Pacific Rim One Day

This is my year of 100's. My 2010 goals are to complete 100 pushups, 100 consecutive days of running, a 100k race and a 100 mile race. I completed the 100 pushups, I'm 3/4 of the way through the 100 days of running, so now.....

I entered the Pacific Rim 1 Day with a goal of running 100k. The nice thing about fixed time races is that you can run however far you want, then call it a day. Last year I chose to run 50 miles and discovered the footing of the course and the frequent transitions from walk to run caused some hip and ITB problems. This year I trained to handle the transitions better. I also decided to implement a “walk-the-short-ends, run-the-long-sides” strategy from the very first loop. Essentially, this was just a training run and I wanted steady pacing, good foot management and frequent refueling to be my focus.

I arrived an hour before start time on Saturday to ensure a close parking spot. The forecast called for sun turning to rain in the late evening. If I parked close, I could use my car as my aid station if the rain came in before I was done. My preference, though, was to have my stuff along side the course for easy access. Everything was packed into plastic tubs. One contained food and beverage. The other had my foot care kit, sun screen, tummy settlers, chafing supplies, my cell phone, a head lamp and rain poncho. It did not contain any pain killers. If pain developed I wanted to feel it and figure out a fix….not mask it. I also had a duffle bag of clothing: tights, long sleeve shirts, shorts, singlet, jacket, gloves, hats, socks and 3 pairs of shoes. I hauled my load over to the village of aid tables and tents and carefully arranged things near a lamp post. I thought the light from the lamp post would come in handy as night approached. This year I did not bring a chair and I avoided setting up near anything I could sit on. I have discovered on really long runs, once you sit down, you’re in trouble. As they say “beware the chair!”, so I eliminated the temptation. I had just settled in when two women approached me.

“Where’s your crew?” they inquired.

“I don’t have a crew. My family is coming later, but they’ll just stop by the course once or twice to say hi. The rest of the time they’ll be at the hotel.” I have a problem asking people to crew for me. I can’t imagine a more boring task than to sit around and cater to a runner for 15 or so hours.

“We’ll crew for you!’ offered the ladies, as they picked up my tubs and arranged them under their tent. For the next hour I watched as they gathered up a few other lone runners… and suddenly we were all family. 4 runners with 2 wonderful angels bustling around making sure we had what we needed before the race started.

The race started promptly at 9. I originally planned on walking the first loop (exactly 1 mile), but automatically started off at a run once the race commenced. I ran that first mile, then reeled myself in as we started the second loop. The remainder of the race I would proceed as planned: walk the short ends, run the long ends. Committing myself to this strategy would pay big dividends later in the race: when the body was content to walk the mind would push to run as soon as we crossed a bridge, signaling the start of “the Long End”.

The race runs primarily on gravel, with a few short sections of concrete, one concrete bridge and one metal bridge. At first glance you would call it flat, but by mid-day you discover there is a hill called Mount Sacajawea several hundred yards past the timing tent. By evening a second summit appears… Son of Mount Sacajawea. Round and round we went, passing through the timing tent every mile, then past the official aid station and finally past the personal aid stations. Every mile I tried to get something into my system. Water during 1 loop, Gatorade the next loop, a few grapes, ¼ of banana or a bite of donut the next mile. My crew opened an Ensure and a bottled Starbucks Mocha and set them along the course for me. Every few miles I would take a good swig out of one of the bottles. Lunch time brought turkey sandwiches and change into shorts and singlet.

I hit the 50k split in 6 hours, 15 minutes – a nice, even, effortless 12+ minutes per mile. I changed shoes when I started to notice a little ache in the inside of my ankle. I decided to switch from guidance shoes (Brooks Infinity) to neutral shoes (Brooks Glycerin). The ankle pain disappeared almost immediately. I kept with my fueling plan of something every mile, but now anything sweet seemed completely unappealing so I stuck to grapes and boiled potatoes dipped in rock salt. During one loop the girl running next to me was craving sugar and fat… the solution? A Snickers bar wrapped in cheese! I could barely look as she gobbled down her snack, but for her it was like rocket fuel and once finished she charged down the trail like it was her first mile. I hit my 50 mile split in 10:25, a 10 minute PR and still a nice, even 12+ minute per mile pace.

We were now almost half way into the race and runners were starting to crumble. Two of my friends, regular 100 mile trail runners, had come to Pac Rim to get in an “easy” 100 miler. Neither had run a fixed time race before and assumed it would be much easier than a trail race – flat, lots of support, easy access to your stuff, the ability to call it a day whenever you please – but that’s just the kind of thing that makes short-loop courses so hard. Both dropped out at the 50 mile mark claiming it was much more difficult than trail ultras. Other runners were having foot problems. The slip of the gravel was causing gardens of blisters to appear. I trudged on, repeating my mantra of “be the ball”. I’m not sure why, but that always works for me…. It’s a zen-like thing. At mile 51 my brother, son, and nephew came out to walk a loop with me. I was more than happy to continue with my walk/run strategy, but since they had driven over an hour just to walk with me, I decided it would be selfish to do anything else. We started to walk the first loop and I was surprised at my brothers strong pace. He kept me at 14 minutes per mile for a full 4 miles before gathering the kids and heading home Once they departed I grabbed a piece of pepperoni pizza and a cup of flat Coke before picking up the run again. The transition after such a long walk break was easy and that, in itself, was a major victory. I completed my 100k after they left in 13:45. My over all pace had slipped to 13 minutes per mile due to the long walk, clothing and shoe changes but I was still feeling incredibly fresh.

I had met my goal of completing 100k, but I had another goal I was working on: running 100 consecutive days of at least 3 miles per day. It was 10:45 p.m. I could stop and call it a day then run 3 miles at home tomorrow, or I could amble on at an easy walk and run 3 miles after midnight. I chose the latter. When the clock struck 12, I started running again putting in 4 miles. At 1 a.m. I had completed 70 miles. I briefly toyed with the idea of continuing on and hitting the magical 100 miles. I still had 8 hours, and at my steady pace I had a good shot. I wasn’t ready for it, though. I wanted my first 100 miles to be special. I wanted my family there. I want some bling for the effort. This race only offered a t-shirt and a hearty pat on the back. I wanted a buckle.

70 miles…. steady, even pacing….. no injuries….. no blisters….some energy still left in the legs and feeling no more fatigue than I felt after my first marathon. My body is adapting. I am hungry for more.

And I so I stopped.

Call of the Wild 50k

Sunday I went out for a light 3 mile jog, then Monday I hit the race course again. This time it was for the Call of the Wild 50k Ultra Marathon along the Sammamish River trial. Once again I opted for the early start so I could get home at a decent hour. I felt well rested and didn’t feel at all fatigued by Saturdays marathon. I packed real food to eat, fearing that Saturdays gels caused my brief illness. I had planned on practicing my run/walk strategy during this race, without concern about pace or overall time. I started by walking a mile with Jill (she was injured), then continued on with a .75 run, .25 mile walk for the remainder of the day. The first out and back was lonely with few runners. The fog was dense, wind was cold, but no rain. At mile 18 we passed by the start/finish, then did another out and back in the opposite direction. By this time the sun was out, lots of people were on the trail, both race participants and recreational runners, cyclist and walkers. The trial was no longer lonely. The first 18 mile were flat, the next 8 miles rolled a bit but was more interesting. After I hit mile 20 I decided it would be nice if I could get a sub-6 hour 50k. Doing so meant I had to maintain a steady pace the entire distance while practicing my walk breaks. I finished in 5:54. Really nice considering I paced myself in such a way that I could easily kept going. I wasn’t tight or particularly tired. It was a nice confidence booster leading up to next month 24-hour race.

Cupid's Classic Marathon

Race #3 of 2010 gave me another opportunity to practice mind over matter when the going gets tough. This race was held on mid-morning on Saturday along rural roads and highways. The course was a double out and back with races being offered from every distance between 1 mile and a marathon. I opted to take an early start (9:30)….most marathoners did since we are accustomed to early morning races. The forecast called for cold rain and that is exactly what we got. It was hard to leave to warmth of my car for the startline, but once we got going it was fine. Jill Hudson and I ran together until the turn around of the first out and back. We hit a busy 2 lane highway with no shoulder at mile 4 and had to run single file. After the turn I sped up a bit, then a bit more. I passed mile 11 (and the start/finish line) well below marathon pace (first time that’s happened since October). At mile 11.5 my gut gave out. Huge waves of nausea overcame me and I slowed to a walk. The way the course was set up, we had to turn around again at mile 12 then proceed back to the start/finish at mile 13.1 before heading out for one more lap. Jill caught up with me and convinced me to try and reach the 12 mile turnaround, then quit at mile 13.1 if I had to. She is wise. I forced myself to pick up my walk a bit. Mile 12 found me running again, mile 13.1 I was too stubborn to quit and at mile 14 I passed Jill again. The second half of the race went surprising well. The rain had picked up, as had the traffic along the highway. I kept my pace deliberately slow to make sure I finished. When I passed by the finish line (for the 3rd time) I noticed that the course would be long. That was OK, an extra mile never hurt anyone, it just effects your finish time. I completed my race in 4:40 or so. I had no idea how that compared to other runners since so many races of different distances started at once. When the results were published, I managed to be the first masters woman.

Lake Youngs 50k

My second race of 2010 was run at one of my favorite parks: Lake Youngs Watershed. The course at Lake Youngs is just shy of 10 miles almost entirely on soft forest trail. There are just enough hills (900 feet of elevation gain per loop) to keep the muscles working and to get the heart rate up every once and a while.
The forecast for race day was upper 40’s and sunny. The start was scheduled for 8:00am, so I knew it would be chilly. I chose to wear my yellow long sleeve Seattle Marathon shirt, Capri tights, tie-dyed green gaiters and my hydration pack. When I arrived there was a heavy drizzle falling from the sky. I knew it would clear soon so I didn’t bother to throw on a jacket. Pigtails instructed us to run the first loop counter-clockwise, then after that we could go either direction. After completing 3 loops we would be sent back out for a final 2+ miles to complete the 50k.
I started off in the back. I’ve run this course enough to know that a huge downhill waits just 1/3 of a mile into the race. Flying down that hill on cold muscles could lead to an injury that would end the day. When we hit the hill I gently jogged down, then picked up the pace before hitting the first uphill stretch. I had already planned on adding lots of walk breaks for this race as prep for my longer races later this year. I’m convinced that training for walking breaks will greatly improve my 50-100 mile races. The first loop went well. The rain kept coming but the company was good and the running was easy. I came into the aid station at mile 10, refilled my water, grabbed a few candy bars and set out to run lap 2 clockwise. Running the opposite direction was a nice change and it gave me an opportunity to see all the runners that continued around the loop in the original direction. The biggest problem with the clockwise direction is running up the big hill 1/3 of a mile from the start/finish. It’s a bugger. I finished the 2nd loop soaking wet and feeling pretty wonky. I spent a few minutes at the aid station grabbing some trail snacks, then once again charged into the woods for another lap. Less that ¼ mile into lap 3 I was hit with terrible stomach cramps. I was chilled to the bone and the rain was starting to flood the trail. I turned around and told myself “this is stupid, I’m quitting and heading home to a warm bath, 20 miles is far enough today”. I started to walk back to the finish line to turn in my number. Somehow, and I’m not quite sure how it happened, instead of turning in my number and seeking refuge in my car, I found myself back on the trail and running. Somewhere deep inside I was able to muster enough willpower to override the incredible magnetic draw of the car and get myself back out there to finish. I ran the last loop strongly even though I was trudging through a lot of water. I completed the loop and found it easy to return to the trail one last time and get those final 2 miles.
I didn’t stick around long after the race. I was really cold and just wanted to get dry and warm. This race was tough for me, but I gained so much confidence to in my ability to will myself through the tough parts…. It was a morning well spent.

First Call to Run Marathon

OK, so much for taking a little time off. My friends were gathering again, it was fairly close by and FREE!!! How could I say no? I packed my car with everything I could possibly need. The weather forecast looked ominous: heavy steady rain, high winds, low 40’s. I decided to do battle with the distance wearing thick Capri tights, thick hooded tech shirt, winter running hat and a disposable poncho. I found Jill Hudson at the start line and decided it would be nice to run at least the first half with her. Today’s course would be a double out-and-back on the mostly flat, paved Sammamish river trail. The rain was steady and we did have a nice headwind, but it was pleasantly warm. Just a few miles into the race, the rain stopped and the sun peaked out. It was shaping up to be a good day. Add to that, I felt strong and rested, surprising considering how tired I was just 2 weeks earlier.

Jill and I ran a steady 5 miles, then took a brief walk break. We picked it up again when Brian Pendleton joined us and kept cruising happily along. Somewhere around mile 7, Jill commented that she thought we missed the turn-around. Sure enough, we had run ½ mile too far. As a group we decided to run to the 50k turn around, then correct the distance on the second out and back. Because this was a Fat Ass, and none of us were in a position to win the marathon, it seemed like a workable solution. We reached what we thought should be the 50k turnaround and there was no marker for at that point either. It became clear that someone had stolen the cones that marked the turn around points for the various race distances. How annoying! At mile 8 we turned and headed back to the start line, warning people heading the other direction that the markers were missing.

After the turn around, we settled into a slow, steady pace and decided it was time to plug into our ipods. Good friends are like that…. You enjoy each others company, but you don’t feel the need to fill the silence with chatter. Rocking out in our own personal world, but running side by side was the perfect way to pass the miles. We did manage to stop for awhile and walk with some of the usual marathon suspects: Brian, Jim, Monte, Ric. 5 minutes of howdy-dos and we were ready to go again.
We reached the start/halfway/finish line with 16 miles on our GPS systems. I took the time to grab a cookie and refill my water bottle and we were off again. We needed to run 5.1 miles out but decided to error on the side of going long, so we turned at 5.25. The final 5.25 miles took a toll on Jill who was just returning to marathoning after a series of unpleasant injuries. I promised to stick with her and make sure she got to the finish line. We walked a bit more than in the first 20 miles but still had a lot of fun. We finished in 4:53.

I really enjoyed this course for a small wintertime marathon and will return for future events when the goals is to get a long run in with a few dozen of my buddies.

Pigtails Flat Ass Marathon

I thought I was done racing for 2009 after completing my 3 states in 8 days streak. I am weak though, and there just happened to be a cheap, local marathon that over 100 of my favorite people had entered. I had nothing better to do, so I decided to join in on the fun.

The race director (the one and only Pigtails) emailed us a few days before the race requesting that we try and carpool due to lack of parking. Fortunately Andy Fritz, a local Maniac, agreed to drive so we met at 5:30 am and headed towards the mountains. I dressed in tights and a long sleeve Maniac shirt, carried a pack with gloves and a jacket. The weather forecast called for light rain turning to dry and overcast, mid 40’s. Just perfect. As predicted, we started off in a light drizzle. The first 6 miles consisted of nicely packed dirt and gravel following the Cedar River downstream. The running seemed easy, but I intentional kept my pace slow. Karen Wiggins joined me and we spent a few miles catching up on our lives while our pace increased. One of us would notice and we would back off. 5 miles into the race, I decided I was pushing the pace too much for a recovery run (mid-9 minute miles) so I let Karen go on without me. I dialed back to 10½ minutes per mile and was all ready to just settle in and listen to music when young David Appleton caught me. I met David in Death Valley and then again in Las Vegas, so I welcomed the chance of running together. We ran fairly steadily to the half way point, taking short walk breaks every mile. We turned around and mile 14 and immediately noticed that we had been running slightly downhill the entire first half. That meant a long and gradual climb all the way back to the finish line. The drizzle had turned to a steady rain. I was getting chilled and my legs were fatigued. David was feeling the same so we increased our walk breaks to every ½ mile. To our surprise, we were actually passing people! We were slow, but others were slower….the gradual uphill and deteriorating weather was wearing people down. With 5 miles to go, Brian Pendleton caught up to us and helped make the final hour pass a little more quickly with new topics to discuss. We crossed the finish line in just under 5 hours, though my legs felt like I had run much faster. By comparison, the winning Women’s time was 4:04, so it was definitely a slow slog for everyone. After we collected our handmade finishers medals (pink bells decorated like pigs) I changed into warm, dry clothing and then made my way back to the finish line. We all huddled under the tent as we slurped down butternut squash soup and cheered in the rest of the runners.

I realized on my drive home how very tired I was. 7 marathons in 3 months had taken its toll and I badly needed a break. I think I’ll take some time off now. I’m scheduled to run the First Call to Run Marathon on January 1st. but I think I’m going to skip it and resume my racing sometime in February.

The Road to Ruthenium (or how to become a 5-star Maniac in 8 days)

I’ve been stuck at Marathon Maniac Iridium level (4 spinny stars) for over 2 years. I decided it was time to go for the next level: Ruthenium. This requires the dedicated Maniac to complete one of the following:
26 - 30 Marathons within 1 calendar year or…..
4 Marathons on back to back weekends (within a 9 day window) or….
3 Marathons in 3 separate US states, Countries, or Canadian Provinces (any combination) within a 9-day time span or….
13 Marathons in 13 different US states, Countries, or Canadian Provinces (any combination) in one calendar year.

It looked like 3 marathons in 3 states in 9 days was the most doable. So I came up with a plan and entered the races.

I approached the first in this series of marathons feeling weak and under-trained. I had stumbled over a pothole at the Royal Victoria Marathon in October and as a result have had pain in my lower ankle although no swelling or heat. Resting didn’t seem to help much, but running made the pain go away for several hours at a time. Still, I knew better than to try and run hard with such an odd niggle. 10 days before Seattle I came down with the flu. I was so tired I couldn’t get out of bed, then my lungs became congested to the point I couldn’t sleep. All the coughing and hacking caused tightness in my back and rib cage muscles. I was miserable and almost decided to cancel my quest for 5 stars. The Friday before Seattle I took a little 4 mile jog and was surprised that I felt almost normal. The races were back on with one caveat: run easy the first race and ease up from there.

Race 1, State 1: November 29, Seattle Marathon in Washington State

I was going to write a report for this race, but I liked Divechief’s so much, I decided to use his instead:

“Right before the start Dove spotted me. Today was the first of marathons in 3 states in 8 days. She wanted to take it kind of easy today and it turned out our paces were pretty much exactly even so we ran the entire race side by side. Often, we would be talking while the miles streamed by and be surprised at how fast our pace was and realize we needed to back it off a little so we didn't suffer in the later miles, then a few miles later our pace would be right back up there.

The course features a couple out and backs where you can see the runners ahead and behind you. We saw SR Lopez running strong, several miles ahead of us. Barefoot Jon a few miles behind us, and Franc and her friend really close to us, but her friend was having foot problems.

We also spotted Bob Dolphin and Larry Macon, world record holder with 105 marathons in 2008 on the course, more on that later. (They were mentioned in the recent Wall street journal article)

Beautiful overcast day, 50º gentle breeze was enough to keep us cool. I was fine with a throw away at the start, shorts and long sleeve shirt, short sleeve would have worked just as well.

We caught up to Larry Macon at around mile 21 (He started an hour early) Chatted for a few minutes and we discovered that he is going to be in Las Vegas next weekend. One of the same races Dove is running. Larry Proposed to Dove. He said he was going to marry 6 women in Las Vegas!!! Dove accepted. We felt that both Larry's wife, and Dove's Finance will be surprised!! We spent the next mile discussing the appropriate running/wedding wear for her upcoming wedding.

The miles continued to fly by, we didn't negative split, I had to dig a little from about miles 23-25 but I was still feeling OK. Finished under 4:30, Dove felt she still has plenty in the tank for her two marathons next weekend. Fun day.”

After Seattle I rested and tried not to run too much. My ankle was not happy with me, but still no swelling or heat. My hip was acting up again, too. It has decided that a spontaneous collapse without warning keeps things from getting boring. I ended up on the pavement a few times this summer because of such hip antics. The hip threatened in Seattle, but never quite collapsed. I was committed to completing the series, so renewed my vow to go out slow and ease up the next two marathons.

Race 2, State 2: December 4, Death Valley Borax Marathon in California

We flew into Las Vegas Friday morning, drove over to the Rock N Roll expo to pick up my race number for Sunday, then stopped to fuel up at the Mandalay Bay Buffet. The race director of the Death Valley Borax Marathon had warned us that there were few choices for dining once we left Las Vegas, so we decided to eat our big meal before starting the drive.
Driving into Death Valley was breathtaking. I knew that I was in for a special run the next day and couldn’t wait to get started.

The forecast was for a low in the mid 30’s race morning, heating up to the mid 60’s by afternoon. I decided to dress for the finish temps and made my way to the pre-race meeting wearing a Brooks running skirt in black, a white and gold Brooks ID singlet, White Marathon Maniac hat and Adrenaline 10 shoes. As always I wore my double diamond studs and 26.2 lucky necklace. I carried a handheld water bottle since aid stations would be 3.5 to 4 miles apart. The pre-race meeting was one of the highlights of my week. The self-important race director turned out to be quite a ham. He explained the rules “start time is approximately 8:00, you win a rubber chicken if you are the first to cross the line… well it used to be a rubber chicken, but now it’s a chicken purse stuffed with $1,000,000 in shredded bills because of past complaints about no prize purse”… and a few other details like the serve-yourself aid stations and self monitored turn-around points for the various race distances. He concluded the meeting with a heartfelt sing-a-long of America the Beautiful. I couldn’t imagine a more fitting way to start the race.

I really don’t have much to say about the actual run. I was completely enchanted by the magic of the valley. We were running below sea level for the entire race, but it was surprisingly hilly. And exposed. The dry air whisked away sweat before I realized it had formed, so I was careful to keep drinking water and taking electrolyte capsules. Running was effortless, but I mixed in plenty of walk breaks, honoring my promise to go out slow and ease back. The pavement had a softness and smoothness about it that cushioned each footfall. At the halfway point we turned around and headed back to Furnace Creek. A gentle head wind had picked up and cooled me just enough. I don’t really know where the time went, but I swear I was out there for less than an hour. Turns out it was well over four hours when I crossed the finish line, received my medal and shirt and plunged into the warm-spring fed pool. A quick check of the results showed I managed a 2nd in my age group. It didn’t matter one bit though…. I could have been dead last and still felt just as blessed.

Race 3, State 3: December 5, Rock n’ Roll Las Vegas in Nevada

As usual I had a hard time eating after the marathon. I did manage to choke down half an order of fried rice and a beer before calling it a day. I woke and tried to eat a breakfast bar, but could barely choke it down. And since it was Vegas, there was no coffee maker in the room to help get the blood flowing. Oh well.

Today’s race would start at 6:15. My past Rock n’Roll experiences meant I needed to be at the start line at least 30 minutes early to check my bag and work my way to the corrals. I was out the door at 5:15, dressed in a black short sleeve Brooks ID tech shirt, black Brooks skirt, Brooks Infinity shoes and a Marathon Maniacs hat. Double diamond studs, my 26.2 necklace and pink striped disposable arm warmers completed the look. By the time I had walked the 2 miles to the start line, I knew I had under dressed. I was freezing! It was too late to go back and change, and nearly impossible with all the runners walking down the strip.

I was in corral 6, a nice place to start. A few minutes after the gun went off, we moved into position and started off down the strip. Fireworks filled the chilly air and illuminated the broken asphalt they call a street. I picked up my feet carefully, trying to avoid another tumble into a pothole like Victoria. The mass number of runners, the efficient manner of the RnR staff and the too slick race entertainment made me feel like pampered cattle being seductively herded to slaughter. The bands were playing, yes, actually playing! (unlike Seattle where most of the bands were just standing around). The big screen displays that casinos have along the strip were broadcasting the race as it unfolded, allowing the mid-packers to watch the battle going on between front runners, as we ran! Despite my dislike of mega races, this one was fun. It was Las Vegas, baby. We ran down the strip with the half-marathoners, made a loop at the 6 miles mark, then head back up the strip towards the finish line. Water and electrolyte drink was flowing, GU was plentiful, bands every mile as promised. Then it happened….. the marathoners split from the half. We were cast out of the glitzy Vegas and dumped like an ugly Christmas sweater into a seedier section of town. The bands no longer played. The aid stations had dwindled. The few bums staggering down the street looked at us with pity as we began a long and steady climb that started at mile 15 and continued to taunt us for the next 4 miles. My legs were done by that time. They were shaky and felt weak. I had been careful to implement a 10:1, run/walk ratio from the beginning of the race and that was beginning to fail me. I was cold and started to shake. At mile 18 an angel know was Marathon Maniac #1382 found me and gave me a double espresso GU and a few Starbursts. The turn around at mile 20 found me with renewed energy. I dumped the walk breaks and took it home at near marathon pace (it helped that 5 of the remaining 6.2 miles were downhill). I crossed the finish line with body intact and 5 spinny stars reflecting in my eyes.

This series of races provide me with opportunity to run a small (Death Valley: 341 runners), medium (Seattle: 9,500 runners), and Mega (Las Vegas: 30,000 runners) marathon in short succession. They were all fun. Vegas is just too glitzy and polished: really a half marathon event with an additional out and back for the marathoners. Seattle will always be a favorite of mine, but after running it 4 times I was ready for something new. I far preferred the small Death Valley marathon with its devil-may-care attitude, funky awards and colorful race director.

P.S. I didn’t get married in Las Vegas. I lost my intended in a sea of grooms so I decided to just keep running. Sorry Larry.
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