I walked and ran around Seattle a bunch today, in the Seattle Marathon. This was the 50th edition, which is well noted on the medal and shirt. My first Seattle Marathon was in 1997, which math says was the 28th edition. In between, I've gotten much slower.
I had a really hard day out there. I'm not sure what the problem was, but my legs did not want to run. It was kind of cold out--around 34 degrees at the start. Sometimes that's a good thing, but I guess not today. I never got it together, and each mile was a slog.
Last year, the Marathon modified its course considerably, basically trading out Mercer Island and Seward Park for I-5, the U-District, Sand Point, back to Gasworks and Fremont, and then the Aurora Bridge. The course had a few more changes this year--nothing major, but the route went through GasWorks and took a different turn to get up to Aurora. There are a few hills on this route, with a pretty big climb up to the Aurora Bridge, and then the Bridge is also a climb. The last two miles are a relatively quick descent to Memorial Stadium.
I've seen a few completely different courses since 1997. Back then, the course went from Marymoor to the UW. For nearly 20 years, the route has included a trip out to Mercer Island and a loop around Seward Park--basically the other side of town. This route is better, I think, as its kind of cool to run on I-5 into the U-District, the Burke Gilman is flat and fast, and the view at the end on Aurora Bridge, looking back towards the I-5 Bridge where I was earlier, is kind of cool. I'm not sure where the current Rock & Roll course goes, as it has changed course a few times as well, but I ran it one year over the now deceased viaduct, and that was probably my favorite route.
At the finish, someone handed me a CBD tea mix as a freebie. Washington State.
During my slow tour of the city, I couldn't help but notice how much Seattle keeps changing. It really is startling. The tunnel is open. New condos and hotels are everywhere. South Lake Union is unrecognizable. I saw tents in a few places. It is somewhat disorienting.
I think I'll probably try one of the other T-day weekend races in the coming year. Two trips to Seattle (expo and race) is kind of a pain, and the race is getting a bit spendy. Gone are the $40 early registration days. We were stuck in traffic returning home the other day for an extra hour or so, after picking up my bib. Also, the race now starts at 7 AM on Sunday morning, which has its pros and cons, but I miss the days where I could leave the house at 6:15 or 6:30.
I didn't really have a good time today, and I ache, but I'm glad I did it, just the same. I'm guessing this was my 15th Seattle Marathon.
