Saturday, July 9, 2011

Marathon #18 (state #7): Grandfather Mountain Marathon, Boone, NC

4:10 finish, 121/360 place overall. The purpose of this race was mainly to serve as a long, hilly training run for a much bigger challenge a month later - the Pikes Peak Marathon in CO. Vast majority of this course was uphill, climbing from Boone, NC to a location near the summit of Grandfather Mountain. Great scenery when the fog didn't get in the way, but that same fog kept the temperatures down and comfortable for running a summer race in the South. The almost constant uphill was slow and tough, as expected, but provided the physical and mental training I was looking for getting ready for Pikes Peak.

Race map and details