I only posted one full race report in 2013. I was busy with
races and travel and got out of the habit of blogging. I’m caught up on
everything from January 2014 to now, and I’m slowly working my way back to
write some Throwback race reports. Sometimes I do a throwback report because
the race in question is coming up again, or it’s timely for some other reason.
Right now I don’t have a specific race to cover, so I’m starting at the end of
2013 and working my way back, focusing on full marathons first. That puts me at
the 2013
Tucson Marathon, my selection for Arizona.
Scot and I chose to run Tucson mostly because it fit into
our schedule. There are several other races in Arizona, with a few choices in
Phoenix, but those are at other times of the year. Tucson is in December, and
it seemed like a good time of year for us to visit a warm climate. I had been
to Scottsdale, and had flown through PHX airport a number of times, but I had
not spent anytime elsewhere in the state. I was looking forward to seeing some
desert scenery, including the iconic saguaro cacti.
Cost-wise, it made sense for us to fly into Phoenix and rent
a car for the approximately two hour drive to Tucson. It was a fairly uneventful
trip, and like many of our quick marathon weekend trips, we didn’t really have
time for sightseeing. We made it to Tucson in time for packet pick-up, where we
met up with our friend Keith, a Tucson local who joined us for dinner afterward.
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| At packet pick-up with Keith, Magenta and Scot |
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| Dinner at Mama's Pizza with Scot and Keith |
It was cold on race morning. Really cold. Not what I
expected for Arizona, and I was not dressed for it. I remember huddling with
other
Marathon Maniacs as we waited for the race to start. We were not in Tucson proper,
and unfortunately, the course of the Tucson Marathon doesn’t go into the city
at all. But that was OK; I was looking forward to some nice desert landscapes
and hoping to get some nice photographs. The race started and we were off. I
was hoping it would warm up soon.
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| Pre-race Maniacs in the dark and cold |
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| Another pre-race pic with a little more light |
I ran the first half with Lori. I was underdressed for the
unseasonably cold weather. At one point, we saw a shirt that another runner had
cast off. Lori said it was Mike’s throw-away shirt. I’ve never picked up
clothing from a race course before, but I was freezing and needed another
layer. Knowing who the shirt belonged to made me feel less awkward about
grabbing it. It was a long-sleeved tech shirt, so it gave me the warmth I
needed for the upper body and arms. I figured I’d wear it for a few miles and
then toss it. I ended up keeping it for the entire race.
The weather never warmed up very much, and the sun didn’t
come out. I kind of felt cheated. This was not the Arizona that I had expected.
The course was also not as scenic as expected. I’m sure the sun would have made
a big difference, but we had no sun. There were some saguaro cacti on the
course, but they’re not nearly as photogenic on an overcast day. This course
was supposed to be a downhill trend, or mostly flat, but don’t let that fool
you. There were some hills on the course, and some gradual inclines. It was
harder than I expected, and my plantar fasciitis was not fully healed. Although
the course was mostly point-to-point, there was an out-and-back section, so it
was nice to see some fellow Marathon Maniacs and 50 Staters during the race.
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| Here I am on the course wearing Mike's throw-away shirt; never needed the sun glasses |
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| Scot's pic of Lori and Mike on the out & back; I'll never understand how these Floridians can run in that cold weather wearing shorts, but more power to them; Scot and I have probably shared more marathon courses with Lori and Mike than any other Maniacs we know |
At around the halfway point, I couldn’t keep up with Lori.
She was moving just a little faster than I could go comfortably, so I hung
back. But I wasn’t alone for long. I fell into step with a Tucson local, Becky.
It was her first full marathon, and she was not used to the cold, so she was
moving slower than she wanted to. Becky said it was the coldest day of the year
in Tucson. I believed her. We got to talking and running (and doing some walk
breaks) and it was nice to have a new friend to run with.
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| Here are Scot and I in a selfie with Becky over Scot's shoulder |
In the last few miles, Becky started having some problems
with her knee and had to walk more. I could have run ahead, but I didn’t want
to. It was a good reason to go at an easy pace and to stick with a marathon
buddy. Some of the last miles were through a residential neighborhood and were
somewhat boring anyway. When we neared the finish, I ran ahead so I could take
some photos of Becky coming in for her first marathon finish. Scot was waiting
for us. It was an anticlimactic finish and not much of a finish party. I’m not
sure if that was because of the cold weather, or finishing at the back of the
back, or if that race just doesn’t do a big party. In any event, we quickly
said goodbye to Becky and got on the shuttle back to our car.
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| Yay, Becky! First time marathoner (but not any longer). |
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| 2013 Tucson Marathon Medal |
Becky is now a Marathon Maniac! I might not have come away
from the Tucson Marathon with sunny memories and great photographs, but I came
away with a new friend and might have served as a little inspiration to join
the craziness of frequent marathoners. I’m not sure I’d go back to the Tucson
Marathon though. If I choose to do another race in Arizona, it will probably be
in Phoenix, or maybe Sedona. And if I do that, I sure hope the weather is
nicer!
The night after the race Scot and I made the short drive to the US-Mexico border and crossed over on foot. We spent a couple hours walking around Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and eating dinner there, before we walked back to Arizona and turned in for the night.
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| A sign in Nogales; there wasn't a lot to see there, but we enjoyed the diversion |
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