San Antonio Rock’n Roll Marathon is a great race for those preparing for Houston Full. It is both a nice ½ marathon race as well as it gives you about just the right time to recover if you plan to do both full marathon races.
There is always a large group from CRC going the races so I decided to post some of the key comments that I have heard over the last years plus my own experience in the race:
1) Be prepared for a “high temperature” race. It is very difficult to predict the temperature, but you may well get a high 70’s F race. If this is your first race it translates into hydrate well and do not try to set a PR
2) For those running the full, plan for extra effort between miles 17 and 19. Between those miles you will be running some very small hills. As you know, after mile 19 comes mile 20 (you do not need an engineer degree to figure that out!), but those very small hills will eat whatever energy you have left to face the WALL (i.e.: that mind game that starts at mile 20). In my first race it frustrated me as I still recall the Major saying at the beginning “ this is a flat course…”, on my second race there I run 10 seconds below my pace at the beginning and then I went on negative splits
3) The race starts in the middle of the City, there is almost no wind blowing. You will not realize but if you start too fast your body temperature will shoot-up and you will need to start drinking water like crazy too early into the race. Just avoid been dragged by everybody, follow your strategy, you will pass them later
4) Believe it or not, the worst climb in the race is 200 yards before the finish line. So, if you have music, pump it up and get through it. If you do not have music, just see all the spectators that are there just for you and dig into your last energy available. Success (however you define it) is around the corner!!!
As a reference, my times have been:
a) 2009: 4:04:51 with high 70s temperature
b) 2010: 3:34:24 with low 60s temperature plus lessons learned in 2009
CRC has a lot of members that have run this race, benefit from their experience. Talk to them!!!