A week from marathoning does the body good.

Saturday morning flight, Southwest direct Denver to Raleigh.  Landed 2 hours before final bib pick-up.  No car rental this trip, chose the event’s host hotel: Embassy Suites.  Came with free airport shuttle – & ya’ll know, FREE is for me 🙂

Evening-in plans: NY style pizza & scripture study.  Body, mind AND spirit – elevating all 3 for Bighorn in June.

Early start Sunday morning (for no apparent reason) – 5:15 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex for a 7am marathon Start.  Only negative feedback you’re gonna hear.  LOVED today’s run.  Nothing super scenic but digged the design.  Two separate out-n-backs on an old tobacco road.  Design allowed [the] opportunity to see runners multiple times on course, never felt like you were out there alone.

Well stocked aid stations – 2 in particular, a Mimosa station (didn’t partake but folks were upbeat/good spirited/having fun) and a backwoods ‘Possom Station loaded with trail race type goodies.

The Allscripts Tobacco Road Marathon features over 20 miles of the American Tobacco Trail (ATT). The rest of the course is flat and fast with a downhill finish. Up to 10 percent of our runners qualify for the legendary Boston Marathon!  Less experienced runners benefit too as the fast, flat, energy-absorbing course and ideal temperatures (averaging in the 40’s and 50’s Fahrenheit) make it a great setting for your personal record. We even have a bell for you to ring and celebrate at the end. Both races start and finish at the USA Baseball/Thomas Brooks Park. The overall event weekend is organized by an all-volunteer staff and 100 percent of proceeds go to charity. Cumulative charitable contributions will exceed one half million dollars – $500,000+ in 2015.

Combined FULL & Half Start – HUGE number of participants, 10,000+ (this year’s Half sold out).  National Anthem (LOVE).  GREAT weather too!  Rained the night before, nothing in today’s forecast.  Cool & overcast.  Expected to stay dry all day.

Ran two miles of asphalt before spilling onto Tobacco Road.  Marathoners veered right, Halfers left – but BOTH runners would enjoy a quiet tree-lined path.  Crushed granite surface, 20+ miles.  Felt GREAT under foot.

Mostly downhill past mile 8 to the day’s first turnaround.  Bit of a slog the next 6.  Low-grade incline/long grinder to mile marker 14.  Felt GREAT on the legs – reminded myself: I run 10-12 miles daily…yeah, DAILY.  I’ve got this.  Training starting to click.  Stayed engaged, pushed the entire time.  7^th marathon of 2018, on-track to meet or beat every stat of 2015.

Personal win today?  Would run 20 miles without tunes.  Stayed mentally checked-in for 3+ hours.

Parade of Halfers on the left returning home, just past 14.  Kept my mind engaged.  Pushed thru the turnaround at mile 19 (Halfer out-n-back course).  FAVE aid station.  Pickle juice & crazy backwoods signs.  Lotta Appalachia ‘Deliverance’ references.  LOL>

Gave away miles 21 & 22.  Struggled with my iPhone searching for the perfect playlist, only to put the whole thing away a mile later.  13-minute pace, seriously?  Banged thru mile 23 (my personal WALL), didn’t slog ‘til 25.  STRONG sprint finish.

Received my medal, then puked.  HA! – I call that progress.  [Generally I empty anywhere from mile 19 to 23.]

Lyft ride back to the hotel, shower & another shuttle.  AIRPORT CAPTIVE for 6 hours.  Not much of a reader – 2 movies & whole lotta NCAA Basketball (March Madness).  Check, done.  Welcomed HOME to SNOW.  HOME, sweet Colorado HOME ❤

2018 Allscripts Tobacco Road Marathon

18 March 2018

 

Keenan Haga

Net Time:  04:37:04.350

Race No:  481

Status:  Finished

City:  Louisville

State:  Colorado