ATT Austin Marathon

Me.

Did it last year, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I understand they have routed around the 38th Street hill beside Hancock. Thank God.

Ran Houston last month, and have done two runs of 13 each since then, but nothign longer, so I'm not 100% sure how I will run.

I'm typcially just a few minutes under 4 hours, but I may be north of 4 for the first time ever this weekend.

Good Luck!
 
I'll be there. Got to after running that damn distance challenge. I know I'm a crazy runner but anyone who enjoys those distance challenge races is a masochist.
 
Wow....just looked at the weather forecast.

As of now, looks like the chance of rain ends late Saturday night, but that it will be damp and cold Sunday morning.

Last year, the starting temp was around 36, but it was sunny and no wind. Looks like a mid-30's temp at the start, but cloudy and light breeze, with a wind-chill until after 9.

This brings up wardrobe questions. I may don some removable arm warmers.
 
The human body is just not designed to take the punishment of running 26 miles on the asphalt or any surface for that matter.

At least mine's not.

Good luck to those of you running but I will never understand it.
 
I'm in! 35-39 age group here.
It'll be my third, but the last one was 8 years ago.

My long runs have all suggested somewhere between 3:30 and 3:45. Anybody here ever done Yasso 800's? Bart Yasso of Runner's World claims that his last speed workout before a marathon always gives him an accurate indication of his marathon time.

It's 10 X 800 meters with equal time rest between each. Whatever you average for the 10 intervals is proportional to your marathon time.

Example:
Last week I did all ten 800s in 3:30 apiece, so I should be able to run a 3:30 marathon. Of course, it assumes you put in the long runs. I'm skeptical of relying on that because all my long runs have indicated I'll be more in the 3:45 range.

I think I'm gonna go ahead and shoot for the 3:30. If that ends up being too fast and I bonk early it won't break my heart. Most of my long runs have gone that way. Starting out with 8:00 minute miles and finishing with 9:00's. I guess we'll see how big a difference the crowds and competition makes.

For the cold weather, take an old long sleeve shirt, even a flannel or something, and wear it for the start and then ditch it in the first mile or whenever you get hot. I think they collect all the ditched shirt and give them to a charity. I don't care how cold it gets, I will end up in short sleeves eventually. Every time I don't I regret it.

Good luck everybody.
 
chuy --- although you are considerably faster than I am, I just wanted to pass this along about the course, and starting out too fast.

Be sure to study the elevation profile available on the website. The very first leg of the run down South Congress is a pretty good incline, and then at about mile 9-12 or so, when you turn up Enfield and then left on Exposition -- multiple rolling hills. Then you've got to clear the 35th Street MoPac overpass.

The back half is not nearly as severe, especially since they took out the Hancock hill.

I really experienced a significant fade over the last 8 miles last year, and I believe it was because I hit those hills at too fast a pace.

Just a thought. If you get a chance to talk course strategy with the pace-group leaders at the Expo on Saturday, I encourage it .....good luck!
 
Yeah, that's true. I haven't even really studied the course at all. Last time I did Austin it was the course that started up near the Arboretum and finished at Auditorium Shores and it was more downhill than up.

I've done a lot of hill training, but to have them at the beginning rather than the end definitely calls for a more conservative effort. Knowing me I'll figure out my strategy right about the time I start running.
 
IN...35-39 as well. Going to start with the 3:50 group and see how I feel. I will be stoked if I pull a 3:45.

I agree with the advice on elevation. The first 2 1/2 miles or so are uphill. I ran it a couple weeks ago and I believe you can lose your marathon there. The excitement and false flats all the way to the first turn after St. Ed's are going to hurt many.

Good luck to all...weather is going to be perfect!!
 
Changed the forecast somewhat. Rain supposed to be ending right before the start, a bit warmer now, and somewhat windy.
 
So how did everybody do?

I started slow on the SoCo hills and then picked it up coming down S.1st. I caught the 3:30 pace group at mile 8 and hung right with them until mile 21. As soon as we went through the water stop at 21 they dropped me. On the hills of Hyde park I slowed down and they kept the pace. By 23 they were completely out of sight and I never saw them again.

I finished with a gun time of 3:35 and a chip time of 3:32:04. I'm pretty stoked because honestly I thought I'd get dropped a lot sooner. I was planning on a 3:40-3:45.

577th overall, 500th among men, 88th among 35-39 men.
 
Well done ChuyChanga,

I have to start by saying that My hat's off to the race director and all the staff. Today couldn't have been better managed. Sure, the beer tent could have had a larger supply of beer, and text messaging for friends tracking me shouldn't have crashed, but those are 2 minor and irrelevant things.

Personally I'm very happy with my result. I've had a string of bad marathons trying to get to Boston (3:15:59)... (Austin 2/07 - medical tent severe cramping, Chicago 07 -DNF due to heat ridiculous weather, and Dallas 12/07 - wheels fell apart at the big hill at mile 19).

I've been mentally drained from "racing", won't race until a fall marathon I don't think, and hadn't done too much serious training since Dallas. So today I set out with 3 goals: Have fun, No walking, No Medical tent.

I'm happy to report I started with the 3:30 PG, but was feeling good and they were slow to start, so i took off on my own. I dumped my gloves, cap and watch with a buddy on Great Northern (M16.5) then tore my pace band off a couple minutes later.

I thanked hundreds of sideline people for coming out and played the crowd. I enjoyed myself, didn't walk (although San Jack hill at 25.5 was a *****), and bypassed the medical tent after finishing with a smile and a chip time 3:26:34.

My IT Band is killing me, but that's what i get for not stciking to a decent training program leading up to this.

A great day, to be followed by more than a few beers tonight!

Question: did you or anyone see the half way marker? I didn't see one at all, and was surprised there was no half way mat either.
 
I never saw a half marker, just the mats every 5 miles or so.

The crowds were great. I had forgotten about the San Jacinto hill until I got near it. My wife and kids told me they'd be waiting on the south side of DKR stadium to cheer me on. As I approached that spot I realized what was coming up. I didn't walk, but a lot of folks passed me on that hill.
 
I'm barely a sub-4 hour marathoner, and didn't know what to expect Sunday. I ran Houston on January 13 and just kind of floundered aroung in No-Man's-Land since then.

Austin '07 was my first marathon ever, and I absolutely loved the course then, and even moreso this year because they took out the monster climb on 38th between Red River and Duval.

My time last year was 3:58:26 and my Houston time was 3:57:58.

I was cruising surprisingly well (for me) on Sunday, with visions of a sub 3:50 finish.

That idea lasted until we turned right on 41st at Red River. Although not as bad as 38th Street hill, I had to slow to a walk to get up the hill to Duval, and my IT band revolted in protest.

I had to walk/run it in the rest of the way at a +10 mile pace over the last 3+ miles, and still finished what a (barely) PR of 3:57:05, to finish 193 out of 447 in my age group (M40-44)

Once again, an absolutely fantastic race, and IMO, a much better finish area/ameneties than Houston.

P.S. There was no half-way marker. I recall passing the 13 Mile banner, and noticing that my Garmin was off by about 0.8 mile, so I was on the lookout for a 13.1 marker, but there wasn't one.
 
I usually run under 4:00 (2006 Freescale was my last) but I didn't want to try that with the new course. Finished in 4:10 and was happy. I was targeting under 4:15. The course is definitely a marked change from the old days. It's no longer fast. Having hills all the way up to the end is tough.

I agree on the organizers. Very well run. Did not see the half marker, either. Lots of water, lots of bands, lots of spectators.
 
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