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Last weekend we rocked the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon. It was great to be in the “Big Easy” again and enjoy the sites, sounds, and food. We stayed at the beautiful Drury Hotel located downtown in the business district. All in all we had a wonderful mini-vacation/marathon experience.
Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans
The Race Expo
Kara Goucher at Marathon Expo
On the way back to the hotel room we saw Shalane Flannigan walking around. How cool is that?
Elite Runners
There were several elite runners here for the half marathon. Another notable woman besides Kara and Shalane was Meseret Defar from Ethiopia. She won the woman’s half marathon with a course record of 1:07:25.
Shalane Flannigan was second with 1:08:31 (a new PR for her and the 3rd fastest half time by an American woman). Kara Goucher, coming off a heel injury, came in 5th.
In the men’s half marathon, UK Olympian Mo Farrah (gold in 5,000 and 10,000) set a new course record in his second half marathon attempt coming in at 1:00:59. He currently trains in Portland, OR. Second place was Gebre Gebremarium of Ethiopia with 1:01:00.
The marathon wasn’t nearly as competitive and the majority of runners in this race did the half marathon. Out of approximately 15,000 runners there were only around 3,000 who ran the full marathon. The male winner was Meyer Friedman of San Diego with a time of 2:28:43 and the first female finisher was Karen Lockyer of LA with a time of 2:52:23.
Our Finishing Times
I felt more relaxed this year because my goals weren’t so lofty and was more prepared for the course and things that I’d encounter. I think I felt more nervous for Trevor, praying that he’d stay strong and break 4 hours.
I made a few mistakes like starting back in corral 12 and waiting in a long line for a port-a-potty. But I really enjoyed the sites this year- the architecture, waterfront and people watching.
Trev at the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon
I didn’t struggle as much with the middle section of the race and actually had a lot of energy left to push faster the last 3 miles. I made a game to see how many people I could pass and didn’t let anyone pass me. My finishing time was 4:01:40. I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t finish sub-4, but I have to remember that 2 months ago I couldn’t even run a mile.
After finishing a marathon I always feel incredibly blessed to be able to run marathons, thankful for the little bit of speed that I have, and for the joy of running.
Trevor started up in corral 5 and ran a steady race. He stuck to his fueling plan and enjoyed the musical selections on this ipod. His official finishing time was 3:54:15. I’m so proud of him!
Way to go both of you!! I knew Trevor would do it after hearing of his recent half marathon success and you are inspiring Angie. I’m sure you’re glad to be back out there running strong. I’m so sorry for your loss last year. Keep it up and God bless!
Thanks for stopping by the blog Meredith. We are happy to be fulfilling our dreams. God is good.
You BOTH definitely Rocked the Marathon, The Marathon Weekend, and the Big Easy. Funny that my race experience was very similar to yours (Angie), except **ahem** just a bit slower 🙂 HOWEVER, I was suprised by the lack of struggle in the middle, the energy in the last 3-6 miles AND, I too played the “pass as many people as you can game.” Wasn’t nearly as sore as I should have been, but that just told me I likely didn’t work hard enough in the middle. BUT, it did give me renewed confidence that I can again get down towards that magic sub 4 hour mark that Trevor has broken though, and you SOON will. This realization will cost me some extra work and focus in my training, but it’s certainly worth while.
Hey Steve. We really enjoyed meeting you in NOLA. Great job on your race. I enjoyed seeing you out on the course. Keep up the good work and I think you’ll be able to break that 4 hour barrier.
What song did you use to bump into the New Orleans race recap? It sounded like a version of ‘The House of the Rising Sun.’
Love the podcast BTW, thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Chris, the song is “House of the Rising Sun” by Woody Guthrie. I’m glad you like the podcast.