Phoenix Feet

Do I get a prize for posting my race review in less than a year (barely)? Hmm… well, Marathon #22 and State #19 is in the books! I completed the 2015 Phoenix Marathon last February 28th.

After some rest and some more PT for the IT band following the Indianapolis Marathon the previous Fall, training for the Phoenix Marathon went well for the most part. A little bit of shin/ankle tightness towards the end, but certainly nothing that stopped me in my tracks. I arrived in Phoenix with high hopes for a good run. My parents, sister, and brother-in-law all made the trip as well (with all but my mom running). Unfortunately my wife couldn’t make it for this one.

It was a cool morning, and we started up in hills by Usery Mountain at dawn. The gun sounded, which was appropriate since we started at a gun range, and we were off. It was a shame that it was still a little dark in the beginning because I think the first couple miles were the prettiest. They were also slightly downhill, which was nice. Things started off well, and I was holding about an 8:00/mi pace through the halfway point and was feeling pretty good.

Rio Salado Sportsman's Club - Marathon Starting Location (Day Before)

The second half was, well, kind of boring. Lots of straight neighborhood/city roads as we made our way to Mesa. That’s right, Mesa. In fact, the whole trip, I don’t think I actually set foot in the city of Phoenix. Mesa’s fine, but it wasn’t exactly the most scenic running (and we finished at a mall). Anyway, not only was it a bit chilly, which surprised me for the Phoenix area even in February, it got pretty windy the last ten miles or so. I was able to continue holding my pace until about Mile 18. Something around my left ankle started to get tight, and the combination of that with the wind meant that I slowed considerably in the last 8 miles of the race.

I finished strong, though, with an 8:35 last mile to finish in 3:40:13 – my best time since the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon (about 3.5 years prior). I was pretty happy overall and felt like I was on my way back – at least a little bit! The course was fast and mostly flat, though not very scenic except for those first couple miles in the “dawn’s early light,” if you will. The organization seemed fine; it just wasn’t that exciting of a race…

2015 Phoenix Marathon Finisher's Medal

I took it easy for the next week or two before starting to get ready for the Colorado Marathon, which was only a few days more than two months after Phoenix. 

19 down, 31 to go…
Next stop: Fort Collins, CO