Aye, the date and destination for 2014′s Bigger, Better, More Bada$$ F3 Marathon Trip have been set: Sunday, July 27th at The San Francisco Marathon.
BIGGER: We’re looking for F3-wide HCs for this particular CSAUP, with tribes from across the Nation gathering in the City by the Bay for the big event. And we’re partnering with the ladies of Females in Action, who will rally and lead training for Ms.
BETTER: The only option in Chicago this past October was a full marathon. SF features a full 26.2, two different half-marathon options (you can run the first half of the course or the second) and even a CSAUP 52.4-mile option in which runners run the course backward and then forward with the main marathon.
MORE BADA$$: Your event QIC, Graffiti, has secured a 15% registration discount from the race organizers and we are working on additional F3 perks that may depend on how many pax we can bring. There will also be a DoubleDown option: Mutiny is already researching how to combine the 24 Hours of Booty (July 25-26) with a half-marathon in SF.
As some of you know, Girardi and I ran SF this past summer, so I will try to pre-emptively address a couple of anticipated FAQs:
But, aren’t there a lot of hills in San Francisco? Yes, there are — but the race course is actually quite fair and sets up well for a strong marathon. The first 5 miles are along the Embarcadero and waterfront, so very flat with the exception of a short climb through Fort Mason. The first major hill is the climb from the Marine to the Golden Gate Bridge, but you’re rewarded with the chance to run the roadbed of America’s most famous bridge at sunrise. After the turnaround in Marin and the run back across the bridge, there’s another climb into The Presidio at Mile 10 before traversing the Richmond District and entering Golden Gate Park at the half-marathon mark. The terrain in the Park (Miles 13-19) is gently rolling, after which you exit into the Haight Ashbury and begin a three-mile descent to the south-city waterfront and a flat dash to the finish in front of the Ferry Building. Girardi and I conserved strength in the first half, running a 1:51 half, then laid it out in the second half, running a 1:51 negative split and a 3:44 overall time — my fastest marathon in 16 years.
How do I train for a marathon and do F3 at the same time? I addressed this most recently in this post from last March, but it’s my opinion that F3 bootcamps are ideal cross-training for a marathon and, when combined with one tempo run, one speed/hill workout and one long run a week, are an ideal way to prepare for a marathon or half. Bratwurst has agreed to serve as Training Q for this year’s trip and will be structuring the Metro SIB and other workouts to prepare pax for the race. For those in other regions, he’s happy to help coordinate training groups in your area.
More details to come in the weeks ahead, but please jump in in the comments if you are interested. If you’re from outside Charlotte Metro, please also let us know if you’re interested in Qing a contingent from your region.
OBT
Details
Workout Date - 7/27/14
Workout Q - Graffiti, Bratwurst
PAX - All of F3 Nation!