July Marathon of the Month: SOGONAPMIT Marathon, American Fork, Utah

Say what?
SOGONAPMIT is Timpanogos backwards. And? Ok, the Timpanogos is a half marathon which starts at the Tibble Fork Reservoir in American Fork Canyon Utah. It traverses down the canyon as the sun rises, providing spectacular views. The course is primarily downhill until it flattens out and heads into the outskirts of town. So....the marathon starts at the FINISH of the half marathon and runs the course backwards. It is timed such that the half marathoners are waiting for the full marathon participants to make it to the top before the half starts. The full marathoners are greeted by approximately 2,000 cheering people as they summit, then prepare to turn around and run their "2nd half" with the half marathoners on the way back down. Thus the marathon SOGONAPMIT.

As I read about this event my mind started racing with regards to crazy logistic issues. Like time. The half marathon starts at 6:00 AM! Yikes. The full marathon starts at 3:20 AM! You have 2 1/2 hours to complete the half (keeping in mind that it is primarily UPHILL as you leave town and head up the canyon and it's DARK).  I didn't even mention altitude. The Tibble Fork reservoir sits at over 6,000 feet. The town of American Fork is at about 4500 feet. Ouch. Marathoners are provided head lamps and are required to wear reflective vests. Carrying fluids is also suggested, as the aid stations are on the course, but not yet manned.  My mind couldn't get past how the pace timing was going to be handled for those that run the first half faster then 2 1/2 hours. (Not to mention having to stop running for a potentially lengthy amount of time before starting up again). Not that I think this would be an issue for ME, but reading further I see that it is chip timed, so I am assuming they take your chip times and add them at the finish. I have never heard any race like this before! Sounds crazy!

Ok so here are the stats:

2013 marks the third year for this race, and from the start it has been an organizationally top-notch race. The numbers from last year appear to be about 2000 people for the half, and only about 100 for the full. There doesn't appear to be an expo--merely a packet pick-up, which is disappointing. Still, the event appears to have a lot of sponsors for their race packets, and runners also receive gender-specific short sleeved tech tops.

The medals get rave reviews every year. This year's marathon medal appears to be a "spinner". Very big and colorful too. The race director has been quoted as saying, "It's all about the medal". This is my kind of race director.

Race day logistics seem pretty easy. The half marathoners take a bus up to the canyon start. I believe the full marathoners can have a bag taken to the top in order to drop off the "night time accessories" and pick up items for the 2nd half of the run.

Terrain wise, this would be an extremely difficult marathon, but one reviewer said, "the mountain isn't as visually intimidating in the dark", another person said it wasn't as hard as he expected, and another said the downhill 2nd half was incredible and went by fast. Finally one person practically screamed, "DO IT!"

I doubt there are any spectators on the course, but running with the half marathoners would make the 2nd half less lonely, and too, the scenery will make up for the loss of "hoopla", as always.

American Fork is a small town, but seems to have enough hotels and restaurants to make it work without having to stay in Provo (15 miles away) or Salt Lake City (a bit further away).  Getting to American Fork via Provo or Salt Lake City looks to be pretty simple too.

Weather-wise, it will most likely be hot and dry, with the lows in the 60's and the highs in the 90's, but it will be considerably cooler in the canyon before sunrise, and running the first half in the dark will be a blessing.

I'm not sure I can get up enough nerve to run this marathon, mainly because I am still scarred from the elevation battle during Utah's Wasatch relay. That HURT. I really like the race concept though, and I think it would be really unique to run the entire first half of a marathon in the dark. Everyone says that hitting the summit with the half marathoners cheering for you is incredible.

Here is their web-site: http://timphalf.com/

They also have a facebook page and several videos on you-tube.

So, interesting, yes! Do-able, yes! Maybe I should take the runner's advice and DO IT!

Embracing the Heat

Here we go again! Such is the torture of the Texas marathoner who has sights set on a fall marathon... Fall marathons require training in this gawd-awful heat! And let me tell you, it is tough, as in big-girl panties tough, as if training for a marathon isn't tough enough already. This is serious business. If you've never trained for a marathon in this heat, then listen up. I made a list of things to consider.

1. Pick a winter or spring marathon instead so you can train in weather fit for humans.

Yeah, I know, most of the good ones are in the fall. Here is just an example of what our group is training for: Chicago, New York City, Kansas City, St. George, and Twin Cities. Marathons in October and November are going to require most, if not all of your long runs to be in the heat. Just expect that.

2. If you insist on a fall marathon then get your head around the heat.

As Ginna and Sara say, "Embrace the heat".  Every year I tell myself that I am not going to crack--that I am going to hang tough and stay positive, knowing that the heat is only making me tougher, and if I lived on the west coast I'd turn into a wimp in no time--so pointless it would be to live where all you had were cool ocean breezes and marine layer fog and AHHHHH!!! I HATE TEXAS IN THE SUMMER!!! Crack....I crack every single summer, but hey, this year I vow to crack very very late into it....

3. You must CARRY FLUIDS.

Even if you are looping at the lake, where there is a water source every couple of miles you have to carry fluids. The other day I ran a loop (9 miles) with water stops AND my water bottle and when I got home I still lost 2 pounds. I am still training to drink more than I usually do--it's harder than you think to get this right. You must weigh yourself before and after the long runs initially to be sure you are drinking enough. You cannot compare yourself to your friends, as some sweat way more than others. Also, you need to get the electrolytes right. I take electrolyte pills and drink Gatorade. What I do works for me, but not necessarily someone else. You have to experiment with different products. So figure out how to carry your fluids, either hand-held or strapped on. If you think it's uncool, well you know what's even more uncool? You, lying on the side of the road.

4. Expect it to suck.

There will be long runs that will go OK and you will breathe a sigh of relief, like, "yeah I got this". And then the next run will leave you reduced to a whimper. It's just the way it is. Don't try to analyze it. Just accept it. Don't let it get at you mentally to where you think you need a "re-do" on the run because it was way slower or required a lot of walking. If you had to cut it short because you were feeling dizzy (and you do know that you need to STOP if you get dizzy right?), then here's an idea that has worked for me. If the heat is getting to me on a long run to where I am getting dizzy then I cut it short and finish the run on a treadmill in the gym. I've only had to do this twice, but I keep everything in the car just in case it happens. It is NOT FUN, but it gets done, and that's the name of the game here. The runs will be slower than you want. You will doubt your ability to run a marathon. At the very least you will doubt your marathon goal pace. I recall one summer where our first blast of cool air was when we arrived in Pennsylvania for the marathon! It's always nice to catch a break with a summer storm or an unexpected cold front, but don't count on it. When it happens though, euphoria!

5. Suffer with friends.

It's sick, but our summer runs are kind of fun. We have fond memories and wow, just crazy war stories from summer's past that leave us laughing now. And talk about bragging rights on how tough we are. I know I couldn't do it alone. I've had several  friends who, while telling me an engrossing story, got me through a very rough patch, or vice versa. We make interesting routes and pick up people along the way (called "fresh meat"). We have even broke out into song....I've had to run solo on some long runs and I can do it, but it is a lot harder. Still, sometimes if I am feeling bad I slow down and let the group go. Being by yourself during a rough patch is OK too if you need to slow down and take in whatever you need to get you back on track.

6. Things to try:

There are lots of products out there to test out, whether it be for chafing, keeping you cool, etc. Sara is carrying this towel called "Enduracool Instant cooling towel". She snaps it and amazingly enough it gets cold! I've also heard positive things about a sweat-activated cooling fabric by Columbia. There's also a lot to be said for ice baths--not just for faster recovery, but to help bring your core temperature down. One summer we had a small kiddie pool and some bags of ice waiting for us after our long runs. Maybe we need to do that again this year. I'm trying coconut water for pre-hydration this time around. With its high potassium content maybe I can back off on the bananas! Lots of fun stuff out there.

And so it begins...the training programs are written. The "Spring break" is over. Let's get to it!

Having fun?