My Second and Last Marathon

By Guest Blogger Brian Deatherage

This is the sequel to my previous work of literary art “My First and Last Marathon”.    If my first marathon was going to be my last why did I title it that way you may ask?  Its because I forgot the tears, struggles and commitment involved with training for a marathon.  Mostly I forgot the pain.

This time though, I did it differently; I found a Coach.

My original plan after the first marathon was to stick to what I felt I understood and could tackle successfully, the 5-10K and the occasional half marathon.  But as time moves on and my memory of the pain subsided, I was coaxed into another marathon.

I looked at the on-line coaching options, read a few books, surfed the web, did more surfing, and looked at the local running shops to get some ideas on my next training cycle.  I can’t say anything bad about any of them, I am sure they all work, for the right person.   The best piece of advice I can give you when choosing a program: whatever method you choose, you have to be committed 100%.  The timing of my search was perfect, coincidental or fate?  I found a coach who is knowledgeable, flexible, persistent, inspirational, actionable and holds me accountable.  If the schedule calls for 6 miles and I run 5 I will get an IM very shortly afterward asking if I am injured, how I felt, was I following this week’s plan (as I have messed that up before)?  I could go on and on about my coach, but this story is about me.

Where do I start?  I originally had planned on only getting coached on the shorter distances – I wanted to be faster.  I have this notion in my head that even though I have been out of high school for 25 something years (and a little heavier, just a little J) I should be closer to the speed I had back then, just a little closer.  I picked a few races that I had run before that I wanted to run again – and beat my previous years time.  I chose the TMC Meet Me Downtown 5K, Run with the Rooster 5M, Jim Click Run N Roll 8K, and the Bisbee 1000 stair race.   My intent isn’t to brag about myself….well maybe just a little.  Rather than give you details on how much faster I ran EVERY race in I will share this – My Coach made me faster and increased my endurance.  Let that sink in just a bit.  My Coach made me faster.  Was I injured sometimes? Did I ever get sick? Did some workouts not go as planned? Did I doubt myself? A big YES to all of those, but I was guided through it all.  I only had to have the willingness and discipline to trust.  Wait a sec, I started talking about my Coach again, more about me!

Training was going great, I had a few bad runs every once in a while, but the good runs – they had great psychological effects on me (I already thought I was awesome, these runs proved it!).  And then…Boom…an injury fell out of the sky and I happened to run into it (probably because I was running too fast to miss it).  Hip Flexor Tendonitis, the very top of the quad muscle where it attaches to the hip/groin area.  The timing of this injury was about the same in the training cycle as last years marathon training– right when the longest runs and most intense training was going to toughen me up.  I felt defeated, robbed of months and months of training.  I was frustrated and a little mad at myself.

Apparently, there is this crazy new fad out called “stretching”.  Sure I had heard about it, but thought it was for the ‘older’ runners.   I don’t think I have ever stretched more than a few minutes before running, definitely not afterward.  Now I have an intimate relationship with my very own foam roller and “stick” to roll out and loosen up my muscles both pre and post run. 

I ended up missing a few weeks of training and when I started again it was on a reduced plan as my injury refused to go away.  This would have been devastating to the average person – it’s a good thing I am not an average person.  I was just going to change the way I kept score!  I was going to “fun” run the Vegas half with my wife (I am so proud of her – she did such an awesome job for her first (and last) half marathon), and then I would “enjoy” my marathon by running and walking.  As an analogy for those of you who haven’t run a marathon – the “joy” of running a marathon is like being tickled so much that it makes you cry, do I laugh or do I cry I don’t know, then after you get tickled you get run over by a bus – and sometimes that bus backs up to make sure it got you.

I had a few decent runs before CIM (California International Marathon) but still felt like I missed too much.  I had already paid for the entry, the plane ride and the hotel – so I might as well go and “enjoy” it.  My Coach had a slightly different plan of attack for me and more confidence in my running abilities – in her words I had “months and months of training and a very solid base”.    Her plan of attack predicted a finish time of 3:30:00 for me (did I mention yet that she is crazy?).  The bus ride out to the start always seems much longer than the distance – it felt like we rode that bus for 100 mile to get to the start. The bus was cozy until I got off to visit porta john row – the slight breeze and spread out bodies made it very cold, I started shivering and couldn’t stop.  With minutes to spare I made my way over to the start to join some friends – the start lines always get crowded and I warmed right up thanks to all the body heat!

Adrenaline always takes my body over, today was not any different – it really helped with my side as I did not feel any pain for several miles (also helping was the tube of some menthol smelling stuff that I rubbed all over my hip).  I was able to keep the excitement in check though and went out at what felt to be an easy pace – I needed to spread the adrenaline out as for many miles as I could.  The course was beautiful, at least the first 13 miles – a rolling country road with families in the yards cheering us on, lots of trees with yellow and gold leaves that had just begun to fall to the road.   On one of the little “hills” around mile 8 or 9 I caught myself pushing the uphill, I was feeling like I could really take off – but I knew I had to shut down those thoughts of wild and ambitious abandonment for the last few miles.  The miles were rolling by one after the other.  I never look at my watch during a race, and seldom on training runs – I run by how I feel at that specific time and knowing my pace may play mind games on me – I never look at my watch.  But as I was crossing the mat at the half marathon point I looked up and saw the time clock – dang it!  It was only a minute off my previous (and soon to be completely out dated) PR for a half.  I needed to ease back and relax, but darn it, I kept thinking about that time and the mind monkeys started up.  I wasn’t impressed with the second part of the course – I kept my head down and was staring at the pavement in front of me, I didn’t see much of my surroundings.  I did hear a lot of cheering going on though.  The miles continued to go by, but slower.  My feet were getting heavy, my hip was annoying and I felt tired.  Somewhere around mile 19-20 my pace slipped.  My focus was narrowing and I was concentrating on the pavement immediately in front of me.  Muscles were tired, little twinges of cramps from my legs and foot.  Yes foot, right in the arch – I have no idea how I got a cramp there but it happened.  Mile 22-23ish, my pace slipped quite a bit more, I kept telling myself it was only a 5k to go – only 13 laps.  I had to break up the distance into shorter segments as my brain was having difficulty wrapping itself around 13 laps.  Somewhere in mile 24 my body and mind were not in sync – the mind monkeys were there telling me to stop, to quit, to just be done.  The cramp in my hamstring and foot had me running all contorted.  The hard part about making the decision to walk is knowing how difficult it is to start running again.  I walked about 50 feet, just enough to let the cramps release their bite.  The next walking episode was somewhere around mile 25, walking might have been a faster pace than my running at that point as the cramp in my foot was robbing my energy and mind from moving forward.  You could have put a fork in me and called me done.  Off to the side there was a group of ladies cheering, I don’t know if they were cheering for a single person or for all of us but one of their group approached me – she was side stepping next to me with her face about 6 inches from mine.  Even with my mind numb this was a little close.  She was motivating me, she told me that I could finish, that I had to run, I had to run with her.  She was running in a side step kind of motion, still motivating me from 6 inches away.  Come on come on she said – a little surreal.  I am not sure if it was due to her motivation, or to put a little distance between her and me – but I started to run again.  If you call it running.  My legs and feet were all cramped up, I must have looked like that cozy bus from earlier had just ran over me and I was trying to get away from it as it was backing up to get me again.   As I got closer to the finish the course was lined more and more with supporters, cheering us on, holding up a lot of signs that I had stopped reading several miles before.   Finally the finish line was there – I wanted to turn around and give the course my middle finger, but I didn’t have the mental or physical capacity to do so.    I am not saying there was voodoo involved, but with all that had happened on the course, how on earth could my Coach predict my time to within 33 seconds? Official time 3:30:33.

My First and Last Marathon

by Guest Blogger Brian Deatherage

One great thing about racing distances up to the half marathon is the lack of planning required.  There is no need for carbo loading, no nutrition plan, no build up, no taper, no elevation analysis - ok wait, there is some of that, ummm, all of that - but no big deal right, just show up with your game face on and run!  I was perfectly content with running the 5k/10k, or a mud run, or the Vegas half marathon, which is until my super-athletic, ironman/marathon running co-worker walked into my office in December 2014.  It must have been the egg nog, somehow he convinced me oh what fun it would be to run the Big Cottonwood Marathon the following September.  I think I might have mentioned it to my wife – I don’t think she was all that impressed.

I started reading online about marathon plans, whether I should have a coach or not, nutrition/hydration plans, pacing, on and on – there is A LOT of stuff out there on the Net.  I had plenty of time to plan.  I am a stereotypical guy when it comes to planning – I don’t do it, its way to much effort.   Very reluctantly I read about “Plans” for Marathon training.  I didn’t notice, until now, that they all implied that someone is going to run more than one, like your “first marathon” or “marathon for newbies” – I don’t think I ever saw an article or plan that was written specifically for the runner who was never going to run it again. Huh.  Strange, why would I want to do more than one?

Let’s fast forward a bit.  My “Plan” was going well, until 9 weeks before the race.  It was time to start my “speed” phase.  My first session went great….until 2 hours after I finished.  Without any warning aches or pains, I all of sudden could not get up from my chair – shooting pain from my gluteus maximus to the back of my knee.  Strange, clearly I must have tweaked something.  I tried to jog that night – I couldn’t.  I rested a few days – the aches were always with me – even when I slept.  I finally ran through the pain, it didn’t stop when I ran, but I could manage it.  If I was a little smarter I would have went to see someone about it, but like I mentioned before, I am a typical guy –I can handle the pain, it’ll go away.  4 weeks later I mentioned it on my Thursday night TRP run.  I wasn’t alone in my symptoms – my two running partners that night had a similar issue – it was their Piriformis.   I got the contact info for their physical therapist.  Made an appointment – same diagnosis!  I wasted, that is too drastic, I lost the timeframe for my most intense training – both the longest distance and the speed.  But, I’m a guy, who needs intense training; I will just start my taper and fake it on race day.  Not really, I was intimidated at the thought of 26.2 miles knowing my longest run had been 18 to date.  At least that 18 was just over my goal pace, with the last 5 of it being identical to my marathon elevation change much faster than my goal pace.  I must look at the positives, stick to the plan (less the month of the most important part) and move forward with what I have.  Awesome, taper time – I wasn’t sure exactly what I was tapering at this point but knew I needed the glycogen stores built up and ready to go.

The trip to Salt Lake was hectic to say the least, rushing everywhere –it seemed as if everything was getting in my way to stop me from running.

Made it to the hotel about 9 PM.  Got everything out and ready to go for my 3:30 AM wakeup.  Tried to sleep, kept trying to sleep, looked at watch, then again.  I decided at 2:30 AM to take a shower and get ready to go.  3 AM I ate a bagel and pop tart (pop tarts are my favorite pre-race meal!)

4 AM walked out the hotel door to load on the bus to transport all of us to the start line, way, way up the mountain.  About 26 miles up – that is sure a long ride.  We stopped at the half marathon start line to let those folks off – I was very tempted to go with them!

5 AM to 6:30 AM, 50 degrees, sitting on my butt with my feet on the ground and legs bent – head resting on my knees.  I was thinking this was a bad idea as I remembered my co-worker telling me on multiple occasions to buy a cheap folding chair and take it with me – stay off the cold ground he said.  I was able to snag an extra aluminum blanket to stay warm.  There were several runners walking around in short sleeve shirts and shorts holding onto their aluminum blanket in one hand not even noticing the cold – Crazy people!

A Marathon is a long way – I will just use the first few miles of it to warm up, get my blood pumping – then hit it hard.  First- I am bad at warm ups, second - I let the overbearing energy from the runners at the starting line rub off on me – I was amped and ready to go, mentally.  Note to self here – start doing warm ups pre-race or just start slower.

Go run a Marathon he said, it’ll be fun he said………….

I began training for this race just to say I did a Marathon, no goal other than to finish.  The intent was that this was my first and last Marathon.

I accomplished what I wanted – I finished.  No need to bore you with the mile by mile agony…. I mean….fun.  The mind has a way of forgetting the stuff that causes us pain and because of my inability to remember the last 10K of that Marathon (what I refer to as the second marathon within the first marathon), here I am 1 year later and 12 training weeks away from running another 26.2 miles just for fun.   My goal is the same – just to finish, plus, to make a personal record, plus to kick butt!

This time it will be my Second and Last Marathon.

If you want to see a little more of my journey via a video, here it is:

https://www.facebook.com/brian.deatherage.58/videos/10206415698085671/?autoplay_reason=gatekeeper

Where Are You Going?

By Guest Blogger Alicia Gestautas

Running is a physical sport of endurance and often, sheer determination. With that, it is also a metaphor for life. When I first started running, I did it as a mere escape in high school. I didn’t have a consistent plan so when I got stressed over boys, grades, friends, and my parents, I’d lace up my shoes and head to the high school track five minutes from my childhood home. “Where are you going, Alicia?” I was asked by my mom. Often, I knew it was to run, but in my head, it was a mind escape. A rhythmic pounding on the track field would often put my thoughts in calibration with my stride. Once done with my haphazard few miles, I would wipe the sweat from my forehead and think, I didn’t know where I was going, but in that period of running, I found where I needed to be.

Some years later, in Atlanta, Ga, to escape my college life and have some serenity, I’d get in my car and head off, hours out of town. The question first asked by roommates, “Where are you going, Alicia?” My answer was always, “I don’t know.” I’d pack up my golf clubs or running shoes and fill my tank with gas and off I went. One time I drove three hours to the north Georgia mountains to run. I didn’t run far and I didn’t have a plan, which was part of the excitement of it. Again, running was apprehending the truth of my life more than it was for the physical benefits. In those runs, I fell in love, I wrote books in my head, I daydreamed about trekking distant mountains, I solved math problems, and most of all, I got to know Alicia, in all her quirky existence.

At 36, I write this with my three children often staring at me and asking, “Mommy, where are you going?” Sometimes I know, sometimes I don’t. I’ve run 13 half marathons and 2 marathons. In those races and training, I’ve told myself someday I won’t have to hear about my son’s butt jokes (but I’ll miss them at the same time), I’ve discovered how to make Julia Child’s Coq Au Vin, I’ve (sort of) overcome my fear of toads during monsoon season, I’ve forged friendships that I know will last a lifetime…all because of running.

A year and a half ago I joined TRP. I did it for a change of pace and to mix up my morning solo runs. Subconsciously, I did it because a lot in my personal life was unfolding and I didn’t quite know what to make of it. The ‘where are you going?’ question needed an audience and feedback and advice. I met the most amazing friends, ones who not only laughed with me, but gave me amazing strength when at times I think it was lost. As someone who lives a very open and in-living color life, keeping a large part of me hidden wasn’t easy.

 Where am I going? I start a new job soon. Also, after nearly 18 years with my husband, we are looking at an amicable, yet very painful and difficult separation. Running has been my sanity, my saving grace in all this. It has kept me grounded when often, I couldn’t find the ground for my feet to meet the pavement. So while I don’t quite know where I’m going, I’m not lost, I’m just taking a very long and winding road to get there. And like running, I will reach my destination. 

Mo' Runnin' Less Problems

By Guest Blogger Mo Goldman

Hi I’m Mo and I’m a pronator! 

  

Actually, my old nickname in elementary school was “slow Mo”.  Growing up I was never a fan of running.  Maybe it was because I grew up in the sweltering heat of Tucson, Arizona.  Maybe it was because running always appeared so boring and unappealing (apologies to the running community).  Regardless of the reason, I really didn’t hit my stride until January 2015.  Since that time I have taken off and haven’t looked back.

It was November 1, 2014 and I was waking up from a night of binging on my kids’ Halloween candy.  For Halloween I thought it would be funny to be “Flo the Progressive Girl”, but instead I would be “Mo the Progressive Girl”.  Here is a pic:

 And here is a pic of me as “Flo the Regressive Girl” on November 1:

On that day I looked at myself and thought, “I’m one ugly lady!”  Tipping the scales at 215 lbs I had an epiphany and vowed to become more fit on that day and experience a significant lifestyle change.  Just turning 40 I realized I needed to be a better example to my three kids.  I was already fortunate to be receiving some excellent personal training two days a week at BodyBasics.  I then began more intensive aerobic workouts and a healthier eating regimen.  By mid-January I had already dropped nearly 30 lbs.

January 17, 2015, I turned to my wife and said “I’m going to try running” and I figured a nice motivator would be to train for a marathon.  So, just for fun I entered the lottery for the 2015 New York City Marathon.  Then I went out to try and run a mile.  At the end of that run I was beyond winded.  Exhausted.  I was tremendously sore the next morning.  I questioned whether I could run for long distances.  A close friend suggested reading Christopher McDougall’s book “Born to Run” and I found that to be highly motivating.  After reading this book I decided not to stop but to take things slowly.

In March I found out that I was selected to run in the NYC marathon.  This race will symbolically take place on November 1, 2015, which is the one-year anniversary of my lifestyle change.  Thus far I have been able to run in the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon and complete it in less than 2 hours.  It was an exhilarating experience.

            I found out about Tucson Runners Project through Doug Klein in June and it has been a great way to learn about proper training, remain updated about running events in and around Tucson, and meet some great people.  I look forward to continuing my running beyond the marathon and joining TRP for early morning weekend runs and other gatherings.

            I have now lost nearly 60 lbs and it feels great!  I can run much longer distances and even maintain conversations while running.  These are things I never could imagine doing 10 months ago.  Most importantly, my children have taken note of my health and it has had a positive impact:

Cheating and Running

There's no doubt that some runners make the mistake of believing that it's worth cheating. The reality is that the only thing that matters in running is whether you run to the best of your ability, under whatever circumstances exist on race day.  Nobody will ever have a better life by cheating, period. Even if you win gold at the Olympics, never get caught, and are showered with fortune and fame, the cost of cheating will outweigh the benefit.

I’m sure almost everyone would make similar statements to those above – even those who cheat.  The sad truth is that the sport of running, like any other sport and even life in general, includes plenty of examples of participants who try to gain an advantage in an illegal, unethical, or unfair way.  It seems that we are currently under a new wave of accusations and discoveries, and it’s not good for any of us.

Recently, the online forum letsrun.com challenged a man whois under suspicion for cheating related to his qualifying for, and running, the Boston Marathon.  The challenge offers him a sizeable payment if he can run a certain race time in order to “prove” that he is capable of producing the race time that he claimed to have run.  It’s not clear whether he cheated or not, but the mere fact that he is being accused so publicly is demonstrative of the shift in focus on cheating to the sport of running, which many have long believed to be “cleaner” than other sports such as bodybuilding or cycling.

On a professional level, there are many accusations regarding drug cheating among the elite runners.  The ongoing US Anti-Doping Agency’s investigation into possible drugcheating by athletes in Alberto Salazar’s Nike Oregon Project may very well open the floodgate to widespread doping disclosures.  The problem exists in big ways.  3-time Boston Marathon winner Rita Jeptoo tested positive for EPO and faces a ban.  There have been huge doping scandals such as the incredible doping-and-bribery story of 3-time Chicago Marathon winner Liliya Shobukhova.  The list of elite cheaters is far too long to put in this blog.

And it’s not just potential professionals that choose to cheat.  A very famous case was that of an apparently pathological runner, Kip Litton, who seemed to have a system to win marathons by skipping most of the actual running:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/08/06/marathon-man

You may be reading this and thinking, “this cheating stuff is disturbing but it’s not happening on the local level that I participate in”.  Unfortunately that’s probably not true, and cheating very likely has affected you.  Remember Rita Jeptoo?  She won the San Diego Rock’n’Roll Half-Marathon last year, and since she is in Shokofeh Motlagh’s age group, Shokofeh was pushed down a place in the standings – by a drug cheat.

One of the most prominent Tucson-based drug cheat stories may surprise you – this runner held the state record for several distances, including the 8-mile record which he set at the Saguaro National Park Labor Day Race.  Read about it at

http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/the-confessions-of-eddy-hellebuyck

There are other Tucson cheat stories, some that are most certainly true and others based on sour grapes.  Race Directors sometimes ban runners that they believe have short-cutted the course.  I’ve personally heard runners brag about taking steroid and asthma medications leading up to a big race.  I have even heard one runner admit to having another runner race a marathon, wearing their timing chip, in order to register a Boston-qualifying marathon time.  (This runner believed she could never meet the qualifying standards, but did not think it fair that Boston has those standards, so she self-justified this cheating action as a way to gain entry to a race that she felt entitled to participate in).

Obviously some runners think that cheating is worth it.  The elites do it to make a large payday, but most of us don’t make a single penny no matter how fast we run.  But apparently the glory of winning an age-group prize, or being listed on the race results above others is enough of an incentive for some.  In today’s very public social-media society, it may be that runners are taking increased risks because they want more accolades (the “like” button on FaceBook is a very powerful motivator!)

I’m not an expert in psychology so I’ll avoid discussing in depth about why people decide to cheat.  For most of us, it’s best to just establish boundaries in our behavior and set some “rules” to abide by.  I’d suggest that these rules might include the following:

• Run the correct course.  No shortcuts!
• Don't use performance enhancing drugs, or get a prescription you don't really need
• Don't claim PR'S when the course is short.  I recommend claiming PR’s only on USATFCertified Courses (many of Tucson’s races are not certified).  Your GPS should be fairly close to the proper distance!
• Don't block the competition, and start in the appropriate wave in larger races.
• Race with a timing chip only if it's your own and never ask someone else to run a "qualifier" for you.

There are of course many legitimate and appropriate ways to enhance your performance.  For example, a lighter pair of running shoes, having a loved one hand you a gel along the course, taking vitamins, etc., are all acceptable.  It’s really not hard - use your conscience.  If something you are doing feels sneaky, it’s probably wrong.

It's all pretty simple but our sport and the competitive environment can make it so very tempting to search for an edge.  I’ll leave you with this final thought:  Every time you run, the most important competitor is yourself – and cheating against yourself clearly will not get you anywhere!

Serial Racing and Multi-Day Challenges

The dog days of summer are here and sometimes the daily training runs can become a bit dull.  What can you do to get a little motivation?  One thing that can help keep you going is to make some plans to enter race events in the upcoming (and cooler) fall months.  It’s exciting to click the “Register” button and make the commitment!  In fact, it’s several months away, and surely you will be feeling much stronger and faster by then…so you decide to click “Register” a bunch of times!

Many of us go through those grand runner highs – not the ones we get from the actual run, but the kind that happen when we find ourselves caught up in a registration frenzy.  The smartest race directors have figured out that marketing to an optimistic runner is profitable, so many of them have developed an offering of race series, multi-distance challenges, and multi-day events.

But is it really just marketing hype?  Suppose you are an athletic purist, searching for that perfect combination of peaking and recovery – is serial racing a good thing, or bad?

This is a controversial topic so I’ll just share my own experience and opinions, and you can make your own judgment.  To get straight to the bottom line, I’ll say that when done at the right time, racing in multiple events over a very short time frame can produce spectacular results.  Why?  Because if you are trained and ready for one race, then chances are reasonably good that with a short recovery you can handle another.  Don’t believe me?  Then let me point to just a few high-profile examples:

• ·         Lasse Viren won Gold in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics in both the 5k and 10k
• ·         Keninesa Bekile won Gold in the 2008 Olympics 5k and 10k, and Silver (5k) and Gold (10k) in 2004 Olympics
• ·         Mo Farah won double Gold in the 2012 Olympic 5k and 10k.  In fact, 7 Olympians have managed to do this feat!
• ·         Michael Wardian has multiple back-to-back Saturday/Sunday marathon wins,

OK, so you’re not Mo Farah.  Neither am I.  But my own experiences also point to potentially good results from serial racing.  My first marathon in which I reached a long-standing time goal of sub-3 hours came at an unexpected time – in the 6 weeks prior, I had run 6 full marathons, 1 half, a 10k, and a 4 miler – and 2 weeks later, I ran another sub-3.  Conventional wisdom would say that is way too much racing with no recovery, yet I was making performance improvements throughout.  

Racing frequently is not necessarily dangerous and won’t automatically compromise your performace!  At the beginning of that 6 week period, I ran a multi-day series called the “New Year’s Double”.  The NYD was a super-fun, challenging event that I will always fondly remember.  And yes, the bling included a special plate to affix both days’ marathon medals to – racing bling is a fun way to provide a quick memory jog when you hang it on your wall!

There are many, many opportunities to be a serial racer.  Some of the best will offer you additional perks, such as a medal or jacket, to reward your effort.  In addition to the previously mentioned New Year’s Double, here are a few of my favorites:

• ·         The Rock’n’Roll race events have several series.  “Heavy Medals” reward participation in multiple events during a single calendar year.
• ·         The Southern Arizona Roadrunners has a “TripleCrown” series that rewards participants who run in 3 events during the year.  They also have a “Grand Prix” series that rewards racers for running in at least 6 events.
• ·         The Carlsbad 5000 has a special registration option that allows you to race in 4 consecutive 5k events – on the same day!  It’s called “The All-Day 20k” and finishers receive a special medal.
• ·         It’s becoming quite common for marathons to also host a 5k event the day prior to the big race.  Although many feel that a fast 5k the day prior can hinder marathon performance, I’ve found them to be fun and a nice chance to warm up the legs.  (Plus you get extra bling!)
• ·         Some marathons partner with other events to create a multi-city series.  For example, The San Francisco Marathon has multiple challenges including the CaliforniaDreamin’ medal (run both SFM and Surf City), the SF/Berkely Challenge, etc.  Three of the races in Southern California (Surf City, OC, and Long Beach) offer the Beach Cities Challenge medal for completing all 3 events.
• ·         Some marathons offer benefits for runners who return multiple years.  The Surf CityMarathon, for example, has a “Longboard Legacy Club” for runners who race at least 3 years in a row.
• ·         Our own Tucson Marathon has taken the series challenge concept to a new level with several different options, including the Wildcat Challenge, Fiesta Challenge, and Saguaro Challenge.

Let’s take it from a less technical, more subjective perspective.  Most of us are not running for our paychecks.  We do it for fun!  Maybe we’re also trying to improve our health or fitness, but there are many ways to accomplish that.  We run because running is enjoyable, and we enter events because they are fun!  So…if you’re running a race on Saturday to have fun, why not do another one on Sunday?  Double your fun!

One last thing.  After you've gone wild registering for all those fall races, be sure to let your friends know on the TRP site and update the TRP Racing Calendar spreadsheet.  We're all in this together!