Went with my husband for a romantic gettaway with a marathon in the middle. I pulled it off to be successful and did not spoil it with getting sick or being tired after:) This course was super tough and Clyde wrote a summary of the course that I stole. I slept well the night before and probably didn't get up early enough before to let my food digest and had a few problems from it but not bad. Miles 1-6 do offer some of the best, gradual downhill you've ever seen. Not too steep, no turns and perfect for letting things rip. The only downfall to this part is that most of the time the wind blows against the way you'll be running. This section I felt good, I ran with Rebecca and had a good time. I just let all the leading ladies go and ran my own race. The wind was not blowing which was nice and it was not cold which worried me. Miles 7-9 is almost flat but uphill (like .5 or 1% grade) out across the Joshua trees. took a potty stop at the top of the hill at mile 9 still feeling good
9 drops down a steep grade into the town of Bever Dam, AZ (this marathon will take you through 3 states... Ut, Az, Nv) then it is flat
10 is flat until it climbs out of the river bed and up to where you go under I-15. The wind starts up through here for a couple of miles.
11 mile mark is really close to I-15 and it starts a really, really good climb of almost a mile.
12 is basically flat with a few rollers... maybe 1% total gain here.
13 Same as 12 flat and rolling
14 Really steep downhill (like Bryce Canyon) for most of the mile and then flatish at the end
15 solid rolling hills (IMHO very hard to hold it together through here)
16 Another tough climb of almost a mile. Very, very tough but I can see Marcie and Maryann up ahead of me and I am gaining on the two of them.
17 More rolling on this mile
18 Finally a flatter mile through here
19 Flat mile until the last .4 then up This up was hard on me I was feeling good and catching Marcie and passed her but she passed me right back.
20 Steep downhill for about .7 then flat (this is the mile you come right into Mesquite City)
21-26.2 Are all mostly flat with some small grade here and there as it winds through the city to the finish. I felt good at first through this section and then I felt really bad, my quads stopped working and calfs were cramping. A lady passed me and 24.5 and put me in 5th place and I couldn't get her back. But this was a vert tough finish. I am happy about the race, of course I wish I could have held it together in the end (I lost about 5 mins in the end.) But I was only 6 mins slower than SG marathon and I expected to be at least 10 mins slower. Did I say this was a super duper tough marathon, a lot of hard uphills. 1-6:30, 2-6:31, 3-6:36, 4-6:37, 5-6:40, 6-6:52, 7-7:00, 8-7:10, 9-7:13, 10-7:21, 11-6:59, 12-7:59, 13-7:58, halfway 1:32:33 (my goal was to run a 1:35 when I realized I was running this fast I slowed a little. I was thinking I could five myself 8 mins on the next half and still get a PR. Little did I know my legs would give out in the end), 14-7:36, 15-7:27, 16-6:58, 17-8:08, 18-8:27, 19-7:42, 20-7:37, 21-8:17, 22-7:37, 23- 8:26, 24-8:33, 25-8:41, 26-9:00 this last mile was tough most of it being a slight uphill, .33-2:46 Brune went for a run with Aunt Ericka and had a joyous time.
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