Race review: Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
I had 3:40 as a goal and without strategizing at all I managed to cross the line in 3:40:59. Given the conditions I was pretty happy -- more on this shortly.

DID YOU WIN?
Of course not, but I was safely in the top 10 percent of each grouping, which is always my backup goal. I was 38th of 420 in my age group, 186th of 2414 men and 225th of 4229 overall.

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?
My goal of 3:40 happened to be the exact average time of my previous 6 full marathons. I figured the easy course would bring my time down, but that would be offset by warmer weather and not running at full effort.

I started off at a comfortable pace under the clouds and fog. It was quite humid and I was quickly drenched. The course was not terribly crowded thanks to the corral start, but there were enough folks around to keep me under control.

We zigged and zagged through downtown, past the Alamo and out into... I don't know, the rest of the city. Not to steal my own thunder for later but this was not a memorable course at all. Maybe I was biased to begin with because I think San Antonio is a really overrated city.

The frequent musical interludes -- live and recorded -- gave me a shot of energy, especially passing the 10K mark. There was something about hearing the line "you'll be kissing my ass" from that one Pink song that really sparked me.

Unfortunately the good times only lasted a few more miles, as the evil sun burned off all the clouds that had given us such a wonderful overcast morning. The half marathoners turned for home and the rest of us were left to wander off on the long out-and-back down Mission Road. I just tried to ignore my watch and the sun and keep moving forward as best I could.

I was pretty happy with myself for maintaining a healthy jog, until the last Gu I took around mile 21.5 decided not to sit well. I've never had a problem with gels before, but this one just felt like a brick in my gut. I was probably dehydrated because by now it was easily 75 degrees on the pavement. I couldn't fight through it and had to decide whether to walk off or keep running until I threw up. I chose the former and walked off a quarter mile, an interval I'd repeat for each of the last 4 miles.

At the 26-mile marker, my wife and kids were waiting for me. This was special because I rarely bring them along -- it seems like something you'd want but believe me, a toddler is not having a good time out there waiting around for Dad to show up. Their smiles and waves got me up the last hill and over the finish line, which came about 50 yards after my left calf started to cramp (another race first).

WHAT ELSE?
Sorry to have to repeat myself here but the course, though easy in terms of its minimal elevation change (412 feet of gain per my Garmin), is not a good one. It's virtually a carbon copy of the Route 66 course in Tulsa: a circuitous first half with many interesting urban features, followed by a long, dull, unattended out-and-back to comprise the entire second half. The 80 percent of race-goers who only ran the half would probably say its a nice course, but for the full, not so much.

I had a beef with the expo as well. I understand that any promoter wants to pack as many exhibitors as possible into the available space. But it seems as though no one stops to think that the more folks you have selling stuff, the more people will be attracted to shop -- and the less room there will be for everyone to get around. I gave most of the sellers little more than a cursory glance -- because I really didn't need anything and we pretty much all know what the scene is like by now -- and it took me forever to get off the Alamodome floor. Maybe, just maybe, some race will decide to forego an extra booth or three to give the runners room to breathe. But I won't hold my breath.

SPLITS?
7:26
7:28
7:25
7:20
7:36
7:26
7:17
7:13
7:21
7:28
7:18
7:34
7:48
7:57
8:08
8:13
8:28
8:38
8:46
9:04
9:26
9:37
10:44
10:54
11:06
10:47
8:49 pace last .29

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?
We all got an actual goodie bag with actual goodies, with a pack of Gu Roctane among the highlights (I'm going to consider the above Gu episode as a one-time occurrence). I can appreciate other races' efforts to go green by nixing the pre-race bag, but it's still nice to get actual stuff now and then.

The medal is not bad, though it's attached to a thin, completely nondescript ribbon:

WHAT'S NEXT?
Run Like the Wind 24-Hour Run, Austin, Dec. 3.

Schedule changes

My finish in next weekend's Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon will mark my 8th marathon or ultra in the last 12 months, good enough for a promotion to Level 2 (or whatever the catchy nickname is for it) of Marathon Maniacs. It'll be short-lived, since the New Year's Double will get me to Level 4.

But the New Year's Double will get a bunch of other people to Level 4 too, and let's face it, that makes me a little less special. I'd reviewed the Maniacs criteria before and always figured Level 6 would probably be where I'd ultimately top out, getting there with 6 marathons in 16 days (3 weekends of back-to-backs). I've decided to reach that goal sooner than planned -- about this time next year.

Of course, this could fall apart if any of these races change dates, but for now here's what I'm going with:

*11/13/11 Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon
*12/3/11 Run Like The Wind 24-Hour, Austin TX
*12/31/11 New Year's Eve Marathon, Allen TX
*1/1/12 New Year's Day Marathon, Allen TX
*1/29/12 Miracle Match Marathon, Waco TX
*2/10/12 Rouge-Orleans (126.2 miles), Baton Rouge to New Orleans
3/17/12 Dash Down Greenville (5K), Dallas
*4/16/12 Boston Marathon
*4/29/12 Big Sur International Marathon, Carmel CA
5/13/12 North Trail HM, Dallas
6/2/12 Old Dominion 100, Woodstock VA
6/17/12 Dadfest (5K), Dallas
7/4/12 Liberty 10K, The Colony TX
7/15/12 El Scorcho 50K, Fort Worth TX
9/3/12 Labor Day 15K, Dallas
9/15/12 Tour des Fleurs 20K, Dallas
9/23/12 Heels & Hills & Him HM, Irving TX
10/6/12 Heartland 100, Cassoday KS
10/6/12 Arkansas Marathon, Booneville AR
10/7/12 Mother Road Marathon, Joplin MO
10/13/12 Kansas City Marathon
10/14/12 Prairie Fire Marathon, Wichita KS
10/20/12 Frankenthon Monster Marathon, Cedar Park TX
10/21/12 Waterworks 25K, Dallas
10/21/12 Brazos Bend Gator Run, Needville TX
11/4/12 DRC Half, Dallas
11/18/12 Big D 30K
12/1/12 Cajun Coyote 100, Ville Platte LA
12/2/12 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon
12/15/12 Jog'r Egg Nog'r 15K, Dallas

Race preview: Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
San Antonio, Texas

WHEN?
Sunday, Nov. 12

WHY?
Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon

NO REALLY, WHY?
Many reasons: It's a family outing. I get an extra medal for having done the Dallas event earlier this year. And with this being my 8th marathon or ultra in the last 12 months, I'll get a Marathon Maniacs promotion.

WHO ELSE IS GOING?
Looks like a field of something close to 5,000 for the full, and of course many thousand more for the half. That reminds me, I better get my Saturday dinner plans lined up.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
Some sun, some clouds, a north wind, 60 at the start, 70 at the end. 

HOW DO WE WIN?

With Run Like the Wind coming 3 weeks later, I don't plan to run this thing all that hard. I'm really just hoping for something much better than that ridiculousness in Tyler (4:23).

Race review: 13.1 Dallas

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
I came up short of my time goal, though not ludicrously so, finishing in 1:37:55. I felt like I did all I could and blame the extra couple minutes on the cold I was right in the heart of.

DID YOU WIN?
No but I placed better than I thought I would, really. I was 104th of 1675 overall, 87th of 800 men and 12th of 127 in my age group.

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?
I started as slowly as I wanted and gradually got into my groove coming back down Cole and turning onto Cedar Springs. I felt like I was keeping the pace I wanted, but little by little I was slowing down as we gradually climbed Turtle Creek into Highland Park. I crossed the 10K mat in 45:56 and already knew there was no chance of sniffing 1:35.

But, just as I'd faltered a little on the way up, I regained strength coming back down the Katy Trail. When the trail ended and we were spit out onto Houston Street, I picked up the pace and started passing folks. I kept right on going up the hill on Ross Avenue and finished with a strong spring to the finish. It wasn't as fast as I wanted, but it was the race that I wanted to run.

WHAT ELSE?

The course was promoted as the best half marathon course in Dallas, and as much as I enjoyed the Rock 'n' Roll course, I tend to agree with this assessment. Sure, there are plenty of watch-your-step moments through the first 3 miles, but I like the urban setting. Where the RnR course wanders into a sort of wasteland crossing 75 on Mockingbird to Skillman and down to Swiss Avenue, the compact 13.1 course keeps things interesting and scenic. If I ran the Katy Trail all the time I might be burned out on it, but I don't, so I'm not.

The convenience of the start/finish line is of course a big plus as well, being just a few blocks from the DART station. I liked the village-y feel of the exhibition area, though a couple of strategically-placed floodlights before the race would've made the port-a-potties easier to find.

SPLITS?
7:39
7:29
7:10
7:10
7:22
7:38
7:51
7:33
7:31
7:40
7:31
7:22
7:33
6:13 pace last 372 ft.

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?
The shirt was lame -- it's the same shirt handed out at every stop on the nationwide series, individually and unnecessarily wrapped in a plastic bag. The medal, on the other hand, is a beaut:

WHAT'S NEXT?
Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon, Nov. 12.

Race preview: 13.1 Dallas

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Dallas, Texas

WHEN?
Saturday, Oct. 22

WHY?
13.1 Dallas

NO REALLY, WHY?
When the race was announced a year ago, I was one of the first 100 to sign up and got in for a mere 38 bucks. In fact, I signed up so long ago they changed the race date since then (it was going to be the next day).

WHO ELSE IS GOING?
Not sure. It looks like this event will get off to a fast start as the replacement to the Uptown Run, a very popular 8-miler. With the DRC Half coming up in a couple weeks you wouldn't think there would be a huge demand for another half right here, but it looks like I'll have close to 2,000 folks joining me.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
Mostly sunny, 62 at the start, 66 at the finish, light winds, somewhat humid. Used to be I'd write these previews the Sunday before the race but at least my procrastination makes this section a little better.

HOW DO WE WIN?
Initially I had a feeling that this favorable course and the placement on the calendar would give me an outside shot at sniffing my PR (1:29:51). But it's gonna be just a little too warm for that and besides, I've caught a cold that is really starting to hit its crescendo. Maybe I'll be fresher having skipped yesterday's run, but I'm certainly not at full strength. A good comparison race should be the White Rock Centennial half (1:35:12). I'll make that my target.

Race review: Tyler Rose Marathon

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
It went about like you'd expect for someone who'd been averaging 6 miles a week for the last month and set out to run a hilly course on a warm day. I set a new personal worst of 4:23:25.

DID YOU WIN?
Nope. I was 61st of 212 overall, although 6 people ahead of me did not run the entire course (more on this later). I came in 5th place of 21 in my age group. It's pretty annoying to know that 3:54 would've taken home an age-group award and I certainly could've run that if I were in shape, but alas, I was not.

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?
I stuck to my plan of walking up hills and running easily for as long as I could. I "cheated" a little with some of the small early inclines, feeling like I really didn't need to walk those. By mile 5 I encountered the first real hills and hiked up them, but I was feeling fine.

I ran with the legendary T.O. for a couple miles before the halfway point, chatting about the course and upcoming races and Boston and whatnot. I wondered who was holding whom back until he declared he was going to head off to catch someone. He finished about 40 minutes ahead of me. That's what happens when you reach machine status.

I crossed the mat at 13.1 in 1:50:42, which surprised me a little until I reminded myself I was supposed to be going this slow. I still felt OK, but the wheels would be coming off soon. I got to about mile 17 before the walk breaks started getting longer and more frequent. And by the final 4 miles, I was so out of whack from walking up hills and running down them that I had to start walking downhill too.

From there on out I could only manage to jog a couple of minutes per mile. Everything from the waist down was breaking down at one point or another. I did manage a good sprint across the finish line, flashing double horns down for the cameras to a responsive crowd (they were mostly against me, but this was the most noise I'd heard all day -- more on this in a moment also).

WHAT ELSE?
Not sure where to start, but here's one: The course was terrible. I don't say that because it was hard. Obviously it was hillier than almost anything we can recreate in these parts, and my undertraining of the last 5 weeks included pretty much no hills, so it was going to be hard, definitely. (I know that 1,081 feet of gain is comical to folks in most parts, but it's all relative.)

No, the course was bad for other reasons. Signage was abysmal. Twice I had to ask cops directing traffic which way to turn. It was nice of them to tell me but that's not their job and I shouldn't have to ask. Not everyone was so lucky, apparently, since at least 10 people cut perhaps 5 or 6 miles off of the course thanks to wrong turns or bad directions. When barely 200 people are running, you can't assume there will be someone to follow who's going the right way.

Another 3 or 4 times I found myself crossing paths with or running directly at half marathoners, at least one of whom refused to yield (I don't know what the rules are about who yields to whom, but I've gotta think if it's known that the other runner is going further and/or faster, you step aside, and both were true for me). On one side street, all the half marathoners were running one way and little ol' me was running the opposite direction, unbeknownst to the driver who eased out of her driveway just as I approached. I pounded on her hood as I ran by yelling, hopefully hard enough to leave a dent.

Also, there was no community support whatsoever. We could've just gone to the track and run in ovals for hours in front of empty bleachers and it would've felt the same. I watched the local news on Saturday night and didn't hear a word about the race. Not to say there's nothing to do in Tyler but when it's a slow news day and there's a marathon in town the next day and there's not even a mention of it, that tells me the race directors did nothing to promote it. That seems to be the standard for Mellew, which does a similarly poor job of pushing the Big D Texas Marathon. They should really just stick to 5Ks.

I was about a week removed from Lasik surgery and had no complications until right before the finish, when sweat finally dripped into my eyes. That hurts anyway, but especially so with eyes still in recovery. Fortunately I carried drops with me and got the sweat washed out a couple minutes after finishing. Oh yeah, the part about finishing.... The Rose Garden is certainly a scenic finish, but having the finish line down there means you're having to climb upstairs to get post-race food. People don't want to climb stairs after a marathon on a flat course, let alone one that hilly. Just more poor decision making.

One good thing worth pointing out was the stellar performance of my new Native sunglasses. I got the Sprint model and they didn't dare think of scooting out of place one millimeter the entire run. Totally worth it.

Also good, my best race photo yet:

SPLITS?
7:42
7:58
7:40
8:00
8:30
8:42
8:11
8:15
8:11
8:31
8:28
9:09
10:06
8:40
10:05
8:46
9:26
11:10
12:16
11:11
11:57
12:14
13:04
13:53
13:33
13:10
12:49 pace last .37

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?
At least there was some good stuff to be had. Everyone gets a simple white long-sleeved tech shirt for entering and a genuine Tyler rosebush for finishing. The medal is a big heavy rose with a quality ribbon:

And this being the completion of my swim through the Four Seasons Half Marathon Challenge, I got another tech shirt and another medal:

WHAT'S NEXT?
13.1 Dallas, Oct. 22.

Race preview: Tyler Rose Marathon

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Tyler, Texas

WHEN?
Sunday, October 9

WHY?
Tyler Rose Marathon

NO REALLY, WHY?
This completes the Four Seasons Half Marathon Challenge. Plus all the cool kids are running Chicago, and I'm not one of them.

WHO ELSE IS GOING?
There were 224 folks registered before today, so unless another couple dozen walk-ups showed up, this will be a smaller field than last year.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
Not what you would call "pleasant": upper 60s at the start to upper 70s at the finish, with winds picking up with the temps. Oh, and humid too.

HOW DO WE WIN?
I'm just looking to finish. With an injury and a vacation and Lasik surgery clogging the last 5 weeks I've logged just 33 miles in that time. That's not really ideal preparation so I'm going to lay way back on this one, walking the uphills and running the rest easily. I probably won't crack 4 hours but I don't care; I can just put this down as a training run for Run Like the Wind.