My cousin, Laura, lives in Scottsdale. I'm always looking for neat races to run, and the opportunity to visit family at the same time is a very special bonus. I signed up for the full marathon using a discount code, and I passed the same code on to Laura, who got a discount on the half marathon.
Saturday:
My dad and I flew in to Phoenix on Saturday morning. After a quick stop at the Expo to get my race number, we checked in to our hotel room in Chandler, Arizona, and then went to lunch. We dined at the Keg Restaurant, where Laura works as a manager. She had to work most of the day, but we did have some time to visit with her while we enjoyed our meal.
After that, we took it easy. We shopped at a nearby mall, watched the Packers beat the Seahawks, had a pasta dinner at Fazoli's, watched the end of the Patriots' victory over the Jaguars, and got to bed pretty early. I slept about as well as expected. This is also the best point to say THANKS to Laura for getting us a great deal on a hotel room.
Sunday (Race Day):
January 13, 2008. The perfect day to run my 13th marathon. I was up at 4:45. I quickly got dressed and walked outside for a bit to check the weather. Conditions were nearly perfect with temps starting in the 40s and gradually warming up to the 60s by mid-day.
My dad and I arrived at the start in Phoenix around 6:15. I dropped off my post-race clothing at a UPS truck, which just happened to be number -- you guessed it -- 13. We walked around a bit and got some photos/video near the start banner. I made a stop at a portable restroom around 7, and I was in marathon corral #5 by 7:30 for a 7:40 start. There were at least ten marathon corrals and at least 28 half-marathon corrals. It's far from the largest race in the country, but there were a lot of people ready to race!
I was wearing my "standard" race singlet and shorts with dri-fit socks and Saucony Grid Resolve shoes. I also used "throwaway" gear for the first time ever. I had a pair of old socks for gloves and a long-sleeve heavyweight t-shirt from a 5K I ran in Minnesota last year. They did their job, and I threw them to the side of the road just before the starting gun.As I crossed the start line, my heart rate monitor, which I had loosened for fear of it being too tight, fell to my waist. A silly mistake -- I managed to re-tighten the strap and get the monitor back in place without too much effort. Perhaps the distraction kept me from going out too fast, as I finished the first mile in an easy 9:11.
With the warm up out of the way, I proceeded to log mile after mile in the 8:30-8:45 range. I kept a close eye on my heart rate, which was hovering around 160 beats per minute. I had a little bit of water at the first aid station and some Accelerade at the next. With temperatures rising, I knew I would need more fluids later, but I was taking it easy for now.
I saw my dad at mile 9 -- he was his usual enthusiastic self, cheering me on with the video camera running. His ability to find parking spots and see me at multiple spots along the course is most impressive. I saw him again at miles 13 and 18 -- the perfect times to give me a cheer and keep me running strongly.
I consumed a total of five "non-drink" items during the race. The miles are approximate -- it's tough to remember exactly when I had each:
Mile 12 -- GU energy gel (Lemon-lime)
Mile 14 -- GU energy gel (Vanilla)
Mile 17 -- JellyBelly Sport Beans (Fruit Punch)
Mile 19 -- PowerBar gel (Strawberry Banana)
Mile 21 -- GU energy gel (Lemon-lime)
The miles dragged on, but I was still moving well. During miles 18-23, I was playing leap-frog with the 3:50 pace group. I would get 20-30 feet ahead of them, and then they'd pass me when I slowed down to drink at an aid station. My heart rate slowly rose to 170 bpm -- could I keep the pace for the last few miles?
At mile 24, the pace group passed me, and I didn't try too hard to stay with them. However, I kept them in sight for mile 25 and the start of mile 26. I was hurting big time. It didn't feel like I hit the wall, but I really wanted to take a walk break. After doing some quick math, I decided to walk for 0.1 miles to gather my strength for one final push to the finish line. I watched the 3:50 group stride away, knowing how helpful they had been in keeping me moving. Perhaps I could have pushed through the pain and managed to finish without the walking break -- we'll never know.
With the finish line less than a mile away and the walking break over, I accelerated to my earlier pace and charged for the line. I didn't have an all-out sprint in me, but I had a bit of a kick, knowing that I was, at worst, a few seconds under 3:50 for my chip time. Rather than raising my arms in victory as I have in most of my previous efforts, I crossed the line with a fist pump. We'll see how good it looks once the professional photos are out. :)The official results are in, and my chip time is 3:49:45, over three minutes better than my effort at Grand Rapids three months ago. Woohoo! Laura, hoping to finish the half in 2:30 or less, finished in 2:29:10. Way to go, Laura!
Sunday (Post Race):
For the post-race meal, My dad and I had pizza at Oregano's, a nice restaurant with several locations in the area. We sat outside -- my dad and I laughed at the heaters perched above all of the outdoor tables. 65 degrees might be on the cold side for Arizonians, but it felt downright balmy to us. :)
We met up with Laura shortly after that (she had lunch with some of her colleagues at the Keg Restaurant in Phoenix). We relaxed at her house in Scottsdale and shared stories of our respective efforts. Before this trip, I hadn't seen her since a family wedding in October, so it was nice to have some quality time.Monday:
I woke up and looked at the extended forecast for the area -- sunny in the 60s for the next seven days! Unfortunately, my dad and I had to return to the airport and fly back to Milwaukee in the afternoon. We thanked Laura one more time before we left. We had so much fun that I'm considering another Arizona marathon at some point in the future.
Here are the usual race statistics:
| Miles 1-5 | 9:11 | 8:34 | 8:33 | 8:40 | 8:43 |
| Miles 6-10 | 8:27 | 8:48 | 8:41 | 8:28 | 8:45 |
| Miles 11-15 | 8:45 | 8:27 | 8:44 | 8:36 | 8:45 |
| Miles 16-20 | 8:53 | 8:59 | 8:49 | 8:35 | 8:44 |
| Miles 21-25 | 8:36 | 8:51 | 8:52 | 9:16 | 8:34 |
| Miles 26-End | 9:27 | 2:02 |
- Average Pace: 8:46/mile
- First half: 1:53:44 Second half: 1:56:01
- Fastest Mile: #6/#12 (8:27) Slowest Mile: #26 (9:27)
- I slowed down a bit during miles 24 and 26, but I still managed an improvement of three minutes and 35 seconds on my previous personal record!
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