The Fall of 2014 and Year-end Marathon Summary

This year I took a slight step back from the 15 marathons I did in 2013.  Because our daughter was pregnant with our only grandchild, it was not feasible to be traveling during the summer.  I did five marathons in the winter and spring and then took off doing them until October and got three more done in those last three months. 

I also used the summer to do some track work which eventually indicated that I might be able to run a sub-four-hour marathon and possibly break the existing Delaware men’s 70-74 state record of 3:57:04.  However, I had also run some 5Ks and my times in them told me that I was still not fast enough.

As it turned out, my fastest marathon of the year was the first one I did in January in Louisiana – 4:10:06.  It was definitely the flattest with the only “hills” being some elevation change in downtown Baton Rouge, including crossing a bridge twice. When I got to the fall marathons, I ran the first one on the Mo’ Cowbell Marathon course, which was advertised as fast and flat.  But the first half had some hills and the second half was on a gravelly path, which crested in the middle, making for uncomfortable running.  That time was 4:22:20. 

The second and third marathons, Savannah Rock and Roll(4:14:43)  and Rocket City(Huntsville, AL)(4:15:48) were flatter, but not as easy as Louisiana.  I had hoped to do better at Rocket City than RnR, but the cold, sunny weather at the start turned cloudy and breezy.  Although I hung in pretty well during that one, being only three second soff my RnR time at 23 miles, heading into the breeze at the end and a somewhat uphill finish slowed me up.

Not only did I do fewer marathons in 2014 than in 2013, I also only added four new states to my 50 states quest (as opposed to nine states last year).  Of course, I have gotten to most states east of the Mississippi River, so the trips will be getting longer and more costly.  Now in a mood to add more states while I am healthy and relatively fast for my age-group, I have already planned on doing marathons in these new states in 2015: Mississippi(January), Texas(March), Michigan(April) and Colorado(July).  I’ll also do one I’ve done before in Florida (A1A) in February and, of course, will continue my streak of doing all of the Delaware Marathons (May).  I am researching on races in other mid-west to far-west states.  By April Tennessee will be the only state left east of the Mississippi.  Currently I have done 28 states, but will be up to at least 32 in July.

I have concluded that I am probably able to run my best time on the flattest marathon course (like Erie) in about 4:04 at best and tougher conditions will add more time.  I doubt that speed work will do enough for me to drop over seven minutes to break the state record.  But I have found a marathon course which might do the trick.  The Revel Run Marathon course outside Denver drops close to 5,000 feet.  That’s an average four percent downgrade, but the first half is steeper than the second.  The race website states that with the downhill racing, the fact that one is starting at over 11,000 feet is not an issue as far as oxygen is concerned because one does not have to work nearly as hard aerobically.  Being long legged, my stride naturally lengthens when running downhill.  So it may not be any more taxing aerobically to run a nine minute pace downhill, which would be good enough to break the state record I mentioned.  However, what I will have to do is practice a lot of downhill running to get my legs, mainly quads, inured to the pounding of such running.  At least in my mind, it’s somewhat of a plan that I will pursue.  Even if I don’t break the record, the downhill running will be the way I need to train and will have to help.

I ought to mention that I won my age-group in each ofthe three marathons I have run since I turned 70.  I know I am only a somewhat local class runner, so why is this so?  Two factors: I am fortunate not to have been injured nor do I have any old leg issues from earlier in my life, unlike many other runners who played sports in school. Secondly, other men runners just seem to mostly disappear at age 70.  There are certainly few in the age-group in even mid-sized marathons. Perhaps a number of even experienced marathoners considerate it more prudent to simply run shorter events.  But I’m hooked on doing marathons. I’ll get beaten now and then. There are much faster runners around.  But I actually expect to be among the top three age-group finishers almost every time for a few years.  It’s hard not to be when there are less than a half-dozen in the group.

As far as recommending these last three marathons, here is my view:  Mo' Cowbell is certainly not as advertised, but if you want to do one in Missouri and are not looking for your best time, it is not far from the St. Louis Airport.  The theme of the Mo' Cowbell is from a SNL skit about the cowbell in Don't Fear the Reaper, which is played before the marathon - with cowbell accompaniment. Rock and Roll Savannah is well done logistically.  The course is fairly easy, but has boring highway sections.  I generally do not like RnR events because of the price, but Savannah is a nice place to visit for several days and flatter than many other parts of Georgia.  Of these three marathons, I liked Rocket City the best.  It is easy enough to get to on USAirways with a connecting flight in Charlotte.  The race is put on the local running club, so they understand runners a bit better.  It is not too expensive, and there is no  other race, like a half-marathon, so everyone is in it for the full distance.  It finishes with the runners going into an arena and running over a rug on an ice surface of a hockey rink (yes, in Alabama!).  It does take a few minutes to negotiate one's way up the steps into the stands and out to the hallway around the rink.  But there is plenty there for the recovering runner to eat and drink, starting with hot soup. Somehow the beer garden, which was promised, was not present.  Another great aspect of this event is that it has a deal with the aquatic center a block away where one can get a shower.  Unless one is staying at one of the two very close hotels, which I was not, this was a very convenient feature.  I simply left my motel room that morning, used the shower, and after the times were posted and I received a generic age-group medal on a ribbon, I went back to my car and right to the airport.