Stars and Stripes Marathon Recap

Clear skies greeted me on Saturday, July 2, 2011 in Beaverton, Oregon, for the Stars and Stripes Marathon. Temperatures were in the upper 50s as I arrived at the start/finish area, and I hoped things would stay cool for the duration of the race.

This was my first marathon in July, but I had high hopes for a personal best. This race consisted of ten laps of 2.62 miles each, so I attempted to run each lap in 22 minutes or less, which would get me home in 3:40.

I had the option of starting at 6:30, but I decided to take the regular start at 7:00 a.m. -- in hindsight, perhaps I should have taken the early start. In any case, I was feeling pretty good and ready to fly as the race director shouted, "Go!"

With about 100 total runners, only half of which were doing the full 26.2 miles, there weren't a whole lot of marathoners faster than me. Another factor which raised the average time was the number of runners attempting the Firecracker Triple, consisting of a marathon or half marathon on three consecutive days (July 2, 3, and 4). I'm all for crazy stunts, but I was more than content with just a single marathon this weekend.

The Early Going - 22:05, 21:47, 21:51
I was relaxed and comfortable meandering around the trails of Greenway Park. I was initially worried that the trails would be congested between race participants and others out for a morning walk, but there was plenty of room to run. I did pass slower runners/walkers frequently, which made it seem like I was going even faster than normal.

The course was clearly marked, and the aid station at the start/finish was well-stocked with water and Gatorade. I was also surprised that there were some energy gels available. I also brought two bottles of Accelerade and several packages of sport beans to keep me going. For a race that only cost $25, I was very impressed with the organization and support.

With three laps out of ten completed, I was slightly ahead of my goal pace.

Moving Right Along - 22:08, 22:02, 22:10
When I told other people about this race, most of them winced at the thought of running the same course ten times over. Yes, it can get tedious, but there are some advantages. For example, my cheering section -- Jenelle, Eliana, and Pam (Jenelle's mom) -- could stay in one spot and see me several times. They stationed themselves in the middle of course and got photos/video for the first few laps. They went to a nearby farmer's market and returned in plenty of time to see me finish.

As I reached the halfway point (1:49:53), I was feeling okay, but I could tell that it was quickly getting warmer. There were a few shady areas in the park, but with no clouds overhead, the sun was gradually wearing me down. I did my best to stay hydrated and energized. With four laps to go, I was just three seconds off my goal pace.

Feeling the Heat - 22:24, 24:09, 25:18
As hard as I tried to take in fluids/gels/sport beans and stay strong, the temperature (now above 70) and the strong sunlight was too much. I hadn't hit the wall, but my miles quickly slipped below nine minutes each. I saw Jenelle and family as I completed lap nine. I informed them that I felt okay, but unfortunately, a personal best was now out of reach.

Final Lap - 24:52
With several people walking the full marathon (or going much slower than me), there was still plenty of company in the park for the final lap. I kept on drinking fluids. The race volunteers, who were extremely nice, filled one of my empty bottles with water.

The official results show a time of 3:47:23 for me, but I don't think that's right, as it's the same time as the person ahead of me. I contacted the race director about it. My GPS recorded a time of 3:48:46. Looking at race video that Jenelle took (that I'll eventually post), I stopped my watch about three seconds after crossing the line, so let's call it 3:48:43, which is my third fastest marathon, averaging about 8:43 per mile. My only faster marathons were in Nashville in April 2008 (3:43:06) and San Antonio in November 2008 (3:47:07).

After the race, I enjoyed a pizza from Marathon Pizzeria, an independent carry-out / delivery place where you get 15% off if you give them your race number to hang on the ceiling. Sounds like a great deal to me!