Oklahoma City Marathon

   

Flat land, strong wind, and Christian hospitality describes my memories from the 8th running of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon last weekend (4/27/08).

Obviously OKC is a flat area. The elevation varied through only a 140′ range. In Colorado, I can’t get something that mild unless it’s on a treadmill. So I enjoyed a nice steady pace throughout, no need to power up anything. But I did have to power against the wind, another attribute of OK. It was a power to reckon with, until reaching the turn around point.

What I enjoyed most about the marathon was the tasty pancakes and sausage I ate about 20 minutes before the race even began. Downtown OKC is the start and finish points for race and is also the location of a Methodist Church. The start line is just to the east of the church’s front doors. But thousands of runners and spectators filling the streets can be a hindrance to a church’s normal Sunday operations. So the kind people at the Methodist Church open their doors from 5:30 to 11:00 am and serve. I think these pancakes were a special touch to give me the boost for the race.

I ran a new personal record – 3:24:32. It was my goal to qualify for Boston (needed a 3:10), but I’m still pleased with the race. I felt good nearly the entire race. In fact I had enough energy after the race to walk around downtown with my brother and his family. I even gave Hayden a ride around on my shoulders.

So now I’m up to three completed flatland marathons (St Louis, NYC, and OKC). And I’m changing gears toward my third marathon on Pikes Peak in August. No chance of qualifying for Boston on that run…I’ll shoot for it again later this fall.