The Adirondack Distance Festival Marathon is a strenuous course around the perimeter of Schroon Lake, NY. The ascents and descents between miles 4 and 12 can leave runners feeling empty for the second half of the marathon.... albeit, in a colorful wonderland autumn palette of reds, yellows and burgundies.

Running the course for distance training mid-August with Bill offered invaluable insight as to how to develop a pace strategy for this challenging course. In the 2.5 months prior to the race, I ran long runs of 20 - 26 miles on alternating weekends. I expected to be strong enough to run the first half of the marathon at a 10 minute mile pace (up/over the HILLS) with enough reserves to finish the race in 4-hours/30-minutes.

The elevation charts below show my mile split times against course ascents/descents. By the halfway mark, my average pace per mile was an astonishing (for me) 9-min/10-sec and a mid-point time of 2-hr/3-mi. (PERFECT!) Between miles 17 and 23, my pace slowed which left me with a final average pace per mile of 10-min/20-sec and a final race time of 4:32:57!

Ultimately, I'm happy with my split and over all race finish times. And the best part? The hills were not a factor in my running. I believe my long distance training and the cooler weather made all difference. In any case, I've begun my 5-week recovery/training program for the Marine Corps Marathon on 10/30/05. For now, we'll see if my 10 month training program to run back-to-back marathons pays off!