Got off to a bit of a slow start, and took it easy going up the big hill at miles 6-9. Around then, a volunteer called out our pace, but she was basing the math on gun time (7 minutes prior to my start time), and came up with 11:20. That pissed me off, and I picked up the pace and held around 10:00 from then on, and down closer to 9:00 by the last mile and a half. That was also around the point the half-marathoners split off, so the course got a lot less crowded, a welcome relief. Nutrition: one scoop of Prpetuum in each of my four fuel belt bottles, plus one Gu at the top of each hour. Also Hammer supplements on the hour. No solid food. Lots of water.

Not much. Stick to pace a little better in the early miles, but I'd rather be a bit slow than go out too fast and pay the price. Stuck to nutrition plan, took in plenty of water but not so much I had to stop and pee, so just right!

Zipping back to the hotel (jogging, even!) to get to the airport to catch a flight home. I got in a quick 5 minute ice bath, but I don't even think I stretched until I got to the airport!


It was a bit warm, especially toward the end of the race. If it had been in the 50s, I would have been a little quicker.


Nice course- lots of small, gently rolling hills, which I actually prefer to pancake-flat. I think it's easier on the muscles to change things up a bit. The "big" hill wasn't hard at all- very gentle grade. But then, I trained on hills this time, so I was ready. I also enjoyed the scenery, and it changed often enough to give me something to look at.

I think they added quite a few drink stations because of the heat- sometimes every half-mile! The on-course support was excellent, though no Gu until mile 18 and 22. Gatorade, water, oranges and candy. Lots of porta-potties on course, medical stations, and a couple where they gave out things like lube and blister treatments. I got several spray-downs along the way to stay cool. And the "hog wash" station was the bomb- they handed out cold wet towels, which I used to wipe the crusty sweat off my face! The course was pretty crowded for the first several miles (drink stations were NUTS), and lots of people (walkers!) seeded themselves in the wrong corrals (pig pens). Once the course was down to just the marathoners, it was just right.