Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon

Wow, this marathon is one of a kind. It’s small and informal, run by Maniacs for Maniacs (although others are welcome). The big appeal of this marathon is a 2 mile run through a totally dark tunnel. That combined with the fact that it is on a trail and all downhill made it too appealing to pass up, even though I’d just crashed and burned at Haulin’ Aspen last week.

I decided to take the early start. I’m becoming more fond of early starts for my “easy” marathons. I get done earlier, I get to run with people that I ordinarily would not even see, and I feel no pressure to run a certain speed. I think my switch to early starts (and a more relaxed attitude) is the reason I’ve been able to run so many marathons this year without feeling much fatigue. Anyway, back to the marathon….

I hit the road at 4:00 a.m. It was an exciting drive through rain and lightning. I was happy to see the rain and hoped for cooler temperatures… we had been in the 90’s during the week. I made it to the finish area where we boarded buses for the startline. The rain had stopped by the time we started the race. We ran an easy mile, then hit the tunnel. I was equipped with a headlamp and small hand-held. The footing in the tunnel was amazingly good, though we had to swerve around a few puddles. It was a surreal experience, especially since the rain had turned the tunnel into a steam sauna. It was hot and very damp. At the end of the tunnel we were greeted by a self-serve aid station before continuing down the trail. I felt like running by myself, so I quickened my pace enough to gain sometime on the rest of the pack. Once alone, I turned on my Ipod and enjoyed a nice, gentle trail run through some spectacular scenery and over a hand full of high tressels. Somewhere around mile 16 the trail passed through a mecca for rock climbers. They were everywhere for several miles and added a lot of interest to the run. By mile 18 the heat and constant downhill were taking a toll. I was still having fun, but also amazed at how much I was sweating. I made sure I was taking electrolytes every 5 miles although I wasn’t able to eat much since the heat made my stomach turn sour. I had brought some ginger crews and that seemed to help a bit (plus they taste great). By mile 20 I was slowing down and walking a bit “just because”. Mile 24 found me with a second wind and I was able to push a little harder to the finish. I didn’t stick around the finish area long. I was feeling sticky and dusty and just wanted to get home to a nice shower and clean clothes.

This really was a great marathon and I will definitely add it to my calendar for next year.