Once I realized that I was fortunate to simply have the opportunity to run the race, I settled in at a comfortable pace. The weather for the race was perfect. Temperatures were in the 60's and it was overcast. There were plenty of volunteers and aid stations. Cheerleaders from the local schools and bands raised the spirits of runners every few miles.
The course is flat and fast, with just two short hills towards the end. The race starts in downtown Phoenix and proceeds past the endless strip malls and apartment complexes of this desert city. The course takes you through Scottsdale and finishes outside of Sun Devil stadium in Tempe. With the exception of the mountain backdrop, the course is not particularly scenic, but I didn't expect anything else so I wasn't disappointed. I ran a steady 10:30 pace until the last few miles when my left IT band flared up again. It wasn't as bad as NYC, but I did have to stop and stretch a few times.
There was lots of post race food and the post race party at RnR events is always good. I didn't go because I had to go meet my family in Scottsdale and I just kind of wanted to get the heck out of there. I could hear the concert headliner, the B-52's, playing "Love Shack" as I pulled out of the parking garage with #31 (kind of) behind me and in the books.
No comments:
Post a Comment