National Marathon and Half Marathon

[cloudnut220]

fashionista--you should be fine. The furthest I ran before the WDW Half (my first) was 9 miles, several weeks before. I have a flare up of my posterior tibial tendonitis that kept me from doing more. But I still finished well under the time requirements. Your training will carry you through!

 

[fashionista311]

fashionista--you should be fine. The furthest I ran before the WDW Half (my first) was 9 miles, several weeks before. I have a flare up of my posterior tibial tendonitis that kept me from doing more. But I still finished well under the time requirements. Your training will carry you through!

thanks for the encouragement! i know i have the fitness to finish - i just ran a hm in the middle of feb and PRed - and while i don't feel as great as shape as i was for that race, i have been running pretty consistent 20-25 miles/week since. i'm just nervous my knee will blow up again (well the injury is in my calf and manifesting in my knee if we wanna get technical) and i'll be forced to spend even more time recovering and even less time running.

but the race is paid for and nonrefundable flights are booked sooo going in and hoping for the best...if you see a tiny girl clad in pink stuck on the side of the road at around mike 8 clenching her knee in pain it will probably be me

 

[cloudnut220]

thanks for the encouragement! i know i have the fitness to finish - i just ran a hm in the middle of feb and PRed - and while i don't feel as great as shape as i was for that race, i have been running pretty consistent 20-25 miles/week since. i'm just nervous my knee will blow up again (well the injury is in my calf and manifesting in my knee if we wanna get technical) and i'll be forced to spend even more time recovering and even less time running.

but the race is paid for and nonrefundable flights are booked sooo going in and hoping for the best...if you see a tiny girl clad in pink stuck on the side of the road at around mike 8 clenching her knee in pain it will probably be me

yikes! since you think it's in your calf, and my calfs are my problem area, I have to ask--are you foam rolling? If you're running 20-25 miles a week, you probably are, but I always ask because my trigger point foam roller is the difference between me running and laying somewhere in pain. That, and heel raises have worked wonderfully as well!

I'm only running the first 5 miles (National Relay is a bizarre 3 person relay where the legs are 5-5-3.1) but I'll keep an eye out for you. What is your start coral color?

 

[fashionista311]

yikes! since you think it's in your calf, and my calfs are my problem area, I have to ask--are you foam rolling? If you're running 20-25 miles a week, you probably are, but I always ask because my trigger point foam roller is the difference between me running and laying somewhere in pain. That, and heel raises have worked wonderfully as well!

I'm only running the first 5 miles (National Relay is a bizarre 3 person relay where the legs are 5-5-3.1) but I'll keep an eye out for you. What is your start coral color?

haha yes, me and my foam roller are best friends. my dad's actually a pt who specializes in running injuries, so i'm under good care

oh i didn't even realize they were posted! i'm in 7, gray - i'm kinda surprised i'm so far back, but i registered so long ago i must of used an older time to qualify and there must a fast field in general for this. whatever, it works out because i need slow down for this one anyways

 

[FireDancer]

I'll be there doing the half again. My running has been much less consistent (weather and a stupid cold that settled in my lungs) this spring so far compared to last spring so I'm probably not going to better my time.

I am not sure I'd do the full at this race. The second half of the marathon going into some kind of seedy areas but the first half is a great course. A little challenging but not too difficult because while there are a lot of hills they are neither steep nor long. You also run through some really cool areas because you go past the capital building and mall, through DuPont, through Howard University, and then back to RFK.

There is also a Metro stop right by the start/finish. If you are taking the Metro though be prepared, especially in the morning, to be packed in like sardines.

 

[cloudnut220]

haha yes, me and my foam roller are best friends. my dad's actually a pt who specializes in running injuries, so i'm under good care

oh i didn't even realize they were posted! i'm in 7, gray - i'm kinda surprised i'm so far back, but i registered so long ago i must of used an older time to qualify and there must a fast field in general for this. whatever, it works out because i need slow down for this one anyways

I'm in 7 too. I wasn't sure of our team finish time, so I put in something around 2 hours. Guess that's gray!

 

[fashionista311]

I'm in 7 too. I wasn't sure of our team finish time, so I put in something around 2 hours. Guess that's gray!

see you in the corrals! i'm sure i put down something a bit over 2 hours...so if #7 is around the 2 hour mark, that means 60% of the field is faster than 2 hours (or 4 hours for the full)..craziness.

 

[cloudnut220]

They do a fair bit of advertising about this being the fastest looped course in the country, so my guess is it attracts a fast crowd! Also, since everyone starts at once for the marathon, half, and relay, maybe the corals are small time wise?

 

[FireDancer]

They do a fair bit of advertising about this being the fastest looped course in the country, so my guess is it attracts a fast crowd! Also, since everyone starts at once for the marathon, half, and relay, maybe the corals are small time wise?

When I ran it last year I ended up setting a PR (which I later reset) without going out for one so I do think it is a fast course. I think though that one of the reasons it is one of the fastest courses is because there is a minimum time which keeps the slower runners and walkers out and raises the average time.

I would image that if other races with even faster (and flatter) courses set a minimum qualifying time they would have very fast average finishing times.

 

[fashionista311]

yes, good point about the qualifying times - i was wondering why they kept advertising it as such a fast course. i just got my pr in new orleans..and i kept thinking there is no WAY this course is faster than new orleans..i think that course had negative elevation. the qualifying times skewing the pool makes a ton of sense.

 

[jam217]

I'm doing the half as well. Looking forward to it. Not sure how I'll do because my training hasn't been stellar. So far, my longest run to date is 11 miles. I know I'll finish because this is my sixteenth half...just not sure that I'll set a PR.

The weather is looking good, too. Just wish they'd start running the Metros earlier than 6 a.m.

 

[jbucci]

DH and I will be doing the half. I've had some foot issues since Princess last month, so I'm not sure where my time will be for this one, but I'm looking forward to it. It's our first time for the event. Wht time should we plan to arrive if we are driving? We will be stayi g with friends who live in Georgetown nowhere near a metro stop.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Half. Hoping to run a sub-2:10.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Also, plan travel carefully. Metro doesn't open till 15 min. before you are supposed to be in your corral.

 

[FireDancer]

Also, plan travel carefully. Metro doesn't open till 15 min. before you are supposed to be in your corral.

I think they opened early last year. We took it from Dupont circle and had no problem.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I think they opened early last year. We took it from Dupont circle and had no problem.

Last year they opened at 5am. There is a big announcement on the National front page that they will not start running before 6 this year.

 

[FireDancer]

Last year they opened at 5am. There is a big announcement on the National front page that they will not start running before 6 this year.

I didn't see that, thanks for the heads up. I wonder why though.

 

[jeanigor]

I didn't see that, thanks for the heads up. I wonder why though.

Guest demand??

 

[FireDancer]

Guest demand??

Maybe that extra hour is sitting next to the dismantled lights of winter display...for the same reason.

Based on how packed the cars were though, at least the line that goes to RFK, there is no way I could fathom they lost money running the trains that extra hour.

 

[marathonmommy]

I'm only about 3 miles away...I think I'm going to taxi as close to the start as I can. Seems like no other option!