Two weeks since Yeti, I was not doing or feeling very well. Usually feeling a bit of the blue after a big run is normal for me. Missing the Army Ten Miler last week really set me off in a bad way. Hayden Lake Marathon came at the right time to turn things around. There’s no depression that a little marathon could get me out of.
My friend wanted to run in Idaho for one of her fifty states marathon goals back in the summer but due to some circumstances, she was not able to go during the summer. The race director allowed her to transfer her registration to the fall.
I checked my fall schedule and it aligned to my goal of getting my 50 states marathon in. I joined her.
It was a good choice for me. Originally, Hayden Lake was not on my radar. I wanted to do Lake Tahoe instead because I am more familiar with that, having been there maybe 10 years ago and I wanted a lot of miles (Tahoe Marathon was a three day running series, where on Friday if you like, to run 70 miles around the whole lake during the night). Because of lack of crewing, I did not sign up. Hayden Lake was my second best option.
Before going, I knew the course was going to beautiful. Hayden Lake is near Coeur D’Alene. I have heard a lot of Coeur D’Alene. I didn’t know how to pronouce the name for this place, but the locals seem to say it like “quarter lane”.
The Hayden Lake is just big enough for doing a marathon around it. People asked if I have driven around the lake as preparation. In my younger days, driving through the course is what I would do the day before the race. Now with plenty ultra distance races under me, I didn’t feel a need to do so. Besides, I flew in late the night before. There was no time for prepping as I normally would. There was no big chinese buffet for me as I normally do. And no pho at the end. (We went to a gas station next to our hotel, and brough cup of noodle).
One word, the course was hilly. For me, I am fine with a hilly course. I like the extra challenge. We are talking about couple mile long climbs, something we don’t normally see in a marathon.
The total elevation was 2600 ft, which is not typical either. The two big climbs are at Mile 4-5 and mile 17. There were also a lot of descents but the course is on rolling hills, so it went ups and downs. A few descents were over a mile long, which were fun for me.
In getting to the race, we flew into Spokane, Washington on Friday. The race was on Saturday. I arrived late near midnight (intended), but I also ran into some delays and flight changes. My friend picked up my bib for me.
Going from the east coast to west coast for a race is usually beneficial. Though I arrived late, I slept on the plane. I slept too on the way back.
We woke up early around 4 AM, the next morning, since our body had not adjusted to the time zone changes, it was not that early for us.
The temperature was a bit chilly for me. It was my first “cold weather” running. I wore a buff, arm sleeves, shorts, and a CC t-shirt. I was still feeling a bit cold. I wanted to stay in the car, but my nervous pre race jittery, required me to walk around. I had on a light jacket before the race, but I knew I like to run without the jacket on because I tend to warm up pretty easily.
The race did not have many parking spots on site (Honey Suckle Rd). There were two satellite parking sites about a mile away. They had shuttle running through the race to bus racers and spectators to/from various parking lots.
We originally parked about a mile away but seeing no one, we were not sure it was the right place. We did not know we were to park inside the construction site as there were no signages as to where were to park. A few cars pulled up next to us, but they soon drove off. We followed them and they led us to a parking off the side of the road right outside the marathon start (within a walking distance, 0.2 mile away). I was prepared to walk a mile as a warm-up but Caroline wanted to ride the bus. We walked back and forth without realizing the start was right there literally.
For future runners, it always good to go early to get a parking closer to the start. We did not need a shuttle to our car.
The Lake was beautiful. The leaves were turning. I like the pine trees. I couldn’t tell if some were douglass firs or not. There were some very tall trees.
The event was not big. There were only about 75 runners for the marathon. The half marathon started half hour later. They also held a quarter marathon and a 5K. Probably a big event when all were combined together. I heard they had street food trucks. We had plenty of pizzas when we finished but the local food trucks were gone. Those shorter distance events were all finished by the time I got back to the start.
I like hills. Running trail prepared me well for the hilly course. One person asked me how we trained for this. I think you just have to run on a lot of hills. There are training plans out on the web. As for me, I have built quite a good base, so not much training was needed to do a marathon, whether hilly or not I run it the same way. Most runners were from local areas so they were well trained on the hill aspect as well. I could tell, because though it was a hilly course, people were running up on all the hills, a rare sight in a marathon.
I started off with my friend. I usually started off slow and today was no exception. I kept at her pace for about a mile. We talked to runners around us. I surveyed the field. We made good friends. Again, something you could not do at a big marathons, but in a smaller marathons everyome are friendly.
I did not come in with a set goal of how I would run it. Only goal was to finish so I could cross off the state. I know my usual marathon time for this year was around 5 hours. My last marathon in August was a bit over 5. I was hoping I could finish in 5 hours. My Toronto Marathon was my fastest time this year at 4:30. I was not sure if I could get a 5.
Runners were friendly. We talked to many people. Jeff, started with us and I got to know him. He and I started to run a bit faster and we soon left my friend Caroline behind. I did not intend to pace her in this race, knowing she would do fine by herself.
Jeff had run a backyard marathon recently. I knew he should do quite well. Soon his pace was too fast for me to keep up, but he was too polite of not leaving me behind, and I did not want to hold him back, so I told him to run on ahead. He did. Later, I found him at the end of the race. We joked that our conversation at the beginning had kept him from getting the marathon under 4 hours.
I enjoyed the scenery and I made a few stops to take some pictures after the first long climb up. Couple people also stopped with me and took pictures of the valley and the lake.
We had a good decent after mile 5. I love a long descent but I was careful to reign in my pace lest I exhausted myself.
Miles passed by quickly. My goal was to reach halfway. By mile 12, I was feeling a bit tired and stopped for more pictures.
Mile 17 finally broke me. This was a second long climb. I was a too tired to run up on the hill. It was over a mile long and so like most people ahead and behind me, I walked up.
By mile 19, I had recovered enough to run again. I came across a runner who was struggling kind of badly. He did not know he missed an aid station. Apparently it was closed earlier and by the time I reached mile 19, they just reopened it. However, the runner in front did not see that. He was bending over stretching his legs. I passed by to see if he was OK.
We were already some distance away from the aid station, and so only way was to go forward instead of turning around to return to the aid station.
He had gel on him and I urged him to use his gel now. It would enable him to get to the next aid station. He took my advice. I also ate mine. We paced him, with run and walk to mile 22. It was his first time running a marathon. He was experiencing hitting the wall. He said he felt a cramp was about to happen. I urged him take it easy and not to force it.
I knew he would be fine soon with only a few miles left. Mile 20 was my pick me up time. I started running in earnest to catch back up of a few runners who passed me.
There was a lady, she was quite strong. I saw her still could run up the hills this late in the race. I kept pace behind and closing in a bit at a time. Soon I was within earshot and heard her breathing heavily. I knew her pace was not sustainable. Soon she paused to walk. I could have passed her but I decided to pause my pace and walked with her too and I offered to pace her. We were maybe 3 miles from the finish. I got her to mile 25. She ran a good pace behind me.
Mile 25 had the last aid station, there she rested. I ran ahead to get water then to pour it on myself to invigorate me for the final push. The cold water helped shocking my system awake. I ran at my full speed then.
I caught up with another runner. We ran into the finish together. I finished under 5 hours, at 4:48.
I was happy. The sun came out. They offered pizzas and fruits. I had many plates while waiting for Caroline! I saw Jeff again as he was going home. I asked him how he did, guessing he must have finished under 4 hours. He was close and got 4:01. We laughed at that because he slowed down to talk with me and my friend Caroline and caused him to miss the 4:00 finish.
Caroline came in around 6:00. She made a few friends who were around her pace. The two ladies were running their first marathons. One of them (Nene) said we must be pros. We laughed. I said it was Caroline 45th marathon and mine #13. Actually my real count is around 50 something for full marathons. 13 is my state count. We had our meal and pictures taken, then we parted our ways.
I am completely satisfied with my trip and the race. My trip home was a long one due to a fairly long layover in Seattle. I went out the airport for lunch at Pike Place (farmer market/wharf) about an hour train ride away. Something I wanted to do anyway. Originally, I wanted to go to Vancouver for couple days too.
I have been the Wharf before but this time I took the public transport out, called the Link. It was a good tour of the greater city, riding the electric train (bus). Yes, there are tent cities etc. There are more homeless people than last time I visited. There were some weird people even on my train. As I rode, a guy behind me was explaining the local history and what he encountered with some scary people.
The rail is a technological wonder to me. We had to pay to ride but I did not see anyone paying. I went to a booth and brought a whole day ticket for $6 (fairly cheap in my opinion). They did not have a fare gate to separate outside/inside. I saw everyone just walked through a painted area. I followed the same. I doubt my ticket stub is a RFID enabled. Later on my way back to the airport, I saw one passenger (out of a thousand), scanned his Orca pass at one of the posts at a corner. I did not have an Orca pass but just a normal ticket stub. Weird. I walked through the painted line like everyone else. I don’t know how they enforced fare evaders. I am just curious because in the DC Metro area, we are pretty serious here, with alarm beeping if one tries to hop over a fare gate. I think for most people, it was a free ride.
The rest of the trip home was uneventful. My flight home was on-time. Well, I rather not say about my trouble with Uber/Lyft. Maybe the lesson there was to get a flight in earlier. I eventually reach home but not until after 2 AM, that is for another time.
In awe 