View Marathon ...

While on a project, I made friends with Rick, an HP consultant, who had just began running. I suggested he look at the Galloway training method, and sign up for a target run for motivation. He was looking at the City of Oaks half marathon, and I said I'd come down and run the full, getting me a new state.

Again, not much training post-Timerberman, though I did get a few long runs to 18 and 22, but not much of a base.

The New York City Marathon was cancelled at the last minute, so the full doubled to 920 people, and there were 2300 in the half, and 800 in the 10 K, so a crowded start.

It had been a long time since I ran with a group, but I happy to run with Rick and his 4 and 1 10 minute group. The pace leader kept us dead-on accurate thru 9, where the marathon/half split.

The Course elevation chart doesn't do the hills justice. This was very hilly -- not the monsters we see here in the Mountains, but painfully rolling. Short, but steep, I was aching by the half, but happy with a 2'15 split.

The second half was down the Greenway Trail. Very pretty. Not many spectators, but plenty of support. I wasn't happy with the out-and-back legs -- there were 4 or 5 legs (more in the half) and a segment that had runners opposing us on both sides at one point.