This was a “hometown” race for us and for me another commute to the city not far from my normal office destination. On race day however, Wifey and me were up at oh-stupid early to head down into Seattle and run 13.1 and 26.2 miles respectively.

Rock ‘N Roll events are generally a lot of fun and we have enjoyed several over the past couple years visiting Portland, OR and Vancouver, BC on our RnR “tour.” This was my third RnR Seattle but first time going the full distance. We signed up for this event a year ago way before we had any idea of what this year’s calendar would look like. For a week after a RnR event (or at least for this one) you can get a super cheap registration for the following year. So, I picked up a marathon entry at $55 and the half for $50, which as most of y’all RnR runners know is crazy cheap.

My logic was even if I didn’t want to run the full 26.2, dropping to the half would still be a great deal. And, that was my plan. Then, we heard about the Marathon Maniacs (and Half Fanatics) and a quick check revealed a qualifying criteria of 3 marathons in 90 days. With Salt Lake in April and Missoula in July both on the 2016 race calendar and just 85 days apart RnR Seattle became the middle piece of the Maniacs puzzle.

Logistics:

Expo – huge, Wifey couldn’t go so I stopped by after work on Friday as I work just a mile and a half from the stadiums and it was on my way to the station. The Expo was up to the normal RnR standards with loads of vendors and samples. Packet and shirt pickup was easy. As I've been to these many times I didn’t stick around – wasn’t much fun without Wifey and I missed all the Twitter meetups.

Race day – we bought parking pass at Century Link Garage from RnR website and we arrived super early. Just as well because traffic trying to get into the garage was horrendous and the shuttle drivers got lost taking runners to the start at Seattle Center. Hint - if you decide to buy a parking pass for this event, buy it online ahead of time. I just had to pick up my parking pass and there was no waiting. However, the line to purchase the passes at the expo was huge and full of some very annoyed looking people.

Plenty of bathroom options at Seattle Center. Portable lines were short – yes short, I said that…I mean like 5 minutes short, really!! Of course, runners had the entire facilities of the Center at their disposal, but hey a short portable line is akin to a modern day running miracle.

Race delayed – guessing due to shuttles getting lost and traffic.

Overall for us logistically, it was pretty tough…we got up at 3:30 am, left at 4:15 to get to parking by 5:15 for a 7:30 race start! And, it’s a local race for us. We got home just before 3:00 pm, so an almost 12 hour day.

Conditions:

Cool, damp, occasional showers. Temp mid-50’s to low-60’s. Perfect Seattle running weather, no complaints.

Course:

Seattle Center over waterfront viaduct for final time – it will be demolished next year. Through downtown Seattle, International District, Columbia City, Seward Park, Lake Washington, I-90 bridge to Mercer Island out and back to Seattle to finish at Century Link field.

Elevation profile – couple steep hills in places but compensated by some downhills. Otherwise mostly flat or lightly rolling. Any course in Seattle is going to have hills.

Race:

I was under no illusions that this was going to be a PR race but decided to run at 9:00 pace and see how long I could hold on. That lasted for about 8-9 miles. This was my worst marathon performance ever (8 marathons) in terms of time. Course was fine, no issues, great weather conditions. But, felt nauseous and had a headache for first 9-10 miles. Took some Glukos stuff they were handing out that I had never tried before and it actually worked – I started feeling better around mile 11.

Splits were deteriorating though from ~9 through first 10 miles or so, to 9:30, then 9:45 and into the 10:00’s. Split first half at 2:06, which is about 7-8 minutes behind my normal pace for the first 13.1. After Seward Park we headed along Lakeshore Drive on the west bank of Lake Washington…mile 16 was very powerful with tributes to cancer victims and fallen soldiers. Signs inspired me to keep going and run the entire section for those that couldn’t anymore.

From there, over to the I-90 bridge to Mercer. Worst part of the course for me. Honestly, I hated it…the I-90 tunnels and bridge risers sucked the life out of me and we had to hit them twice as the run went on an out and back to Mercer Island. On a clear day this bridge showcases spectacular views of Seattle and the mountains, which would be great for the out of town visitors. But, the noise from the surrounding traffic and the tunnels made this a slog for me and with the overcast conditions, there were no views…besides it’s not quite the same having seen them many times anyway!

Cramps started around mile 22 with the hamstrings threatening to completely derail my race. Walk breaks were far too frequent and much longer than I normally take. With about 1/2 mile to go, the hamstrings finally cramped and I couldn’t even finish strong.

The good

Weather – perfect running conditions.
Course – they have eliminated a lot of hills and we got to run on the viaduct for the final time before it is demolished.
Plenty of facilities at the Seattle Center start area which also showcases Seattle icons.
The medal – love the RnR bling.
My performance – I finished marathon number 8.

The bad

Course – the I-90 tunnels and the ramps to get up to I-90 sucked.
Driving logistics – we left our house at 4:15 for a 7:30 race start and got home around 3:00pm. Was tired and had a headache before the race even started.
Not much in the finish area in terms of food/drink. No tables or chairs to stage drink and food, or rest. Blankets were right at the end of the finisher area so runners were going all the way to the back to get blankets and then returning to pick up food/water etc.
My performance – slowest marathon ever.

The ugly

Shuttle drivers got lost getting to the start – apparently they changed the maps on the drivers at the last minute and were not clear on the route they were supposed to take. Felt bad for our driver but he managed to somehow get us to the start.
Nauseous and headache for 10 miles.
Hamstring cramping at miles 22-26.
My performance – the category stats are available on my website but hopefully you'll skip by them!

Overall

Real mixed feelings. First time running a full 26.2 at an RnR event which was nice but came with logistical headaches. Getting to and from downtown Seattle is awful – would have been easier to stay somewhere but would have needed a hotel for 2 nights to make it useful and timing was not going to work for us to take a weekend getaway in Seattle. Pretty light at the recovery area in terms of booths, handouts, things to do. Honestly, the bands are a bit over-hyped – nobody was watching the stage when I finished, and I was too cold to bother with the free beer.

This was my 3rd RnR Seattle having done the half in 2012 and 2014. Now I’ve done the full, I’m good for a while. I’ll never say never but this won’t be on my list again anytime soon. I think it is one that I’d recommend for out of town runners or for local runners that have yet to experience the event.

The full report and pictures can be found on my site http://www.50in50marathonquest.com/rock-n-roll-seattle-marathon-recap/