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Tobacco Road Marathon - Run


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Cary, North Carolina
United States
Allscripts
52F / 11C
Overcast
Total Time = 2h 50m 17s
Overall Rank = 8/1500
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 2/
Pre-race routine:

Drove to Louiskie's house, then walked over the race start.
Event warmup:

No real warmup, other than the walk over to the race start and the dive into the woods to go potty. Port-o--potty lines were a little long when we got there.
Run
  • 2h 50m 17s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 06m 30s  min/mile
Comments:

Good run. Went out a little fast, but the goal was just to stay in the 6:15 range. I was able to stay within a few seconds of that pace until the later miles, then things started to unravel a bit. The ground was soft and muddy, and it gave way a little after each step. I kept thinking that it was an energy sapper and that I might need to adjust my goals.

At the 2.5 mile mark, half folks went left on the Tobacco Road trail, while the marathoners all went right. I could see everyone on the trail, to include the leaders, which were probably about a minute or so ahead...I think I was in 10th or so.

I kept trucking along and caught a few guys, but then a cyclist came up. He was in front of the female leader. She took another half mile or so to pass me, but pass me she did. She looked strong and in control. She went on to take the OA (female) win, posting a 2:45 and coming in 3rd or 4th OA. Strong effort!

There were a lot of people out and about, but one guy that stood out was running in sandals and wearing a Team RWB shirt. Every time he picked up his feet, there was a clack, much like when a horse runs on concrete. I chased him for a while, wondering how in the heck he could run that fast with sandals on, then passed him in the 16 mile range, when another guy ran by us. I latched on to the faster guy for a little, then dropped the pace back to normal. It was for naught, though, as RWB sandal guy passed me towards the end. Jason made fun of me for letting a guy in sandals pass me. :)

One of my goals for this race was to NOT run slower than a 7:30 pace, regardless of what happened. For two miles, I was right at that pace. It was towards the end, I was tired from running on the soggy ground, and the elevation was uphill. It was a challenge to run this pace b/c of the uphill, soggy section of trail, plus my hips and right knee were starting to smart a little.

I was SOOO glad to be off the trail late in the 24th mile. My buddy Jason found me and rode with me until the final quarter mile. That was a big help, but I was not in my happy place. Every step was a struggle. At one point, I almost cramped up, but caught myself and just hobbled around for a few seconds, trying to prevent a cramp at all costs, especially with just about two miles to go. Jason encouraged me the rest of the way, and peeled of right before the end.

ETA: I came in 8th OA, 2nd in AG, and 3th in the military category. W00T! That means that I have now gotten a cash prize at 2 out of the 3 marathons I've raced (Boston doesn't count!).
What would you do differently?:

Maybe start off a little slower, but I honestly don't think that was the issue. Had the ground not been soggy, I ***might*** have been able to make my goal of 2:45.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around a bit, chatted with qrkid, and waited for my family. After we hung out and I got a little food and water, we went down to wait for Louiskie.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The ground was soggy. It was like running on a sponge. There were also muddy areas that I tried jumping over. I prob won't do that again. One of the biggest obstacles was walkers from the half marathon. They were 3 or 4 wide on the trail and wouldn't budge, even when asking them nicely. A few times, had to wait for an opening to get through.

Event comments:

I liked this race. It was well organized and they did a good job overall. They were also prepared for all the ppl that fell out afterwards. I'd recommend in a heartbeat.




Last updated: 2014-11-05 12:00 AM
Running
02:50:17 | 26.2 miles | 06m 30s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 9/1500
Performance: Average
Course: Full Marathon has 21 miles on the ATT and the half has 8 miles on the ATT Boston Qualifier Very few hills and a downhill finish help runners achieve their fastest times Ring the bell at the finish line when you finish with a personal best or Boston Marathon qualifying time Minimal turns on paved roads and minimal vehicular traffic on the course http://www.tobaccoroadmarathon.com/sites/default/files/attachments/trm-full.pdf
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2015-03-15 5:04 PM

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Elite
3683
20001000500100252525
Whispering Pines, North Carolina
Subject: Tobacco Road Marathon


2015-03-15 6:42 PM
in reply to: #5100923

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Expert
1394
1000100100100252525
Wilmington, NC
Subject: RE: Tobacco Road Marathon
very solid day. A race to be proud of.
2015-03-17 9:46 AM
in reply to: #5100923

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Master
2479
2000100100100100252525
Atlanta, Georgia
Gold member
Subject: RE: Tobacco Road Marathon
I loved following your training for this race...I just knew you were going to have a great day.

But how do you overcome a mental image of someone in sandals pulling ahead? Kind of a haunting memory. no doubt. Ah, well..probably excellent motivation for the next mary training arc.

Awesome result, mang...and now on to that 140.6!
2015-03-17 11:31 AM
in reply to: alltom1

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Seattle
Subject: RE: Tobacco Road Marathon

Great job!

I'm sure the spongy ground slowed you but I'll bet it was nice on the legs in terms of post marathon soreness! 

 

2015-03-17 3:07 PM
in reply to: Asalzwed

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Elite
3683
20001000500100252525
Whispering Pines, North Carolina
Subject: RE: Tobacco Road Marathon
Thanks, alltom! Yeah, the sandal guy image is ingrained in my head. it's all good, though.

asalzwed, i pretty sore today! i don't know that it helped all that much!
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