San Antonio Marathon Race Report 11.16.08

Where to begin...where to begin..

We had a great time in San Antonio. The River Walk and downtown area is great. A lot of hustle and bustle. We visited two missions, ate Mexican food, drank margaritas, saw the Alamo, had a Whataburger and much more.

A Couple Pictures of the River Walk

At Mission San Jose

Race Day

First off...A Shirt that Races pics. I don't have any pictures of the course itself as we have a mongo camera and didn't take it.

This is me before the race

And this is the back of A Shirt That Races so far

We headed down to the AT&T stadium to catch a bus to take us to the start line. Traffic was a mess. We left in plenty of time to get there and catch a bus but made it to the starting area about 15 minutes before the first wave was released. Doug mentioned that with this being a RNR inaugural event for SA, that was typical. This is something I'm sure they will have corrected next year.

Once we got to the starting area, we made our way to my corral. Corral 25. Yep. 25 out of 32. They released 1 corral every 2ish minutes. It took us over 45 minutes to cross the starting line. Not the most fun, but that's kinda how it goes.

Doug started back with me as he wasn't sure how his ankle was going to hold up. He ended up doing well. Me, on the other hand, I think he gave me his ankle issue.

As the race started, the sun was just coming up. You could tell it was going to be a great day for a run. And that it was. The weather was great. It was nice and crisp at the start, once the sun came up it was shining. Not a cloud in the sky. There was no wind. As the day worn on, it did warm up a bit but still not too hot. I did however have huge salt stains caked to my face.

The race itself was pretty flat. Not any hills to really speak of except the last push to the finish line where there was one. It was also pretty uneventful. We did pass by the Alamo and by 2 of the missions, but that was about it. It reminded me a lot of RNR Arizona...down a lot of flat streets but not a lot to see.

The traffic control was great. I didn't hear one car horn or angry driver. That was nice. The course roads were closed both ways to traffic so you didn't have car fumes in your face as you're trying to run. That was a plus.

As far as my race. It didn't go that well. I was having a great run up until mile 18 and then it all went to hell in a hand basket. What happened? I don't know. Early on I could fill my ankle. I could also feel an issue with the side of my knee. Not sure what that was all about or where it came from. I haven't had those issues in a long time. But when 18 hit, that's all she wrote. But I plugged along, mile after mile. I had to stop and stretch out my knee, ankle and back. I try normally not to do that as it only delays me getting to the finish line and I just want to keep moving forward. Not this time. I so just wanted to sit down on the side of the road for about 20 minutes but knew Doug was waiting for me and I didn't want him to have to wait any longer than he already was-so I kept going.

All in all, this was a crappy run for me. Not a lot of fun. Not a lot to see. I do have to say the bands at this RNR Series were better than any of the other RNR bands I've seen at the other events.

I do have to say, though, the finish was about the best finish I've had. Other than the times when I've crossed the finish line with Doug (which are plenty). But as I crossed the finish line, tears welling in my eyes from pain and just the sheer pleasure of being finished, there stands Doug. With my medal and a smile. Ready to place it over my head. How wonderful is heeee???

Me...The Shirt That Races...The Medal

Official finish time 5:52:14.

Another great thing about this race is they had plenty to eat and drink for us back of the pack runners. It was nice to get the same food as everyone else that came in ahead of me. A lot of times that is not the case-but they did well.

All in all...it was a good race. Not sure I would come down to do it again, except for the chance to hit the River Walk again-what a great area.

Sarah-You're next. I'll have the shirt sent off mid week!

Next race-this Sunday. Gobbler Grind Half Marathon. Running it with Karen to help her take some time off. Then in 2 weeks it's off to Kiawah Island, SC for another marathon.