State Number 4 - Top of Utah

State Number 4 – Top of Utah Marathon, Logan, UT

15 September 2012

A month has passed since achieving a personal worst at the Mt. Sneffels Marathon in Colorado.  Now it was time to focus on the Top of Utah Marathon in Logan, UT.

I mention the personal worst here, but seem to forget about revealing my personal marathon best.  That was achieved on October 17, 2010 at the Long Beach Marathon in Long Beach, CA with a time of 3:56:24.  Although I could have used this event as State No. 1, while remaining in chronological order with my 50-state quest, the blog post of State No. 1 explains my reasoning.

My wife and I departed LAX Runway 25R the morning of 14 September on the usual LAXX Seven departure procedure for a non-stop United 737 flight to Salt Lake City (SLC).  The flight carried us over Las Vegas and up the I-15 corridor over Utah Lake for a straight-in approach to Runway 34R.

With family in the Logan and the Salt Lake City area, we combined this marathon trip with a family visit.

We rented a car at SLC for the ninety minute drive up to Logan.  We followed I-215 out of the airport area, but missed the exit to the I-15 merge.  Instead, we followed the Legacy Parkway (Utah State Route 67) where the speed limit abruptly dropped from 70 to 55.  Why on earth would a speed limit drop on a six-lane divided freeway in a rural locale?  With my curious mind, I had to find an answer – so I did some investigating. 

Legacy Parkway construction began in 2001; however, with challenges to NEPA’s environmental impact statement (EIS), Utahans for Better Transportation v. USDOT 305 F.3d 1152 (2002), Tenth Circuit, the construction ceased.  In short, the court ruled that the EIS was inadequate as it did not study other alternate routes that were less harmful to wetlands that the parkway was originally to be routed through.  A supplemental EIS changed the alignment of the highway.  The State of Utah and the Sierra Club officially signed a compromise regarding Legacy Parkway.  The compromise included no billboards along the route, no semi-trailer trucks allowed on the parkway (except in emergency circumstances or if there is construction on I-15), and a 55 mph maximum speed limit.  Traffic seemed to ignore the court-ordered speed limit as I learned from driving on the parkway.  I was on the lookout for state trooper vehicles so I stayed around 60 or so, as being lit-up in a rental car in another state was out of the question.  Original plans for the parkway had included a six-lane expressway, compared to the four-lane controlled-access parkway as currently exists.

As the Legacy Parkway merged back onto I-15, hunger set in so we exited at 200 North in Kaysville for lunch at Wingers Roadhouse Grill.  After perusing the menu, I decided to order a roadhouse burger with the classic buffalo sauce.  It was a messy burger, but very tasty.  After our brief lunch stop, it was onto Logan, only an hour away north of Kaysville.

As we arrived in Logan, we went directly to the expo location held at the Marriott SpringHill Suites hotel, Riverwoods event facility just off S. Main Street.  We arrived shortly before the expo opened its doors so we wondered around the area and walked down to the tree-lined Logan River listening to the soothing sounds of the water’s supercritical flows and hydraulic jumps over and around the boulders on the river bed.

Not long after the doors opened, a variety of your run-of-the-mill vendors greeted runners.  We proceeded to the packet pick-up tables to collect our swag-bag and tech shirts along with a few odds and ends from the various event sponsors and vendors. 

Next, it was off to my aunt and uncle’s home a few minutes from the hotel.  They were out running a quick errand, so we made our way in and enjoyed the peacefulness of their backyard deck overlooking the Logan River.  The weather was very pleasant for mid-September with temperatures in the low 80s.

As we were relaxing on their deck, they arrived home to greet us.  After an hour or so, we decided to take a drive up to the starting line at Hardware Ranch up the Blacksmith Fork Canyon.  Large tents had been set up for all the participants as well as some pace signs advising runners to line up according to their anticipated pace times.

Wellsville Mountains

The drive through the canyon afforded us the opportunity to see what lied ahead for Saturday’s marathon.  As we arrived back in Logan, the sun was beginning to set behind the Wellsville Mountains.  We were all getting hungry by this time and my uncle suggested we order dinner from Logan’s Café Sabor at the foot of West Center Street at 600 West.  The restaurant and cantina is located in an old railway depot and seemed to be a popular place with the locals.  The burritos we ordered with the freshly made tortillas were very tasty, not to mention the chips and salsa.  After dinner, we watched a little TV and turned in early so we can rest up for Marathon Saturday.

The Top of Utah Marathon began at Hardware Ranch at an elevation of 5,400 feet in the Wasatch Mountains southeast of Logan.  The ranch is a wildlife management area where wild elk are fed during the winter months to keep them from roaming into Cache Valley.  From the ranch, the race winds down Blacksmith Fork Canyon, passing river banks, marshes, limestone outcroppings, fall foliage, and cool canyon panoramas.  Moose, elk, deer, and many other species of wildlife make the canyon their home.

Starting line location

The first half of the race has a net elevation drop of 1,045 feet before reaching the Cache Valley at Marathon Mile 14.  The course followed mostly along side roads through the communities of Nibley, Millville, Providence, and River Heights before ending at Merlin Olsen Central Park, named after the late Logan native, actor and defensive tackle from the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams.  

All runners were required to board school buses at Merlin Olsen Central Park beginning at 0515 hours for transport to the Hardware Ranch start line, as the Blacksmith Fork Canyon Road was closed to all traffic.  My uncle was gracious enough to drive us to the park early Saturday morning.  We boarded a bus around 0530 for the long ride to the ranch.  Once at the ranch, the bus driver announced that the temperature was 29 degrees and wished us good luck.  On a side note, I hate riding on school buses as the seat clearances are too small for me, especially over a wheel well.  My knees were crammed into the seat in front so I had to sit at an angle.  After the 26-mile ride, I was ready to get off.

It was a crystal clear morning with the distant celestial objects shining brightly above us as the bus arrived at the start area.  Light pollution from the valley cities and communities was non-existent making star gazing very enjoyable.  The cold air hit us runners as we disembarked from the bus, but as for some of us, we weren’t primed for the cold temperatures, so we headed straight over to the warming tents set up with large heaters inside where hundreds of runners packed in to keep warm.  The warm air and shelter was a godsend as waiting for start time would have been agonizing without that luxury.

After a few Maniac group photos, the race announcer informed the runners to begin lining up according to their respective paces.  After the playing of our national anthem, it was time to start.  

Course profile

At 0655, the wheelchair athletes began their 26.2-mile journey.  As the horn sounded at 0700, the rest of the pack was off and running the Top of Utah Marathon.  It was quite cold at first, but as I started running, it wasn’t long before I warmed up. 

I took notice the magnificent geology of the steep canyon walls as daylight was dawning.  The canyon is part of the Bear River Range consisting of limestone, dolomite and sandstone outcrops of the Devonian (420 MYA), Mississippian (360 MYA) and Pennsylvanian (320 MYA) ages and were deposited in an ancient marine environment.  The Blacksmith Fork River is located in the Middle Bear-Logan sub-watershed encompassing approximately 265 mi² of the Bear River Watershed in the Cache National Forest and is a tributary of the Logan River that intersects the Bear River at Cutler Reservoir in eastern Box Elder and western Cache Counties, an impoundment held back by the Arthur V. Watkins Dam used chiefly for flood control, irrigation and water supply purposes.  As the river exits the canyon, annual flows average 262 cfs with a one-percent exceedance peak of 1,730 cfs.

The autumn colors were beginning to paint the canyon walls and along the river channel.  Runners were able to absorb the diverse hues of box elder (Acer negundo), birch (Betula sp.), alder (Alnus sp.), willow (Salix sp.), aspen (Populus sp.), oak (Quercus sp.), ash (Fraxinus sp.) and maple (Acer sp.) interspersed with the greens of juniper (Juniperus sp.), spruce (Picea sp.), pine (Pinus sp.) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) as well as other broadleaf trees and shrubs in native and non-native grassy meadows.

Canyon colors

Besides the super wonderful volunteers staffing the aid and water stations, spectators were absent from the canyon portion of the course due to road closures.  That created a perfect opportunity for all to enjoy the scenery and silent surroundings.  Spectators became more plentiful shortly after Marathon Mile 14, where the course left the canyon and turned on to Hollow Road through the valley farm lands and into the communities of Nibley, Millville, Providence, and River Heights.

I crossed the timing mat at the half marathon point in a time of 2:08, for a 9:46 pace.  As the elevation lowered, the temperatures began to rise.  The sun was out in full force with limited shaded areas.  I knew that the second half was going to be challenging for me, but I was determined to beat my time from Mt. Sneffels.  I didn’t seem to experience any noticeable effect of the altitude as I did in Colorado.

I was feeling pretty good through 18 miles where I began to “hit the wall.”  I had taken some acetaminophen for pain earlier between Marathon Miles 14 and 15 and I kept hydrating and consuming my GU packs for needed glucose energy as I came across water stations.  I figure it was a combination of the heat and sun affecting my performance.

The remaining six to eight miles began to get tough.  Walking was becoming the norm as my body began to overheat with the rising temperatures.  When I approached River Heights near Marathon Mile 23, I received a text from my uncle as to a finish line ETA so he would have ample time to stake out a spot to watch my wife and I cross under the finish line banner.  I wasn’t able to give an accurate time, but thirty minutes was a fairly safe guesstimate.

Upon entering the downtown district of Logan, the final 2 ½ mile push to the finish was difficult.  Passing within one block of the finish line and knowing I still had a couple of miles remaining, I was able to see and hear the finish line announcer and all the spectators cheering finishing runners.  That was somewhat demoralizing in a way, but I kept telling myself that the finish was near and every step was one step closer.  I checked my Garmin while doing some mental calculations of an expected finish time.  Barring a catastrophic event, I knew I was going to better my time from Mt. Sneffels, but by just how much was indeterminate.

Logan Tabernacle

I used the remaining energy I had for the final push up and around the Logan Tabernacle and the last two blocks to the finish line.  The spectators lining the streets were very encouraging and supportive and provided me some determination to finish strong.  As I rounded the final turn onto S 200 E into the park, I saw my uncle and aunt cheering which lifted my spirits.  As the race announcer called my name, I was finished!

I was thrilled to receive my unique finisher medal and after a moment of reflection, I wandered over to get some chocolate milk, an ice cream sandwich, water and some various fruits and goodies.  By the time I sat down to enjoy the fruits of my labor, my wife came down the homestretch and crossed the finish line just a few minutes later.  Finishing a marathon before my wife is an infrequent occurrence, so when I do, I relish the moment.

Merlin Olsen Central Park

As she gathered up some nutrition and drinks, we sat down near the announcer’s booth for a few minutes eating, resting and contemplating our run and overall experience.  Soon after, we met up with my aunt, uncle and cousin from Idaho with her two kids.  It was a pleasure to see and have them rejoice in our marathon experience.

I was pleased with my time and appreciated each and every mile of the course.  Even though some of the later miles were tough going, I was proud of myself for conquering this challenge.   As for my Garmin, it read 26.34 miles ±15 feet, in a time of 4:40:43, a 10:43 pace. 

Age graded score: 48.04%.  Age graded time: 4:15:57.

When Sunday morning came, it was time for us to travel back to California.  We had a late afternoon flight back to LAX that gave us the opportunity to visit with my cousin from the Salt Lake area.  We dropped off the rental car at SLC and made arrangements for my cousin to pick us up at the rental car building.  For an excursion, she suggested Park City to visit the 2002 Winter Olympic venue and now training facility.  The last time I skied Park City was in April 1985, complete with a ghastly nose injury sustained the previous day at Snowbasin Ski Resort, but being there without any snow was really different.

There were plenty of summertime activities on the mountain.  We were lucky enough to enjoy watching freestyle ski jumping (into a pool), skeleton, luge and bob sled training.  The alpine slide and coaster rides were open to the public, so we dared ourselves to ride them.  These rides were quite a thrill as we reached speeds of around 30 mph.  At the conclusion of our adventures on the ski slopes, we drove into Park City for lunch/dinner at Buona Vita Cucina Italian restaurant on Main Street for some pizza.

After our mid-day meal, it was time to find our way back to the airport for our flight to LAX.  My wonderful cousin dropped us off at the United Airlines terminal, and after an EDETH THREE departure procedure from SLC Runway 34R, our two-hour flight landed at safely at LAX’s Runway 24R. 

I would recommend this marathon to anyone interested and would not hesitate to run it again.  The organizers were dedicated to presenting a top-notch event and to provide everyone with a gratifying stay in Cache Valley.  This is not a big city marathon, so don’t expect large crowds, but the experience of this marathon is outstanding, rewarding and worthwhile.  All the spectators and volunteers were wonderful and provided ample support, cheer and inspiration.  What can you say?  Beautiful canyon roads, pure air and a fast course for a BQ.

I dedicated this marathon to my late grandfather who would have celebrated his 97th birthday on that beautiful Saturday afternoon.  I acknowledged him as I crossed under the finish line banner thanking him for his strength to see me through to the end and for the wonderful time I spent with family in Logan and Salt Lake City.  How Swede it was.

State Number 3 - Mt. Sneffels, CO

State Number 3 – Mt. Sneffels Marathon, Ridgway, CO

11 August 2012

A week after Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Midnight Marathon, it was time for us to move on to southwest Colorado to take on the challenge of Mt. Sneffels Marathon in the communities of Ouray and Ridgway.

On Friday 10 August, we made our trek to LAX for our non-stop Allegiant Air flight to Grand Junction (GJT).  This was our first time flying on this particular airline.  The MD-82 aircraft taxied to Runway 25R for the standard LAXX Seven departure between the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Catalina Island escarpment with clearance given to filed flight level three minutes later.

Allegiant provides seasonal airline service to GJT with zero amenities.  They even charge $15 per person for carry-on bags – what a rip-off.  Passengers even have to pay two dollars for beverages including water.

We arrived in Grand Junction too late for packet pick-up, but were able to pick up our bib and tech shirt Saturday morning before the marathon began.  We rented a car at GJT and drove 90 miles to Ridgway, were we found solace at the Ridgway Lodge and Suites.  We checked in around 2100 hours and were worn-out form our trip.  We retired early for the evening since we had a marathon early the next morning.

The annual summertime running of this marathon is set between the southwestern Colorado towns of Ouray and Ridgway.  The Mount Sneffels Marathon takes runners in an out and back course along high-elevation gravel county roads between the two towns in the Uncompahgre River Valley.

Ridgway is a small unincorporated community of about 800 residents with an elevation of 7,000 feet, in the southwestern portion of Colorado and is a former railroad stop on the Uncompaghre River in the northern San Juan Mountains.

The steep forested mountains and cliffs surrounding Ridgway on the south, east, and northeast make for a picturesque setting.  The Uncompahgre River runs through the town and flows into the Ridgway State Park and Reservoir, to the north.  There is a notable wildlife presence — mountain lions, badgers, deer, elk, bears, coyotes, wild turkey, and bald eagles are indigenous to the area.  

The San Juan Mountains are home to numerous gold and silver mines of years past and is a popular destination for hiking and 4WDing on the many jeep trails.  These mountains claim fourteen of the state’s 14ers, peaks with elevations exceeding 14,000 feet, with the tallest being Mt. Uncompahgre at 14,309 ft.  In comparison, California’s Mt. Whitney rises 14,505 ft.

The name Uncompahgre comes from the Ute language, translating to "dirty water," "red lake," or "red water spring" and is likely a reference to the many hot springs in the vicinity of Ouray.  The river is a beige color similar to that of the Colorado River.

Ridgway is most notably known as the setting of John Wayne's movies True Grit, and others including How the West Was Won and Tribute to a Bad Man.

Ready, Set, Go!

We primed ourselves for the marathon and headed across the street to the Ridgway Soccer Field in time for the 0600 packet pick-up where we received our bib and tech shirt.  We train at an elevation of around 350 feet with occasional hill runs reaching 800 feet.  So, I immediately noticed the high elevation air after a light jog from the car and since we did not acclimatize ourselves beforehand, I know this was going to be a challenge.

After we pinned our bibs to our shirts, it was time to line up for the start at 0630 hours where approximately 70 runners participated.  After the horn sounded, we were off and running.  The weather was rather cool with mostly overcast skies, but it didn’t take too long before I was sucking in air.  I slowed my pace a little to conserve energy.

The county roads in the region are all comprised of roller-compacted ¾-inch aggregate base material.  The entire course was on these county roads, so running on a gravel surface was different than a paved surface as small pebbles managed to find a way into my shoes.

From the starting line at Ridgway’s Soccer Park, runners made their way along County Road 23 to the town of Portland making a turn onto Mary’s Road then making a turn onto Suzanne Lane where a significant hill posed a challenge for runners, especially those not acclimatized to the 7,000-foot elevation.  I could hear a lot of huffing and puffing as we made our way up that hill.  This was about the 10K mark of the course and the point where I became exhausted and the need to walk as the elevation was beginning to take its toll.

County Road 17

Suzanne Lane connected into County Road 17 which meandered around the hills, looped around Black Lake and followed alongside the Uncompahgre River into Ouray.  At this point, I was still running a significant portion of the first half of the course, although slowly.  I really believe it was a combination of the high altitude and just completing a marathon the week before.

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), white fir (Abies concolor), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), blue spruce (Picea pungens) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) were the most common tree species found along the marathon course.  Although, a variety of aspen trees (Populus sp.) were also spotted.

As runners entered Ouray, we crossed the Seventh Avenue Bridge over the Uncompahgre River to Second Street.  From there we made a loop around Ouray Town Park adjacent to the pools of Ouray Hot Springs where we reached the turn-around only to follow the same course back to Ridgway.

At this point, I was totally spent and was walking a great deal.  Although the second half of the course was a net downhill, that provided little incentive to continue running.  I enjoyed the scenery and was content with my pace.  When I would come upon a photographer, I would start running again and look strong, only to stop as soon as the noise of the shutters would stop.  The photos of me could be construed as misleading as I was not feeling that strong, but oh well.

With less than six miles to go, I noticed that my fingers and hands became swollen.  It became difficult to bend my fingers to make a fist.  The skin molded itself around my ring and it was impossible to move or turn it.  Since I was strolling along the river, I made my way over to soak my hands in the ice cold water which caused the swelling to subside.  I succeeded in doing that twice before the finish line.

With about 5K left, the sweeper vehicle patrolling the back of the pack approached me and asked if I needed a ride to the finish.  I immediately told them I was ok and was going to finish on my own.

A man soon passed by who was utilizing the Jeff Galloway method of run-walk-run.  For a while, I was following him, but just didn’t have the energy to hang on.  The walk breaks just weren’t long enough. 

As I came up over the brow of a hill, I spotted the finish line area and found some energy to finish strong.  I was so thankful to finish as I was totally spent.  My Garmin read 5:27:36, a personal worst.  My time in Nevada was about two minutes faster.  Wow!  My wife finished about eight minutes later.

Hard-earned medal

We hung around the finish line area for a few minutes before heading back to the car.  I had a difficult time walking the quarter mile or so to the car.  After we cleaned up and checked out of the hotel, we drove to the Hot Springs Inn in Ouray which served as our residence for the next two days.

The City of Ouray serves as the county seat of Ouray County with a population of about 800.  It is also known as the “Switzerland of America,” as the backdrop of the San Juan Mountains is reminiscent of the Swiss Alps and its setting at the narrow head of a valley, enclosed on three and a half sides by steep mountains.  U.S. 550, Third Street through the city, transitions to the Million Dollar Highway guiding travelers out of Ouray to the Town of Silverton and destinations elsewhere.

The Hot Springs Inn is situated along the bank of the Uncompahgre River with our room overlooking the river and the steep mountain walls of the valley.  We walked down to the river to soak our achy tired feet in the ice cold water.  The swelling managed to subside, but we couldn’t stay in the water for very long as numbness set in quite quickly.

Ouray Hot Springs

Later, we drove on over to the Ouray Hot Springs to soak in the hot mineral spring water for a restorative experience.  There were several pools of varying temperatures, ranging from 88 degrees to 106 degrees. 

While at the hot springs, we met a couple who used to live and work within a few miles of our home.  They live in Colorado now but vacation in the Ouray area so they can hike the 14ers.  They completed a hike to the summit of Mt. Sneffels that day and were in the hot springs for their restorative experience.  What a small world.

Ouray Overlook from Perimeter Trail

The next day, we made our way up to Box Springs Canyon to see the famous waterfalls and hiked a portion of the Perimeter Trail above Ouray.  While on that trail, I could see how the canyon cuts into the Precambrian Uncompahgre Formation.  From what I read on the information sign at the trail head, the bedding of the formation is an almost vertical relict.  The gorge then drops for another couple of hundred feet to the canyon floor.  Overlying the vertical rock formation, with a profound angular unconformity, are Paleozoic marine sedimentary rocks consisting mostly of limestones and dolomites and some shale and sandstone that are assigned to the Elbert Formation and Ouray Limestone, both of Devonian age (c. 420 million years ago), and the Leadville Limestone of Mississippian age (c. 350 million years ago).  Such cool geology just staring you in the face.  I was dying to learn more, but time didn’t allow for that.  Nor was a professional geophysicist available.

After our canyon experience, we made our way up the Million Dollar Highway, U.S. Highway 550, to the Ouray overlook.  The views of the valley and the city were spectacular.  It is no wonder why the area is called the Switzerland of America.

After a brisk hike to Cascade Falls and some lunch and a refreshing beer in Ouray, we drove up to the Bachelor of Syracuse Mine for an hour-long tour of an old gold mine of the early 1900s.  We all donned hard hats because of the low clearances in and around the mine.  Of course, I did manage to hit my head on an 8 by 8 horizontal timber though.  Ouch.  A retired miner acted as our tour guide, leading the group 1,500 feet deep into Gold Hill.  As the group trudged in the mud and water on the shaft’s floor, the guide revealed and demonstrated some of the secrets the miners used in the early days.  It was tough, back-breaking work and if the lights went out, it was really dark, as the guide demonstrated.  It was somewhat cool in the mine as the temperature of a cave is approximately the average annual surface temperature in the region the cave is located.  It may have been cold, but it was certainly refreshing compared to the warm temperatures outside.

By now, it was nearing the end of the day and we were getting tired.  For the past few hours, brief sporadic showers rained over Ouray.  Even with the precipitation, we slipped on our swim attire and made our way to the hot tub and relaxed before turning in for the evening.

As Monday morning dawned, it was time to head back to Grand Junction.  We checked out of the hotel and made the two hour drive to Grand Junction.  The drive back was in the daytime as opposed to nighttime when we arrived so I could observe the various landscapes rapidly changing as we drove north on U.S. Highway 550 to Montrose which connected to U.S. Highway 50 into Grand Junction.  The vicinity of Ouray contained stands of coniferous timber but promptly changed to a variety of broadleaf trees, manzanita (Arctostaphylos sp.) and farmlands north of Ridgway.  The Uncompahgre River joined the Gunnison River near the City of Delta which in turn, joined the Colorado River in Grand Junction.  Between Delta and Grand Junction, the landscape quickly turned to desert mesas and canyonlands indicative of southern and eastern Utah.

Jimmy'z -- Try it

As we approached Grand Junction, we noticed a billboard advertising Jimmy’z Hamburgers located on N. 12^th Street and Orchard Avenue.  I told my wife that I am hungry and that a hamburger looks good.  They advertised the best pastrami hamburgers.  We’ll have to find out.

After a quick stop at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens (nothing really struck our interest there), we found our way to Jimmy’z.  I was offered a sample of the pastrami, which I accepted.  It was hot and delicious.  That flavorful taste only confirmed my decision to order a Grand Mesa burger with pastrami, while my wife ordered a Jimmy’z Original burger with fries.  The pastrami was well seasoned and very juicy.  The juicy burger made a mess, but it was delightful. 

It was now time to return the rental car to the airport and check in for our flight back to LAX.  Car drop-off was quick and the smaller sized airport made security screening easy.  After we boarded the Allegiant Air MD-83 and pushed off from the jet way, we proceeded to taxi to Runway 11 for a straight out departure.  The aircraft maintained Runway 11 heading until 7000 ft MSL where we made a right hand turn bound for LAX.  Once airborne, the unstable air over Grand Junction caused the aircraft to really bounce around, but once above the clouds, the ride was smooth for the straight in VFR approach to LAX Runway 24R.

We arrived home safe and sound with another state checked off my list in my quest for fifty states.  Mt. Sneffels afforded me a remarkable marathoning experience as I got a taste of high altitude running.  I would do this marathon again if I spent at least a week in the area adjusting to the elevation beforehand.  Our pleasurable visit to the Ouray area unquestionably gave me a Rocky Mountain high.

State Number 19 - Route 66

State Number 19 – Williams Route 66 Marathon, Tulsa, OK

22 November 2015

As a practitioner of the civil engineering discipline and a lifelong student of American history, the nostalgia of U.S. Route 66 definitely fuels my interest.

Established on 11 November 1926, Route 66 is known as the Main Street of America or the Mother Road that traversed a portion of our country from Santa Monica to Chicago.  Although the highway officially no longer exists and has been replaced by the current Eisenhower Interstate System, a large portion of this legendary highway still exists and can be driven and enjoyed by travelers and adventurers.

Tulsa’s Route 66 Marathon was held on 22 November 2015, 89 years and 11 days after the Mother Road was established, and also the tenth anniversary of the event itself.  Coincidentally, this is the second marathon I’ve run that covered a small segment of the original U.S. 66, with the first being the Pasadena Marathon in May 2012 with a portion of the course crossing the Colorado Street bridge spanning Arroyo Seco.  That bridge, constructed in 1913, in all its glory is designated and listed as an ASCE Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.  Although most, if not all, runners may say, “so what”, to me, running across that bridge was exhilarating. 

In the city of Tulsa, a small section of Southwest Boulevard (Marathon Mile 11.5) and a small segment of 11^th Street (Marathon Mile 19.7) near the University of Tulsa lies on the U.S. 66 alignment.  The original bridge paralleling Southwest Boulevard spanning the Arkansas River still exists, but closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.  I am happy the city is keeping it for historical significance.

The journey to Tulsa commenced at our local international airport in the early morning hours of 19 November.  A text message from the airline notified my wife that the flight to Denver was delayed due to “mechanical problems” experienced in Denver.  Of course, we would likely miss our original flight from Denver to Tulsa, so the gate agent rebooked us to a later flight that left at 2020 hours.  We found out we only missed the flight by a few gosh-darn minutes!  Oh well, what can one do?  It is what it is. 

After spending six hours in Denver people watching, eating lunch with a fourteen dollar food voucher given to us for the inconvenience of the delay (wow), and watching angry passengers unleash their frustrations on the gate agents, the skies started getting dark and cold and looked as if it would snow any moment as I was monitoring the weather with my weather app.  I overheard it was snowing heavily in Cheyenne, WY as flights were delayed and being redirected.  It was only a matter of time Denver would be receiving snowfall.  About an hour later, it began to snow and snowed heavily before our plane from ORD arrived.  The plane finally arrived pretty much on time, but we wondered if we were ever going to get out with all this snow and would end up spending the night in another airport.  That’s not what I signed up to do.

Once boarded, we spent over an hour sitting in the plane at the gate waiting for our turn at the de-icing station.  There were about six inches of snow piled on the plane’s wings getting deeper as the minutes ticked by, so ice was a real likelihood.  After the de-icing process was complete, it was our turn to roam the taxi ways of Denver’s large airport to taxi into position on Runway 8 for departure.  Even though I didn’t show it, I was a little apprehensive about taking off, but since large machines dispersed heated water-diluted Newtonian glycol fluids to create exothermic dissolution reactions that allowed for stronger melting power, any uncertainties about Bernoulli’s principle were alleviated.  In other words, the ice melted and we were finally off to Tulsa with an initial heading of 111.63°, more or less.

The Airbus A320 lifted off without incident after 2200 hours and by connecting my smart phone to the aircraft’s free on-board wi-fi, our ETA into Tulsa showed us ahead of schedule simply by exploiting a 165 mph tailwind.  During the flight, I thought of the classic song lyrics from Glen Campbell, “by the time [we] get to Oklahoma, [we’ll] be sleeping.”  That seemed to be the theme and that lyric created a cerebral redundancy I didn’t need at the moment.  It was after midnight when we landed on Runway 18L and was almost 0100 hours when we arrived at our hotel in the Deco District.  The hotel’s shuttle driver was there to pick us up to drive us to the hotel.  I bet he was tired of driving to and from the airport that day due to the arrivals of marathon runners from around the country.  Needless to say, our plans for a Friday exposition were dashed, but now that we were living on “Tulsa Time”, we could sleep in and take our time at Saturday’s exposition at the Cox Business Center.

When we were ready to saunter on over to the exposition, the cold temperatures hit us as soon as we stepped out of the hotel lobby doors, and factoring in the wind chill, it was bone-chilling cold.  Lucky for us, the Cox Business Center was only a few blocks away.  There we picked up our bibs, received our tenth anniversary jackets, purchased a couple of shirts, and even met up with Bart Yasso for a photo op.  What a great guy he is for allowing photos to be taken with him.

After leaving the expo, we hustled back to the hotel for our belongings and strolled up Main Street to our next hotel, while watching workers set up the marathon starting corrals.  From there, we walked up to Tulsa’s Brady Arts District for some lunch/dinner at Caz’s Chowhouse where I chowed down on a Cuban turkey sandwich with some fried okra. Afterwards, we walked over to the finish line area at Guthrie Green, honoring the late Woody Guthrie, then ambled on over to the Center of the Universe spot and listened to the reverberations of our voices as though we were speaking from the focal point in a geodesic dome.  This is not to be confused with a cosmological point of view advocated by Hoyle, et al, but rather in the vicinity of the Artificial Cloud sculpture located at the apex of the span of the old Boston Street Bridge between First and Archer Streets.  It was time to get out of the cold and into the warmth of the hotel room to rest up for Sunday’s marathon.  We noticed that the Naval Academy football team were staying at the same hotel for their game against Tulsa later that evening.  What a cold night for a football game, I thought!  The Midshipmen beat the Golden Hurricane 44-21, by the way.

The morning of Marathon Sunday was very cold, with temperatures in the low 20s in the Deco District.  The skies were crystal clear with calm winds, but it was a dry cold.  What wonderful weather for a marathon, clear and cold.  Just how I like it since I don’t do well in the heat and sun.  We were dressed warmly with garbage bags draped over us for added comfort, only to be discarded once running commenced.  We dropped off our bags at the Maniac Corner VIP tent conveniently set up at East Sixth and South Main Streets for members of the Maniacs, Fanatics and 50-staters a half block from the starting line.

As the start time drew near, the race announcer kept updating us how many minutes remained.  Everyone, including us, in Corral A lined up with excitement and expectations of a PR, although due to the hilly nature of the course, a PR was likely out of the question, at least for me.  After the National Anthem and a few parting words from the announcer, the gun sounded with the wheelchair athletes starting first and the rest of the masses starting a couple of minutes later, with a few minutes in between the corral starts.  With the sound of New Year’s Eve horns and confetti flying everywhere, the tenth running of the Route 66 Marathon was officially underway. 

The miles were uneventful and went fairly fast.  I was careful with my steps since the pavement conditions in some areas were not that favorable for running, especially with runners all around.  As an engineer, I understand the freeze-thaw effects of roads and pavements.  More than traffic, it is the changing thermal regime of the ground that affects the performance of road pavements in colder climates such as Tulsa.  With that said, I witnessed two runners hitting the pavement either by tripping or rolling an ankle with the abrupt edges from freeze-thaw damage.  They each said, “I’m ok!”  But I could see it on their faces they were in pain.  I’ve been there and done that.

With the rolling hills throughout the course, I was not going out too fast as was originally planned.  I wanted to conserve my glycogen reserves by not increasing the rate of glycolosis and to enjoy the scenery of the various neighborhoods and regions Tulsa had to offer.

The first several miles saw various cupressaceous trees mixed in with cedrus, ginko, acer, quercus, liriodendron, and pinus tree species lining the neighborhood streets of the various districts.  It being autumn, the deciduous trees adorned the streets with orange, green and red tones.  The fallen leaves in the streets posed hazards attributable to the morning frost being on the leaf surfaces.  As I would step on them, my foot would at times slip as I pushed off, so I avoided the sides of the streets and would instead run in the center to avoid the leaves.  Of course, this can lead to running longer distances. 

Various road and drainage designs always catch my eye while running.  I noticed several instances of improperly designed drainage catchments likely because of the older neighborhoods.  Around Marathon Mile 3, speed humps dotted the roadway.  It never ceases to amaze me of the improper speed zoning and designs of speed humps used in various communities.  These designs tend to delay emergency services and should only be used when critical speeds are around 29 mph (with proper designs, of course).  Anyway, off my soapbox, that’s a topic for another discussion. 

The spectators along the course were very supportive and encouraging.  As I ran by, I thanked the spectators for coming out for their support on such a cold day, the volunteers manning the water stations, and the Tulsa PD providing traffic control.  Although I didn’t partake, I enjoyed seeing the spectators lining the course providing Jell-O shots, alcohol, BBQ, fireball whiskey shots, pickles and assorted fruits and candies.  They looked enticing, but I wanted to avoid the possibility of an upset stomach, or worse.  So, I stuck with my usual GUs or energy bars.

Around Marathon Mile 22, University of Tulsa students (probably from a sorority) were handing out beer and other goodies.  I was thirsty enough and wanted the carbs, so I grabbed one.  It tasted good and was ice cold.  One of the students in the group was telling runners as they passed by, “you are so not almost there” and “this is not the last hill – just keeping it real!”  Such wonderful words of encouragement, but sometimes the truth hurts.  I must admit, I’ve said similar things to runners before, but ended with a positive note. 

I know race spectators are very well-intentioned when they tell runners they're close to the finish line.  But, in reality, marathoners don't want to be told “you’re almost there" unless the finish line is in actual sight.  Even if there's just a half mile left, it can feel like an eternity to get there. 

Reverse                                      Obverse

A unique part of this marathon is the Center of the Universe detour that adds another 0.3 mile for those wishing to visit the Center of the Universe spot and be presented with a medallion with an adage that you completed the world’s shortest ultra.  This detour came around Marathon Mile 25.5.  I confess, I was tired and by-passing the detour looked tempting, but I traveled all the way to Tulsa and was not going home without completing the detour.  The inclines on old Boston Street Bridge were killer, but the ice cold beer at the turnaround was perfect fuel to complete the course.  Once the detour was over and making the right turn back onto First Street, I was in the final homestretch with only one hill to surmount on Denver Avenue.  It was a struggle, but I had enough glycogen reserves necessary for the immediate conversion of glucose into ATP and NADH to finish strong by sprinting the final 100 yards, passing several runners along the way, and being acknowledged by Bart as a 50-stater as I crossed the timing mat.  I was happy with my time and enjoyed each and every mile of the course.  As for my Garmin, it read 26.78 miles, ±15 feet, in a time of 4:46:23.

God has blessed me in so many ways with the ability to run the marathon distance and, at times, it is a big challenge for me.  As always, I am extremely proud of my accomplishment every time I cross the finish line, no matter what my time may be.  The Route 66 Marathon is certainly no exception.

Upon crossing the finish line timing mat of this magnificent marathon, I headed over to the Maniac Corner VIP tent to partake in some adult beverages, eat some pork sandwiches, rehydrate, exchange the finisher medal with a 50-states finisher medal, top off protein levels with some Muscle Milk and most of all, relax and appreciate the feeling of finishing my 35^th marathon and 19^th state.  The flying goddess finisher medal with a spinning center piece marking the tenth anniversary is unique to this event and reminiscent of the nostalgic days of America’s Main Street.  I will always look back at my experience at Tulsa and will appreciate the unique finisher medal and the Center of the Universe medallion in my collection.  The only criticism I have is, where was the pizza?  Anyway, on to State Number 20!

After the conclusion of our finish line merriments at Guthrie Green, we lumbered back to the hotel just a few blocks away, showered, checked-out and boarded the airport shuttle.  Again, a text came to my wife’s phone saying our flight to Denver was delayed.  Wow, not again, I thought!  With a tight connection at DEN, the gate agent at TUL was kind enough to book us on the first flight out in the morning along with a hotel voucher, while still remaining booked on our original flight.  Lucky for us, our original flight home was delayed a few minutes, allowing my wife to run to the gate to hold the plane while I waited in the jet way for our bags to be unloaded.  Once I grabbed the bags, I ran through the airport, analogous to the 1978 Hertz commercial for those old enough to remember.  We were the last two to board the MD-80 aircraft.  It wasn’t long after we were seated to start push-back.  After a short taxi to Runway 25 for a straight-out departure, we were off and away.  When all was said and done, we made it and arrived home safe, but exhausted.  At least we had a short drive home instead of the long trek from LAX.

I enjoyed living on “Tulsa Time” during my weekend stay in Oklahoma.  “One day I’ll set my watch back to it, ‘cause you know me, I’ve been through it.” – Don Williams