There is nothing like signing up for a marathon to motivate a runner.
That’s what I concluded while about a dozen of us carpooled to Shasta Dam on a recent Saturday morning. Other than the pull of a marathon, would could possibly have caused us all to rise at O’dark hundred on a weekend so that we could run all the way from the big concrete slab to the Sundial Bridge?
Much of the talk that morning was, indeed, about upcoming marathons. One woman visiting from the South Bay was training for her very first attempt at the 26-mile, 385-yard distance – the Silicon Valley Marathon on October 25. Another woman was preparing for her 64th marathon – the Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Marathon on October 4 in South Dakota. Most of the rest of us were somewhere between our first and 64th marathons.
If you’re a first-time marathon entrant, you train hard because you want to do well and are excited about the whole endeavor. If you’ve covered the distance before, you train even harder because you know what a marathon requires of body and mind. You’re probably also aware of how painful the race and following days can be if you’re not be fully prepared.
Redding has its own marathon scheduled for January 17, 2010. (http://www.sweatrc.com/Redding_Marathon/index.html). The course goes from the Shasta Dam overlook on Highway 151 to the Sundial Bridge. We used most it for our recent early morning run. If you register for the race in advance, the cost is only $65, which is a bargain. Plus, if you sign up today, you’ll have all the motivation you need to pound out miles during the dog days of summer.
I don’t know of any formal training group for the Redding Marathon, but you may find a list of group runs, fun runs and shorter races listed on the SWEAT Running Club website, http://www.sweatrc.com. If you’re a newbie, come to one of those runs and ask around. You’ll find a marathon training partner or informal group in a matter of minutes. One thing about long-distance runners: They are extraordinarily helpful and supportive of other runners.
Other marathons in the region dot the calendar between now and the Redding event. The Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon (http://www.coastaltrailruns.com/bizz_johnson.html) is scheduled for October 11 on, yes, the Bizz Johnson Trail in Lassen County. This is a spectacular point-to-point course from the Westwood area to Susanville (see photo above). The big news is that a Bay Area outfit called Coastal Trail Runs is now in charge.
I was disappointed with the race organization when I ran the Bizz Johnson event three years ago. The new organizers, however, are the same people who produce Pacific Coast Trail Runs (PCTR), an extremely well-oiled series of events from Portland to L.A. Wendell Doman, who runs both organization, said Coastal Trail Runs will focus on less-extreme events than PCTR, which is intended to introduce runners to rugged trails and ultramarathon distances.
The Bizz Johnson race offers “a great course. That’s really the attraction,” Doman told me, adding, “The whole town seems to be behind us.”
It should be. Susanville motels and restaurants fill up during the 6-year-old event, which also features a half-marathon. Doman said he doesn’t plan any significant changes right away, but I’m willing to bet that everything goes a little smoother this year.
And you heard it hear first: Singer and actress Alanis Morissette has signed up to run her first marathon at Bizz Johnson. Hope she doesn’t trip in the “weeds” or cause any “chaos.”
The second annual Lithia Loop Trail Marathon (http://www.roguevalleyrunners.com/LLTM.html) is scheduled November 7 in Ashland. This is one scenic but very hilly course using primarily dirt roads. Expect to add at least 40 to 60 minutes to your usual marathon time for this bad boy.
Many people from our area head to the California International Marathon (http://www.runcim.org/) in Sacramento on the first Sunday in December each year. As long as the weather cooperates – and it does at least half the time – this is a blazing fast run from Folsom Dam to the state Capitol.
If a marathon is about, oh … 24 miles farther than you want to go, let me suggest the Moonlight Madness (http://www.midniteracing.net/Moonlight) 2-miler on August 29. The race will be a pancake-flat, out-and-back run across Shasta Dam starting at 8 p.m. Part of the Sunset Through the Trees series, Moonlight Madness is also a stand-alone event with its own awards and goodies. I don’t know how much moonlight there will really be, as it won’t be fully dark at 8 o’clock, the race is six days before the next full moon, and the dam is well-lighted. Still, I love the idea of a nighttime run while the weather is warm, and it’s always fun to run or walk across the dam.
Paul Shigley is still searching for the perfect marathon strategy at his home in Centerville. You may reach him at paulshigley@sbcglobal.net.
