My Asheville Marathon Results ~ Spoiler Alert

We are not going to talk about my curious absence from blogging this past month.  I just haven’t had enough time on my hands.  There is a ton to recap about each of the individual races I paced last weekend in Asheville, but I just don’t have the time right now to do a recap justice.  I guess we’ll settle for snippets, and results…..

Btw…I am still trying to gather pictures from the event, which I have to search for and grab/copy before my long recap posts.  But, isn’t this an awesome picture of the Biltmore Estate from a cool spot on the race course?

I had an awesome weekend in Asheville participating in the Backyard to Vineyard Challenge.  What is that, you ask?  Well, this year the race doubled down, and held the events on two consecutive days.  The Half Marathon on Saturday, and the Full Marathon on Sunday.  I ran both!  I paced both!

This weekend was all about having fun, and running my heart out.  Giving back to my fellow runners by pacing them to a specific time goal.  For the Half, I paced the 2:00:00 finish group.  A very popular group, containing all of those runners out there trying to get the sub 2.  The weather was perfect, maybe just a tad on the warm side, but me and my pacing partner Louis brought those runners in at 1:59:23.  Just under the mark!

I then refueled, and spent five hours working an expo table for the marathon the following day.  All the while chatting up marathon runners, taking gulps of Gatorade along the way.  Yes, I had a chair, which I requested!  After having run the Half, and having another 26.2 miles the following day, I needed to be off my feet.

Marathon Sunday came so very quickly.  Back at it, I felt good.  I was pacing the 4:00:00 group for the marathon, and the weather?  Not so good.  It started raining about 20 minutes before the race began, and would rain intermittently for the entire race.  I don’t often run in the rain so it was an interesting twist.  Pace the hills for 26.2 miles, in the rain, and mud.  All after having run a Half the day before.  I felt good though, and knew I could manage it.  About 10 miles into the race, my pacing partner Andrea fell off the pace.  Now alone on dirt and rock trails, I had to dig in.  Climbing, climbing, the often washed over mile 11-12 was grueling.  I maintained pace somehow without a helper, and in the quiet.  Runners around me, but no one with me.  I carried on…..

Mile 12 is when she appeared.  A 23 year old medical student from Iowa.  Payton was her name, and she was my angel.  She sidled up to my left side, and said, “I want to break 4:00:00 today, so I am going to run with you to the end!”  I desparately needed the company, so welcomed her with open arms.  We traversed the difficult trails on the backside of the Biltmore Estate through the vineyards, past historic barns, up and down, through the rain, the mud and muck.  Payton kept me honest.  We both almost fell a few times due to slick muddy spots, but I kept on pace.  On pace!  13, 14, 15, the miles we left behind….

We stayed together up to mile 23 when she began to fade just a bit.  I willed her to keep up, She just couldn’t.  She silently started lagging further and further behind me.  I had to keep going however.  I had a schedule to keep.  I had a date with the finish line and would carry whoever I could to cross with me or in front of me.  The rain ebbed and flowed, but my shoes kept moving forward.  3:59:32 was my magic number on the day.  Made it perfectly to the end, urging runners to beat the clock.  It was a magically wet marathon, one I will remember forever.  I absolutely loved it.  Both days!

39.3 miles, two epic days at the Biltmore.  Two spot on pacing days, to boot.  One day sunny, one day rainy.  Perfect!  More details and pictures to come, including why I love pacing, and more on Payton.  :). Happy running!

2016 Spring Racing Schedule

With a glimmer of Spring these past few days, all I can say is I am ready!  Today being Leap Day, we have to wait an extra day until Spring this year, but the weather lately has me thinking positively.  I went out on a five plus miler yesterday afternoon on a beautiful 65 degree sunny afternoon.  It was even 60 degrees way up in the northeast.  A good sign that Spring is just around the corner.

Will all of those miles logged over the past few cold, long dreary months pay off?  Wel’ll see.  In general, I’ve felt pretty lazy, as usual for this time of year.  But, I for one, am ready to get off the couch and race!  I have a busy few months ahead, so I am hopeful for some really fun events.

My “Spring racing season” begins in less than two weeks up in the mountains of North Carolina.  I will be heading to Asheville for a few races back to back.  I ran the inaugural Marathon at the Biltmore Estate back in 2013, returned last year to pace the Half Marathon, and this year will be pacing BOTH, on back to back days.

I am excited to return, and conquer the beastly hills on that lovely estate!  Just thinking about them has me a bit nervous, but my experience should help.  I’ve run them before.  I can, I will, get over those hills again!

After Asheville, I have a few weeks break.  Of course it will be good to take several days off to let my legs and feet recover.  I’ll need it.  With Easter during that time, we should be getting into Spring quite nicely by then.

The first weekend in April I will be pacing another event.  The All American Marathon which is run on a point to point course from Fayetteville to Ft. Bragg, NC, will be my first time running the same marathon three times.  Actually this year is the third anniversary of the event, so I will have run it all three times.  The All American Marathon will be my 25th marathon overall, so it should be full of meaning for me!  I am pacing the 4:00:00 Full, and couldn’t be happier to have reached the “Quarter Century” mark at this event!  I’ve already spoken with the team there to try to get bib #25!

 

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Series first came to Raleigh back in 2014.  The first event was on my 44th Birthday.  The folks at RnR helped me celebrate with a 44 on my bib.  Because of the heat and pollen and tough marathon course that year, I decided to run the Half in 2015, only to regret that decision when the made changes to the marathon course a few months prior to the event.  The offered an incredible deal last year at the race expo, to run either race this year for $50.  I signed up for the marathon this year, and I plan to just have fun with this one since it will only be a week after All American.  I also signed up to run the inaugural 5k the day before.  It’s been a few years since I’ve run a 5k, so I figured it would be a good shake out run.

What an awesome medal!  Rock n Roll originally signed a three year deal with this Raleigh location, with an option to add two more years.  So, depending on numbers, this may very well be the last event here.  Time will tell.

It is surely going to be an exciting Spring for me.  How about you?  What epic races do you have planned for the coming season?  I think that next year I am going to try to break out of my comfort zone, and do a destination marathon for Spring 2017.  The three races I have coming up I have already raced twice each, and will likely choose a change of venue next year.  Any thoughts?  Suggestions?  Where should I race next Spring?

Double Trouble in Asheville

The Backyard to Vineyard Challenge they call it.  An all new event at the Asheville Marathon & Half at Biltmore Estate.  What began as just a marathon in 2013, the folks at IDaph Events have added a Half Marathon in subsequent years, and now have added a double (for double trouble).

Crazy runners (like me), are gearing up for a beast of a challenge in mid-March.  Now just four short weeks away I will be running/pacing these events in the mountains of North Carolina.  A Half Marathon that celebrates the beauty and history that is The Biltmore Estate, on Saturday March 12th, followed by another pass by the glorious Estate during a 26.2 mile journey through gardens, hills and vineyards the following day.  Sounds crazy, right?  Well, at least 100 runners are up to the challenge and will receive a commemorative award and special finishers jacket reserved for only the most crazy to finish both events.

This will be my second attempt at running a Half and Full on back to back days.  The first time I tried something like this was last July.  It’s a very exciting prospect, but not easy.  For those of you that have completed two Full marathons back to back are just a bit crazier than me.  For now!  I will attempt the Full/Full challenge one day in the near future.

So, how does a runners prepare for a challenge such as Backyard to Vineyard?  I believe a good dose of mental prep is in order, along with the physical.  Being mentally prepared to tackle 39.3 miles over the course of two days will more than likely be easier for me than the physical part.  I’m already in talks with my legs and feet, believe me!  I know I can do it though!  I’ve done it before, and at elevation.  This time it won’t be any easier, in fact the course is tougher by a long shot.  I will be as ready as ever to conquer!

As a runner, what is your proudest accomplishment?  Have you ever tried any crazy challenges that are out there?  I love to hear your stories.

 

Asheville Marathon Maniac & Fanatic Discount

The world is full of all sorts of challenges.  Inequality, extreme weather and climate change, economic collapse, oil and water shortages, hunger, among many, many others.  Over the last 50 years the human population has nearly tripled, and with that come epic challenges that we all must face as inhabitants of this beautiful planet.  These challenges though cannot be overcome in a day, or two for the matter.  It will take years and years of hard work.  We may never see full solutions to these challenges.  Ever.

Wait…. this post is meant to be light.  It’s about challenges.  So let me change the focus of our challenges to the good kind.  Challenges we look forward to, challenges we take on with gusto.  Challenges we set out to conquer!

I am a runner.   My main goal today is to let you know about a new challenge for the running community. As the population grows, naturally the runner population grows.  We are an ever growing and ever changing group.  We are challenge seekers, and often find ourselves setting higher and higher standards for ourselves.  We can, we will.  Never give up.  A few mantras I’ve heard lately.

In working with the running community and getting to know so many of you through running races and social media, my love for our sport has grown and grown.  When I run a great race, I want to tell everyone about it.  It’s really the reason I started blogging about my running in the first place.  So, let me share with you some news about the Asheville Marathon & Half at Biltmore Estate today.

This race has grown and grown in popularity in the last few years.  Why?  Location, swag, race course, yes, all of those.  An amazing event which has sold out each year.  For 2016, the races will be held on separate days.  An exciting weekend event.  The Half Marathon on March 12th.  The Full Marathon on March 13th.  But wait!  (Herein lies the challenge I’ve eluded to) Run both!  The Backyard to Vineyard Challenge.  Run both races on back to back days.

IDaph Events, which puts on this fantastic event (among others), recognizes the need to reward runners of all kinds.  They welcome the first time Half Marathoner, they welcome the very seasoned Marathoner.  They don’t discriminate.  This year they are recognizing those of us who love a challenge.  The Asheville Marathon & Half is now offering special discounts to Marathon Maniacs and Half Fanatics who may just want to descend on Asheville and take on a new and exciting challenge.

Here are is details….  and discounts…

If you want to run just the Half, save $10 by using code “2016AVLHALFMARATHONMANIAC”

Want to run the Full?  Save $20 using code “2016AVLMARATHONMANIAC”

Run both races?  Take on the Challenge and save $30 using code “2016MANIACCHALLENGE”

I think it’s very cool when a race recognizes the running maniac/fanatic in each of us.  These two groups consist of approximately 24,000 runners worldwide, and growing.  So?  What are you waiting for?  Jump on the bandwagon and score some awesome discounts to run at the Biltmore Estate next year!  They are celebrating us runners, so let’s take them up on it!

Check out all of the details on the race here:  https://www.ashevillemarathon.com

New Promo for @AvlMarathon

Are you already signed up, or considering running the Asheville Half, Marathon or both next Spring?  On March 12th and 13th, Asheville, NC, and the Biltmore Estate are welcoming runners for a weekend of running.  The past three years the Half and Full Marathons were run at the same time on the same day.  In 2016, the Half is on Saturday, and the Full is on Sunday.  Running both means you will be running what they’ve coined the Backyard to Vineyard Challenge!  This level of challenge will bring in all sorts of running fans for an amazing weekend in one of the most beautiful and hip towns in all of North Carolina.

Right now, through September 15th, they are offering a free “In Training Tee shirt” for those that sign up with a new registration.  The picture above shows you where to go to register, and please let them know I sent you!  In the referral box at checkout use “INVITEDBYPAULAMA”. In the discount code box enter code “2016EARLYBIRDTEE” and the good folks in Asheville will send you an awesome shirt to train in.

Come run with me in Asheville next year!  I’ve run the Half and Full at this amazing destination race, and let me tell you, these folks do races right!  Since the regular cost of the training shirt is $25, for every person that signs up between now and September 15th, I will make a personal donation in the same amount to my NYC Marathon charity, the James Blake Foundation.

Run a great race, or two!  Get a free shirt, and I donate to charity.  How awesome is that?

Runners Abuzz About the Asheville Marathon

As a runner, what makes you decide to run a race?  Have you ever thought about it and really nailed down an answer?  Is it all about the location?  The price?  The size of the event?  The perks/swag?  Medal?  Runner reviews?

It may be a total combination of all of the above, but the best way to decide on a race is runner experiences.  There are so many “review websites” out there, including Marathon Guide, BibRave, Running in the USA, and so many more both domestic and international sites.  You can even find most races now have their own Facebook page, and quotes from previous runners on their websites.

As a two time runner of this brilliant race here in my home state of North Carolina, I wanted to share some quotes, sort of the “what people are saying” about the Asheville Marathon & Half at Biltmore Estate.  I reached out to previous runners of the event on the events Facebook page, and heard some interesting and positive remarks.

Sheri Manley Gewelke – “I love running in the vineyards and all the tranquility of the Biltmore grounds of the a Full Marathon….. and the sweet, happy spirits of all of the willing volunteers at the aid stations… and the swag from the race is first class, the monogrammed blanket is such a keepsake.”

Silvia Henry says “One of my favorite parts of this marathon is taking the left on the bridge crossing over the river onto the west side of the estate.  I have run this marathon three times and make it a point every time to slow down and take a second to enjoy it.  It’s so peaceful and gorgeous!”

“I love seeing the Biltmore Estate off in the distance and pretending to wave at the Vanderbilt family as they allow me to run on their beautiful private grounds” – Kay Ziemer

To quote a runner who hasn’t yet run this race, Courtney Sobieski Sklenar says “I’ve never run this race before, or even been to Asheville for that matter.  I’m so grateful that my third half marathon ever will be at such a gorgeous location, and that I get to experience this course with people from all around the United States.  I can’t wait for March to get here!”

Crystal Rabiipour Shirk says “I know some people would call me crazy, but that one and a half mile hill at mile three is one of the things I look forward to the most in the race.  It’s the challenge of it, and then being rewarded by running right up to the Biltmore house, through the gardens and around the Bass Pond”.

As a previous runner of both the Half and Full marathons, I can tell you that there are views galore along the race route.  The entire race is run exclusively on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate.  Beauty and history await your arrival at the Asheville Marathon!

Asheville Marathon Discount Code

Have you ever run a race where the beauty of the course takes over and you almost forget you’re running 26.2 or 13.1 miles?  Those are my favorite kind of races!  I’m sure you would agree that a race course full of history and beauty is hard to find.

Well, the Asheville Marathon & Half in North Carolina fits the bill perfectly.  A boutique-style race, with limited entries, amazing race course and equally amazing swag, the Asheville Marathon and Half at Biltmore Estate is a one of a kind event.

Registration is now open for 2016, and I have scored a discount code you can use during registration to save money.  The deadline to use this code is July 31st, so act fast.  The code is good for the Full, Half or Challenge, and will get you 15% off current pricing.

This will be the fourth running of this event and it has sold out earlier and earlier each year.  I ran the Full marathon in 2013, the Half in 2015, and who know, I may try BOTH in 2016.  Save some money now and join me for the race.  This will be your view at mile 6!

Use this code: PAUL2016AMAROCKS while registering at https://www.imathlete.com.

Heading to Asheville

Now that my seven day stretch at work is finally over, I can focus on the weekend!

First off?  Relaxation and packing tonight.  It’s cloudy and dreary, so I am not running a final shake out run today.  Maybe tomorrow at some point, but not this evening.  I am going to put my feet up, and chill for the night.

Second thing, upon a fairly early wake up call, I will be hopping into the car for a four hour drive to the laid back, picturesque city known as Asheville.  I have an Expo table to work tomorrow afternoon, and a big 13.1 on Sunday to run.

The weather is looking good, the forecast for no rain and high of about 62 is holding strong.  Should be an absolutely lovely weekend in the mountain town, and a run by the Downton Abbyesque Biltmore Estate.

Pacing and racing update to follow this great weekend.  Hope you all enjoy!

Ahhhhh…. To run at the Biltmore

The clock is ticking.  It’s getting closer and closer to the third annual Asheville Marathon & Half at the Biltmore Estate.

The race sold out early again this year and for good reason.  The Biltmore is an absolutely exquisite property, and running on the grounds there is phenomenal.  Beautifully manicured gardens, large old trees, winding paths and roads, wildlife, vineyard, old barns.  What’s not to love?

The perfect run surrounded by endless views of the mountains.

You can’t put a price tag on running at a place like the Biltmore Estate.

Just try not to love it!

33 days to go!

Are you ready for Asheville?

Asheville, NC…..

Trendy, southern, diverse, laid-back, artsy, mountainous….

A paradise for folks looking for a great new place to live, or vacation.  Luckily for me this city is within driving distance, offering me a great opportunity for a quick getaway.  I will be running the Asheville Half Marathon at Biltmore Estate as a pacer this year, and it is approaching quickly.  Only 50 days remain!

Originally I was signed up to run the marathon, but when the opportunity presented itself to pace the 1:45:00 group in the Half, I had to jump on it.  Pacing a race is a great way to give back to my fellow runners.  I just love the idea!  I’ve paced several races now, and the experience is always gratifying.  Each race offers unique opportunities to impact others.

When I looked at the race website this morning and saw the countdown clock at 50 days, it really got me pumped up!  There will be over 1,300 of us runners out there on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate on March 15th, taking in the beautiful scenery, running together through the historic grounds of America’s Largest Backyard.  The Biltmore Estate is the largest privately owned house in the U.S..  Believe me, it’s grand.

50 days remain.  Are you ready for Asheville?  I know I am!