I approached this marathon much differently than the others. First of all, I ran this marathon on a whim. I was originally planning on a Saturday long run. However, I thought it would be nice to have a new course safely laid out, fuel placed along the way, and a few extra miles. I showed up on race day with cash in hand for the marathon.
It’s nice to add spontaneity to life.
This race takes place in Lovell Canyon among the Spring Mountains. If you enjoy desert mountain scenery, you will appreciate the views. I thought it was actually quite lush as far as a desert setting goes.
The course runs along a winding and hilly paved road. The road wasn’t shut down but there were very few cars using it. It’s mostly an out-and-back course with an extra turnaround near the halfway point to round out the mileage to 26.2. The road could use a repaving but that isn’t a big a deal to me. Overall, it is a tough course with over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. The high temperatures (80s/90s) didn’t help either. It probably isn’t going to be your PR course, but I don’t think the goal always has to be a new PR.
My goal for this race was simply to get in a good workout. I strapped on my heart rate monitor and did my best to keep it in a low zone throughout the race. Keeping my heart rate in a low zone was tough on some of the climbs. I forced myself to slow down or walk to get my heart rate back down. Mentally, I couldn’t let it bother me when people passed me or get lured into racing hard. In the end, I accomplished my goal of getting a good workout. I didn’t push too hard and felt great the next day.
Calico Racing always puts on a solid event. Everything flowed well logistically. The volunteers and support were great. It’s not a huge event, so if you prefer races with fewer participants, this is a good one. I really like the shirt and medal too.
If you’re looking for a well-organized, challenging, low-key marathon in May (and in Nevada) this one is a great choice. Other distances offered for the event include 5k, 10k, half marathon, 50k, and 50 miles.
As always, if you have questions or comments about this particular event, feel free to post something below.
