38 Marathon, 29th State
Not impressed with this marathon (route - what we were running on/next to and minor items that added up)
- Only fourth marathon that driving was the primary mode of transportation to get to the marathon
-- In my effort to hit animals with my car, two mice ran in front of my car, got one, the other one was lucky
- Took 7 hours driving time to get to Coudersport, Pa from Arlington, VA - where is Coudersport? Not a clue except it was a long drive and the only radio station I could get was from NY
- Rte 6 in Coudersport is the same route as the marathon so I got to drive the course from Galeton to Coudersport
- Arrived at the hotel around 9:45pm, dropped my stuff off and went to get some gas and Gatorade
- Got to bed around 10:30pm only to wake up at 1:58am; 3:43am and 4:58am and then again to my alarm at 5:05am
- Got to the bus staging area located near the finish line at 5:30am and boarded the shuttle bus
- Arrived at the starting line, got my bib and then stood in line for 20+ minutes just to use the bathroom
- Made it to the start with about 1 minute to spare
- Wasn’t mentally prepared to run and really didn’t want to run, different feeling of not wanting to run like I get before every marathon
-- Usually don’t fare so well when I have a lot on my mind or when significant things happened in life
- First four miles were on a “closed” road but it wasn’t too closed with cars on the road as runners were attempting to make the turn-around at mile 2
- Stopped for about 40 seconds to let my GPS synch up but after a minute it didn’t so I gave up (it eventually did about mile 5)
- After mile 4, it was time to run on the shoulder of the road - open traffic with semi-trucks (Rte 6)
-- Rte 6 was open to traffic and spent most of my time running on the gravel just off the left side of the shoulder (we were running into traffic)
-- Took me 13 miles to realize that running on pebble/rock strewn uneven ground might lead to a blister (which it did ½ by 1 inch blister)
- Didn’t realize how slow I was running until I got to the half way point and saw the clock register a 1:45:46
-- 1:36 half two weeks earlier at Key Bank in which I set a 3:12 PR
- At mile 15 and the base of the hill, I guess I was tired of getting passed and looked forward to “Conquering the Hill”
- Next three miles ran a 8:58; 9:02 and 8:52 pace but passed six runners over those three miles and got comments from the spectators, "You really look strong!"
- At the top of Denton Hill gave Smokey the Bear and high five (and told him he looked bigger on TV)
- Crested the hill and ran the next two miles around a 7:10 pace passing a few more runners; from there on in, it was all “downhill”
- Seemed like every mile I passed another runner and was feeling stronger and stronger with each “roadkill” I passed or dodged (rabbits, opossum, etc)
- Seems fitting to mention that the Forest Tent Caterpillars now
-- According to the local newspaper, there was an explosion in their population this year
-- Apparently they have done a lot of damage to the trees/forests in the area of Rte 6 this year (very visible)
-- Must have been tens of thousands dead on the road, trying to cross the road or getting crushed by runners; they were everywhere
-- Not to mention the gray flies that were all over the place too
- Back to the marathon - stopped at an impromptu aid station near my hotel (it was a nursing home - not my hotel but the aid station); got some water and thanked a WWII vet (who was out taking in the sights) served in the Philippines and Korea and then continued on again
- At mile 24 I would pass my last runner of the race; around that time frame I started to get indications of cramping so I took a few walk breaks and that did the trick
- Turned the corner onto Main St and crossed the finish line in a time of 3:29:40
-- Good enough for a 1 minute negative
- Not pleased about the non-focused first half and my fifth place age-group finish (3rd place was 3:27)
- Pleased about passing approximately 10% of the marathon field in the second half and getting over “Denton Hill” with relative ease
--- Next up Leadville, CO
- Was told during the race that I have to visit the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon -- so I did
- Doesn't look like anything like the Grand Canyon -- looked more like the New River Gorge still impressive
