Troy Miller's Staging Area

It was a cool and rainy start at around 9500 feet but the beauty that surrounded the start and much of the race was breathtaking. If the view won’t take your breath away, the elevation might. I knew this would be an issue for a “flatlander” from Iowa (the elevations I train at are around 750′) so I slowed down my pace and just took in the beauty that was surrounding me. I took pictures, slowed down to chat with and encourage other runners and somehow still managed to finish second in my age division. The event was well run, the shuttle to the start was easy, the volunteers were helpful, cheerful and encouraging, the aid stations were well stocked, the porta potties could have been slightly more plentiful along the route but I only say that because they weren’t necessarily where I needed them, LOL. The start area was great as we were able to relax inside the lodge with fresh coffee, tea or hot chocolate and water to make the wait in the cool, damp morning much more tolerable. The race itself takes you from about 9500 feet at the Dao House down scenic HWY 7 into the town of Estes Park about 2000′ below over the first 10 or so miles. The views of the rockies are plentiful as are beautiful streams and lakes. The route then tours around the town and then out around the countryside (and up and down a few hills) and then back into town past the historic Stanley Hotel back around the lake and finishing on the HS track (the rubber surface sure felt good on tired legs). Post race food options were not great in my opinion (or maybe it was just because I finished about an hour later than I normally would at lower elevations). Options were cheese pizza, broccoli pizza, salad and some vegetarian dish. No offense to my fellow runners but who runs 26.2 miles and can’t wait to grab a salad. Nonetheless, I had a great time and enjoyed my cheese pizza 🙂
If you’re looking to BQ, this race, although downhill for most of the first 10 miles, is likely not a great race for that. If you’re looking for a destination race, this is a great one! The Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park area is full of fun things to do and see. My wife and I loved the area and will probably go back to do more exploring.

I swore when I started my 50 state quest that I would not repeat any states or races until I had completed all 50 states. I broke that promise on this one. Once again, this is our favorite vacation spot and I had strongly considered doing this again but hadn’t made up my mind. What decided it for me is that a friend was going to be there and when I didn’t make the cut for the 2019 Boston Marathon, I decided this would be a great qualifier. The course is flat, fast and beautiful. You are nearly at sea level and the temps this time of year are pretty mild. It was quite windy but the wind didn’t really hit until about halfway but when it hit, it hit like a ton of bricks. I was determined that regardless of the conditions on race day, I was going to get my Boston qualifying time and I did! I also finished third in the Masters Division and got a custom, hand made pottery plate that was made by a local potter on the island. I really like that they also have free pictures that are taken by a professional photographer. This is a great touch and is much appreciated by those of us who don’t have an extra $75-100 laying around to buy race photos ($75-100 equals another race entry for me!!). The course gives you a great mini tour of the island. The aid stations are plentiful and well stocked. The volunteers are friendly, encouraging and helpful. The race directors are very involved on site the day of the race and are there to celebrate with you at the finish line. Once again, if you’re looking for a well run smaller race on a beautiful island with tons of history, this is the one for you!

I entered this race to help a friend that I met through a running group on Facebook finish his first marathon. I figured I could help a brother out and check off another state on my way to 50. He had told me that he wanted to shoot for a 5 hour finish but the hills took a toll on his IT band so we had to take that last half pretty slow. I am typically a 3:30-3:45 pace runner but running at this slower pace gave me a chance to truly enjoy all the extras like the junk food stops and such. This race was a fun one and the participation of the community and volunteers was second to none. We even picked up a straggler along the way and helped her finish her first marathon as well. After crossing the finish line we were given the medal, a nice warm blanket and a finisher’s hat.

After asking about other races in Nebraska and getting mostly a “I did such and such and it was okay” response, I decided on Logan View because it benefits the local school. I knew it would be a small race (I’m quite certain the volunteers outnumbered the participants) and I also knew it would be challenging. I had never run a night race (and likely never will again) so I was not sure what to expect with this. I was not sure how to fuel during the day but I knew I needed to pre-hydrate as it was going to be a hot one.
The temp at 5 PM at the start of the race was 85 F and there was nary a whisper of wind. The sun was out in full force with nary a cloud in the sky. Thankfully the aid stations were well stocked and the students and volunteers helping were more than helpful and made sure we got plenty of fluids. There was also a random farmer that was out with his kids cheering us on and offering us water, Gatorade and a cold shower he had set up.
The course was mostly through the rural country side and was pretty enough but provided little to no shelter from the blazing sun. Corn and soybeans lined the roads on both sides with the occasional farmstead to break up the fields.
There were also the hills late in the race. I went from the thought of “Keep pushing so you can finish in under 4 hours” to “You might want to slow it down so you can live through this one!” The latter self-talk won out. By the time I started climbing the hills, the sun had sucked most of the life out of me and I walked up many of the hills. That was until I hit the “Mile 26” marker (which was on the final hill with a nearly 200′ ascent in just over a mile), at this point I knew the end was in sight and I could pick up the pace and finish strong.
I will say that it was kind of fun finishing in the dark…and by dark I mean out in the country with no street lights pitch dark! I wore my Tracer 360 vest in flashing mode and it was a lot of fun in that darkest of darks.
Even though this was by far the toughest race I have ever run, the people made it a great race. There were hand written notes from students in our packets, there were students manning the aid stations and encouraging each runner and the “medals” were wooden and were etched with my finishing place…Very cool! There was a dinner afterwards that was excellent and one of the directors from the school sat and talked with me about my training and such, genuinely trying to find out what goes into preparing for a marathon. All of the people involved were genuinely interested in who we were and what brought us to their little race in their little town in the Heartland. Even though it was the most brutal and challenging race I have ever run to date, it was the people that made it what it was, a great race.

Fayetteville is a beautiful, historic town and we enjoyed both the downtown area and the Airborne Museum on our visit. The town and base were pretty easy to navigate and there were plenty of great dining options. The race was somewhat challenging with the wind and heavy mist at the start of the race but once the rain stopped, the cooler temps were appreciated by me, especially later in the race. I had the honor of running along side of a young Airborne Ranger for about 24 miles. The conversations we had were both moving and engaging as we talked about his service to our country, his training and his tours of duty. I was totally spent toward the end of the race (around mile 25) when I saw a double amputee veteran running up ahead. I became so overcome with emotion that I nearly threw up. It was truly an honor running along men and women that have served and are serving our country well. There was also a stretch of highway just before entering Ft. Bragg that honored those that were lost in action. I was moved to tears as we passed pictures with name and rank as well as a flag honoring each of those brave soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice for my freedom. At the finish line, we were greeted with a large medal, a blanket with the All American logo on it, and a metal insulated tumbler that holds about a half a pot of coffee! If you’re patriotic and don’t mind a few hills, this is a great race with plenty of swag.