Valley of the Sun Half Marathon 08
Passing runners half my age...

Updated 4/12/08

Running Page Intro When I was in my teens, 20's, and early 30's, I spent nearly all of my spare time learning mathematics, engineering and physics, and despite occasional hiking of mountains and forest trails I still could not even run for a few hundred feet without being totally exhausted. When I reached 36 and my waist line started to exceed my age, I made the lifetime change for fitness, and started running. It took several years before I could even run 5 miles, and eventually beyond. In 2005 I deceided I was fit enough to start racing in half marathons, and my life has never been the same since! Now I enjoy extreme fitness, a size 32 waist, and my Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hiking time has been cut in less than half, and I continue to get faster and faster. As time permits, I will be adding past adventures to this page, so lets start with the most recent first!

2008

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

The Sedona Half Marathon
February 9th, 2008

 2007 Runs Page

Includes the following:

Rails to Trails Run, Prescott Az.
November 17, 2007

Bisbee 1000 Stair Climb, Bisbee Arizona
October 20, 2007

Rim Challenge Half Marathon
October 13th, 2007 Payson Arizona

Rim to Rim to Rim Grand Canyon Run
October 4 - 6, 2007

The Flagstaff Half Marathon, Flagstaff - Nordic Center
September 22nd, 2007

White Mountains Half Marathon, Eager 
September 15th, 2007

Big Brothers and Big Sisters Half Marathon in Flagstaff
August 11th, 2007

Gaspin in the Aspens Trail Run 15K 
June 16, 2007

Rim to Rim to Rim Grand Canyon 
May 18, 2007

Miami Copper Crawl
April 22, 2007

Sedona Half Marathon
 February 10, 2007

2006
Payson Rim Challenge Half Marathon November 3rd

Grand Canyon - South Rim Kaibab trail to Phantom Ranch and up Bright Angel trail


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