Steamtown Marathon - RunMarathon

I've done a fair amount of road races and triathlons, and how a race organization starts an event says a lot about the race itself and sets up my initial impression of an event. With that said, the organizers of this race did a fantastic job. The buses were brand new, there were pota-potty's a plenty (marked Women's and Men's), all the students and staff greeting us were very kind and helpful, and the event kicks off with a booming canon blast!!

The field was a very managable and relaxing 1800, which was a far cry from the 40,000 I was sandwiched between during the NYC Marathon a few years ago. During the NYC Marathon I had to relentlessly zig-zag through the crowd and dodge walkers all the way up until the 20-mile mark! The only part of this marathon that was congested was maybe the first 1/2 mile. It was so more pleasant an experience to constantly be surrounded by runners, but not feel claustrophobic and to have my own space at all times.

Miles 1 through 6 honestly felt like a 10 minute training run. Aside from two very short uphills, the first 10k is one big ski slope DOWN. All the advice I'd read, been told, and even the Race Director announces 60 seconds before the canon blast, "Go easy on the downhills. Don't go out too fast!" I'm tired of learning things the hard way, so I actually listened. My plan was to start and maintain a minimal effort, I was figuring perhaps around an 8:15 pace. I'd raced a Half Ironman just seven days prior and today's true objective was simply to do a nice and easy 26.2 mile long run, while previewing the area and course for 2010, when I will do an actual Marathon Training Focus (after IMLP) and commence my first Boston Qualify Attempt.

With this plan in mind I went as easy as I could, focused on my form, kept my breathing extremely aerobic, and it still resulted in some very fast splits due to the severe elevation loss. Had I actually pushed the pace I could have easily done a 6:50 or better average. Miles 1 - 6: 7:45, 7:46, 7:46, 7:27, 07:25, 7:33

After mile 6 the course leveled off a little bit. The volunteers and townspeople were awesome and very exuberant. They offered sliced bananas, vaseline on a stick, lollipops, and other cool goodies. There were marching bands and music playing -- which speaking of music, the majority of the runners did not wear ipods or headphones and I found this a pleasant surprise.

I met and spoke with a gentleman who had done Lake Placid a bunch of times (he had a Timberman shirt on so I knew he was a triathlete) and he had done St.Croix 70.3 SIX TIMES!!! He said his wife liked that race ;) Like me, he said his stand-alone run times and triathlon run times were not very close and it's something he has worked on for many years. (Yikes, that means I may never solve this triathlon running thing!)

From miles 7 to 13 you wind through five or six small towns. Some areas are industrial and not pretty, but the vast majority of the course was beautiful Autumn forests, running rivers and mountain backdrops. Mother nature provided some beautiful scenery.

I hit the 13.1 mile mark around 1:42 (mile 7 thru 13: 7:50, 7:43, 7:45, 7:40, 7:52, 7:49, 8:02). The course was still had a few downhills and I tried to maintain an easy, minimal effort with a focus on form. Amazingly, my legs were holding up well. The only remnants from my HIM last Sunday was a tight left hamstring that loosened completely after the 5-mile mark. I met another fellow, George, and started chatting. He ran Steamtown last year with a time around 4:30, and I told him he was well on his way to crushing that time. He wanted to hang together and I told him that I was going to add 10 minutes to my 1/2 mary time. He was fine with that and so we forged on. By this time the crowd had really thinned out and we were surrounded by a comfortable group of a dozen runners.

From past experience, despite the weather being in the mid 40's, I knew I still had to hydrate. At mile 3 I started alternating a big mouthful of gatorade and a big mouthful of water at every other aid station ( they were located roughly 1.5 miles apart). I took a gel at the 45 minute mark and then another just shy of the 2 hour mark. The hydrating was going so well that I ended up having to pee. Really bad!! I told George I would catch up with him and hit a port-a-potty around mile 14 and spent a long 45 seconds in there which accounted for an 8:50 split.

Feeling much better :), I entered mile 15 and the "Rails to Trails" section of the course. Over the next few miles I ran through a GEORGEOUS nature preserve on a crushed stone path, followed by a wood chip path. To my right was a massive mountainside, lined by a fast flowing river. It was such a great experience. Despite the lovely scenery, my legs were aching and I was entering 'no mans land' as I had not done any Marathon Specific training and I was relying solely on experience and the hope that my swimming/biking fitness for three HIM's this year would translate into a decent sub 4 hour endurance effort.

And this is when EXPERIENCE kicked in like it never has before in my endurance athletic career. I knew my splits were ridiculously fast despite the minimal effort, and I knew I had a shot at a sub 3:25 ...but that was going to hurt, and I was going to RISK a bad blow-up. So, amazingly, I willed myself to slow down by around :30 seconds per mile, the slower pace coupled with the soft trail allowed my aching quads to recover and I came out of the Rails to Trail section feeling better than when I had entered. My legs felt light and fresh. Miles 15 to 18 (8:05, 8:06, 8:17)

Miles 19 to 20 I kept looking up ahead for George. On the Steamtown Marathon website they have a picture of an anchor at mile 20: http://www.steamtownmarathon.com/Anchor.htm The roads winded and runners started dropping. I put my head down, maintained my focus, and fought off thoughts of "The Wall". I knew the marathon started at Mile 20. And I all I wanted was to just see that damn anchor. Finally, there it was, the ANCHOR!! I popped my third and last gel (with 2X caffeine) Only 10k to go!

The next 6.2 miles were hard. But this is why we run marathons, or at least why I do: so I can dig deep, remind myself of who I am and what I'm capable of. I believe a true person's character is revealed during that last 10k. It's where the mind must push through the pain. Throughout my athletic career, I have found absolutely nothing that compares to the the last 10k of a marathon. The extreme depths of pain are what make the victory of crossing that finish line all the damn sweeter. But I had three uphills to traverse, and I hadn't run many challenging uphills to this point. The sides of my quads were getting slammed with baseball bats and my calves were getting squeezed by trash compactors. It took all my might and will to hold my form and maintain a semblance of an 8 minute pace. There were lots of walkers and hobblers by this point, but the crowds of spectators was thickening and I knew I was close. One volunteer was handing out sliced bananas. I took a slice and stuffed inside my cheek and let it dissolve slowly.

Around mile 23 I saw George! It looked as if he'd just started a walk/ run combo and I came up behind him and said, "Looking good, George. I told yah I'd catch up to you." He was very happy to see me. We bumped fists and agreed to finish up strong. We chatted a bit and exchanged motivational mottos, "Strong Mind, Strong Body!" "Good day for a Run!" "We can do this!" George, being from the area and having ran the race last year, pointed out mile markers a few hundred yards before we hit them, and he also prepped me for each of the uphills. Together we powered up the hills and encouraged fallen runners to join us. And many did! It was an unbelievable experience. Before I knew it, George pointed to some words spray painted on the ground which read: The final turn!! Thank God for George :)

We were less than a half mile from the finish. We turned onto N. Washington Avenue and there, at the end of a long straightaway, atop one final hill, stood the Finish Line. We reeled in runners left and right, hammered up the hill and sprinted to Glory!! I'd finished my second marathon and did it with a 1 minute PR. God I Love the Marathon.

Train for a Marathon :)

Next year I want to BQ this course. After IMLP I plan to follow an abbreviated Pfitz 18/55 plan (peak at 55 miles a week). For this race I think I peaked at 26 miles once!

George and I congratulated one another and we vowed to meet up next year and attempt a BQ together. I found the wife and kiddies who had spent the morning riding the Steamtrains! It was a perfect day :)


I didn't do any marathon specific training.


This marathon was everything I ever wanted in a Race. The race coordinators, volunteers and spectators were all phenomenal. The size of the race (considered a medium-size marathon) was perfect. The scenery of rivers, mountains and forests -- all during the PEAK of AUTUMN -- was to die for. My children loved the rains at Steamtown. The course is fast, really fast ...if you listen to the advice given. This is a dream race from every aspect and wild horses will have to keep me away from running this marathon every year, for several years to come.

Here's a great video that takes you through the entire course: http://www.wnep.com/community/wnep-the13thannualsteamtownmar-887051...