If the weather has a cold start around 50°F, bring disposable warm top, sweats, and gloves. With a predicted high of low 60s it will be okay once the running starts.

I paced the early miles between the 5:00 and 5:30 groups and had to take a pit stop at near mile 5. Big mistake standing in the wrong line due to 1 portapotty with someone's poop all over the poop area. Thing is, for me it was fine because all I had to do was pee and that part was clear. Wasted 20 minutes there.

Had to restart pacing due to waiting so long and cooling down. Feet started to hurt on somewhat steep descents, especially on my right foot behind big toe where that big joint is up top (front most lacing on the left of shoe). Been having problems with that possibly due to Hoka Stinson 3 ATR toe box being a bit too small compared to my former shoe Brooks Adrenaline 14. It hurt every step downhill past mile 14. >.< I also took off my thermal around this mile marker.

At around mile 16 I started falling apart, some shingles pain started creeping up and had to drop my run intervals from 5:00/0:300 to 2:30/0:30. Feet hurting and quads screaming. Mile by mile I dropped down to 2:00 to 1:00/0:30. Then at mile 20, to 0:30/1:00. I was mentally trying hard to regroup myself and not throw in the towel. At mile 18 and 22 is where I started to cry a little bit because I was feeling so bad. I think I took 2 more pee breaks after the first during this falling apart segment.

Then the course started on its descent I was feeling a 2nd wind. It was easier to run and I kept going at this pace (minus 1 more peepee stop) until mile 25.5. After that, I gave it all I've got to the finish.

Despite going through all the possible tangents, I think this course was at least 0.3 miles longer, grrrrrrrrrr!

I paced myself too fast the first half thinking I regained my fitness gained when I did my last long run of 17 miles at 10:45/mile when I should have paced myself using my most recent 20 mile LSD run pace of 12:30/mile (which distance I chose to brute forced so I can mentally prepare myself as a test to see if I could make it).

Should I get sick and miss 3 weeks of solid training entering peak training phase, I should take it seriously about really pacing a race like this super duper conservatively so I don't feel so miserable the 2nd half as early as I did.

Walked all the way to the family reunion area which felt like another half mile. >.< Drank Endurox R4 and massage for 20-30 minutes.


Shingles, bad cold, insufficient training during peak training weeks, choice of shoe. Blisters on left big toe again but in new area... bottom of left segment??? Injinji socks or new shoes are due!


This is a good race to test your ability to hold yourself back the first few miles of a marathon due to the hills early on. The long descent near the end is a nice way to finish strong and fast.