Davy Crockett Bear Chase Marathon

This was my last marathon needed to complete the Texas Marathon Challenge, and boy was it a tough one. The course wasn't too bad, two pretty loops of mostly rolling hills with one section of steep incline on the dirt/sand road in the national forest. What got to me was the heat. Combine temperatures of 72 at the start and 86 at the finish with not enough solid training, and you've got the makings of a long race. I ran it all until about mile 18. That's when I started up the dirt road, looked at the continuous climb until the turn-around at mile 19.5, and decided to treat that stretch as an ultra - walk the uphills, run the downhills. While doing so, I came across another ultra runner doing the same thing. Since all we both wanted to do was finish (this was her third race to qualify for the Marathon Maniacs), we decided to just run/walk most of the rest of the way. I figured it was better to have someone to hang out with and talk to than trot along suffering in the blazing sun by myself.

I spent the first lap running behind and then with a group of women from a running club in the Groveton area. There were about 25 people from the club in the race, most of whom were doing the half. Two of the women in the pack near me were running their first half. They picked a very fun little race to make their debut, but the heat was definitely making them nervous. They quit talking at mile 10 and didn't say another word until after they crossed the finish line.

The race was one of the smallest I've ever been in. There were maybe 300 or 400 runners, and not many of them did the full. When I finish 82nd and in the top ten in my age group, it's safe to assume there weren't very many people entered. I know I was 82nd because that's the number on the bear I was given at the finish line. In addition to a really cool medal, each finisher get a stuffed bear with their place on it.

I'd definitely run this race again, but probably not the full. Running a marathon in the heat this early in the year just isn't fun. Besides, I've done the Texas Marathon Challenge once now. It's time to give something else a try next year. Maybe a return to Rocky?