Updated 10/2/08
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2008
Big Brothers Big Sisters Half Marathon
Flagstaff, Arizona
August 9th, 2008
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Running a half marathon in deep slimy mud
was a new experience!
|
The annual Big
Brothers Big Sisters charity half marathon was held this year
on August 9th, at Wheeler park on the extreme west side of Flagstaff.
Several hundred runners showed up for this tough trail run, which
the first three quarters of a mile was the street route from
the park to the trail head. Uphill it went, to nearly 8000 feet
elevation, and topped of on top of Observatory Mesa, where the
Lowell Observatory sits. Past that after mile 7.5 was all down
hill, helping to make up for the grueling up hill climb up to
the top.
The road/trail
conditions this year were about the muddiest I have ever run
on, the roads were so mud bogged from monsoon rains that we had
to run through the woods on the side of the roads, and giant
lake like puddles made for some very amusing obstacles! No one
got hurt, and while the poor trail conditions slowed us down
a bit, we still all had a great time because the temperature
was nearly perfect in the 50s and 60s.
While I was running
the half, Dawn took part in power walking the 5k route, which
was the first decent road part of the half marathon route in
a fast time of 44 minutes. By the time I came over the line,
she was there getting photos of the finishers coming over the
line. I was still able to finish 20 minutes faster than last
year, at 2h 9m time.
Before the Run
Dawn signing up for
the 5k walk
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Before the race runners
collect their packets
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Registration pickup
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Starting to line up
(Natra)
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Runners gathering at the
start about 10 mins before
race start
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At starting line - I'm in
center in blue (again)
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Stealth cam shot from
starting line looking
forward
| | | |
Running the Event
Gunfire - Were off!
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I'm just to the right of
center here
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More runners out the gate
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Coming in to the finish
line full speed
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Final time
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Stealth Cam Photos
During the Run
At the starting line
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Heading down the street
part of the run
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At the trail head,
mud ahead!
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Steep up hill dirt path
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Sharp left turn at the
first aid station
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Now the real mud running
begins
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I have never run in such
mud before
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Trail runners strung out
slogging through the mud
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San Francisco Peaks
view from trail
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Lowell Observatory
on the meadow
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On Observatory Meadow
the speeds start to pick up
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Fairly dry back road
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And back to the gooey mud!
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Running through the woods
to avoid the mess
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Near the end of the run,
the trail was fairly dry
and narrow
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After the Run
At the finish line
no more mud today...
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An hour after we left,
the sky let loose with a huge
rain cloudburst. We were
very lucky! (Natra)
| | | |
Huffin & Puffin 8 mile Race
Payson, Arizona
July 12, 2008
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Payson Roundup Photo
(I'm in blue on left)
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Hosted by Safeway
food stores and some local businesses, the proceeds from this
event went to helping poor families pay for their groceries in
our economic times of need. With that in mind, an 8 mile, 5 mile,
and 1 mile fun run were held at Rumsey Park in Payson Saturday
morning. I signed up for the longer 8 mile run, and it essentially
ran through the most challenging loop in town, up over the Airport
hill and down through the golf course back to the park. This
is the same run I do twice a week anyway, and it was really refreshing
to have 34 top notch racers run the same route.
The 8 miler started
at 7:30am, and ran through the parking lot at the park onto McLane,
north through the back streets, up the Airport hill - the long
difficult "Rim Challenge" Hill. Then up over the subdivisions
near our house, and back down the hill at high speed to the Payson
Golf course. Back down Main street, north again through Colcord
road and onward to Rumsey Park to the finish.
In my practice
runs in the previous weeks, my best times were 1h 20m, and 1h
25m running at near race speed. I was able to exceed that during
the actual race, in 1h 13m, with an average pace of 9m/mile.
With all the challenging hills on such a tough run, that's the
fastest I've ever done it.
The race was fairly
well done for a small town run. Water stations were well placed
with both water and Gatorade. The temperature at race start was
near 70, but near the end was a very muggy 80, which made us
all slow down a notch and pour with sweat. I guess that is to
be expected for a monsoon July race! We were promised a "surprise"
at the top of the Challenge Hill, besides the spectacular view
of Payson from there. Anticipation grew as I made my way up the
hill, powering up as I did in practice runs in a slower but constant
fast pace. Then at the top - a cooler with Popsicles! No one
I saw actually took one, since we were racing right? Who had
time to eat one and make good time on such a short run anyway.
But some of the slower runners I'm sure had them.
A fast finish and
it was a free breakfast for the runners and $5 for other family
members. All considered, a fun morning and a nice inaugural run
to look forward to next year.
Before the Run
The event is held at
Rumsey Park
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Tables of "goodie bags"
for all of the runners
in all events
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Registration booth
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Registration
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Loads of people preparing
breakfast for the
Runners after the race!
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Runners for the 8 mile
event gather
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Lynn the event
Organizer makes final
announcements
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At the starting line, the
8 milers gather
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Im in the center in
blue
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All 35 runners pose for
a final shot before the
gun goes off.
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Running the Event
Above - Time lapse sequence from a video of the start of the race
Newspaper shot of the
start of the race
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Here I am in the final
thrust to the fast finish!
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My clocked time, a full
7 minutes faster than I had
ever done this route before
| | |
Stealth Cam Photos
During the Run
Before the race, I took this
during my warm up running
looking back at the start line
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A runners point of view
standing at the starting line
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Running up the ultra
challenging Airport Road
"Revenge" hill
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Up on top, running toward
Birch Mesa, where
our house is
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Rounding the Golf Course
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Through town along
Main Street
| | | | |
After the Run in the Newspaper
Front Page in in our
weekly local newspaper
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Closer to show me at the
start of the race on the left
edge of this photo
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And yes, I'm on the sports
page too.
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Front runners in the race
blaze past the photographers
camera. I'm in front here,
on the right side.
| |
Gaspin in the Aspens 2008
June 21, 2008
|  |
This very tough
trail run up at the Flagstaff Nordic center takes you up from
8000 feet on upward, through cross country ski trails and steep
slopes, rough rocky trails, meadows, and dense stands of aspens
in which the trail cuts directly through like narrow tunnels.
The combination of an extreme endurance run and the fabulous
scenery makes this run a favorite for a mid summer challenge.
The registration is limited to 250 runners, so I signed up early
for this one, and this well organized event is always so much
fun. Temperatures this year were mid 50s at race start at 8am,
and warmed up considerably to low 80s on the way back. While
only 9 miles (15k), the grueling hills really slow you down to
a crawl at some points as you race toward the fast downhill finish.
Trail runs such as this are particularly hazardous if your not
prepared or unaccustomed to trail running. Large rocks, logs,
pine cones and huge ruts in the sometimes hard to see trail take
their compliment of casualties each year. I saw at least two
runners with sprained ankles, half a dozen with knees wrapped
in ice packs, and cut an bruised legs coming over the finish
line. But thats endurance trail running and how it can go if
your not properly trained. Nearly all of us however came out
unscathed and had a great time. I bettered my time of 100 minutes
last year by 6 minutes, to 94 minutes. Next year - maybe 90?....
Before the Run
Sign at the Nordic Center
for the Event
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Runners gather in the
cool morning, low 40's
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The Start Line for the
15k (9 miles) Event
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The view behind the
Nordic Center as the
sun came up
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Warming up on a side
trail before the run
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Getting directions and
rules before the start
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I'm in blue in the center
of this telephoto shot
| | | |
Running the Event
And were off and running!
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250 runners thunder
off the start line
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Passing Dawn about a thousand
feet down the trail in a huge
thundering cloud of dust!
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Heading off into the forest
like a giant heard of
gazelles.
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Follow that dust cloud
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The reception committee
at the finish line awaits the
first runners
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And here I come - breaking
away from the pack for a
fast finish! ~
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Official clock time over the
line.
| | |
Stealth Cam Photos
During the Run
A few moments before
the race started
right after sun up
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The start line marked
"15K" in chalk
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And were running!
Heading out toward the
deep pine and aspen forest
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Running into a grove
of aspens (they look
like birch trees)
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Now into the Ponderosa
Pines
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The first water/aid station
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The trail through the
Aspens - see runner
up ahead?
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Another aid station just
before we get into a big
meadow
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San Fransisco Peaks
to the left as we cross
the meadow
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Tiny aspens to the left
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Passing the final aid
station on the way to
the fast downhill finish
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A common sight at the
finish - feet packed in
ice.
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The runners gather after
they finish for the
door prizes!
| | |
Finish Line and After the Run
Runners and families
relax, waiting for the
rest of the runners to
come in
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The results are updated real
time from your bib tag.
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After the run, with the
finish line in the background -
over 2/3rds of the runners had
not come in yet.
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Tim hands of the awards
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Rim to Rim Grand Canyon Run
May 18th, 2008
This
year there were many changes in our strategy, and the the company
that runs the north rim lodge. First, because the San Diego marathon
was only two weeks later, I decided to go do only one way, from
the North Rim to the South Rim. The plan was to be full recovered
by the time of the marathon because I was doing only 24 miles.
Friday, we left for the north rim through marble canyon. After
taking some photos at the bridge and canyon there, we headed
north and westward toward the north rim canyon entrance. We always
enjoy the scenery along this route, the huge Jurassic sandstone
cliffs capped by the Wingate sandstone towered around us on the
way, and a few stops to shoot the stunning geology we taken.
Upon arrival at the north lodge, we checked in and then drove
around a bit to see what had changed since last visit. Saturday,
we started out early, to try to get some photos of the birds,
animals, and hopefully some wild turkeys. (we didn't see any).
A hike to Cliff Springs was one highlight, where the water flows
out of the side of a small canyon and is covered with thick moss.
Then onward to the small pond to shoot the swifts flying over
the water. They are very difficult to shoot, since they move
very fast and erratically. We were able to sneak up on a few
that had landed in the trees for rest, and got the best shots
we had ever taken of these amazing birds.
Sunday
morning, at 3am, I hit the trail head and headed down to the
river. It doesn't take long after 3:30 before the sky starts
getting light and by 4am the morning twilight made for faster
progress down the steep slopes. As I passed Cottonwood camp,
I knew my time was very good, and I pulled into Phantom ranch
3 hours and 4 minutes from the top, my fastest time ever. By
3 1/2 hours, I was standing on the bridge over the Colorado River.
An amazing sight as the sun was starting to illuminate the cliffs
that towered over me. I spent the rest of the morning trying
to stay ahead of the two mule trains that dogged me all the way
up to the top. I crested the south rim in 7h 54 minutes, my third
fastest so far. All in all, a fairly pleasant hike, only a bit
too warm coming up the south side. Here is a photo pictorial
of our trip. Wish you were there!
Adventure
Photo Pictorial
The
Drive to the North Rim
On the way up to the
North Rim, the Jurassic
Echo Cliffs were spec-
tacular
|
Visitors Center at
Marble Canyon, the
very start of the
Grand Canyon
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Closed old bridges over
Marble Canyon
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Looking at the
Colorado River
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Standing on the
bridge over the
Colorado!
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Sights
on the North Rim
At a large pond at the
GC North Rim, our favorite
birding spot - swifts
dart over the water
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At the pond shooting
birds
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Extremely difficult to
photograph, swifts are
seldom seen sitting still
Took YEARS to get this one!
|
Rumped Warbler is
amongst the most
colorful on Rim
| |
The view toward Cliff
Springs
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Ancient Indian grain
storage in cave along
trail
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Inside the cave
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Trail Head of
Cliff Springs Trail
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Looking out toward the
main canyon along
the trail
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Hiking out toward Cliff
Springs, a side canyon
to the GC
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At Cliff Springs
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Cliff Springs!
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The small side canyon
that Cliff Springs is in
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Flowers along Cliff
Springs Trail
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Flowers 2
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View of the snow capped
San Francisco
Peaks from the trail
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A small pond next to the
road on the North Rim
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White Flowers next
to the pond
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Looking for birds
at the pond
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Skipping stones
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Flowers at the pond
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California Condor flies
over the North Rim
| | |
Hiking
24 miles across the Canyon
During the run down
the first light was at
Roaring springs Canyon falls
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On the trail, running is
much smoother on the
north side of the canyon
|
Coming into Cottonwood
camp - the lighting is still
very low at this point
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The trail opens up again
after Cottonwood, and
you can really pick up the
pace!
|
Sunrise on the distant
South Rim, still 20 miles
away...
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About halfway to the bottom
passing through giant blocks
of Tapeats Sandstone
This is the geologic formation our
house is built on in Payson!
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The side trail to
Ribbon Falls.
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In the bottom of the
Canyon, the sun does not
come up for a while!
|
A fantastic new change this
year - the bridge over the
swampy beaver dam we used to
have to slog through
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A new elevated trail through
the beaver dam - Fantastic!
|
Bridge crossing over
Bright Angel creek
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Another bridge crossing
nearly destroyed by
the winter river floods
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The long run down to Phantom
Ranch, along Bright Angel
creek
|
Golden sunlight reflections
of the canyon walls in the creek
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After passing Phantom, the
Colorado River just ahead!
|
Reaching the Colorado river
bridge in about 3:15, my fastest
ever.
|
Crossing the Colorado River
Is this cool or what?
|
Heading up the other side, looking
back at the bridge I just
crossed.
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Views down to the bottom as I
ascend the very steep trail
to the south rim.
|
Mule train that dogged me
all the way up, they go about
the same speed I do, and its
challenging to keep
ahead of them.
|
Looking back toward the inner
gorge at the red Hakati shale
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From the Tip Off, in the
Hakati shale
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Towards the top, still thousands
of feet in elevation up hill to go
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Parting views of the red beds
in the Supai Group about 3/4
to the top.
|
|
San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon
June 1st, 2008
|
This
truly action packed weekend started on Friday night, when we
flew into San Diego and headed over to the Convention Center
for the Fitness Expo and packet pickup. The Expo was the largest
pre-race event we had ever attended, inside a huge auditorium
packed with dozens of rows of vendors of race gear, upcoming
marathons, and health gear we have ever seen. On one side was
the packet pickup, and out of 29 possible starting corrals based
on your expected finish time, I was in corral 16 for a moderate
5 hour time slot. I felt this was a safe choice since I had not
run this route before, and wanted to make this first experience
enjoyable by not pushing it too much. After a few hours at the
expo, we met up with Dawns sister and family where we spent the
evening and next day with. We also drove the long race route
to get familiar with the layout and hills, and the long and steep
highway routes. We spent the night before the Sunday race at
their house.
Race
Day
We got
up at 2:15am, and headed out toward the race parking lot by 3am,
just under an hour away. That's where we split - I took one of
the about a dozen giant busses out to the race start line, and
Dawn stayed to wait for here sister and family to meet up with.
At the starting line we were at a huge park on Sixth and Palm.
It was dark, still very early in the morning at 5am. When the
buses dropped us off we walked about a quarter mile towards the
brilliant lights at the other end of the park, where we found
not only thousands of other runners gathering, but tents of food,
coffee and sports drinks. Wow. How cool was that? After some
coffee and bagels, I saw an amazing sight as the sun started
to come up, the field was filling with tens of thousands of runners
- just like me. We all had the same idea that day, to do our
best and have a great time participating in one of the most challenging
endurance athletic events, the 26.2 mile long marathon.
As the
start time approached at 7:30, we hovered near our starting corrals.
Mine was 16, about halfway down from the start over a quarter
mile away. I could just see the start hoop of balloons if I stood
on my toes. Up front of course were the "Elites", the
worlds fastest runners to lead the race, and I would run in their
footsteps the whole way. When the gun fired to start the race,
we didn't start moving for about 5 minutes. It was shoulder to
shoulder, jam packed across four highway lanes, 22,000 runners
were starting to move! Finally after many minutes I passed the
start line, we then started to run very slowly, then within about
half a mile, were ramping up our pace. I probably started out
too far back in the pack, since for the rest of the race I was
passing everyone in my group.
By mile
2, I was still too crowded to really get up a good pace, but
we ran through the back of the zoo. By mile 5, it finally opened
up enough to ramp up the pace, to my 10 minute/mile marathon
pace. We raced around Balboa park, and by mile 6 to 7 across
harbor drive, where we saw boats and the ocean for the first
time. The temperature was nearly perfect, around 60 and a nice
cool breeze. We were flying now! Then we ripped through down
town San Diego, where some of the streets had a camber to them
that was ankle twisting at best. But not much different than
some of the trail runs I have done, so no complaints here. The
crowds here were awesome. Hundreds of thousands of spectators
cheering us onward. What an amazing experience. Then we zipped
through the other side of the park and zoo again at miles 9,
and over the 163 freeway - yes they had cleared the entire major
freeway to us and we were all by ourselves running on a slight
uphill on a major through way. Spectators were standing on top
of the overpass bridges, waving flags and banners and cheering
us on. And yes, every mile there were stages with live rock and
roll bands. Some were so loud that your ears nearly blew out
when you ran by, others more sedate but all of them rocked you
onward and really got you in the running spirit.
Finally
at mile 11, we exited the freeway and onto Friars Blvd, a long
and mostly uninteresting stretch of road along a park. But then
we turned north and ran along Mission Bay, with boats, giant
ships and the ocean once again. We looped completely around the
bay, and by mile 20 were on an island which we crossed a bridge
to reach. This is where people started to really drop out, about
a quarter of them at this point were so exhausted they were walking,
or worse along the side of the road. But for those of us which
had trained for pushing past the 20 mile "wall" it
was a pleasant run (but getting very warm) with the ocean on
both sides. It was a long uphill to mile 22. Many more runners
began to walk here, as it started to get warmer and more humid.
But I followed my training plan well, and kept a strong steady
running pace past the 22 mile peak. The run started to go downhill
from there, and by mile 24 we were running over freeway overpasses
back into town, and I remember all the cars on the freeway going
under us were honking there horns at us cheering us onward! Miles
24 to 26 was a slower even pace as most of us were pretty darn
tired by then. Along the road there were rows of high school
cheerleaders chanting: "GO RUNNERS GO, GO - GO - GO".
That really got my spirits up so near the end. I read afterwards
there was 40 cheerleader squads along the route! The last left
turn through the gates at just over mile 25 of the MRCD military
base meant only half a mile more to go. That was a long half
mile! As I ran through the finish line, I raised my arms in victory,
as most of us did that ran in our pace group. It was over. My
life had changed forever. I had run my first marathon a bit faster
than my expected pace, in 4h 54m start to finish.
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Click on all thumbnails for a 1024 x 768 sized image
GPS data from the
Garmin during this run
|
The Awsome finishers
medal
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Before the Race through Race Start
The Health and Fitness Expo
The San Diego
Convention Center where
the Expo was
|
Along the route,
some of the signs
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Entering the Fitness
Expo
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Buying goodies at the
Expo
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Inside the huge Expo
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Inside the Expo 2
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"Stealth Cam" Images at the Starting Line
Just dropped off at
the Start Line - Head
for the light!
|
Minutes before race
start, 22,000
runners gather
|
The slow walk to the
Start Line after
the gun went off
|
And were off!
The chips on our shoes
will give the actual
times from start to
finish
|
During the Race
More "Stealth Cam" images during the entire Race
Typical scene running
under bridge overpass
with spectators cheering
|
Heading into town
|
First sight of the
ocean along the
beach
|
On the freeway
at the start of the
uphill
|
Mile 9 time check
(gun time only)
|
Under another bridge
|
Passing the 4:45
pacer runner
|
At the halfway point
13.1 miles - still
really packed!
|
At the water stations
the ground was soaked
and cups everywhere
|
The police at all
major intersections
|
This was humorous -
orange peels at one point
Yummmm....
|
Heading toward the ocean
again
|
Running along a saltwater
bay
|
Thousands run up
the freeway overpass
|
The finish line crowd
|
Images from a professional photographer on the finish line
(ASI Photography)
The final burst of speed
over the finish!
|
Second shot taken
moments later.
Chip time was 4:54
|
Photos at mile 22 from Dawn and Sheri
Runners nearing the
mile 22 switch back
|
Here I am - passing
mile 22
| |
Mile 7 and At the finish line:
By Dawn and Sheri
The scene at mile 7 before
the runners arrive
|
Alyssa and Genna
at mile 7
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The first wheel chair
group passes
|
The parking lot near the
finish line jammed
with thousands of cars
|
The finish shot!
|
After the Race
By Sheri
At the seafood restaraunt
after the race
|
The
Half Whiskey Row Half Marathon
Prescott, Az
May 3rd, 2008
|
The Whiskey
Row half and full marathons are rated as the fourth most difficult
races in the entire country. This was the first time I had run
this event up in Prescott, and naturally I started this year
with the half marathon. Now in its 40th year of running, this
half marathon starts at the courthouse in down town Prescott
at an elevation of just over 5200 feet, and heads out of town
along unpaved back roads into the ponderosa pines, thousands
of feet to the top of the turn around point. After enduring such
an excruciating running climb to the top, you then turn around
and back to town in what can be described as one of the fastest
down hill racing runs you ever experienced. I dont think my legs
could go much faster without tripping on the numerous pot holes,
rocks and loose gravel along the sometimes poorly maintained
back roads. Obviously you scream toward the finish line in a
slightly up hill finish, nearly making up for the slow slogging
trek
up to the top.
About 600 runners
did the very popular half marathon this year, with 200 enduring
the full marathon starting an hour earlier. The temperatures
at race start was a chilly 43 degrees, but warmed up very quickly
as it often does at higher altitudes as the sun rapidy rose in
a clear blue sky. 3 miles of paved street running led to the
unpaved Copper Basin Road, where the greuling uphill challenge
intensifies. At mile 5, the steepness became even more extreme,
and many runners had to walk sections of this hill for a short
distance. Despite this, I was able to get to the turn around
point at 6.5 miles with a fast 10.0 minute pace. I never expected
to get there that fast, but hill running in the same altitude
in Payson really paid off here. My pace ranged from 7 to 8 minutes/mile
all the way down into town, with a final time across the finish
line of 2h 00m 09s, and an average pace for the run of 9:16.
This would make this extreme run my third fastest
half marathon ever.
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Click on all thumbnails for a 1024 x 768 sized image
GPS data from the
Garmin during this run
|
The finishers
medal
|
Before the Race through Race Start
Mulling about minutes
before the call to the
starting line.
|
At the Start, I am in blue
with the blue cap in
the center.
|
3 police escort to star
the race!
|
And were off!
I am just below the
word "Alley"
|
Runners thunder off
the line!
|
Still comming...
|
Thumb Butte and
hundreds of runners
|
Another huge sea of
runners for the shorter
10k.
|
During the Run (Racepix Images)
Images from a professional photographer on the race course
Near the end of the race...
|
2
|
3
|
At the finish line:
Dawn took these about a quarter of a mile from the finish line as we rounded the last turn
Here I am comming up the
final steep hill to the finish!
|
Full speed ahead!
|
Just after finishing
watching the others
comming on in.
|
At the end of the finish
chute, where they handed
you the finishers medals
|
Courthouse in Prescott
where we started
|
Whiskey row after
the race
|
Statue on the
Courthouse lawn
| |
The Valley of the Sun Half Marathon
March 9th, 2008
|
This half
marathon is considered to be a fairly fast run, and many runners
have reported getting PR's (Personal Records) here. For the most
part, the run is down hill with one steep hill in the middle,
and a fast down hill finish. I ran my fastest half here, again
beating 2h, with a 1:53 official time. The run takes place in
a very scenic pure desert and rural part of Apache Junction,
just south east of Phoenix and far from the city environment.
A very nice fitness expo was held the day before, on Saturday
for packet pickup and purchasing some running gear. And unlike
the disorganized mess that was the 2005 event, they now seem
to have it very well run, and it was extremely enjoyable. The
race had plenty of aid stations, helpers that were tripping over
each other to assist you, and some decent food at the finish
line.
The Course
We were bussed
out to the starting line, and sat in the road for an hour in
the cold waiting for the event to start. That was not too fun,
but I was able to run up and down the blocked off roadway for
a long distance to warm up before the event started. The horn
went off to start the race right on time, and the DJ played AC/DC
and Chariots of fire music. The sun wasn't even up yet, and we
ran during the sunrise as I watched the planet Venus rise over
the superstition mountains. When the sun came up, we found ourselves
warming up to back roads, rural streets and finally major roadways.
We ran up a steep long hill at one point, before the halfway
point next to a small lake, with cattails, ducks, and fishermen.
Then it was downhill for a long distance to a fast finish. There
was just over a thousand runners, making it so far one of the
largest events I have run in. Not exactly the big city half marathon
event, but still a very well run and exciting event to participate
in!
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Click on all thumbnails for a 1024 x 768 sized image
GPS data from the
Garmin during this run
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The gorgeous finishers
medal.
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Before the Race through Race Start
After the bus left with the runners to the starting line, Dawn took these shots from the area around the finish line as the sun came up.
The busses that took
us to the start line 13.1
miles away
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Stunning sunrise with
saguaro cactuses in
silhouette
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Finish line refreshments
waiting for the first
runners
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Mount McDowell
(Red Mountain) at
sunrise
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Looking back at the now
empty roadway the police
blocked off from the
traffic
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The Finish Line
(Were coming!)
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Running "Stealth Cam" shots
Realize that most of these snap shots were taken while running as fast as I can at the same time, took about 2 seconds to shoot each,
and I never slowed down. Composition is questionable under these circumstances for sure! But I hope these at least give you
some feel for what it is like to be running in an event such as this.
After the bus dropped us
off, we walked about
trying to keep warm.
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In the last 5 minutes before
race start, the final
announcements came.
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Then the quarter mile walk
began down the road
to the starting line.
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Here a thousand of us are
waiting not too patiently
for the race start!
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And were off! The sun
had not come up yet.
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bout 15 minutes later, the
first light of the sun. Now
were really screaming.
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Running along normally busy
main streets, totally shut
down for the event by the
police department.
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At the 10k distance, which
is 6 miles our lap time was
read out from our shoe
sensors.
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At mile 7, volunteers
hand us water, and
something green.
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Running right toward
Red Mountain
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Passing the small lake
on the left just before
we hit a very steep hill
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Mile 9 water station
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Passing Red Mountain on the
left side.
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Purple flowers on the
hill next to the road in
full bloom.
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Passing stands of Saguaro
Cactuses in the desert
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My attempted shot of
blasting fast to the finish
line. Its just up ahead!
This was my fastest half
marathon ever.
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During the Run (Racepix Images)
Images from a professional photographer on the race course
At the finish line:
Dawn took these about a quarter of a mile from the finish line as we rounded the last turn
The first runners
start to come in
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My final burst of
speed to the finish line
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Passing younger runners
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At the finish Line !
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