First, I'll get my whining out of the way. This course is long... by .12 miles, according to my Garmin. The mile markers check out for the first third of the race, then they get progressively longer to the end. It's kind of demoralizing when you're trying to hit marks along the way to meet a goal time.

OK, enough bitching. I really like this course but the Hoan Bridge just kills me. It's not that hard to climb (though it is looooong), but it comes right at the beginning of the race and it gets my heartrate up for so long that I can never recover it. I don't think I run it too hard, it's just that it takes effort to drag 190 pounds up an incline for so long two ways. No matter how much I focus on trying to keep my HR low so I can ramp up my effort for the second half of the race, it just doesn't happen and I don't think it's possible unless I want to lose significant weight.

Other than that, the course is really nice and it's really a well-run event. I'm so glad I gave this race another shot after that brutal first year.

It rained lightly throughout the race but it never played a significant factor beyond cooling me off a bit. Wearing a rain jacket, I did heat up quite a bit on the Hoan section, so I ditched the jacket at the Art Museum, where I saw others also shedding their jackets. Over all, it turned out to be a great day to run.


I'm not sure there's any way I can handle that opening bridge portion any better and still stay on pace for my goal time. For me, that bridge sectiuon is the whole key to the race. i'm just not sure there's an answer beyond losing weight/mass.

I don't warm down. I collapse.


190 pounds of ass. Did I say "ass"? I meant mass.


I would recommend this race to everyone. It's really a top-notch event.