of getting my ass kicked. I'm still not used to the high altitude, and today's 5-mile run on Tahoe's west shore humbled me yet again. My legs felt heavy, and my heart pounded in my throat as I navigated the hills and valleys around here.Tahoe is experiencing a cold snap, and I ran with my dog on a chilly (mid-40's), overcast and windy afternoon. I was going to run 8 miles, but my chocolate Lab-mix pooped out on me (the thin air got to him, too!). So I dropped him off at our house, and when I did, the neighbor across the street came over and started chatting.
Diversion! After about 15 minutes, my legs felt stiff. And I got lazy. So I wimped out on the remaining 3 miles.
Help me decide: And, anyway, I don't know what fall/winter marathon I'm doing any more. I was going to run the Santa Clarita Marathon (just north of Los Angeles) on Nov. 4. But the packing, moving, driving x-country, etc., has done serious damage to my marathon training.
Another possibility is the California International Marathon in Sacramento on Dec. 2. I've heard great things about this race, such as it being a great Boston qualifier. But the marathon is only a week before the Honolulu Marathon (which I'm going to run just for fun), and I've already booked my travel plans for that.
Sigh. There's the Orange County Marathon on January 6, 2008. But it's muy expensive ($90 compared to CIM's $65) and much of the course is on knee-punishing concrete. There's also the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach. But it's not until Feb. 3. And it's also expensive.
Any suggestions on which marathon I should run? The rules: It has to be on the west coast, preferably in California. The race also has to be in November, December, or January.
I know. A head-scratcher.
What about the Phoenxi Rock n' Roll? I know - travel.
ReplyDeleteQuestion - why do you need another one in addition to Hawaii? Isn't 1 enough?
CIM is supposed to be great.
Carlsbad's in mid-January, which would give you enough time to recover from your Honolulu "fun run" -- and it's a decent course with some hills and some great ocean views. It's a smaller race than the others you've mentioned, but I like that sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteI've heard great things about CIM too.
I want to do another one besides Honolulu b/c there is no way I'm going to qualify for Boston at Honolulu: too hot and humid, and way too many people (a lot of walkers, too). Honolulu was going to be my gift to myself for running a hard marathon in November. It looks like now it will be a good training run for my "real" marathon.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Anne ... check out the Carlsbad Marathon scheduled for January 20th. This is a smallish event with around 1500 running the marathon, but it is very well organized. The scenery is great and weather is usually fantastic. The course is not easy (no splashy graphics on the website bragging about their pan-cake flat course), but well worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking PF Chang Arizona too. That's close enough to west coast, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the cool weather in Tahoe!
I saw you out there this weekend- and you didn't look like you were doing too badly to me!! (Perhaps it was the cute atalanta running skirt?)
ReplyDeleteI have done the Carlsbad marathon twice - it is one of my favorites. Other than the pavement it is a near perfect marathon. Great weather, great views. Perfect time of year. And the race organization is fantastic. I have considered doing this one myself.
Surf City! Surf City! I ran it last year (only the half) but it was called something else. It's pretty cool - you run on Pacific Coast Hwy and get to watch the ocean for parts of it.
ReplyDeleteJust think how much faster you'll be when you get back to sea level!
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, my tiny Beagle Jack Russell cross can sprint almost as fast as me! I haven't tried him at altitude yet, however.
How about the Redding, CA Marathon on Jan 13, 2008. It's mostly asphalt, hard packed dirt (with and without a fine pea sized gravel covering), on mostly biking and running trails and you get to finish on the new sundial bridge. It’s only $54/64. If you’re lucky it also might snow! I’ve run it twice now and I love it!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sweatrc.com/Redding_Marathon/index.html