Merida marathon and 10K report

So I’ve been delving into marathon training schedules, which diverted me into PRE-training schedules and boy there are a LOT out there.  So I finally decided I needed to simply list them side by side so I could see which worked better.  I really want something that increases mileage by no more than 10% each week so a spreadsheet was in order.  I input data from Hal Higedon, Marathon Rookie and Art Lieberman and really couldn’t find one that I really liked.  So I took the parts I liked from each and made my own.  Then I realized I needed to structure the program based on an actual marathon date and found that there was a 10K Sunday in Merida.  Along with a marathon.  Since it is *possible* that I may survive both the pretraining and actual training and thus be available to run in the Merida marathon next year, I thought I should check it out.  And run a 10K at the same time!  And take an emergency supply of blankets to Jonna (who is hosting visiting vets for a spay clinic).    I had a 5 mile run planned for that weekend so it seemed to work out perfectly.

We headed out late Saturday afternoon (after judo and a dentist appointment) and the boys stayed behind to take care of the Sugden cats (but I suspect more to play unlimited Xbox 360 games).  I’d researched the run and since the registration was only $10 (0.80 US CENTS) I really didn’t expect much.  I figured I’d pretty much be on my own, no water, no aid stations and probably not even a marked course.  I drew myself a map, zipped it in a ziplock and proceeded to sleep for (maybe) 4 hours before getting up to register an hour before the event.  Turned out that they closed registration about 10 minutes before the race started, so I could have slept longer and stayed warmer longer.  It was REALLY REALLY cold in Merida last night and this morning.

It was a really lovely event!  There was a HUGE police presence (for traffic detail) and when the streets weren’t completely closed for us, the police kept the traffic away and managed.  I had no idea of my pace or what my pace should be or how to run.  So I just tried to run at the pace I do normally and keep the ability to talk and I slowly settled into a nice pace.  I picked out a couple (she was very obviously wearing a thong and was very easy to spot) and after I ascertained that my pace was probably good, I passed them and picked out another runner to pace off.  I had a smile on my face the whole race (except for a short stretch around 9km when I got tired) and ran the last 2 km harder than the previous 8 and the last km the hardest.

But I TOTALLY forgot about the whole get your time at the end and since everyone was being timed by volunteers at the finish line, I really can only figure my time from extrapolating the time Jamie took my picture to how the camera matched up with my watch.  So I’m guessing at 1:02.  I’m guessing that there will be official finish times available somewhere, but I haven’t the foggiest where.

And FWIW, your ten pesos ($10MN, $0.80 US cents) you got:

• aid stations with water tubes (no need to deal with cups and VERY EASY to drink from) at km 3, 6, 8 and one more I don’t remember
• police presence and traffic management along the entire course
• a VERY well-marked course
• 100 volunteers on the course, taking bib numbers and managing the runners
• 8 volunteers per aid station with both water and poweraid
• lunch at the end (fruit and fruit juice)
• poweraid at the end personally handed out by the poweraid girls (complete in hotpants and stiletto heels!!)
• immediate race results (I finished 6 minutes out of the money)
• prize money!!!
• race bib, finisher medal and T-shirt
• huge expo
• food vendors galore (tortas, tamales, marquecitas, fruit, etc.)
• portapotties that were CLEAN, NO LINES and with TP!!!
• “Rocky” theme song at finish
• free Sol beer at finish, Sol prize (I got a washrag with Sol logo) and coupon for free beer
• First aid, paramedics, massage
• more that I probably missed…

I had such a great time and can’t wait to go back again!  Unfortunately, Mexico doesn’t have the plethora of races that the US does, but the first 4 places for the marathon all went to Kenyan runners, so there you go.  I’m not sure I’d be up for the marathon – there are really NO race course spectators, so you are TOTALLY on your own for encouragement and motivation.  And for 42 kilometers, that would be a long, lonely run.  But maybe…  I really love that town.