Leaving home at 4:30 a.m. with the expectation of heavy traffic due to road construction was a lttle early. All delays failed to materialize! We crossed the border with no line-up, traffic on I-75 was a non-issue and parking was effortless. As a result, we were race-ready at 6:20 a.m. (Gun time was 8:00 a.m.) Despite the early start and considerable wait around the starting line, I felt very good as we approached 8:00. This race is one of the few that I have participated in that actually start on time. Seeding at the start-line is based on an honor system which can lead to a log-jam. Why slower runners feel the need to be near the front of the pack, when a race is chip-timed is beyond me! A nice feature at the start was preferential starting positions for Armed Forces personnel and for those who have competed in this race since its inception- 30 years ago.
I was able to get outside quickly and avoid the crowd for a great start. My first two miles were very quick, at about a 7:20 pace. Realizing this pace was significantly quicker than my typical race pace of 8:20-8:30, I tried to scale back but without my GPS to track pace, I was left to estimate based on how I felt. I felt pretty good and kept a sub 8:00 pace for the whole race. In fact, my average pace of 7:46 gave me a finish time of 1:17:37! This bested my PR of 1:24:04 from last year. Needless to say, I am extremely happy with this result. I finished in 1070th place (lol) however that was in the top 11% of all finishers. I was in the top 20% for my age group. I remember a couple of years ago, my goal was always to finish in the top half of my age group.
This race has some great features and perhaps one of the best is the fan support. Residents of Flint line the streets for the entire course and cheer, bang pots, shake cowbells, and scream encouragement. Some have garden hoses to cool you down, some set up unusual refreshment stands with anything from espresso to draft beer to Krispy Kreme donuts (ugh!) ( I missed the lady with vaseline on a stick this year!) There are bands featuring every type of music you can imagine and a local radio station broadcasts live from the 3-mile mark. The refreshment stations are located on both sides of the route to accomodate the large race field and are manned by enthusiastic supporters from many local churches and high schools. Mile markers include a big blue line painted across the road so you aren't trying to pick a small sign out at the side of the course. Finally, one of the newer features-showers in the finish area! Although they feature cold water, it's a great way to freshen up quickly, post face, and makes the after-party a little less oderous.
This year's after-party was sponsored by Michelon Ultra and each racer was greeted with a free slice of pizza and your choice of beverage: soda, water or beer.
What a great day!
The only issue with running this race for me was how to fit in my long run for the week. I was scheduled for an 18 mile run on Saturday morning, which I had to reschedule for Sunday a.m.. Running 18 miles after racing 10 the previous day proved too much of a challenge...I had to stop at 17 miles. Realistically, I don't thing this shortage will have much of an impact on my marathon.
I must admit, I am feeling very confident about achieving my goal of a sub-4:00:00 marathon. In each race this year, I have significantly exceeded my expectations. However, we all know that anything can happen on race day. As long as I stay injury-free and control what I can control, I know I will do my best.
Today is rest day before our speedwork tomorrow.
Till next time...still running to feel young.
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