The gun went off and the race to Beijing was under way!!!!

But obviously, not for me. The RNR AZ Marathon 2008 was, however, very interesting. As I was targeting Boston, same as last year, I adopted the strategy of using this race as a sort of, very long tempo run –or lactate threshold run really. So I decided on keeping a comfy pace of 6:20 per mile and later, if there was any energy left, speed up for the last few miles.
The day started out perfect –my bathroom needs were met several times- and the temperature was a pleasant 40 degrees. There was a slight breeze which would only add to the perfect-ness of the conditions.

I headed to the start corral, when I felt ‘the call” again. This time I panicked as I was in the longest porta-potty line in history, and got in as they announced 1 minute remaining to the start. I got out with a few seconds to spare, but was only able to line up way at the back of corral 1.
The race started, and I had a good time passing people for the first mile. The bland Phoenix landscape provided little entertainment so I figured I would focus on the bands that lined the road. These were often so bad that they provided an extra boost – such was the natural desire to speed up past them.

A few miles into the thing I thought I spied the colorful shirts of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project bunch –a running outfit out of Michigan that Brian Sell runs with-. Intrigued, I decided to catch up and see what was up (by this point boredom was setting in). I caught them, it seemed like they were running in a large pack with a bunch of… women. That’s correct, I had stumbled into the Hanson’s brooks Pacing team, pacing the women to an Olympic trials qualifier sub 2:47 Marathon. There were seven or eight women who were shooting for the Olympic Trials this April in Boston, they told me the Phoenix marathon paid their way and accommodations, which sounded pretty cool, and brought these fast dudes to pace them for 22 miles. So I took advantage of the free pacing and congenial atmosphere.

By mile 20 I began to feel a bit tired. Which is strange, because the Accelerade they use at the race is much better than Gatorade –this is not a product endorsement, well, it is, but I get nothing out of it, it really works better.

By 22 the guy pacers dropped out leaving the girls and I to fend for ourselves. Seven of them crossed the line sub 2:47 and therefore qualified for the Trials. I also qualified for the Trials, with a 2:46:10. I am currently contacting several plastic surgeons to talk about my options for April and the Olympic trials marathon!!!

That is it pretty much. Phoenix is nice and flat, more CRC’rs should try it next year!

Name                   Time         Pace         City/State        
--------               --------     -----       --------------
Eduardo Ledesma        2:46:10      6:21        Cambridge, MA
Kaitlin Anelauskas     3:16:42      7:31        Brookline, MA
Robyn Churchill        3:32:47      8:07        Cambridge, MA

Report entered by Mike McKechnie
Report entered on 01/21/2008