The Background
After finishing the Snowdrop Ultra with 100 miles, I felt really good. I had accomplished my goal of 6 years. And the race was not torture either; hard work, to be sure, but it was manageable.
I took 6 weeks off and rested. I finished up my conference at TCTELA - a huge weight off.
Then I made it a new goal to try for the J&J 101 miler during spring break. Still not wanting to race live because of COVID-19, this would be another virtual to lead up to it, I planned 3 marathons: Brontosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops. These were from a virtual running company and really cheap - helpful when planning a wedding.
But I was busy and did not run a step between Snowdrop and my first scheduled race, Brontosaurus. I figured I'd be out of shape but not too much. I hoped to run at least 6 miles and if necessary hike the rest. Like the past couple few, the first race would be off the couch and designed to get me in shape.
The Race
I made it to W.G. Jones State Forest by 11:30 on Saturday. I felt pretty good as I ran to 7.8 miles. Then I started hiking and hiked the rest, making pretty good time at 16 or 17 minutes a mile. My GPS malfunctioned a bit and did an extra .75 miles to make sure I'd done a marathon. I finished just as the sun was setting.
Reflections
It felt good to be back to running. I was pleased that I could powerhike sub 18 minute miles. It wasn't torture to be out all day and I can use that for the 101 miler.
This was my 75th race marathon distance or longer. Also, it's been 10 years since my first marathon...with a marathon every year at least.
