Updated 6/20/08
Please
click on thumbnails for larger view!
2008
The
Half Whiskey Row Half Marathon
Prescott, Az
May 3rd, 2008
|
The Whiskey
Row half and full marathons are rated as the fourth most difficult
races in the entire country. This was the first time I had run
this event up in Prescott, and naturally I started this year
with the half marathon. Now in its 40th year of running, this
half marathon starts at the courthouse in down town Prescott
at an elevation of just over 5200 feet, and heads out of town
along unpaved back roads into the ponderosa pines, thousands
of feet to the top of the turn around point. After enduring such
an excruciating running climb to the top, you then turn around
and back to town in what can be described as one of the fastest
down hill racing runs you ever experienced. I dont think my legs
could go much faster without tripping on the numerous pot holes,
rocks and loose gravel along the sometimes poorly maintained
back roads. Obviously you scream toward the finish line in a
slightly up hill finish, nearly making up for the slow slogging
trek
up to the top.
About 600 runners
did the very popular half marathon this year, with 200 enduring
the full marathon starting an hour earlier. The temperatures
at race start was a chilly 43 degrees, but warmed up very quickly
as it often does at higher altitudes as the sun rapidy rose in
a clear blue sky. 3 miles of paved street running led to the
unpaved Copper Basin Road, where the greuling uphill challenge
intensifies. At mile 5, the steepness became even more extreme,
and many runners had to walk sections of this hill for a short
distance. Despite this, I was able to get to the turn around
point at 6.5 miles with a fast 10.0 minute pace. I never expected
to get there that fast, but hill running in the same altitude
in Payson really paid off here. My pace ranged from 7 to 8 minutes/mile
all the way down into town, with a final time across the finish
line of 2h 00m 09s, and an average pace for the run of 9:16.
This would make this extreme run my third fastest
half marathon ever.
|
Click on all thumbnails for a 1024 x 768 sized image
GPS data from the
Garmin during this run
|
The finishers
medal
|
Before the Race through Race Start
Mulling about minutes
before the call to the
starting line.
|
At the Start, I am in blue
with the blue cap in
the center.
|
3 police escort to star
the race!
|
And were off!
I am just below the
word "Alley"
|
Runners thunder off
the line!
|
Still comming...
|
Thumb Butte and
hundreds of runners
|
Another huge sea of
runners for the shorter
10k.
|
During the Run (Racepix Images)
Images from a professional photographer on the race course
Near the end of the race...
|
2
|
3
|
At the finish line:
Dawn took these about a quarter of a mile from the finish line as we rounded the last turn
Here I am comming up the
final steep hill to the finish!
|
Full speed ahead!
|
Just after finishing
watching the others
comming on in.
|
At the end of the finish
chute, where they handed
you the finishers medals
|
Courthouse in Prescott
where we started
|
Whiskey row after
the race
|
Statue on the
Courthouse lawn
| |
The Valley of the Sun Half Marathon
March 9th, 2008
|
This half
marathon is considered to be a fairly fast run, and many runners
have reported getting PR's (Personal Records) here. For the most
part, the run is down hill with one steep hill in the middle,
and a fast down hill finish. I ran my fastest half here, again
beating 2h, with a 1:53 official time. The run takes place in
a very scenic pure desert and rural part of Apache Junction,
just south east of Phoenix and far from the city environment.
A very nice fitness expo was held the day before, on Saturday
for packet pickup and purchasing some running gear. And unlike
the disorganized mess that was the 2005 event, they now seem
to have it very well run, and it was extremely enjoyable. The
race had plenty of aid stations, helpers that were tripping over
each other to assist you, and some decent food at the finish
line.
The Course
We were bussed
out to the starting line, and sat in the road for an hour in
the cold waiting for the event to start. That was not too fun,
but I was able to run up and down the blocked off roadway for
a long distance to warm up before the event started. The horn
went off to start the race right on time, and the DJ played AC/DC
and Chariots of fire music. The sun wasn't even up yet, and we
ran during the sunrise as I watched the planet Venus rise over
the superstition mountains. When the sun came up, we found ourselves
warming up to back roads, rural streets and finally major roadways.
We ran up a steep long hill at one point, before the halfway
point next to a small lake, with cattails, ducks, and fishermen.
Then it was downhill for a long distance to a fast finish. There
was just over a thousand runners, making it so far one of the
largest events I have run in. Not exactly the big city half marathon
event, but still a very well run and exciting event to participate
in!
|
Click on all thumbnails for a 1024 x 768 sized image
GPS data from the
Garmin during this run
|
The gorgeous finishers
medal.
|
Before the Race through Race Start
After the bus left with the runners to the starting line, Dawn took these shots from the area around the finish line as the sun came up.
The busses that took
us to the start line 13.1
miles away
|
Stunning sunrise with
saguaro cactuses in
silhouette
|
Finish line refreshments
waiting for the first
runners
|
Mount McDowell
(Red Mountain) at
sunrise
|
Looking back at the now
empty roadway the police
blocked off from the
traffic
|
The Finish Line
(Were coming!)
|
Running "Stealth Cam" shots
Realize that most of these snap shots were taken while running as fast as I can at the same time, took about 2 seconds to shoot each,
and I never slowed down. Composition is questionable under these circumstances for sure! But I hope these at least give you
some feel for what it is like to be running in an event such as this.
After the bus dropped us
off, we walked about
trying to keep warm.
|
In the last 5 minutes before
race start, the final
announcements came.
|
Then the quarter mile walk
began down the road
to the starting line.
|
Here a thousand of us are
waiting not too patiently
for the race start!
|
And were off! The sun
had not come up yet.
|
bout 15 minutes later, the
first light of the sun. Now
were really screaming.
|
Running along normally busy
main streets, totally shut
down for the event by the
police department.
|
At the 10k distance, which
is 6 miles our lap time was
read out from our shoe
sensors.
|
At mile 7, volunteers
hand us water, and
something green.
|
Running right toward
Red Mountain
|
Passing the small lake
on the left just before
we hit a very steep hill
|
Mile 9 water station
|
Passing Red Mountain on the
left side.
|
Purple flowers on the
hill next to the road in
full bloom.
|
Passing stands of Saguaro
Cactuses in the desert
|
My attempted shot of
blasting fast to the finish
line. Its just up ahead!
This was my fastest half
marathon ever.
|
|
|
|
|
During the Run (Racepix Images)
Images from a professional photographer on the race course
At the finish line:
Dawn took these about a quarter of a mile from the finish line as we rounded the last turn
The first runners
start to come in
|
My final burst of
speed to the finish line
|
Passing younger runners
|
At the finish Line !
|
Runners at food/
refueling tent
|
The Lost Dutchman Half Marathon
February 17th, 2008
|
Considered
one of the most scenic desert half and full marathons in the
western US, rated as one of the best in the country as well by
Runners World Magazine. The Lost Dutchman was also my fastest
half yet, breaking the 2 hour barrier for the very first time.
Held since 2002 in Apache Junction east of the Phoenix, the lower
elevation - about 2000 feet and warmer climate gave me an advantage
over other half marathons held at higher elevations.
The Course
It seemed like
the whole run was up hill both ways. From the very start, its
an uphill climb along the highway, until you hit the dirt. Then
you literally plunge down a very steep hill - The "Dutchmans
Revenge" as it is called through back roads in the desert.
The landscape goes up and down for miles, and you turn around
at the 6 mile mark. I was doing a solid 8:30 pace at that point.
The return trip is again undulating hills, and then - the "Dutchmans
Revenge"! A humoungous up hill run, extremely steep had
half the people walking. I was able to run all the way to the
top. There, is a fake wall in the road, with an opening you "must"
run through as you crest the hill. I was way ahead of most of
the pack at this point, and looked forward to a long downhill
run to the finish. It was awesome! I finished in 1:56 despite
the steep hilly terrain, making it my fastest yet.
|
Click on all thumbnails for a 1024 x 768 sized image
GPS data from the
Garmin during this run
|
The gorgeous finishers
medal.
|
Before the Race through Race Start
After a ride to the starting
point, the busses park and
runners start warming up
|
Sunrise over the distant
Mountains in a typical
desert scene
|
Lost Dutchman Mascot
from New River
|
Seconds before race
Start on this chilly
Morning...
|
And were off! over
a thousand runners started
at the same time.
|
I'm here in blue (again)
embarking on one of the
most scenic runs ever
|
Finish line sequence -
Dawn captures my last
quarter mile!
|
Making final passes
before the finish
|
Fast finish to my fastest
Half marathon yet -
|
Just under 2 hours
for the very first time!
|
Running "Stealth Cam" shots
Due to a failure in the stealth cam - the lens fell off inside the camera (now fixed) the shots are small and not all clear, but you can
get the flavor of the event as seen from the eye of a sleek racer near the front of the pack. ; )
(Non Clickable)
Gathering at the start line
|
Off and running
just before sunrise
|
In the saguaro
cactus forest
|
Rural areas
|
Pure desert road
racing!
|
Racing full blast
through the desert
|
Top of the
"Dutchmans Revenge"
a super steep hill
you run through a fake
brick wall
|
The long downhill plummet
after the challenging hill
|
Only a few miles to
go now -
pour on the SPEED!
|
Spectators cheer us on
in the last quarter mile
|
The Sedona Half Marathon
February 9th, 2008
|
Our second
year at this excellent event had nearly perfect weather, and
a bigger turn out than ever. Over 800 participated in the half
marathon this year, with around 300 doing the grueling full.
The fine weather and all the challenging hill running I had done
during the year made for the fastest half I had done to this
point, I crossed the finish line at 2h 2m. This is tantalizingly
close to the self set limit of 2h, which tells me I'm ready to
run a full.
On this run is
the first time I used the "Running Stealth cam". This
small spy sized digicam was strapped to my wrist GPS, and enabled
me to take for the first time a few quick snap shots during the
actual run, showing the runners, and scenery along the way in
an attempt to capture the excitement of the event for those who
did not run this event. They are smaller (640 x 480) and lower
resolution. And now on to the Photo Pictorial of the 2008 Sedona
half marathon!
|
Click on all thumbnails for a 1024 x 768 sized image
Before the Race through Race Start
Officials get the timing
for the start/finish line
set up.
|
The crowds start to gather
about half an hour before
the events
|
Stage for live
entertainment
|
In the center of the
track field where we
started
|
Race Start!
|
I am on left with blue hat
|
Hundreds of runners off
the start line!
|
GPS profile of Run
on wrist computer
|
During the Race through Finish
(Stealth Cam)
Standing at the Start line
|
(Stealth Cam)
Heading down the road
toward the red rocks
|
(Stealth Cam)
Amazing red rocks scenery
on the first leg
|
(Stealth Cam)
Heading for first turn
|
(Stealth Cam)
After first turn
|
(Stealth Cam)
Heading toward second
turn
|
(Stealth Cam)
Near top of steep hill,
the ambulance is ready
|
(Stealth Cam)
The most memorable view
looking up toward the
big hill
|
(Racepix.com)
Mid run
|
(Racepix.com)
Mid run
|
(Racepix.com)
Mid run
|
Coming into the
Finish Line
|
To the Finish
|
Fast Finish!
|
At the finish - A steep
challenging Half at my
fastest time yet
2h 02m
|
At the Finish Line
|
After the Race
|
Leaving after the race
| | |
After the Race - A Sedona Hike
A brisk 6 mile loop into the Red Rocks
The Map at the trail head
|
Red Rock Vista 1
|
At the snow packed
creek
|
Red Rock Vista 2
|
Red Rock Vista 3
|
Red Rock Vista 3
|
Red Rock Vista 4
| | | |
HOME
|
