirt, I got a 30 minute massage at the finish as well as pizza and beer (always love that). The only bad thing that happened to me was that the port- a-johns at mile 7 and mile 11 were still locked so I could use them!

Moab Marathon - 1 April 2006

2008-03-13T12:31:00.000-06:00

Moab Marathon, Moab, UT
46th Marathon
31st State
4/1/2006
? Place
3:50:45
The Moab Marathon runs from Dead Horse State Park at an elevation on 5950 feet and finishes outside Moab at an elevation of 4400 feet. This sounds like it should be a fast marathon. However, the first 8 miles climb to 6200 feet and there is a 8% grade downhill from miles 18-20 that tear your quads to pieces. However, the course is beautiful! There are great views of the La Sal Mountains the entire trip. I went into the race planning to run with my dad, but chose to run on my own. I had been having some issues with a new onset of asthma, so I was out of shape. Needless to say, I took it easy and had no problems with my breathing! But, my quads didn't like the downhill from 18-20 and miles 22 to the end were very painful. All in all, this was a very good marathon and I would recommend it to anyone who is a good downhill runner looking for beautiful race.

Maui Marathon - 18 Sept 2005

2008-03-13T12:29:00.001-06:00

Maui Marathon, Kaanapali, HI
45th Marathon
30th State
9/18/2005
284th Place
4:14:23
The Maui Marathon is probably one of the most beautiful marathons I have ever done! That being said, the race was not that great for me. It started at 5:30 AM on the north side of the island. In order to get there for the start, we had to be up at 3:00 to catch a bus. I hate marathons that start that early! However, this was a necessity. When I walked outside at 3:30 AM and felt the heat and humidity, I knew then and there I was in trouble. The first 8 miles or so are run across the valley between the two mountains. The rest is run along the ocean. It is not a flat marathon as the first 7 miles are uphill and then there are some rolling hills through the halfway point. By the time I reached this point, I was feeling lousy. I planned on running about 3:30 because I knew that my legs were still tired form running Pikes Peak. However, my hamstring also started to flare up and forced me to walk a lot of the second half. If you like the ocean and heat, this race is for you. If you don't, stay away. It is very well organized and the volunteers are outstanding. There were also 800 runners from Japan which gave the race an international flavor!

Pikes Peak Marathon - 21 Aug 2005

2008-03-13T12:28:00.000-06:00

Pikes Peak Marathon, Manitou Springs, CO
44th Marathon
8/21/2005
99th Place
5:35:42
This was the 50th year of the PP Marathon and even though I said I would never do it, I decided to do it anyway, just to say I had. I would have to say this is the hardest marathon I have ever done. You start in Manitou Springs at an elevation of 6400' and run straight up PP to 14100' (you don't go quite to the summit) before turning and coming back down. I thought it would be easier than the Leadville Trail Marathon because you got all of the climbing over with first. Unfortunately, the climbing is not the hard part. I felt fine going up the mountain and actually was only 7 minutes shy of where I wanted to be (there was snow and ice and a lot of water and mud in the top 2 miles, so that slowed me down). It is the downhill that really did me in. I fell above timberline and that made me a bit timid. Also, the fact that you are trying to avoid all of the people still coming up makes it really difficult. They are supposed to get out of the way, but I think I ran into 15 or so people and I about knocked a woman completely off the mountain! I think all of the breaking I was doing to prevent falling again and avoiding people is what did me in. Also, the top 2 miles on the way down were really treacherous from the previous days storm that left 6' of hail on the summit. By the time I got to Barr Camp (half way), my quads were shot. I had to do a lot of walking on the downhill after Barr Camp because I didn't think my legs would hold me up! I was afraid that if I ran and strided out a bit, my quads would give out and I would fall. The last mile was the worst (it is the steepest and it is paved), but I forced myself to run it, even with baby strides! All in all I am happy that I finished. I am also proud that I gave it everything I had and the mountain won! Sometimes that is just the way it goes. Look at Matt Carpenter last year at Leadville and then this year (can you believe it - 15:42! That is amazing!). Maybe if I do it again (which I won't) I will do a lot more downhill training.

Leadville Trail Marathon - 2 July 2005

2008-03-13T11:48:00.000-06:00

Leadville Trail Marathon, Leadville, CO
43rd Marathon
7/2/2005
15th Place
4:42:45
Leadville is a funny place. Well, maybe that is just the way it seems. At 10,200' above sea level, the thin air makes everything seem giddy. This town was once one of the richest towns in America thanks to the boom in the mining industry. When that dried up, most of the people left. However, some people stayed around and tried to continue living. But, the town was slowly dying away and something needed to be done to draw people back to the highest incorporated town in America. Thus the Leadville Trail 100 was born. Sprouting from that seed are 2 other running races (a marathon and 10K), two bike races (a 50M and a 100M) and a weekend trail running camp. Most of the country knows about the Leadville Trail 100, but not too many know about the other events. So, I decided to tackle the Leadville Trail Marathon for a small taste of what Leadville has to offer. The only description of the course given on the website is as follows: "26.2 miles of breathtaking, Leadville Rocky Mountain trails, summiting notorious 13,188 ft. Mosquito Pass. Seven well-supplied aid stations." That leaves much to the imagination. I expected to run a gradual climb up Mosquito Pass (about 3000' gain) and then an easy return home. This, however was not the case. With over 6000' of climbing and descending, all at above 10,000', this race is not to be taken lightly. However, if you want to run in some of the most spectacular scenery around and don't care how long it takes to finish, then this is your race. The course is 90% jeep mining roads (which can be rocky and very steep) and 10% single track. The volunteers at the aid stations are tremendous. And, these are not your typical aid stations. Remember, this is the crew of the Leadville 100, so expect some good grub at the aid stations. All in all, this was one of the most enjoyable marathons I have ever run (at 4:42, I had a long time to enjoy it). And that is not the thin air talking either!

Casper Marathon - 5 June 2005

2008-03-13T11:47:00.000-06:00

Casper Marathon, Casper, WY
42nd Marathon
6/5/2005
2nd Place
3:07:41
This race is slowly becoming my favorite marathon. This was the third year for the event and my third finish. Each year, the course has been a little different because they keep adding new things to Casper that they want to show off. This year, we only did one loop around the Event's Center at the start and added a loop around a new golf course at the end. I enjoyed this loop around the golf course a lot (except for the wind this year). I also believe that this change makes it a faster course. The schwag that is given as awards has also improved. The overall winners walked away with a Casper Marathon Bag, a Pint Glass, a sweatshirt and $100!. I got the bag and glass and was stocked!

Shiprock Marathon - 30 April 2005

2008-03-13T11:17:00.000-06:00

Shiprock Marathon, Shiprock, NM
41st Marathon
29th State
4/30/2005
4th Place
3:24:24
This marathon is run in the Four Corners region of New Mexico, right in the heart of the Navajo Nation. The course profile on the internet makes it look like the course is all downhill, but it is not. There are a lot of long uphills along the route. They are not steep, but they last for two miles. I didn't have a very good day, so the fact that I could see for five miles did not help. That being said, the support for the race was awesome! They had about 200 volunteers at 12 aid stations and the finish line. The first 20 miles were run on a closed road, so the only traffic was from the volunteers. The awards were hand made pottery and plates.

Freescale Marathon - 12 Feb 2005

2008-03-13T10:41:00.003-06:00

Freescale Marathon, Austin, TX
40th Marathon
28th State
2/12/2005
105th Place
2:59:20
I really didn't expect this event to be as good as it was. I thought Austin was flat, but for some strange reason, the marathon is downhill! There are a lot of people in the beginning because the half marathon starts with the marathon and runs the first half of the course. After the half marathoners cut off, the course gets a bit harder with some rolling hills. I seemed to do even better on this section as I ran the second half faster then the first. I will have to warn you, close you ears and eyes at 20 miles. There is a bridge over the river at this point that would take you straight to the finish and if you are feeling bad, this is the place to drop out. The post race party was really good with live music and free food (a lot of bagels) and beer. RunTex running store is right at the finish line also, so you can shop while you wait for others to finish. This is a very good marathon if you are looking for a fast race in the winter and don't want to go to Vegas or Arizona.

Chicago Marathon - 10 Oct 2004

2008-03-13T10:41:00.001-06:00

Chicago Marathon, Chicago, IL
39th Marathon
10/10/2004
2247th Place
3:19:52
I went back to Chicago to try and run under 2:40. I thought I could since it is a "fast course." I have learned that this is not always the case. For me, I run better on courses that are rolling, Like the marathon in Cincinnati. Still a great race with a great expo and so much to do. It is rather expensive though.

Mesa Falls Marathon - 28 Aug 2004

2008-03-13T10:40:00.001-06:00

Mesa Falls Marathon, Ashton, ID
38th Marathon
27th State
8/28/2004
2nd Place
3:00:44
What a beautiful small marathon. With only 100 or so in the marathon, be ready to run alone. The first 20 miles is mostly downhill with great views of the Grand Tetons. The first 7 miles is on dirt roads and miles 13-15 or on a trail, so this is very forgiving to your legs if you are not used to running downhill. The pre-race dinner is small, but the food is good. There is not a lot at the post race event except for the awards. There is not a whole lot in Ashton, so don't plan on doing anything there. After the race, drive back to Jackson, WY and stay a few days.

Casper Marathon - 6 June 2004

2008-03-13T10:39:00.001-06:00

Casper Marathon, Casper, WY
37th Marathon
6/6/2004
4th Place
3:14:48
I seem to like the small marathons a lot so I went back to this one because it is one of the best small marathons I have done. This was the second year for the event and the course was just a little different. I liked it because you went farther out on the path and didn't have to come back as far. Still all of the good stuff at the end and still a lot of it at 5 hours.

Old Town Marathon - 9 May 2004

2008-03-13T10:37:00.001-06:00

Old Town Marathon, Ft. Collins, CO
36th Marathon
26th State
5/9/2004
22nd Place
3:11:52
This is a beautiful course for the first 15 miles. Coming down out of the canyon can be very fast, but don't get carried away because you will pay for it over the last 10 miles. The year I did it, it was very hot (70 degrees), but at least you didn't feel it until you got out of the canyon. For Colorado marathons, this is the fastest. It drops 1000 feet, which helps ease the decreased oxygen factor a bit for those coming up to run this event. The expo is really small, but the post race area is awesome. It finishes in Old Town Ft. Collins, so you can even go shopping and get some really good food afterwards if you want. They didn't give medals the year I did it, but they did give you cool Pint Glasses and Hot Plates.

London Marathon - 18 April 2004

2008-03-13T10:36:00.001-06:00

London Marathon, London, UK
35th Marathon
3rd Country
4/18/2004
931st place
2:57:44
Best marathon I have done to date! With 50,000 people, you wouldn't expect anything different! The crowds along the entire race course rival Boston in loudness. The weather this time of year in the UK is usually cool with mist or rain. It did both when I ran. When I did NYC, I ran the same time and was 500th place. If you want to run fast and have people around, definitely do London. The post race area was not too good, but there are a lot of Pubs close by to refuel in. The expo was top notch, except that you have to take the train to get there. The people in the UK (and Europe for that matter) are different about running. They all take it serious. They may be doing it for a charity, but this is their sport and they will continue on in it after the event. I was in the first coral, right behind the elites. Usually when the rope goes done, here is pushing and shoving to get to the front. Not the case here. I could have sat down on the ground and done hamstring stretches 30 seconds before the gun. They all knew that it didn't matter because the race is 26 miles and they were sure to make it up somewhere. I would definitely do this event again and I highly recommend it to everyone!

Eisenhower Marathon - 27 March 2004

2008-03-13T10:35:00.000-06:00

Eisenhower Marathon, Abilene, KS
34th Marathon
25th State
3/27/2004
16th Place
3:32:35
They say the course is flat, but it is rolling. It is out and back in rural Kansas, so if it is windy, be ready. The year I did it there was 25 MPH winds and rain and hail. But, you can't control the weather. The race it self is really good. The only crowds are the volunteers at the aid stations, but they are awesome (especially since you can see them from a mile away)! There is no expo but the post race party is really good. My dad ran over 5 hours and there was still a lot of food and beer waiting. The awards are done at the Eisenhower Center, so you can learn a little but of history while you are there. There are a lot of nice old homes in Abilene, but you don't go by them in the race, so drive slowly though town afterwards to make sure you see them.

Disney World Marathon - 11 Jan 2004

2008-03-13T10:34:00.001-06:00

Disney World Marathon, Orlando, FL
33rd Marathon
24th State
1/11/2004
60th Place
3:04:12
"It's a small world after all," is not all it is cracked up to be. Yes, you run through all of the parks. But, that is only about 6-7 miles of the course. The rest is on access roads and streets between the parks. There are no crowds. The expo is pretty good, but if you don't have a car, you need to take a bus to get there. However, this is Disney World and if you are not looking to race, the event is nice. It starts really early, so you can still get in a theme park in the afternoon. The weather is really good (for us that live up high or up north, or both) so that is a nice break from winter. I would recommend this event if you are looking to get a good run in while on a family vacation. And, the medal is really awesome!

Twin Cities Marathon - 5 Oct 2003

2008-03-13T10:33:00.000-06:00

Twin Cities Marathon, St. Paul, MN
32nd Marathon
23rd State
10/5/2003
308th Place
3:09:55
This was another marathon that I was trying to race. However, I think I had done in my legs over the summer with too much running and by 17 miles, I was done. However, I was not coming all the way to Minnesota to drop out, so I shuffled to the finish. The event it self is awesome! Great expo, great post race area, great course. It is just spectacular for an urban event. They mean it when they say the most beautiful urban marathon in the world. Running around the lakes in the first half and then through the high dollar neighborhoods at the end is just awesome. Be warned though, the last 10K is slightly uphill and if you are feeling bad, it is a mountain!

Golden Gate Headlands 50K - 23 Aug 2003

2008-03-13T10:32:00.000-06:00

Golden Gate Headlands 50K, Sausalito, CA
31st Marathon
1st ultra
8/23/2003
17th Place
4:28:50
This was my first 50K and first ultramarathon - man did I pick a hard one. with 7500' of climbing in 31.1 miles, this is not a cake walk. However, it was the USATF 50K National Trail Championships and I felt like I could compete. And I did, until I fell on the steps on the Dipsea Trail and lost all instinct for downhill running. I think if I hadn't have fallen I would have probably run around 4:10 and finished in the top 10. Such is life, maybe next time. This is very very well run low key race (as are most trail races and ultras). It is run in the Golden Gate Headlands National Park in Marin County. The views are spectacular and the scenery right against you is awesome! What makes this race so difficult is that half of the climbing and descending is in the last 1/4 of the race. If you have gone out too hard, you are doomed. The post race activities are great and you can hit the beach and ocean for a cool off while still listening to the PA announce the finishers as the come in.

University of Okoboji Marathon - 19 July 2003

2008-03-13T10:24:00.001-06:00

University of Okoboji Marathon, Okoboji, IA
30th Marathon
22nd State
7/19/2003
2nd Place
3:06:50
Hot and Humid! I also ran of course and ran 27 miles or so. Still finished 2nd overall. The course is OK with rolling hills and a lot of good views of the lake. Not much else to do up there unless you enjoy boating and fishing. There is a triathlon that goes on at the same time, so be prepaired to have a bunch of bikes go zipping by you.

Casper Marathon - 1 June 2003

2008-03-13T10:22:00.000-06:00

Casper Marathon, Casper, WY
29th Marathon
21st State
6/1/2003
1st Place
2:54:07
This was a first year event and for a small marathon, it was run flawlessly! The course is really nice with the first 10K being rolling outside of Casper and the rest out and back on a bike path. There are a few hills on the bike path, so be ready. The pre-race dinner was very nice and the post race events were really good. There was enough food to last until the 5 hour runners arrived. Only about 300 marathoners, so not a lot of company the second half of the race. Would definitely recommend this event.

Flying Pig Marathon - 4 May 2003

2008-03-12T20:11:00.000-06:00

Flying Pig Marathon, CIncinnati, OH
28th Marathon
5/4/2003
5th Place
2:41:06 PR
This was the second time I had run this race and it is my PR to date. The reason I chose this event was because I thought the course worked well for me the first time I ran it. I like the rolling hills and the crowds and the entire event. Still one of my favorites (even though I don't live in the 'Nati any more).

Columbus Marathon - 20 Oct 2002

2008-03-12T15:06:00.000-06:00

Columbus Marathon, Columbus, OH
27th Marathon
10/20/2002
326th Place
3:15:15
This was the first race were I was leading a pace group. My planned time was 3:15, so I did pretty good, considering I had run a marathon the weekend before. The course is flat and fast. With about 3000 marathoners, you are never alone. The pre-race expo is very well attended and has a lot of good booths. The different neighborhoods you run through are all pretty. I would recommend this race to all marathoners, whether you are looking to run fast or just finish your first marathon.

Hartford Marathon - 12 Oct 2002

2008-03-12T15:05:00.000-06:00

Hartford Marathon, Hartford, CT
26th Marathon
20th State
10/12/2002
175th Place
3:23:54
This is a very well done race and the city really gets behind it. The weather was horrible the year I ran, but I couldn't do anything about that. The course is pretty , but the last 5 miles have a lot of hills in them. Good post race food and beverages. Make sure to book you hotels early as this is the changing of the leaves in New England (which is a huge time of year).

Eriesistible Marathon - 8 Sept 2002

2008-03-12T15:04:00.003-06:00

Eriesistible Marathon, Erie, PA
25th Marathon
19th State
9/8/2002
21st Place
3:21:51
This race is run on Presque Isle, just on the outskirts of Erie. The marathon is two laps around island. The second lap is worse than the first because the half marathoners have finished. The course is beautiful because you always have Lake Eire in site. Not a lot of people running the marathon. There is not expo and the post race party is small.

Patoka Lake Marahton - 7 April 2002

2008-03-12T15:02:00.001-06:00

Patoka Lake Marathon, French Lick, IN
24th Marathon
4/7/2002
2nd Place
3:12:48
The only reason I ran this race was because my father did not have Indiana yet. I had raced a 10 miler in 55:00 minutes the day before, so my legs were shot. The course is hilly, but beautiful. The lakes are really nice. The course is not closed to traffic and it can be humid. Only about 50 marathoners.

Mercedes Marathon - 10 Feb 2002

2008-03-12T15:00:00.001-06:00

Mercedes Marathon, Birmingham, AL
23rd Marathon
18th State
2/10/2002
36th Place
3:11:43
This was the first year for this event and there were definitely things that needed ironed out. I won't talk about them because I am hoping they get resolved in future years. The city really gets behind the event so the crowds are really good along the course. There is a wicked hill at halfway that takes you up into the high dollar properties. The post race event and pre-race expo are very good.

Tucson Marathon - 9 Dec 2001

2008-03-12T14:59:00.001-06:00

Tucson Marathon, Tucson, AZ
22nd Marathon
17th State
12/9/2001
329th Place
3:25:17
I went to this marathon to run fast and I did not. This race could be very fast, as long as you train for the downhill. I didn't and blew up at 15 miles. The course is on the berm of a road running into Tucson with traffic flying by you at 55 MPH. This does make it easy for your family to cheer you along as they can stop almost anywhere along the course.

Oklahoma Marathon - 17 Nov 2001

2008-03-12T14:58:00.000-06:00

Oklahoma Marathon, Tulsa, OK
21st Marathon
16th State
11/17/2001
4th Place
3:00:35
This is the best small marathon I have done so far. The course itself is rather boring as it is a double out and back on a bike path along the river. However, the pre-race dinner is a sit down catered event (served in courses) and the post race party is at the race directors house.

New York City Marathon - 4 Nov 2001

2008-03-12T14:29:00.001-06:00

New York City Marathon, New York, NY
20th Marathon
15th State
11/4/2001
500th Place
2:57:47
The whole registration process for NY is a joke. It is not a random lottery like they say. We sent in 15 registrations together and only two of us got in (just happened to be the only 2 with sub-3 marathons). It is more of a time based lottery where they try to fill certain time slots so the filed is not too bunched together. Also, the fact that the race starts at 11:00 AM and you have to get on a bus at 6:00 AM tells you something there. But, it is NYC and the event is great once you get started. I did this 6 weeks after 9/11, so the crowd support was even better. The course is very difficult, especially the last 3 miles through Central Park. If you get a chance to run NYC, do it. But, beware of the 4 hours sitting on Staten Island (especially if it is cold) and the standing shoulder to shoulder for 45 minutes without being able to move before the start.

Louisville Marathon - 21 Oct 2001

2008-03-12T14:26:00.001-06:00

Louisville Marathon, Louisville, KY
19th Marathon
14th State
10/21/2001
7th Place
3:13:56
This race is terrible! We ran off course and I ended up running 28 miles. There were no course marshalls, the course was not closed to traffic, and there were minimal aid stations. If you need to get Kentucky in, do a different event.

Chicago Marathon - 7 Oct 2001

2008-03-12T14:25:00.000-06:00

Chicago Marathon, Chicago, IL
18th Marathon
13th State
10/7/2001
11689th Place
4:05:29
This race is awesome if you want to fast! I paced my wife to a PR of 4:05. The crowds are awesome the whole way. You will have someone to run with no matter what your pace and the course has no hills in it at all! The expo is one of the best I have ever been to and they have a post race party on Sunday evening at Navy Pier. If you want to run fast, go to Chicago! But, train on flat terrain or you will pay for it.

Stowe Marathon - 9 Sept 2001

2008-03-12T14:21:00.001-06:00

Stowe Marathon, Stowe, VT
17th Marathon
12th State
9/9/2001
3rd Place
3:13:51
Wow was this race hard! Very hilly and record temperatures in the 90's! But, it is Stowe Vermont in the fall, so it is just beautiful. The first 20 miles are run on dirt roads through the rural pasts of the county, up and down (and up and down...) with a small trial section of about 2 miles. The last 10K is run on a road back into Stowe and is also very hilly. The road is not closed to traffic, so beware of the cars. I really loved this course for the beauty and the hills. I could have done without the heat, but who has control over that! There is no crowd support and only about 100 marathoners, so if you like running tough courses alone, this is your event!

Flying Pig Marathon - 6 May 2001

2008-03-12T14:20:00.000-06:00

Flying Pig Marathon, Cincinnati, OH
16th Marathon
5/6/2001
19th Place
2:48:18
This is one of the best marathons I have done so far. The course is difficult, but not too bad as long as you know before that there are hills. The crowds are really good throughout the event. There are just enough people in the race (about 3000) to keep you company the entire way. Very good expo and post race party on the river.

Martian Marathon - 31 March 2001

2008-03-12T13:13:00.000-06:00

Martian Marathon, Northville, MI
15th Marathon
11th State
3/31/2001
5th Place
2:56:42
This marathon is kinda boring. Most of the race is out and back on a bike path. There is not much crowd support and the not many runners either. It is cool to check out the bright yellow race gear at the end of the event.

Memphis Marathon - 3 Dec 2000

2008-03-12T13:12:00.000-06:00

Memphis Marathon, Memphis, TN
14 Marathon
10th State
12/3/2000
26th Place
3:03:25
This race sucks! There is no crowd support, the roads are not closed and the city does not back the event. One the 10K stretch out to Graceland (which you can not see by the way), the traffic is backed up and the exhaust is terrible. However, it does finish in the Pyramid at Memphis State and the do give prize money in the age groups as well as overall. That is a nice surprise if you win an age group award.

Venice Marathon - 22 Oct 2000

2008-03-12T11:58:00.003-06:00

Venice Marathon, Venice, Italy
13th Marathon
2nd Country
2nd Continent
10/22/2000
128th Place
2:46:11 PR
Mental note, never try and race a marathon on your honeymoon! Even though this is my PR to date, I should have run it on our fist weekend in Europe and not our last. As for the race itself, only 5K of the event are actually in Venice (with all of those little bridges!). The rest is run through rural Italy outside of town. It is a beautiful course, but I did not get to pay attention to that as I was trying to race the marathon. The big downfall was that there was only water every 5K (not bad for me, but for the back of the pack it was bad. My wife said that they were out of water at the 5K mark when she go there). Also, the water is carbonated! I had to wait until 15K to get any liquid I could swallow. That is when they started to give out sports drink. If you want to do a European marathon, I would recommend this one for the scenery outside of Venice. Just don't expect to see much of Venice.

Heart Of America Marathon - 4 Sept 2000

2008-03-12T11:57:00.001-06:00

Heart Of America Marathon, Columbia, MO
12th Marathon
9th State
9/4/2000
4th Place
2:59:40
This course is very difficult with a lot of rolling hills and high humidity. There is no crowd support and only a couple of hundred runners. If you like rural, rolling courses, this event is for you.

Paavo Nurmi Marathon - 12 Aug 2000

2008-03-12T11:32:00.001-06:00

Paavo Nurmi Marathon, Hurley, WI
11th Marathon
8th State
8/12/2000
11th Place
3:08:26
The first 15 miles of this course is a gradual uphill! I didn't notice it until 10 miles, when the wheels fell off. The scenery is beautiful and the small communities of northern Wisconsin really back the event. They have this great chili at the end of the event. This would be a vacation race because it is right on Lake Superior.

Ridge Runner Marathon - 3 June 2000

2008-03-12T11:29:00.000-06:00

Ridge Runner Marathon, Cairo, WV
10th Marathon
7th State
6/3/2000
1st Place
2:58:05
Wow! This might be one of the hardest marathons I have done to date! Set in the middle of WV, it is beautiful but very hilly! It is also in June, so the humidity is killer also. I ran conservatively and then passed the leader at 15 miles. No crowd support and only about 200 finishers.

Boston Marathon - 17 April 2000

2008-03-12T11:28:00.000-06:00

Boston Marathon, Boston, MA
9th Marathon
6th State
4/17/2000
1794th Place
3:04:44
What can you say about Boston that hasn't already been said. The crowds are awesome (especially at Wesley) and they are there the entire way. Don't go out too hard, because you will pay for it in the end. If you qualify, you must go. i think this is running law!

Seattle Marathon - 28 Nov 1999

2008-03-12T11:27:00.000-06:00

Seattle Marathon, Seattle, WA
8th Marathon
5th State
11/28/1999
1043rd Place
4:49:04
I ran this race injured and probably should not have gone. However, I needed the state, so I did it. The course is very beautiful. It runs a long a lake for a lot of the event. The last 10K is very hard, with a lot of hills. However, the houses in the neighborhood you are running through make you forget about the hills! Very well done event. I was lucky and got a sunny day, but this is Seattle, and that is unusual.

Silicon Valley Marathon - 31 Oct 1999

2008-03-12T11:26:00.000-06:00

Silicon Valley Marathon, San Jose, CA
7th Marathon
10/31/1999
1019th Place
4:25:34
I ran the first 25 miles alone and then waited on Jessica, that is why the time is so slow. This course is very boring with no crowds. I felt like I was running through an industrial park for 20 miles. It was very hot! However, the medal is really, really cool!

Indianapolis Marathon - 9 Oct 1999

2008-03-12T11:25:00.000-06:00

Indianapolis Marathon, Indianapolis, IN
6th Marathon
4th State
10/9/1999
26th Place
3:11:21
This race takes place at Ft. Lawrence and is a very nice event. There is a half marathon and 10K that starts with the marathon, so don't go out to hard. The first half is a loop through some neighborhoods and the second half is out and back on a bike path. There is not a lot of crowd support and the second half can be rather boring with not a lot of marathoners. The post- race event is very good, with a lot of food and entertainment.

Air Force Marathon - 18 Sept 1999

2008-03-12T11:24:00.000-06:00

Air Force Marathon, Fairborn, OH
5th Marathon
9/18/1999
84th Place
3:12:51
Still living in Dayton and needing a long run, I decided to jump in the Air Force Marathon again, knowing that i would get a really awesome medal!

Trails End Marathon - 10 April 1999

2008-03-12T11:22:00.002-06:00

Trails End Marathon, Warrenton, OR
4th Marathon
3rd State
4/10/1999
1st Place
2:49:00
This marathon is run on the NW tip of Oregon, right at the mouth of the Columbia River. If you love the ocean, you get to see it for a few miles of the race. The course is very flat and fast. The year I did it, it was 40 degrees and raining, so that made for a difficult run. No crowd support at all, and the race is rather small with only a couple of hundred finishers.

Napa Valley Marthon - 7 March 1999

2008-03-12T11:19:00.001-06:00

Napa Valley Marthon, Napa, CA
3rd Marathon
2nd State
3/7/1999
16th Place
2:47:08 PR
One word can describe the Napa Valley Marathon - Beautiful! Starting in Calastoga and running along the Silverado Trail to Napa is just awesome. The vineyards are usually covered in fog for the first 10K and then they clear our and it is great. The raod is curvy and rolling. There are no wine stops along the way, but there is wine at the finish. The last 4 miles can be tough as the road straightens out and becomes flat. It is also easy for family memebrs to follow along as there are 10 or so cross roads along the way that they can go to.

Marine Corps Marathon - 25 Oct 1998

2008-03-12T11:18:00.001-06:00

Marine Corps Marathon
Washington DC
2nd Marathon
10/25/1998
46th Place
2:50:59 PR
This was supposed to be my first marathon, but I decidd to run Air Force as a training run, so this was my second marathon. This is definitly a good marathon for the first timer. With 20K people, you are never alone. The crowds throughout DC are awesome and the expo is also very good. Beware of the nasty hill at 25 1/2 miles!

Air Force Marathon - 19 Sept 1988

2008-03-12T11:15:00.003-06:00

In my quest to run a marathon in all 50 states, I have decided to put a race report of each marathon/ultra that I do on my blog. because I have run almost 50, this initial influx will be rather large. I hope to have it done in a couple of days.

Air Force Marathon
Fairborn, OH
1st Marathon
1st State
9/19/1998
19th Place
2:53:02 PR
Wonderful marathon for the first marathon. I was living in Dayton at the time, so it made it easy. If you need a lot of crowd support, this is not for you. Still one of the nicest medals I have received.