Prairie Fire Marathon Race Review

Last week I wrote about my performance in the Wichita Prairie Fire Marathon, but I intentionally left out many details of the race logistics or course information so that I could write this post.  Actually, I've blogged about this race in previous years, but in looking back, I don't think I did a good enough job describing the event.  Plus, the Prairie Fire has evolved and changed.  Full disclosure, this is my hometown marathon, and I want to see it do well.  However, I'm planning on stating all the facts both good and bad.

The Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon has been in existence for 3 years now replacing the Wichita Marathon which was a point to point course.  The Wichita Marathon was taken over by the Kansas Sports Commission and renamed after the sponsor, the Prairie Fire coffee roasters.  One of the first changes was to the course.  It became a dual loop course, with shared start and finish lines, all within the Wichita city limits.

Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon course as mapped by my Garmin.

 

Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon elevation as measured by Garmin.

As the map shows, there is a loop running through East Wichita, and a figure-8 loop on the West side of town.  The two are connect by a 3 mile stretch of road which divides the city into the North and South part of town.  The biggest slope around miles 3 and 14 occur while entering and exiting the College Hill neighborhood.  Otherwise, the elevation is very flat and fast.  The geographic center of the course is through the downtown area.  The East part runs through established neighborhoods while a lot of the Western loop run through parks.

Another change was the addition of an expo the day before.  I can't say that there is anything that really stands out about the expo, but it's better than nothing, and you can find some deals there.  Most of the deals might be difficult to take advantage of if you're from out of town since a lot of the vendors are local.  Actually, one nice thing about the expo is that it's only a block from the starting line, so if you're coming in from out of town, you can stay at a hotel within walking distance of both like the Hyatt, Drury, or Fairfield Inn.


Prairie Fire "Fit For Life" Expo

Prairie Fire "Fit For Life" Expo Packet Pickup

Although I'm only trying to address the marathon, the Prairie Fire is also made up of a half marathon, and a 5k.  The half marathon is actually the most popular of the 3 races with over 2100 finishers in 2012 compared to the 723 runners who completed the full marathon.  Meanwhile, the 5k results indicated 979 finishers.  All races start together and eventually split off with the half and full joining up 2 more times along the way.  One valid concern is that the courses are laid out with signs and volunteers so that runners stay on the correct roads, and that is one of the things Prairie Fire has improved upon since its inception.

Arriving to the starting area 45 minutes before the race, one thing became obvious right away that can also be an issue at large races.  A shortage of port-a-potties.  Not that there weren't a lot of them, it's just that everyone tries to use them at the same time before a race.  I found some public bathrooms in a nearby parking garage that most runners didn't know about, and I still had to wait in line over 10 minutes.  The bottom line is, don't show up to the starting line at the last minute.  Despite bathroom lines, and thousands of people at the start, it's still not as congested as a big city marathon, and therefore not as hard to get around or find a parking spot.

While running the marathon, I was pleased with how much shade there was going through the neighborhoods to help keep me cool on a sunny morning.  The bad thing about the shaded streets was there were some turns to navigate.  The turns honestly didn't bother me at all, but I hear other runners complain there are too many of them.  Another thing related to the turns, the course transitions between roads and sidewalks in a few places.  Some transitions happen in a way to slow you down, but they are later in the race where you aren't competing with other runners for position.

The Prairie Fire Marathon uses the Bib Chip timing system which are disposable stickers on the back of your bib to track you.  It's nice not to have to deal with chips on your shoes.  As of this year they expanded the timing equipment to register your 10k, half, and 20 mile splits.  They also allowed you to register your number with social media like Twitter and Facebook to automatically post updates as you crossed the mats.  On the down side, they have yet to post those splits all in one place as part of the final results.

One of the unique aspects of Prairie Fire for my family is that they can park along the course almost anywhere and cheer me on, then along some roads, drive beside me until another car comes up behind them and forces them to speed up.  While in the downtown areas of the course, there are a variety of bands playing tunes to add some energy along the way.  And about mile 25, the runners are taken over a trendy foot bridge that passes the 44 foot tall Keeper Of The Plains statue where the Big and Little Arkansas rivers merge.


Keeper of the Plains

Now that you've gotten this far, maybe you just want to know what schwag you get for your entry fee.  I think I can do one better.  I'll post pics of all the Prairie Fire shirts and medals I've received in the 3 years since it's inception to give an idea.  Interestingly enough, the inaugural year they didn't have the word "Finisher" anywhere on the finisher t-shirts.  The committee remedied that in future years.


2010 Commemorative T-Shirt



2010 Finisher Technical T-Shirt

2010 Finisher Medal



2011 Commemorative T-Shirt



2011 Finisher Technical T-Shirt



2011 Finisher Medal



2012 Commemorative T-Shirt



2012 Finisher Technical T-Shirt



2012 Finisher Medal



2012 Finisher Medal

In my opinion, the Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon has about everything a big city marathon has except overcrowding, traffic congestion, and high entry fees.  In fact, at the finish line awaits free massages, beer, pizza, and Prairie Fire coffee for all the runners, thanks to the sponsors.  Maybe I should just run the half marathon next year so I can spend more time filling up on beer and pizza.

Out With The Old... In With The New... Garmin

I rely on my Garmin Forerunner 305 for training.  I use it everyday that I run which is usually 6 days/week.  I don't even run most of my workouts outside.  I also use it on the YMCA's indoor track, and I'll even wear it when I'm on the treadmill or elliptical to take advantage of the heart rate monitor.


On Wednesday, my Garmin started out like it usually does, and I was using it to record splits during my track workout.  After a few miles, I looked down and it had turned off.  I turned it back on, and it would try to find satellites, but if I hit a button, it would turn back off.  Finally, it wouldn't turn on at all.  Later on I tried all the tricks I could think of to get it to work: charging it, hard and soft reboots, tips off Garmin's website.  Nothing worked.  It was D.O.A.

My Garmin Forerunner 305 ready for the scrap heap.

Before I toss it out like a Charlie Sheen hooker, I want to offer a small tribute in its memory:

Ode to My Garmin

By: 2 Slow 4 Boston

Concept From: Bible 

The Garmin is my GPS (God Powered Savior), I shall not want (to get lost).

It maketh me to run down green trails:

It leadeth me beside the still aid stations.

It restoreth my constant pace:

It leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for PR's sake. 

Yea, though I stink through the valley and smell of death,

I will fear no ice bath: For thou art with me;

Thy heart rate monitor, it comforts me.

Thou preparest a database table before me in the presence of my competition;

Thou annointest my spreadsheet with splits.  My Gatorade runneth over. 

Surely Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness shall follow me all the days of my life:

And I will dwell in the memory of my Garmin 305 for ever.

Please don't put me in for the Pulitzer surPrize in Poetry, I'm much too humble to accept any awards, unless it's an age group award.

I had my Garmin 305 for a good 3 and a half years.  I was perfectly happy with it, as are the majority of runners who have the 305, but of course it has to be able to work.  So it was time to replace it.  My first choice to replace it?  Another 305.  I went to buy one only to find prices $100 above where I thought they were.  I started looking at Garmin's other offerings, and was elated to find the newer Forerunner 405cx for $198, over $75 cheaper than the 305.

Garmin 405cx

Now when it comes to having a GPS watch, I don't play around, I ordered the 405cx that Thursday morning with overnight shipping, got it Friday, and wore it for the first time Saturday morning.  So far, I'm loving it.  A kid with a new toy.  I was almost 8 miles into my run on Saturday before I realized I forgot to put on my mp3 player.  Oops.


While I haven't had the 405cx long enough to vouch on it's durability/reliability, I'll go over some of it's pros and cons compared to the 305.

405cx Pros:

1. Cheaper than the 305.
2. Smaller, sportier, looks more like a watch.
3. Quicker to lock onto satellites.
4. Has a blue indiglo backlight.
5. You can turn the GPS function off to conserve battery, and use as a stopwatch.
6. Displays a charge % complete meter during charging.
7. Downloads workouts wirelessly to the PC.
8. Has a touch bezel like an iPod for quicker navigation.

405cx Cons:

1. Less data can fit on the screen, and the digits are smaller.  Up to 3 fields per screen compared to 4 for the 305.  This is a compromise for the 405cx to not look like you're wearing a TV.
2. Easier to accidentally activate a function on the bezel (but it can be locked). 

BTW, as I was researching the Garmin 405cx, I discovered their foot pod which attaches to the shoe laces (or inside a compatible shoe).  When sync'd with the watch, it can tell you your speed, distance, and cadence.  Since I run inside a lot, I bought one of them too.    It seems pretty accurate based on my 2 indoor track workouts where I know the fixed distance of the track.  Currently $45 on Amazon.com.

Garmin Foot Pod

Foot Pod on shoe, for scale.  Those aren't my feet, I have
way more hair on my legs.

Sound off.  Do you run with a GPS watch?  Which brand/model?  Do you analyze your run's data?

Dallas White Rock Marathon Race Report

After underachieving in my October marathon, I started looking for a redemption race.  I needed a December marathon not too far from home, so I did a quick internet search and the Dallas White Rock Marathon seemed to fit the bill perfectly.  Average highs of 60º, about a 5 hour drive from home base, and not too hilly.

I arrived the day before the race for the expo.  It was located conveniently by the start/finish line.  There were lots of vendors there, and I spent a leisurely couple hours walking up and down the isles sampling free products.  I was a little surprised not to see any moderately famous running celebs there.  Most races this size will have one or two there as a guest speaker, or on a book tour.

Sony Walkman MP3 Player Review And Dual Giveaway!!!

Yes, you read the title right.  I will be giving away 2 Sony Walkman (NWZ-W263) MP3 Players.  Merry Christmas from me to you!  See details toward the bottom of this post, but first I've got to tell you all about them (from a runner's perspective).

I'm a pretty basic guy, IMHO.  Aren't all guys the same ladies?  Eat, drink, sleep, (fart).  Repeat the next day.  Actually, what I mean by being basic is that I just want my mp3 player to work and do what it says it will do.  Let me preface those remarks.  I have been through a lot of mp3 players and headphones in my running non-career.  Expensive or cheap ones all seem to break in one way or another.  Every pair of corded headphones I can remember have developed a short where sound in one ear cuts in and out, and eventually out altogether.  Another problem I have with corded headphones is that I have to manage the cord both while running and while packing and unpacking them from my gym bag.  Cords tend to flap from side to side while running, and if you don't take care to pack them away after the workout in an orderly fashion, they become a hot tangled mess.  Annoying!!

My cord issues led me to research and try wireless headphones that use Bluetooth technology to communicate with a separate mp3 player or phone.  I preferred this system on the surface to dealing with a cord, but new problems arose.  First, batteries on both the mp3 player and the headphones needed to be charged after almost every workout since transmitting wireless signals take lots of juice.  I could live with that inconvenience, but where Bluetooth headphones really failed me was they broke fairly quickly.  I went through at least 3 different sets of Bluetooth headphones and none lasted more than 5 months.  That can get expensive at $50 - $80 a pop.  Not that I took bad care of them, but I sweat a lot and for an extended time on some of my workouts and that moisture would make it inside of the ear pieces where all the circuitry is and fry it over time.  I even bought headsets marketed as "Sport" and "moisture resistant".  The other half of this equation is needing a mp3 player with Bluetooth.  Not a big deal, but any mp3 player with this feature tends to be close to $200, and I went through a couple of those too for various reasons.

By necessity, I was on the lookout for a music solution that would work for my workouts.  One day a saw an ad with Meb Keflezighi and he was wearing these Sony Walkman headphones.  I had never heard of them before, but I could tell just by looking at them they had a lot of potential for me.  And they were only $50.  Back to the theme of being basic.  All these headphones do is sit in your ear and play MP3s. They do have basic controls like pause, next track, previous track, and volume.  Two things this amounts to is there is less to break, and less weight to carry around.

Go Meb!  If you can hear me.

To date, I have had my Sony mp3 player for 8 months.  All of the features still work great except for a LED light which is supposed to light when it's charging.  The main point I would like to make is that it is still playing tunes long after my other devices have failed thanks to its ability to handle sweat.

The neck band hugs the head so it is barely noticeable when
stretching or lifting weight while on your back. 

I have the previous model which is a
little different look (size).

So, I was pretty wordy in telling you how I was driven to the Sony Walkman because I think it's relevant in how it separates itself from the competition.  Now, I'll cut to the chase and shoot some bullets your way on my experience:

PROS:

• Like Timex, it takes a licking and keeps on ticking (sweat resistant).
• No cord to get in way, or break, or tangle.
• The over the ears, behind the head headband stays in place and hugs the back of your head so you can workout on your back without it getting in the way.
• No display allows for longer battery life.
• Light weight.  When I'm in the zone, I don't notice them.
• Easy to use.
• Decent price tag.

CONS:

• No fancy features like a touchscreen. (This could be considered a pro)
• The rubber ear piece makes a good seal within the ear which is good for hearing the music, but not optimal for hearing background noise or having a conversation when music is paused. (Minor complaint)
• No radio, no recorder, and no Bluetooth.  (Even less minor of a complaint)

Read or watch another detailed review at CNET.

Now for the details on the giveaway.  I took a long shot, kinda like all these soldiers asking celebrities to the Marine Corps Ball on youtube, and contacted Sony about providing me with a couple mp3 players to send out in conjunction with my review.  After several emails back and forth, they generously agreed to provide them to me with very few strings attached.  What I mean is that you don't have to go through a lot of trouble in order to put your name in the hat. You don't have to 'Like' a bunch of stuff on Facebook, and/or send out tweets (assuming you even have a twitter account).  What I would like everyone to do however is visit Sony's new running community.  There are lots of useful links there, and you have the option to create a profile along with Meb as a way to connect with more runners.

Once you've explored Sony's "Run" community, I offer you up to 3 chances to win Sony's newest W Series Walkman.  These are an upgrade to the pair I own.  They're smaller, have twice the memory (4 GB) and currently sell for $70 - $80 dollars.

Sony Walkman #1 :

• Be a follower on my blog.
• Leave me a comment and you will automatically be entered in the random drawing.
• Optional - Do me a favor and mention this giveaway and link to it from your blog, and get a bonus entry.  (Let me know if you've done this)

Sony Walkman #2 :

• I would like to give one of the mp3 players to a reader who could use it the most.
• Be a follower on my blog.
• Leave a comment telling me about your music misfortunes, or why a new mp3 player would complete you.  Please try to make it a work of nonfiction. :-)
• I will pick a winner based on merit.
• All non winners are automatically in the random drawing for the other Sony.

In summary, by telling me why you need a mp3 player and linking to my giveaway from your blog, you have 3 chances to win 1 of 2 Walkmans.  After consulting with my magic 8 ball and my astrologist, I am told the winners will be chosen on Tuesday December 6th, 2011, so hope to hear from you until then.   Happy Holidays!!