Marathon weekend is one of the best weekends in Dallas, Texas. It isn't the Boston, New York, or Chicago Marathon - but Dallas, with all of its quirks and flaws, does a pretty good job showcasing the city and welcoming runners on race day. This has been a favorite weekend of mine for many years, way before I even knew that I would be a runner someday. Mr K and his cousin Brock have been the driving force behind the legendary Dolly Parton Hills water stop for more years that we have been married. The Dallas Marathon (formerly White Rock) became even more special to me when it was Mr K's first marathon in 2008 and my first marathon in 2011. I have run the half every year since 2008 except for 2011 when I ran the marathon and 2013 when it was cancelled due to the great ice storm that had us all "entombed in ice." The race has changed names once and the course and venue have changed more times than I can recall, but it seems as if the race is finally starting to find its groove. The current half course is my all time favorite, it starts to trend downhill a bit after the halfway mark and it highlights some of the best parts of the city.
 |
| This guy is pretty famous. |
I was pretty much on my own on race day as none of my immediate friends were running the half, which was fine with me, I enjoy disappearing into a crowd sometimes. December in Dallas is unpredictable, at best, and we have seen all kinds of weather for this race. It wasn't too bad this time - in the 50s - but super humid and with some pretty strong winds. The race has associated itself with some running super stars over the last couple of years and Meb, Deena, Desi, and Ryan were here again. It was a special treat when Meb said a few words to us before the race began, he is one of my favorites! The National Anthem was sung by a Dallas police officer and it reminded me of that terrible night in July. I made my heart happy to see these same streets filled with so many people and such vibrant energy. Good will over come, y'all.
It was my third time running this course so I felt familiar with it and put a good game plan into action: get off to a good start, stay steady through the hills in the middle, pick up speed until the end, run the last mile hard. I have gotten into the habit of racing largely by feel and just checking in with my watch when the mile splits chimed. My first mile was the slowest before settling into a pace in the lower 9:00s - perfect start. The timing mat for the first 5K is just before uptown and I hit it at 28:28 (9:10 avg).
 |
| I love Dallas. |
There is a nice downhill just after mile 4, heading down Turtle Creek, but then the next 5K through Highland Park is the hilliest section of the race. It is also one of the most beautiful sections of the race. The trees were vibrant with fall colors and the stately homes on Beverly Drive were beautifully decorated for Christmas. The sights are almost enough to keep my mind off the hills...almost. I knew that I wasn't going to be flying up any hills here, the plan was to stay steady on the ups and conserve energy for the final few miles. I crossed the 10K timing mat somewhere in here at 56:33 (9:03 avg) - picking up speed and almost halfway done! K2 and Jessica were working the RAW aide station around mile 7 and it was nice to see some familiar faces and get a quick hug from K2.
The next section of the race takes us down Greenville Avenue and it is my favorite part of the race. I'm certain that the spectators here are having more fun than me, the energy there is terrific! There was also a live drum line, pretty sure I would be more efficient if one of those followed me through life. And any day that I can high five a Mavs Maniaac is a good day in my book. There is also a mental boost here as I know that the hills are done and it is literally downhill from here. The 15K mark is somewhere after Greenville and I hit it at 1:24:23 (8:58).
 |
| I made the TV broadcast again! (Thanks for the screenshot, Lulu!) |
The hoopla of Greenville starts to fade pretty quickly, but there was a good crowd around the marathon split. I was feeling pretty thankful that today was not my day to take that left turn. The streets looked wet from the heavy humidity and the wind heading back towards downtown was pretty strong. The final three miles or so back to the finish are probably my least favorite of the course. The scenery isn't pretty, the crowd is sparse, and I'm just ready to be done at this point. Who knew that the random mariachi band playing "Feliz Navidad" could pick me up so much at mile 10 of a race? The race planners must know what a beat down this section can be because they had installed speakers blasting upbeat music through this section. I probably looked like a crazy lady screaming out "so good, so good, so good" during Sweet Caroline, but it sure helped me power through those desolate miles.
My race plan was to run the last two miles as fast as I could, so I was both looking forward to and dreading mile 11. The fast finish and LOFO (last one, fast one) plan always sounds like a great idea on paper, but isn't all that pleasant when the time comes to execute the plan. But no guts, no glory - right? Mile 11 felt like it took roughly 100 years, but in reality it was closer to 8 minutes and 13 seconds. Last mile, it's go time MK. I almost always feel like I'm failing miserably during LOFO because it is just that darned hard. The race finish line was within sight of the Reunion Tour and I desperately searched for it on the horizon. Mile 13 came in at 7:54, bringing my pace from 15K to the finish to 8:19. Finally the finish line was within sight and I glanced at my watch and saw that I could get in under 1:56 if I just kept pushing. I crossed at 1:55:53 - a course PR by a few seconds. Another solid day of running, I'll take it!
After the race I found a spot on the lawn and enjoyed a free beer while listening to Hard Day's Night, local Beatles cover band. I enjoyed watching the happy runners mill about and I soaked in the good vibes and energy. Running is my favorite, Dallas is my favorite, it was a good day.
