So I was looking back to try and find my last marathon post about Baltimore but magically it's gone. Oh well the less I remember about that disappointing day the better. Onward to the race #10 update:
Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon - Ft. Oglethorpe, GA
This race was about getting back on course. After crashing and burning in Baltimore I decided I needed a good performance to regain some confidence. This race is ran nearly all in a Civil War Battlefield Memorial Park. I remember reading somewhere that it has the most military memorials in one place then anywhere else. Well not sure how true it is but let me tell you there were a lot of statues and other things all over the place.
We got into town reasonably early on Friday and headed straight to the expo. After waiting in the longest line I have ever had to wait in for a marathon we got the goodie bag and everything I would need the next morning. We decided to buy a couple of tickets to the pasta dinner since it was being catered by a Gayle's favorite, Carrabbas. It was tasty and hit the spot as we listened to some live bluegrass music.
The next morning was a bit chilly but promised to be great weather for running. About 5 minutes before the gun I got into position a few yards behind the 3:10 pace group thankful there was no 3:20 pace group. No expectations here as I just wanted to run by my gut and not get caught up in maintaining a pace group.
I would have to say it was a very interesting race. They started the half and the full at the same time (thank you) but we split and rejoined at various points. So there were times where you could pass the same guy a few times but yet you were on about the same pace. This race also had another favorite of mine. The loop. There is something to be said about knowing exactly what to expect the 2nd time around. It builds a lot of confidence when you know you tackled everything the race course had to offer and you can tell yourself that you can do this cause you already did it once. Although on the 2nd loop I swear they built a hill or two since the last time I was there.
This run was run almost all in the woods which was quite unique from the urban marathons I have ran prior in 2009. A couple of times the trees would give way to a huge clearing where Civil War cannons would be stationed to recreate a famous battle. It was pretty cool to see all that in the early morning hours as the morning fog rolled away. One of the times I wished I ran with a camera but I guess you'll have to take my word for it.
Well the last few miles as usual were a challenge but that's the fun of the marathon. Anyone can run the first 20 but the last 6.2 is really where the gut check is at. Though I was happy to leave enough in the tank where I could pick off about 20 or so runners in the last 3 miles. My finishing time was a PR 3:21:39.
Here's a look at what's coming up and an updated map:
Scheduled
January 10th, 2010 - Northfield, MN
February 28th, 2010 - New Orleans, LA
Tentative
Las Vegas 2010
New York 2010
Completed
November 14th, 2009 - (3:21:39) - Fort Oglethorpe, GA
October 10th, 2009 (3:40:27) - Baltimore, MD
June 20th, 2009 - (3:26:30) Anchorage, AK
June 6th, 2009 - (3:26:14) South Bend, IN
March 29th, 2009 - (3:24:23) Knoxville, TN
February 15th, 2009 (3:29:16) - Birmingham, AL
September 20th, 2008 (3:39:05) - Park City, UT
June 14th, 2008 (3:50:22) - Williamson, WV
February 17th, 2008 (3:54:54) - Jacksonville, FL
November 3rd, 2007 (3:55:40) - Richmond, VA
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