Tucson Marathon 2007
Where: Actually, Oracle, AZ, to Catalina, AZ
When: Dec 2, 2007, 7:30 am
Web: tucsonmarathon.com
Weather: Near perfect
Finish: 3:59:30, 7/34 AG (W 50-54); 158/403 W, 527/1027 OA
Short Version: Since the training didn’t go so well, I would be happy
with a sub-4 finish. My chip time: 3:59:30. I’m happy.
Long Version: I missed a lot of miles of training two weeks in a row,
right around the peak of the training, and hadn’t done much in the way
of speedwork. So I knew I wasn’t up to a PR effort this time. I saw that
there were going to be several pace groups, and there was indeed a group
for a 4-hour marathon, so I thought that’d be perfect, they’d keep me
from going out too fast and pace me evenly in to a 4-hour marathon. That
is fast enough to get me a BQ.
I was a little worried about the weather, as it absolutely poured all
through Friday night, and continued dribbling on Saturday. Saturday
night it was still cloudy, though no longer raining.
I got up at 4:15 am, as we needed to get to the buses by 5:30, and I
live quite a ways from the parking area. I was shocked when I was close,
there was quite a long line of cars creeping up the hill slowly. So I
got my little Nissan in line and waited, and eventually found a parking
spot, actually quite a good one. Then I walked over to the long line of
school buses, and got on the first one. After a few minutes a woman sat
beside me and we chatted for a bit as the bus pulled out and headed
north, then eventually we both drifted off to a quick nap. The bus
driver got lost the first time, but found the turn the second time. As
soon as our bus pulled in line behind the others, I jumped out to get
into the Porta-Potty line, and took care of that. I also was slightly
thirsty (after partially eating a Clif bar on the way) and so walked
over and got a cup of water. It was just starting to get light, and I
suddenly realized that though we were starting in the same place as all
the previous years, we were going to be starting going the other way!!
And not a cloud in sight.
I went to the drop-off bus and took off my sweats and put them into the
drop bag. Then I found the 4:00 pace group, and said hi to the folks. I
think I was the only local except for the leader. We walked over to the
start area and got ready. I didn’t do any warm-up this year, as the
leader said we’d be running 9:09-9:10 miles, probably even slower at
first. Good, I thought.
The race started. Of course, we walked until the chip mat, as everyone
was all bunched up and you couldn’t run anyways. The guy next to me was
from North Carolina and this was his first marathon. I told him to wait
to start his watch until we were over the mat. Finally, we were past the
mat and started to run. And run. I started to realize we were going WAY
too fast. The guy next to me was worried; I told him we were going too
fast. He seemed relieved, as he didn’t think he could keep up that pace.
I missed the one-mile mark, but a woman two over, in our group saw it
and yelped that the first mile was 8:22. Yikes. No wonder it felt too
fast, it was way way too fast. She ran up to the leader, who was
surrounded by several people saying “too fast!” Despite this, however,
the second mile was 8:38, still too fast. I started to drop back some,
as I really didn’t want to burn out from going too fast at the start. (I
mean, that’s the whole reason I joined the group!)
Another woman from the group joined me, and we throttled back some, but
still kept the group in sight. We were still going sub-9, but it was now
in the 8:50’s, so slightly fast, but much better. Somewhere around
either 4 or 5, she and I grabbed cups at an aid station and the 4:00
group stopped. We kept going and passed them.
We had nice conversation for many miles. She was from the Silicon Valley
area, and oddly we never told each other our names! This year, the
course turned off of the highway onto Biosphere Road to make up for
miles at the end due to some road construction. It’s a rolling climb to
the entrance of the Biosphere, and then of course, rolling downhill back
to the highway. On the second hill (around mile 11-12) I lost her. I was
really hoping we’d stay together, as the talking had made the miles go
by quickly. I did see her after I’d turned around, and she was probably
too far back to catch up now. I made good time coming down, as I’d lost
time the two miles going up.
I don’t even remember much of the time between Biosphere and Oracle
Junction, where the course turns southward. All I remember is long
stretch of highway shoulder, but I was keeping my pace mostly sub-9:09.
After the turn, there’s a slight uphill into Saddlebrooke. I was very
happy that I kept the pace good there, in the past I’ve had trouble
keeping a good pace here. Mile 20-21, I ran a solid 9:05. And I still
felt fine.
At the end of mile 22 I went through a rough patch. I just suddenly
didn’t feel so perky anymore. Same with 23. As I came into 24, that
feeling went away, and I actually started to pick up the pace. About
then, of course, my right hip/ham decided they’d had enough, and started
to crimp up. It wasn’t a Charlie horse, but it felt like someone was
reeling in all the extra muscle, very tight. I had the feeling that if I
didn’t slow down, it might cramp. I slowed, I threw my leg around,
hopped, jumped, everything but stopped, and the tightness just didn’t
want to go away. So close to the finish!!! We’d left the highway again,
running slightly downhill eastward, now south again, flat, then westward
and back uphill. I kept playing leapfrog with a couple of guys who
looked like they might be experiencing some difficulties also. But
there, up the hill was the finish chute. So I gritted and kept on, and
turned to the right to see the line and clock, and realized I’d make it
just in time.
Oh, and no sign of the pace group. I wonder what happened?
Splits:
8:22
8:38
8:50
8:57
8:47
8:39
8:50
8:44
9:00
8:57
9:37 (up Biosphere)
9:39 (ditto)
8:28 (down Biosphere)
8:56
8:46
8:57
9:12 (don’t know)
9:08
9:27
9:07
9:05
9:11
9:47 (Feel like %^&😉
9:53 (same)
10:19
10:15
1:57
Ahhh! Done at last. My husband rode his bike out and took some pictures,
I’ll try to figure out where to put a few. I stopped walking for a bit
afterwards and felt just horrible. Once I started walking it went away.
Then I felt fine. I had a banana, and some recovery water. Then I got on
the bus to take me back to the car, and chatted with the two fellows I’d
leapfrogged with during the finish. My husband had already gotten to the
car, so he could drive me home, though we decided to stop at La Salsa
and have some deeelicious burritos.
PS- Oddly, I recovered from this marathon exceptionally well. I’m
already thinking about running tomorrow, as I feel fine. If it isn’t
raining, again!
Teresa in AZ