2008 City of Trees Marathon - The Quest for Calories

There is a distinct advantage in not having to travel far for a race. I think that is especially true when it comes to the marathon, even one that is a mere tune up for a later race.

Such was the case today at the City of Trees Marathon right here in Boise. The start was just three miles from home, an easy ten minute or so drive. One might suppose I could have made an ultra of it by running to the start and running home after the race, but I wasn't feeling that ambitious. A marathon is still a long way to go.

I arrived at the start with a good 40 minutes before race commencement. The rain showers of the day before seemed gone for good with clear skies, calm winds and temperatures in the mid to upper 40s. In short, a perfect day for a marathon. My goal for the day was to not kill myself, but try to run a good portion of the race at my proposed pace for Detroit in two weeks where I will be pacing the 3:10 group. A few last minute instructions by the race director, and we were off right at the scheduled 8am time.

The course truly was an excellent tour of Boise, with panoramic views of the Boise Mountains to the north interspersed with trips through more established neighborhoods. I passed through mile 5 at about 7:40 pace and started to slowly pick things up coming down Amity Road up to Federal Way back into downtown. The 7:15 pace felt comfortable, though not effortless, but the difference in pace on a relatively flat course made the time fly by.

I had passed a few aid stations, once every two miles or so, though I hadn't taken any calories in the form of sports drink or gels. By about mile 13, I was wondering if that was something that may have been overlooked and was in some need for some measure of sustenance. That one volunteer's roast beef sandwich was starting to look pretty good. In the worst possible scenario, I would run home and grab something, since that was a one mile diversion from the course about mile 15. Don't think I didn't believe that wasn't an option.

The mile 17 aid station finally had something, though it was just an electrolyte supplement. While it did help, it wasn't much. Fortunately, from here it was a mere nine miles, and I knew I would be fine from here. Though that Power Gel at mile 21 was much appreciated.

My wrong turn about mile 22 was quickly discovered right about the same time a fellow marathoner yelled something that sounded like "hey". I attempted to make some lame joke about adding my .02 of a mile, just to make sure I ran the full distance. Silence. Maybe it was the headphones she was wearing, maybe she was in too much pain to respond, or maybe she didn't think it was funny. So much for my lame attempt at humor.

The last three or so miles were on familiar territory, the Greenbelt. This is a long run staple, mostly because it is flat and motorized traffic free. Julia Davis Park is where the half marathoners merged with the full, only two miles to go. I caught my boss, Terry, running with his son James in the half (they started an hour later) and said a quick hello. Easy on into the finish in a shade over 3:15.

I enjoyed this race; it brings me back to when I came to Boise six years ago to run it. Now, as a resident of the city, I have a much greater appreciation for it considering how the route seemed so familiar even if it was different from the time I ran it before. I feel pleased with the effort and that I don't feel too bad this evening as I type these words. I'm hoping this bodes well for Detroit in a couple of weeks.

Maybe they'll have some form of sports drink up there...