This was my fifth time running this race, which was my first marathon ever in 2006. One would think by now that I 'd remember how tough this course is with a majority of uphill climbs the first 15 miles. Maybe I choose to block this from my mind and that's why I keep coming back to this race! J/k. I actually really do enjoy this race but know that the hills combined with elevation will not lead me anywhere close to a pr.
My goal, like other races I've done before, was to improve over last year's time. I managed to do so, but not in a big way. I shaved off 2:02 from last year. I guess a personal course pr. is nothing to complain about. The two things that really weighed me down this year were the headwinds along the rail trail, and the heat. I don't do well in the heat, but a constant splash of water over my head at each aid station in the second half seemed to really help.
There was a runner I must have exchanged positions with at least 10 times from around miles 16-23, and this really helped me to keep my pacing in check when I felt like fading into oblivion. It turned into a joke of "see you soon" when one of us would pass.
It was an overall decent race for me and I look forward to running it yet again in 2011. With this race behind me, I can now focus on doing what it takes to (hopefully) reach my goal of breaking 3 hours at St. George in Oct. I have had the bad luck of not having my name drawn for the lottery to run St. George for 4 years now, and have used the Grand Slam each year as a means of entry. I would probably run the required races anyway, and so it has only made sense for me to sign up. | 