Larry Burke 2018 REVEL Mt Hood Marathon Published: July 30, 2018, 5:51 p.m. 0 0

1. Overall Rating

   4/5 Stars

2. Describe your race day.

   Had to get up at 2:30 am. That was a bit harsh, but worth it to avoid the heat of the day. Did manage to get 6 hours of sleep.

   The first 5 miles was quite stunning. Then the highway. I bought some AfterShokz and had a running playlist set up. They were great! The further we went, the less interesting the view and surroundings, so the music helped. Then we passed a Dairy Queen on our side of the highway. It was closed. That was just cruel.

   The temperature was perfect for most of the race - comfortable in shorts and a singlet. Running felt good - no pains or unwanted sensations, everything was working, lot's of energy - so rather than counting down the miles until the end I was very much engaged in the moment - the music, the scenery, the other runners, how I was feeling - it was very zen.

   After the finish I was just happy to be alive. It was warm and sunny, the iced towels felt great, had a cold diet coke, got a good picture taken, no rush to get anywhere, plenty of happy looking people around. It was perfect.

3. Did you PR?

   My PR is 3:25:58 I think. Did 3:27:37 at Mt Hood. 2nd fastest of 12 marathons. Wasn't trying to PR. Was aiming for under 3:30:00 so I had a 10 minutes or faster BQ, which I did get with a couple of minutes to spare. Did Boston last year and this year. Wanted to have the option of doing 3 in a row. Got it!

   Knowing the course now I am pretty confident I could PR on it. Have another marathon in September, than New York in November. This was a bridge run between Boston and New York - trying to stay in marathon shape all year this year - just to see how that goes.

4. How would you describe the course?

   The grade was just about perfect for most of it - never awkwardly steep. The climbs during the last part where more than I expected, but turned out not a problem - I had another 5 miles in me at the finish line.

   The first 5 miles were quite amazing - the view, the full moon, the sun coming up.

   The long trip along the open freeway was kinda weird. I didn't mind it really - it just seemed odd to have big trucks zooming past you as you ran. Not a favourite way to run. That made it a 4 start rating rather than 5. The AfterShokz helped. I get that it would a huge logistical problem to shut down the lane nearest the runners, particularly as I think I recall there being times when it was only one lane on our side of the road.

   It started getting warm during the last 4 miles and the sun was now mostly on us. That made me a bit nervous but didn't cause any problems.

   The last mile, down that lovely country lane, was really nice.

5. Tell us about your training.

   After Boston I did several shorter races - a half in May, and a fairly ridiculous trail race (kusamklimb.com) where you descend 5,000 ft. over about 10 miles - after you run/climb up the 5,000 ft, sometimes using your hands and arms. After Kusam I trained almost exclusively on hills, which is easy where I live - they are everywhere. Having hills nearby made training for Mt Hood easy. Found a few long routes with steep uphills and long more gradual downhills. If something like that exists nearby where someone is training it would be great for Revel. I had no problem with the long downhill sections. Legs do not feel any worse now that after any other marathon, except maybe my first. Wouldn't do any thing differently.

6. What advice would you give future runners?

   Three things. First, resist the urge to go much faster than your goal pace during the first 15 miles - the last 6 miles are going to be much harder and you'll need the energy. 10-15 seconds faster is good. 30 seconds faster will cost you. I passed a lot of people walking during the last 5 miles, and noticed my placement kept improving as the race went on. Second, don't think of trying to do a negative split - do use the gravity to bank a little bit of time and expect to give some of it up. Third, dress for the last 5 miles where it could get quite warm.

7. What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

   Flew in from Victoria, BC Friday early afternoon. Rented car, went to Expo, drove to hotel in Gresham, found something to eat, prepared stuff for the morning, slept, up early, did the run, back to hotel for shower, straight to airport for flight home at 3. Had a backyard barbecue with friends that evening.

   I would have liked to stay in the Portland area for a few days. However, I have cancelled a bunch of travel to the US the past few months because of what Trump has been doing and saying about Canada, as have many of my friends and family. I changed plans for Mt. Hood to be in the states as short as possible. Got it down to 26 hours!

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