Rock and Roll Raleigh Marathon

This was the first time I'd run two marathons so close together.  Normally they would be months apart, sometimes a year.  Tobacco Road was two weeks before RNRR.  I decided to run it when I heard about jackets.  RNR races are also well put together and have live bands throughout the race. Long after signing up (during the TR marathon), I heard how hilly it was.  I was also nervous about getting done in the time limit.  I'd come in under that time before, but a strict limit made me nervous. This race was in downtown Raleigh and other close by areas of Raleigh.  It was cold starting out, but that's nothing new.  Many thanks to the Marriott and Sheraton for letting random folks crash their lobbies.  I was in corral 13, so a pretty good ways back.  By the time I reached mile 1, the race had been going for over 25 minutes.  Many runners can complete a 5k in just a bit more time, so I was way back.  I started with the 5:30 group.  My body felt comfortable going a little faster, so I did.  I figured I would at least be with them when I slowed down to walk.  It was quite a while before I saw them again.  There are some turnaround points on the course, so I remember seeing some pace leaders then.  One of them had not paced before; I told her she'd lose the whole group, which I think she did.  The run ended up being warmer than TR, so I pushed my sleeves up and took off my gloves. As usual, I ate Butterfingers.  I also had a doughnut hole (that girl was an angel) and some Pringles stix.  I took Tylenol before and during, which was customary.  As usual, I dropped it off the ground. Who knows what germs I consumed from Avent Ferry Road? My legs got tired, but my knees never gave in.  The meds and supporters on each knee are something I always do (and with good reason).
The music and other entertainment was much-appreciated.  I may or may not have done a little Cha-Cha Slide.  On a course as long as this, there were a lot of staff and police.  Some of the police were particularly sweet and energetic...way to go y'all.  So...the hills.  In spite of the hills, the course had some good, local scenery.  We ran on or around NC State, Peace, Meredith and Shaw.  Shaw had a jazz band on a bridge that we ran under.  I could have used them later in the course; they were a lot of fun.  State had some of their sports med students staffing an aid tent.  Along with some of the professional bands, there were some good community bands.  I found myself reaching the point of, how am I going to finish, this is really hard, still a lot left.  But you go on, because you want the swag and really, what choice do you have? All runners got a medal and marathon finishers got a Brooks windbreaker branded with RNR Marathon Even though I didn't chat much around the race, there was a good camaraderie just by having the same people around.  I'd pass them, they'd pass me, etc.  I crossed paths with another runner after and that was a nice moment.  We both agreed we would not do the full marathon again.  Maybe the half, as the beginning of the race wasn't so bad.  Not a bad race, just a challenging one.  But that's just the way marathons are.

Tobacco Road Marathon

On March 20, I ran the Tobacco Road Marathon in Cary.  It also crossed into a couple of other counties.  TR is a very flat course and most of the time is spent on the American Tobacco Trail.  Some of the trail is paved and some is dirt, but it's very flat and smooth.  Training in the mountains helped tremendously with the few hills.  This race was pretty uneventful, as much as a marathon can be, anyway.  However, it was very inspiring.  One marathoner wore an army pack and carried a flag.  Another carried 45 pounds of water.  He was raising awareness of the need for clean water in an African country.  Of course, there are always outfits that stand out.  Men and their short shorts...heavens.  I don't even wear stuff that short.  I ran using a run four and walk one approach.  This is a great way to keep your energy level up.  Speaking of energy, my mid-race nutrition consisted of: Butterfinger fun-size bars and cups (like a Reese cup), water, Gatorade, Chex mix and Oreos.  They keep a table full of food at one point on the marathon course.  I mostly ran solo, but started with the five hour group.  Eventually, I caught up with the pace group leaders.  They'd lost the entire group, which is very normal.  This was a cooler race than some, so I wore more clothing than usual.  The mental struggle wasn't too bad since it was the easiest course I've ever done.  That's not to say that some parts didn't drag on a bit.  It also doesn't help when someone says you're almost done and you're not.  I'd either passed 21 or 22 and someone said that.  Really, man? One of my biggest issues was that I kept getting gravel in my shoes.  Nothing major, just kept happening.  One of the mile markers was a (good) surprise.  I think it was 23.  Whatever it was, I didn't realize I'd gone that far.  Sometime after that, we exited the trail.  Heading back to the ballpark, we did have some uphill.  Like I said, mountain training helped a lot.  It was certainly hard work, but not too bad...for a marathon.  I could tell some runner were really struggling.  If I could've seen myself, I'm sure I wouldn't have looked too different.  This was my fourth time at Tobacco Road and the second time running the full marathon there.  It's definitely one I will do again.