Marathon Memories

From 2001 to 2003, I went marathon crazy. Not only did I run about 35 marathons during this period, but they were all over the country and one was in Amsterdam. So, not only was I training and racing, I was flying, making a lot of hotel reservations, and renting cars. It's only when I go through my finisher medals that I remember a few, but some will always live vibrantly in my memory.

Pikes Peak in one. Starting at 7,000 feet, you run up 13.25 miles to reach Pikes Peak at 14,100 feet, then back down. What I recall most of this marathon is the last 2,000 vertical feet or so of climbing. Slightly oxygen deprived, I remember one thing kept me going...if I didn't finish this sucker, I couldn't wear the Pikes Peak sweatshirt or hat. It was a tough marathon, but I finished.

Ah, the Death Valley Trail Marathon. Done on fire roads in winter, heat isn't an issue. The first 12 miles are pretty much all up, then the remaining miles are all down. I recall being about 3 miles from the finish line and being able to see down and in the distance some reflections. I later learned that those were from the white painted roof-tops of the school buses that would take us back to Furnace Creek...race headquarters.

In early October 2003, 3 weeks before doing the Amsterdam Marathon, I was in Big Sur for the trail marathon. I can't recall anything highly unusual about why I loved this run. I just did.

Since my last 2003 marathon, Dallas White Rock in December, I've only done a handful of marathons, concentrating instead on ultras. May 2009 may just be a year to visit my old 26.2 mile haunt.