Marathon Training Thread

[ERCougar]

Unofficial time: 3:59:50. Slowest of the CUF crew. I am giddy. But sore.

Way to break the 4 hour mark! We'll expect a fuller report when you get home to a computer.

[Pheidippides]

And here's the full report. Cowboy may remember some of this differently or have some of the events at different miles:

After my major bonk last marathon, I did a number of things different this time. I was a little bit worried because my training wasn't quite as good (thanks, Houston summer!) but I went in with two goals - beating my Houston marathon time (4:11 and change) and going under 4 hours. I overdid the carb loading a bit this time - so much so that I put myself firmly in the Clydesdale division (I didn't change my registration out of embarrassment). I also got a Pacetat - see pacetat.com - for the day of the race.

Day prior to the race, I picked up cowboy in Sandy and we drove up to Logan together. Cowboy is magnificent company, and we discussed everything from weighty spiritual matters to proper manly choice of hair care products, leaving some time to express opinions on the decisively non-gay nature of arm sleeves and pink stretchy yarn gloves. We also happened upon the wife of one of the Ramones (or at least somebody who looked like a young version of one of the Ramones). Turns out she was not only sporting the Molly Mormon appearance but was especially Goatnapper approved. Ah, the things you find in Logan.

I got about six hours of sleep (8:00 - 2:00). Shaved, showered, did my hair, got dressed, peed about 900 times due to being over hydrated. Cowboy and I loaded the bus to the finish line, then loaded another to the start line at Hardware Ranch (peeing twice more along the way - you will sense a theme here). It was cold - I'm guessing just above freezing - but they had a tent with a heater blaring that was pretty neat, at least when I wasn't peeing. Overhydration is something to work on for next time.

Race started about 3 minutes late. The starting gun was a group of people doing a mountain man reenactment shooting muzzleloaders, which I found cool since I used to do the reenactments myself as a kid. And off we go.

Mile 1 - I'm determined that I'm not going to go out too fast this time, so I keep it smooth. Concentrate on my form. Quiet upper body, quick cadence, short stride - just like I was taught. I feel great! Ditch the jacket about halfway through the mile. Kinda crowded, but neither cowboy or I are in the mood to dodge in and out of people, so we just go with the flow. Plug in the tunes and weather the first mile storm. Pace: 8:52.

Mile 2 - Crowd thins out a bit and people start going faster. We want to go fast but not too fast - keep it between 8:30 and 8:45 for the first half, see where the second half takes us. Lots of people pass us, but we'll pick them off later. Plus we're racing against ourselves anyway, both of us trying for a PR. I ditch my pink gloves at the end of the mile. Pace: 8:38.

Mile 3 - Wow, what a nice day. Or at least it would be if cowboy isn't so insistent on fighting over music choice. George Strait? How the hell do you run to that crap? He tries resolutely to get me to declare his music superior until I threaten to drop him right then and there (not that I really could have). So I stick with my Metallica/Iron Maiden and he sticks with his country. I'm not saying that George Strait made his HR spike at this point, but I'm not saying it didn't either. So I end up dropping him anyway. Pace: 8:31.

Mile 4 - Running solo for now, and I have to pee again. I think I drank too much yesterday, mistaking the dry feeling in my mouth from no humidity for actual thirst. I can hold it for a while maybe. Pace: 8:31.

Mile 5 - Crap, I can't hold it anymore. But I'm a guy, so I just stop to the side of the road and let her fly, rather than using the porta-johns at the aid station. I'm not worried about people peeking because, frankly, the cold and the exercise have left little enough to peek at. [Insert joke here]. But it costs me some time. Cowboy's HR is back to normal and he catches up. Pace: 9:05.

Mile 6 - Wow, look at that ass! Time for some drafting. I know that's shallow, but what else am I going to look at? It's all part of the beautiful nature around. She's going too fast for us, though, so we only draft for a while. Pace: 8:24.

Mile 7 - Crap, I have to pee yet again. What is going on here? Thankfully, cowboy does too, so we both pull off to the side and do our business, and then pick up the pace to make up for lost time. Pace: 8:45.

Mile 8 - Wow, look at that ass! I could have gone all day without seeing that, Mr. Old Guy With Uber Short Shorts and a Wedgie. No doubt it's punishment for our indulgence at Mile 6. We pick up the pace to improve our view, but I have to pee AGAIN. This getting old and is costing time. Pace: 9:07.

Mile 9 - Despite his choice of music, cowboy recognizes the riff to Master of Puppets off of my earphones (yes, I listen to them a bit too loud). Good to see there's hope there. I'm feeling great - better than last marathon. Pace: 8:43.

Mile 10 - A couple of chatty chicks drop by and we run as a foursome for most of the mile. They were nice - apparently trying to qualify for Boston, though, so a little bit out of my speed league, at least at this weight. Both of us have Garmins, so we tell them how fast we are all going. They act pleased with the pace, but then drop it down a little faster. I'm too old and married to go skirt chasing, and too slow to do it effectively. A bunch of kids have a Hogwarts cheering station at Mile 9 and 3/4. Clever. Pace: 8:42.

Mile 11 - The Pacetat is coming in really handy. I've got it on my inner forearm, and every time we pass an official mile marker I check our actual time and yell it out to cowboy, then check how far ahead of a 4:00 pace we are. Our plan was to bank as much time as possible on this downhill portion in anticipation of the inevitable slowdown at the end. Still feeling frisky and great. Pace: 8:50.

Mile 12 - We're moving now. We're losing about .05 mile every mile on my Garmin, and the net effect is that by the time we get to the actual mile marker and through the aid stations I am reading that we only have .6 to go to the next mile. Of course we have further, but when it flips over I can see the mile marker. So it feels really fast. We're absolutely chewing through the miles - they are kind of a blur at this point. Pace: 8:35.

Mile 13 - Almost out of the canyon now. Still feel great. It's really nice to run with somebody too. We agree that we'll not hold each other back at the end, as you never know what will happen in the later miles, but for now we're holding strong with the pace. At the halfway point (yes, I know that's technically next mile), we've banked more than 3 full minutes. That is good juju. Pace: 8:43.

Mile 14 - Hey, what's this? A strong wind? And not just any wind, a canyon wind that is cool and refreshing and at our backs! Magnificent! 20 mph gust cool me off just as I was getting hot and give me a great push. Pace: 8:42.

Mile 15 - We're starting to see people now that we're out of the canyon. It's still a bit spotty, though, which is a good thing because I have to pee AGAIN! What, did I develop an enlarged prostate this week? I'm in quite a rush to finish and accidentally put Mr. Johnson away a touch too soon. Well that's embarrassing. But it sort of looks like a sweat or water drop or two hit, and it's not like I'm going to stop and ask to use somebody's washing machine. Pace: 8:44.

Mile 16 - Legs are starting to feel it a bit, but we're still humming along. It's taking a bit more effort to keep up the pace, though, and I'm a bit worried about my right knee and hip. Nothing specific, just general pain that I've felt before. My IT has help up nicely, and let's hope it continues to do so. Pace: 9:02.

Mile 17 - I feel a bit better, and looky there at the mile marker! It's my parents - they managed to make it after all. Good to see them. Dad would tell me later that he was amazed at all the "old" (read: 50+) people who were running and doing well. There were quite a few. They snap some shots and mosey on to the next spot. Pace: 8:44.

Mile 18 - Mom and Dad nearly get pulled over by a cop when they slow way down in their car to snap more pictures of me. They don't care. Meanwhile, my legs are really feeling it. Something isn't quite right with my left calf, but it's not horrible. I'm in better shape at this point than I was in Houston - if a bit slower. Hopefully the consistent pacing will pay off. Pace: 9:02.

Mile 19 - Okay, there is definitely something bad with my calf. And who decided it was a good idea to put a long incline at this point in the race? I want to have a serious word with the course designer. Still, we've banked a lot of time - the better part of 5 minutes anyway - so I'm optimistic about our chances. We're starting to fade, though, so that time is going to come in handy. Time for a caffeinated gel. Pace: 9:08.

Mile 20 - Well, crap. My calf is not doing well at all, and I can't really run on it very well. Towards the end of the mile, I tell cowboy to leave me behind, and I stop and try to walk it out. Costs me a lot of time, and I'm not sure I can make either of my goals at this point. Let's worry about finishing - I know I can do that, with only a 10k to go. I see an aid station in the distance - maybe if I get some more fluids in, the cramping (which is what I'm sure it is) will go away. Pace: 10:18.

Mile 21 - Grab two glasses of gatorade, one of water, and an orange slice and pound them. That orange slice is money. The caffeine has now kicked in and I feel better - a bit. Every step is exhausting yet, but I know what the wall feels like and this isn't it. It's just tired legs. I've still got a hope of going sub-4. I'm also picking off people left and right here - a lot of people are walking or shuffling. Pace: 9:13.

Mile 22 - Getting more and more tired now, but yet I'm still passing people. A lot of these people passed me back at mile 1. Suckers and first timers - you went out too fast, a mistake I did not make. I've been walking through aid stations since Mile 19, and I'm really taking my time through these. At least one glass of both gatorade and water and an orange slice, which are still money. It costs me my precious banked time, but I am not going to make any goals if I plow on through. Still haven't hit the wall, though my legs are really sore and tired by now. Pace: 9:26.

Mile 23 - Ugh. I really feel crappy. Time for my last caffeinated gel (the WoW-approved varieties having been used on miles 5, 10 and 15). It helps, but I really take my time through the aid station. At least I think there was an aid station. Maybe it was a mirage. I'm in sort of a fog. Pace: 9:47.

Mile 24 - I'm still sore and very tired, and my calf is still cramping, but I haven't stopped to walk yet other than aid stations. Am I really going to escape this thing without hitting the wall? I think I still have a shot at breaking 4:00, and I'm sure that I can get a new PR. I'm still picking off a lot of people too, as there are many walking wounded at this point. A downhill slope for the last chunk of this mile really helps. Pace: 9:59.

Mile 25 - Who in the hell decided that a hill here was a good idea?!?!?!?!? Okay, it's not much of a hill in terms of distance - maybe only a couple hundred yards - but it's STEEP. I run to the top and my quads start screaming that I need to walk, so I do. But just when I think 4:00 isn't in the picture, who should I see but my parents again, just on the corner of the tabernacle. And they brought my running brother with them! He's got on Chacos and jeans, but he gamely joins up and paces me. It's just what I need. I put on the song I've been saving just for this - Freebird - and stick it on my iPod, and then run with him for a quarter mile, into mile 26. God bless him! Pace: 10:03.

Mile 26 - I thank my brother and tell him to drop. This is something I have to do myself. This is where I prove what I'm made of. There's a very, very tiny incline to start, but even that is torture at this point. I run along and see an incline - the sort of incline that you get when you cross an intersection. Can't do it. Stop to walk. 4:00 is a stupid goal anyway - what does it matter? I'll get a new PR even if I have to walk it in. But then something stirs in me. Somewhere deep down, in a place I've never been athletically before, a voice tells me that I can. I can make this. My legs are hamburger. My breath is ragged. But I've run too damn good of a race to give up now. Pace: 9:53.

Mile 26.2 - I hit the 26 mile marker and look at my watch. 3:58 and change. I do a quick bit of mental math and realize this could, but I've got to put the hammer down now. I take off my headphones and give it everything I've got, which isn't much at this point. Reach deep, niku. This isn't about your legs or your lungs or your heart anymore. This is about your mind. Remember that 20 miler you did, when you dropped the last mile in sub-8? Remember how much you were chomping at the bit this last week, running 5k pace just because you felt like it? You've got this! Pace: 8:40.

Total official time: 3:59:50.

And who's that at the finish line? My parents, yes, but cowboy and Sea Chicken too, asking my time and just as excited as I was that I went sub 4. It was good to meet both of them, and very good to run most of the race with cowboy, who's a great race partner.

I'm proud of this race. I learned from my mistakes last time and made an effective race plan and stuck with it. But more to the point, I found a part of me that I've never had to find before - a willpower I didn't know I had. One day I'd like to be as fast as Sea Chicken, but that will come with experience and more training, if at all. For now, I couldn't be more pleased with how I did. A great way to spend a birthday.

[scottie]

Good writeup nikuman, I enjoyed reading it. Amazing how easy it is to recall every detail afterward isn't it?

[Babs]

very cool, niku, but you can put your shirt back on now.

congrats!

[SteelBlue]

Nice job Niku. Congrats!

[Sea Chicken]

Here's my race report. I had a good day.
http://court.fastrunningblog.com/blog-09-18-2010.html

[bluegoose]

Great job, guys, and very nice race reports. Is cowboy still off the grid? Should we leave it up to him to share his experience or does one you want to let us know how he finished?

By the way, how rad would it be if he were to write up his report before he reads Nikuman's report. I would love a double-blind side-by-side comparison.

[Pheidippides]

Great job, guys, and very nice race reports. Is cowboy still off the grid? Should we leave it up to him to share his experience or does one you want to let us know how he finished?

By the way, how rad would it be if he were to write up his report before he reads Nikuman's report. I would love a double-blind side-by-side comparison.

I think he's traveling still. I said that I was met by him at the end, so you can infer he went sub four too (which he did).

Btw, one epilogue to my report. My parent, age 56 and 61, were both so impressed with the number of old people running that they have decided to pick it up now too. They want to start with a 5k, and my dad wants to run a marathon too. Both are in good physical shape so I am encouraging it, albeit with caution and good training.

[cowboy]

Great job, guys, and very nice race reports. Is cowboy still off the grid? Should we leave it up to him to share his experience or does one you want to let us know how he finished?

By the way, how rad would it be if he were to write up his report before he reads Nikuman's report. I would love a double-blind side-by-side comparison.

Driving home today - do I have to have a sticker to use the handicapped parking? My official time was 3:57:28. Full report tomorrow, thought I don't have much to add to nikuman's report as we ran together for 21 miles.

[Pheidippides]

Just signed up for the 2011 Utah valley marathon. June 11. It shows you how much of a thrill I get out of these - I can't even walk yet, and I'm signing up for another.

[cowboy]

Well, I’ll not give a mile by mile review because I don’t have time, and I don’t have my GPS to remind me, but here is my Top of Utah Marathon write-up. I had mixed feelings going into this race. I felt good about my training, but going into the week of the run I was a little dehydrated and I had lost quite a bit of weight during my taper. Starting Tuesday, I ate as much as I could, and drank enough water to float a battleship. The last 4 meals before the race all included some sort of pasta. By Friday afternoon I felt like I was going to sprout noodles out of my ears.

I rode to Logan with Nikuman. He picked me up at my SIL’s where I introduced him to my wife and then I promptly rushed him out before he could take off his shirt. I could see her checking him out, and I knew it would be all over if she ever saw him in his skivvies. After a stop at WalMart for some essentials, a throwaway sweatshirt and Vaseline for me, and pink gloves and hair mousse for nikuman, we were off to Logan. We ate the last supper at the Olive Garden in the booth next to the 22-year-old version of Joey Ramone and his primary president wife. They seemed to be a nice couple, but they were certainly a paradox. We left the Olive Garden with a renewed appreciation for breastfeeding.

We picked up our packets at the expo, talked with Sea Chicken for a few minutes and left for the hotel. I had to get nikuman out of there. He had already purchased arm sleeves, and I knew that it was just a matter of time before he was diving through the dollar dumpster looking for a sports bra in his size. Back at the hotel, I hit the rack early, and was asleep before ten with the alarm set for 3:15.

It’s Saturday morning, and I’m up at 3:15, I sit around, stretch, and down a protein shake before heading down to breakfast of hot cocoa and English muffins. Two busses later, we are at the starting line where we wait for an hour trying to stay warm. At 6:59 I need to pee. No problem, I just walk to the borrow pit and go with my back to the crowd. As the women walk by I wonder to myself what the hell was so funny.

The rifles go off at 7:04, and we shuffle toward the starting line. A little crowded at first, but nothing too bad, and we’re able to get a pretty good first mile in without being slowed down too much. By the second mile, we’re able to run at our target pace without the crowd holding us up. We had a pretty good game plan: we figured we needed four or five minutes cushion by the time we hit the bottom of the canyon at mile 17, so w were shooting for an 8:40ish pace. For some reason, my heart rate was too high to keep that pace for the first few miles, so I told nikuman to go ahead without me, but by 6 or 7 it came back down and I was able to catch back up with him. I don’t know why that happens to me, but my heart rate is always higher for the first 5-8 miles than the next 10 at the same pace.

We’re cruising down the canyon for the first 13 and we have five minutes banked by the bottom of the canyon. My earbuds crapped out at around mile 9, but I’m okay with it because the scenery is great, and it’s kind of fun say something to nikuman every time I hear a new song start his playlist so he has to take his earphones out and talk to me. Also, it’s always interesting to watch the old fat people and wonder how the hell they are ever going to finish 26.2, and why the hell I just let them pass me.

At mile 17 we’re both starting to feel it, and I know that the first long hill is coming our way. I gear down and start chugging at 18, and make it to the top knowing that 20 is just around the corner. Somewhere around this point, nikuman says he has to stop for a while. I thought about throwing him over my shoulder and carrying him in, but I didn’t want to embarrass him so I left him. Besides, he had a whole belt full of canteens – he’d be fine.

I’m starting to slow down at this point. That hill was tough, but I’m still feeling good. I made a conscious effort to drink a Gatorade, and a water at every stop, and I think the extra hydration is helping. While my legs are hurting, I haven’t hit the wall. With 6 miles left, I’ve still got 4 minutes in the bank. I think I can do this.

Still, I can feel myself gradually slowing, and I know that the hill on Main Street between 24 and 25 is coming and it’s a killer. I’m ready for it this time. I still have 3 ½ minutes banked, so I gear down, shuffling up it at about a 11:00 pace, then I walk for 50 feet at the top to take a breather. That cost me a minute, but I have less than a mile and a half less, and still no wall.

Rounding the corner just past 25, I see my family. I give an Incredible Hulk flex, slow down for a half of a block to let my kids jog with me, then take off again. I know I’m going to break 4 now, so I’m going to see how fast I can take the last mile. Not very.

I tried to pick it up, but my legs weren’t cooperating. I did the last half mile between 8:30 and 9:30, and averaged 9:08. So much for sprinting to the finish. But I did it. I broke 4 hours, never hit the wall, and I’m happy as a clam. I see Sea Chicken and we congratulate each other, then I turn around and there is nikuman standing there with his medal. He must have sprinted his ass off to catch back up, and I have to admit I’m impressed. Now, if he’d just put his damned shirt back on before my wife gets here.

[Moliere]

And here's the full report.

Very cool write up. I especially enjoyed the part about your sibling running with you at the end. Very cool story and very cool of him to be there. I am wondering how you remembered all of that. I'd figure you would be delirious by mile 15 and have no recollection of anything that happened. Congrats on beating the 4 hour mark. I've met a lot of people who have told me they want to run a marathon but few ever even try and even fewer actually do it. I'm one who has no desire to run one but I can understand why some people do it. Running is kind of like a drug for me in that I hate it and enjoy it at the same time.

Did you have issues with the altitude going from sea level up to Utah?

[Moliere]

I tried to pick it up, but my legs weren’t cooperating. I did the last half mile between 8:30 and 9:30, and averaged 9:08. So much for sprinting to the finish. But I did it. I broke 4 hours, never hit the wall, and I’m happy as a clam. I see Sea Chicken and we congratulate each other, then I turn around and there is nikuman standing there with his medal. He must have sprinted his ass off to catch back up, and I have to admit I’m impressed. Now, if he’d just put his damned shirt back on before my wife gets here.

Congrats to Cowboy as well. Running a marathon is tough but I can only imagine doing it in cowboy boots.

BTW, your 9:08 split on the last mile was the same split I had on my running tonight.....only mine was mile 2 of a 2 mile run

[Pheidippides]

Well, I’ll not give a mile by mile review because I don’t have time, and I don’t have my GPS to remind me, but here is my Top of Utah Marathon write-up. I had mixed feelings going into this race. I felt good about my training, but going into the week of the run I was a little dehydrated and I had lost quite a bit of weight during my taper. Starting Tuesday, I ate as much as I could, and drank enough water to float a battleship. The last 4 meals before the race all included some sort of pasta. By Friday afternoon I felt like I was going to sprout noodles out of my ears.

I rode to Logan with Nikuman. He picked me up at my SIL’s where I introduced him to my wife and then I promptly rushed him out before he could take off his shirt. I could see her checking him out, and I knew it would be all over if she ever saw him in his skivvies. After a stop at WalMart for some essentials, a throwaway sweatshirt and Vaseline for me, and pink gloves and hair mousse for nikuman, we were off to Logan. We ate the last supper at the Olive Garden in the booth next to the 22-year-old version of Joey Ramone and his primary president wife. They seemed to be a nice couple, but they were certainly a paradox. We left the Olive Garden with a renewed appreciation for breastfeeding.

We picked up our packets at the expo, talked with Sea Chicken for a few minutes and left for the hotel. I had to get nikuman out of there. He had already purchased arm sleeves, and I knew that it was just a matter of time before he was diving through the dollar dumpster looking for a sports bra in his size. Back at the hotel, I hit the rack early, and was asleep before ten with the alarm set for 3:15.

It’s Saturday morning, and I’m up at 3:15, I sit around, stretch, and down a protein shake before heading down to breakfast of hot cocoa and English muffins. Two busses later, we are at the starting line where we wait for an hour trying to stay warm. At 6:59 I need to pee. No problem, I just walk to the borrow pit and go with my back to the crowd. As the women walk by I wonder to myself what the hell was so funny.

The rifles go off at 7:04, and we shuffle toward the starting line. A little crowded at first, but nothing too bad, and we’re able to get a pretty good first mile in without being slowed down too much. By the second mile, we’re able to run at our target pace without the crowd holding us up. We had a pretty good game plan: we figured we needed four or five minutes cushion by the time we hit the bottom of the canyon at mile 17, so w were shooting for an 8:40ish pace. For some reason, my heart rate was too high to keep that pace for the first few miles, so I told nikuman to go ahead without me, but by 6 or 7 it came back down and I was able to catch back up with him. I don’t know why that happens to me, but my heart rate is always higher for the first 5-8 miles than the next 10 at the same pace.

We’re cruising down the canyon for the first 13 and we have five minutes banked by the bottom of the canyon. My earbuds crapped out at around mile 9, but I’m okay with it because the scenery is great, and it’s kind of fun say something to nikuman every time I hear a new song start his playlist so he has to take his earphones out and talk to me. Also, it’s always interesting to watch the old fat people and wonder how the hell they are ever going to finish 26.2, and why the hell I just let them pass me.

At mile 17 we’re both starting to feel it, and I know that the first long hill is coming our way. I gear down and start chugging at 18, and make it to the top knowing that 20 is just around the corner. Somewhere around this point, nikuman says he has to stop for a while. I thought about throwing him over my shoulder and carrying him in, but I didn’t want to embarrass him so I left him. Besides, he had a whole belt full of canteens – he’d be fine.

I’m starting to slow down at this point. That hill was tough, but I’m still feeling good. I made a conscious effort to drink a Gatorade, and a water at every stop, and I think the extra hydration is helping. While my legs are hurting, I haven’t hit the wall. With 6 miles left, I’ve still got 4 minutes in the bank. I think I can do this.

Still, I can feel myself gradually slowing, and I know that the hill on Main Street between 24 and 25 is coming and it’s a killer. I’m ready for it this time. I still have 3 ½ minutes banked, so I gear down, shuffling up it at about a 11:00 pace, then I walk for 50 feet at the top to take a breather. That cost me a minute, but I have less than a mile and a half less, and still no wall.

Rounding the corner just past 25, I see my family. I give an Incredible Hulk flex, slow down for a half of a block to let my kids jog with me, then take off again. I know I’m going to break 4 now, so I’m going to see how fast I can take the last mile. Not very.

I tried to pick it up, but my legs weren’t cooperating. I did the last half mile between 8:30 and 9:30, and averaged 9:08. So much for sprinting to the finish. But I did it. I broke 4 hours, never hit the wall, and I’m happy as a clam. I see Sea Chicken and we congratulate each other, then I turn around and there is nikuman standing there with his medal. He must have sprinted his ass off to catch back up, and I have to admit I’m impressed. Now, if he’d just put his damned shirt back on before my wife gets here.

I endorse this report. Except I still swear the sports bra shopping was for the missus. The part about the pink gloves and hair mousse is true. Not everybody can wear a hat for everything but one activity and one activity only (which I presume is church).

Did you have issues with the altitude going from sea level up to Utah?

Not at all. I think it's largely a myth until you get up really high. The lower heat and humidity more than made up for whatever effects the altitude had. We didn't start really high - about 5600 feet.

FTR, here is my garmin report from the race. You can see the elevation swings here.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/49537466

[cowboy]

Question for you runners: how steep is too steep when running down hill? I'm looking at a route that drops 400 feet per mile for 3 or 4, then tapers off to a 3% grade. Is that too much.

I really want to start a marathon here, and there is a great highway with awesome views, but the first part is a little steep.