Let me tell you, I've driven those roads, even walked large portions of it, but have never noticed how hilly it was before. That was scary! Scary but manageable. As I drove the route, I was thinking of my strategy for success. It's obvious what I'll do (take it easy on the way up, and be careful not to run too fast on the way down), but it's something I'll have to keep in mind the entire way.
The first half of the route is also an extremely poorly maintained road. Lots and lots of cracks, bumps, and potholes. It's also a lot less wide than I remember it to be, and on top of that, it'll be split in half due to the turnaround at 6.5 miles.
The road may not be maintained well, but the route is marked well. I think I mentioned this before, but they actually have two separate versions of this marathon. The one I'm running is called the Avenue of Giants Marathon (The Ave for short), while the other one in October is called the Humboldt Redwoods Marathon. The one I'm running goes over the poorly maintained road first, while the other one takes the other direction first. Both marathons are marked with spraypainted lines throughout the entire route. Every mile is marked, every turnaround. What I found strange though is the finish isn't marked.
Starting Line
1st Turnaround (6.5 miles, HR stands for Humboldt Redwoods)
2nd Turnaround (19.6 miles)
For some reason, I couldn't find the finish line. It's either not marked, or it's in a spot I wasn't expecting. At the Visitor's Center I picked up an official pamphlet for The Ave.
Another helpful thing I found, someone recorded their 2007 Ave marathon and posted it to Youtube.
Part One
Part Two
It was a fun trip. My wife spent lots and lots and lots of time together without kids, which we both needed. I got to drive the marathon route and know a little more about what I need to work on the next few weeks. It was a successful day.
1 comment:
Congratulations on the anniversary! Getting to know a course is always best. It's better to know what is coming than to not know.
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