Tobacco Road Marathon - Run

Good run. Went out a little fast, but the goal was just to stay in the 6:15 range. I was able to stay within a few seconds of that pace until the later miles, then things started to unravel a bit. The ground was soft and muddy, and it gave way a little after each step. I kept thinking that it was an energy sapper and that I might need to adjust my goals.

At the 2.5 mile mark, half folks went left on the Tobacco Road trail, while the marathoners all went right. I could see everyone on the trail, to include the leaders, which were probably about a minute or so ahead...I think I was in 10th or so.

I kept trucking along and caught a few guys, but then a cyclist came up. He was in front of the female leader. She took another half mile or so to pass me, but pass me she did. She looked strong and in control. She went on to take the OA (female) win, posting a 2:45 and coming in 3rd or 4th OA. Strong effort!

There were a lot of people out and about, but one guy that stood out was running in sandals and wearing a Team RWB shirt. Every time he picked up his feet, there was a clack, much like when a horse runs on concrete. I chased him for a while, wondering how in the heck he could run that fast with sandals on, then passed him in the 16 mile range, when another guy ran by us. I latched on to the faster guy for a little, then dropped the pace back to normal. It was for naught, though, as RWB sandal guy passed me towards the end. Jason made fun of me for letting a guy in sandals pass me. :)

One of my goals for this race was to NOT run slower than a 7:30 pace, regardless of what happened. For two miles, I was right at that pace. It was towards the end, I was tired from running on the soggy ground, and the elevation was uphill. It was a challenge to run this pace b/c of the uphill, soggy section of trail, plus my hips and right knee were starting to smart a little.

I was SOOO glad to be off the trail late in the 24th mile. My buddy Jason found me and rode with me until the final quarter mile. That was a big help, but I was not in my happy place. Every step was a struggle. At one point, I almost cramped up, but caught myself and just hobbled around for a few seconds, trying to prevent a cramp at all costs, especially with just about two miles to go. Jason encouraged me the rest of the way, and peeled of right before the end.

ETA: I came in 8th OA, 2nd in AG, and 3th in the military category. W00T! That means that I have now gotten a cash prize at 2 out of the 3 marathons I've raced (Boston doesn't count!).

Maybe start off a little slower, but I honestly don't think that was the issue. Had the ground not been soggy, I ***might*** have been able to make my goal of 2:45.

Walked around a bit, chatted with qrkid, and waited for my family. After we hung out and I got a little food and water, we went down to wait for Louiskie.


The ground was soggy. It was like running on a sponge. There were also muddy areas that I tried jumping over. I prob won't do that again. One of the biggest obstacles was walkers from the half marathon. They were 3 or 4 wide on the trail and wouldn't budge, even when asking them nicely. A few times, had to wait for an opening to get through.


I liked this race. It was well organized and they did a good job overall. They were also prepared for all the ppl that fell out afterwards. I'd recommend in a heartbeat.