Oregon Marathon and Half Previews

Our countdown to Mount Angel numbers in days now. Soon it will be down to hours.

Topic A is the weather forecast. As of Tuesday it’s calling for a 90-degree high on race day. The morning won’t be that warm, of course, with a starting temperature in the delightful (and deceptive) 50s – but rising quickly.

FRIDAY. Packet pickup is at the Grand Hotel Bridgeport, off I-5 at the Lower Boones Ferry exit, between 2:00 and 8:00 P.M. I plan to be there for an hour or so in late afternoon to get packets for our runners who request them. (Jake, Don and Russell already have; anyone else?) Unclaimed packets will be available near the start area Saturday morning, starting at 6:15. But I recommend against waiting that long.

PRE-RACE. Parking can be found at the Festhalle. It’s free if you show a race bib; otherwise $5. Walk from there to the start at Church and Garfield Streets. I’ll be in that area by 6:30 and should be easy to find; it’s a small town and an uncrowded race. I won’t be able to carry your keys and extra clothes, so make other arrangements for those.

MID-RACE. Hydration stations – with Nuun Tri-Berry as the sports drink – come every two to three miles. Each stop has a portable toilet. I won’t be on the course to supply personal drinks. I previewed the course in an earlier message. If you missed it, ask for another copy.

FINISH. Both races end on the Kennedy High School track (also the halfway mark for the marathon). I’ll stand as close to the finish line as the officials allow, to greet you there. A shuttle bus will take you back to the parking lot.

Text or call me at 541-953-7179 if you have problems.

HALF-MARATHON LESSON 7: YOUR POTENTIAL

Question: What can I expect my half-marathon race time to be?

Answer: The best predictor of the final race result, I’ve found with previous Marathon and Half Teams, is the pace of the longest training run. For a half-marathon, for instance, a runner who trained at 9:00 per mile (for the 11 miles at which our program peaks) can expect to finish the race at very close to that pace. Nearly all of our runners come within 15 seconds, plus or minus – or 8:45 to 9:15 in this example. As with any reliable gauge, this one isn’t based on what you dream of maybe doing someday but instead on what you really have done lately. I don’t say this to drain any of the mystery or surprise from your racing. Mainly I want you to know going into the race what a smart starting pace for you will be. Running at that rate early will assure a better finish.

MARATHON LESSON 18: YOUR SUCCESS

Question: How can I judge how well I run in the marathon?

Answer: A great beauty of running is that it gives everyone a chance to win. Winning isn’t automatic. You still have to work for success and risk failure, especially when the event is a marathon. But unlike other sports there’s no need to beat an arbitrary standard (such as “par” or an opponent’s score). You measure yourself against your personal record – which you might be setting for the first time in this marathon. To the runner, the personal record, or PR, represents one of the greatest advance in the history of this sport. The invention of the digital stopwatch worn on the wrist turned everyone into a potential winner. Here was a personal and yet objective way to measure success and progress. No one can set a PR but you. No one can break a PR but you.