A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 19; 6th Edition
78.6 miles run in 2025 races
Race: Southwest Series Half-Marathon: New Mexico
Place: Farmington, NM
Miles from home: 1261 miles
Weather: 29 degrees, 69% humidity, slight wind
When I ran my 100th lifetime marathon in 2009, I had only completed 14 half-marathons. Then, in 2010 alone, I ran 16 half-marathons with an average of 1:28:42. In 2011, I ran 20 halfs. I ran 6 halfs in 6 days in 2022, wining two and finishing 2nd in 4 of them, which was my comeback to racing after COVID. The next year, I ran 2 halfs in a 25 hour period in 2023, winning both.
But life is different now post knee-surgery and as I would be running my 2nd half in a week, I was indeed experiencing trepidation. Especially knowing I am doing it again on Wednesday. Especially especially because this race takes place at 5400 feet above sea level.
One of the goals I have going right now is to run a half-marathon and a marathon in every state. What's funny about that is that's actually the goal that put my 52 marathons and 52 weekends in progress back in 2006. You see, once I found out that there were literally hundreds of people who completed a marathon in every state I wanted to try something a little bit different. So for the longest time actually completing a race in a different state was never a priority. If it happened, that was great but for the most part it was always a side quest. Then, by just through running so many marathons I ended up with all but North Carolina as a state I had completed a marathon in. But for political reasons I decided to boycott North Carolina and keep myself from finishing this goal. (I write more about that here.) However that was 10 years ago and things have changed and I've allowed myself to move on from that. But COVID, and then my mother passing away, and then finally two years because of this knee surgery has left me a little bit behind the eight ball in attempting to get all the marathons in all the states. Throw in the half marathons and you have even more of a challenge.
In order to get in so many half-marathons in such a short period of time I am fortunate that there exists a couple of different companies which specializes in catering to people who wish to run/walk as many marathons in as many states as possible. There isn’t as much emphasis on the courses as they are usually one mile out and backs and with no time limits, they really cater to those who wish to simply complete as many marathons as possible. But, the good part for me, is you can knock out a lot of states without much travel in between. I did this as I mentioned in 2022 when I did all of New England in six days. So it has its pros to equal its cons.
Race Morning:
Last weekend I got lodging about .6 of a mile away from the start. I did myself one better today as I was just .3 of a mile away. That meant I didn’t even have to get up until 6:15 a.m. for the 7 a.m. start. Not needing to be up early for an early race start when I hate mornings is just a glorious thing. I got ready, walked to the aptly named Berg Park, took off my jacket (it was a chilly 28 degrees) listened to a few pre-race instructions by the extremely affable race director of the Mainly Marathons, and away we went.
First Three Miles:
I have run two other Mainly Marathons and the race director does a unique thing: he runs the first loop with the runners, usually at the lead. However, today, two runners took off like a bat out of hell. I had no idea what they were doing until I realized there was also a 5k being run. I am fairly certain the winner went under 17 minutes in the 5k. I wistfully looked at him knowing that is my 5k PR and how I will likely never see speed like that again. But I then had bigger things to worry about, like, dear god who took all the oxygen? One runner took off who I was unsure what race he was running and another followed right behind him. Barely a quarter of a mile later a third runner passed me and I was sucking hard for air. My first mile was in 8:12. This might be a very bad day.
This course was six out and backs with each length being 1.1 miles. Depending on which way you were running you had as many as four small hills to contend with each length. I would say 75% was on dirt or crushed gravel. I do not like either of the latter of those two things at all.
But I settled in, slowed down, ignored the other runners around me or in front of me and my second mile showed an 8:08. OK, that’s improvement and one lap down. My breathing seemed to stabilize a bit and by the turnaround of the second loop I had run a 8:06 for my third mile. Interesting.
To the 10K:
Even though the race started at 7 a.m., we had a full sun on us overhead. Also even though it was below freezing, I was already wiping sweat droplets off my sunglasses as they dripped from my hair.
For the most part, in races that I have done of this nature, the runners keep to the side they are supposed to be on. Occasionally you get a gaggle of good friends walking three abreast and that can get a little annoying. Throw in the fact that this course was not closed and there were a surprisingly number of people out on the trail for this weather and this hour and you always had someone to run by, say hello to, or avoid.
My return trip for the fourth length had me almost going sub-8 with an eight flat. For whatever reason, my returns were always faster than the previous out. Almost on cue I ran a 8:02 for the fifth mile. I was nevertheless pleased. I started doing mind games I often do and knew that once I finished the next mile I was half way done. Then the next time I came back I could say that the NEXT time I came back I would only have two more loops to do! It made sense to me.
And 8:00 flat again for the sixth mile had me thinking I might actually survive this thing.
Allow me to mention how lovely this trail was. The Fall colors were popping, the river seemed to be very
Onto mile 10:
My first sub eight mile of the day happened on the return trip of the 3rd loop with a 7:57seven. I might have actually let out an excitable yelp right here because I definitely wasn't expecting that. I was now over the hump well over halfway done and feeling pretty good.
The guy in first place for whatever race he was running had now shed his shirt and was running in just shorts in sub freezing weather. But I was a little less self-conscious about my physique, which I never have been and that was even before I gained the weight during the knee surgery, I would probably do the exact same thing. There were a few people that I could mark myself off of to see how I was doing before each mile popped up on my watch and other than the leader I was making ground on all of them.
My eighth mile is my third 8:00 of the day and when I back that up with a 7:56 For the ninth mile I was feeling pretty elated. I couldn't really do the math but I realized that I was close to the time that I had run in Ljubljana, Slovenia just a few weeks ago which was a new knee personal best for me. To be at that level again here just one week after running a 1:39 in West Virginia had me feeling very good.
For the most part there was not a great deal of hindrance from other runners or spectators but in the tenth mile I almost got tripped up by a dog and then almost completely obliterated a runner who had decided to take a selfie on the bridge and then without warning step into the lane of traffic again. Fortunately I did not trip over the dog and I was able to pirouette around the selfie taker but that definitely took some energy and I notched an 8:11 for my 10th mile.
The final 5k:
With just three miles to go that was two runs in the direction that I liked and only one and the one that I didn't. I got back in the sub-8 side of things with a 7:56. Now I was really beginning to wonder where I would be placing in this race. The only way to tell would be when I was finishing the last lap and if no one came back at me then I was going to be third.
My energy really ebbed on the 12th mile with my slowest mark of the day in 8:13. I decided I would pick it up and see what I had left in the tank. I was catching the guy who could possibly be in 2nd place and as we made the final turn. He seemed surprised to see me and picked up the pace a bit. I wanted to tell hm that if he was running the marathon he didn’t need to worry about me.
Over the bridges and up the hills we ran and we hit the section where I should have seen the shirtless guy. No guy. He was either running the half or he was sitting at the aid station.
Aid! Holy crap. I had run the entire race and not once taken a sip of water. It didn’t occur to me until a minute before the finish that I had cameled this entire race. I made the turn to finish on the gravel and right then three people walking together decided that THAT was where they wanted to run. I deftly avoided them and rang the bell to signify my finish.
The guy in front of me WAS running the half. Damn it. I finished in 1:45:37 and in 3rd place. All things considered, I was more than pleased. Not even sure I had it in me to chase down 2nd place even if I had known it was him, to be honest.
Many of the people out on the course were extremely friendly. I didn’t have the breath in me to respond to everyone with a kind word but I tried my best. Seems like more than a few hit some major running milestones so I am happy for them.
Now I do this all over again in 2.5 days in Flagstaff Arizona where the elevation is even higher!
No comments:
Post a Comment