BACK ON THE BIKE

SavageMan is coming. Sept. 21. You've got to click on the link, just to see the slideshow of course images that plays in the banner, including beautiful misty images of the foggy lake swim last year. You just gotta see this course. It'll make you want to register.

I'm still in my 2-week post-marathon rest from running, but I'm back to biking the 16 miles to work Wednesday thru Friday.

I haven't recovered enough from everything (illness, marathon) enough to be able to bike The Monster Hill, which I have determined via GPS to be, disappointingly, only about 11% grade over 0.2 miles. Wednesday I walked it to measure it; yesterday I started riding it but bailed after probably 50 yards.

I have got to get back to getting up that hill. The Westernport Wall at SavageMan averages 25%, with one section at 31%.

I've got 6-and-a-half months. With hills around Winchester, VA, where we'll be staying, and sojourns into nearby Garrett County to see our family, including baby Sarah, who is due May 22; I expect to train on the actual race course during those visits.

CHANGING MY FALL MARATHON

Well, I'll be. Thanks to a comment from ShirleyPerly on my post yesterday, I've found me a new, way more BQ-able marathon in September. Still in New Hampshire, and the same weekend. (And when you click on her link, make sure you read her report of this weekend's bike ride!)

I've pretty much decided that the Clarence DeMar Marathon wins out over the New Hampshire Marathon in its course profile, as well as in the comments on marathonguide.com .

 

The main issue is hills. Although I'm a strong hill-runner, they are apparently the downfall of the runner attempting to BQ or PR at the New Hampshire Marathon, according to previous runners.

 

PLUS..... I'm hoping Shirley is going. We met at Ironman Florida, but didn't get to see much of each other. She, too, is working on the 50-State marathon quest. It would be a lot of fun to run this marathon with her.

 

Here's a really nice photo essay from a fellow who ran the Clarence DeMar. Looks like a winner to me!

 

Thank you, Shirley!!