Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Tulsa Route 66 Marathon

This race almost made up for not running a fall ultra.  More and more I realize how much I miss the Arkansas Traveler.  I think I must return next year.  It really just feels like family there and I miss the camping and the Ouachita Forest and all of the comraderie and all of my friends.

I only decided to enter this race two days before when the weather looked like it might be favorable.  And favorable it was as the start temperature was 37 degrees with a nice north wind.  Perfect running weather. 

My first mile was an easy 6:10 pace and that's when I knew it would probably be a good day.  Last year at Tulsa, the heat and humidity was so unbearable that I left the race after the half marathon point.  I knew that would not happen on this day.

I hit the half at 1:22 and some change and so I did slow on the last half of the course but I was also running alone for most of that time.  I managed to run strong all the way to the finish and recorded my third fastest marathon time ever.  So it was a very good day and my first good road marathon in nearly two years.  I've just been doing a lot of trail running I suppose.

Now I have two more marathons in as many weeks.  The first will be pacing at Memphis on December 3rd so that should be relaxing and fun.  Then I will run the the Lovit Trail Marathon the next Saturday as a nice training run.

All of this is to gear back up again for the Houston Marathon in January.

I am beginning to plan out my racing for 2012 and I think it could be a BIG year for my ultra running!

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