I had noticed this elevation chart http://www.bataanmarch.com/Bataan_Altitude_versus_Miles.gif in 2003 when I first started getting into marathoning. I sent it to my brother-in-law Scott Taylor who told me he would never do that race. I smiled to myself and sat back to wait as I knew the marathon grenade had been properly thrown and would go off sometime in the future. That turned out to be early 2007 when Scott decided he really wanted to do Bataan after hearing great things from Team Hobbs. So we signed up and headed out. We flew from Austin to El Paso and then headed to the expo. Allegra and Janet Hobbs met us at the expo, (Carter couldn’t make it, something about a real job or some other such nonsense), but for some reason has decided to stay in the gym instead of a hotel or camping. The thought of spending the night with several hundred of our non-closest friends was not appealing so Scott and I stayed at a hotel in Las Cruces. This turned out to be a great decision as Team Hobbs was bombarded with coughing, and other bodily noises through out the night and the lights in the gym all came on at 3am, so they didn’t really get any more sleep than we did. Scott and I woke up at about 3:45 and got ready and headed to the base. We had no traffic problems and I started grumbling that I really hoped we hit some traffic since I wasn’t super happy about waking up before 4am for a race that started at 6:30am. I felt like Paul Williams. Luckily once we actually got to the base we were stuck in a long line that made me happy for getting up earlier. We finally got thru the line and headed to the start. We were unable to find Team Hobbs, so we hung out by ourselves until the ceremony. The ceremony was really nice, they introduced the remaining survivors, as well as those who had passed on in the previous year, gave a little background on the atrocity that was the Bataan Death March. Then the race started and as we walked out you were able to shake hands with the survivors, which was very cool. They had handlers yelling “Don’t squeeze their hands. You are young and they are very old. Don’t hurt them”. And then we were off. I knew the first 5 miles we really flat and so I wanted to get off to a quick start and get some miles in the bank. In the first 2 miles I passed about 50-60 people and then settled in about 10th place. I missed the first mile marker but crossed mile 2 at 13:48, so right where I wanted to be. At this point we were still on base and running on nice paved roads, the next three miles took us off the base and then toward the start of the “hill”. Mile 3: 7:13 Mile 4: 6:57 Mile 5: 6:57 Mile 6 and 7 were the beginnings of the hill but still fairly easy and they went by quickly: Mile 6: 7:04 Mile 7: 7:16 Now we start to climb but looking at the road in front of me, it still felt flat, except for the fact I am slowing down and my heart rate has jumped 15-20 beats. It is a weird feeling to see a flat road but to be struggling. Mile 8: 7:57 Wow, I think to myself if I can hang on to sub 8 minute miles on this climb I’ll be in really good shape. Not so fast bucko. Next would come 4 straight over 9 minute miles and a much higher heart rate and less oxygen. I didn’t really notice the elevation which was between 4,000 and 5,400 feet. I had noticed it a little the day before but during the race it didn’t seem to affect me that much, but maybe that’s why I slowed down some towards the top. Yeah, that’s the ticket! The scenery is quite pretty even though there is no vegetation to speak of and its mostly a dirt road, you do get to see the mountains which always make me happy. Mile 9: 9:12 Mile 10: 9:38 Mile 11: 9:32 Mile 12: 9:41 Mile 13: 8:38 Woo-hoo, mile 13 would be the last mile with any significant climb and I felt comfortable that I’d be able to stay under 9 minute miles from here on out. As I crossed mile 13, I was at 1:44:30, so I figure my half split was 1:45 and some change. I start thinking if I catch some good downhills this might be my 4th negative split. Haha, but you never know. At about mile 13.5 I hear someone coming up from behind me with very loud footsteps, I decide I don’t want to be passed and switch gears, luckily for me we start going downhill. I pretend that I am Joe Prusaitis and unleash all my fury (which arguably isn’t that much) on the down hills for the next few miles. I pop out of the dirt trail onto the paved road and let fly. This is a very cool section of the race as the other marchers are walking up while I am “flying” down. Everyone is yelling “Go Texas” and hooking horns, or giving me the Hang Loose sign. But hey it’s the thought that counts. For all the people who tell me Gig ‘em Aggies, I take solice in the fact that I am 12 miles ahead of them and its going to be a long day. These miles go great, I am in about 7th place now and can see two people about a mile ahead of me at the bottom of the road. I make myself a deal that I will catch both of them to finish in the top 5. Mile 14: 7:20 Mile 15: 7:11 Mile 16: 7:17 Mile 17: 8:10 I sure felt like I was doing closer to 6 minute miles down the hill than 7, but alas I was wrong, still it felt great to run downhill for a while. Mile 17 I see someone going the other way telling me the two guys in front of me are fading. This is all I need, these guys are toast. I crank it up my final notch and log a quick mile and now those guys are in sight, I cruise past the first guy like he was standing still (okay he was standing still drinking some Gatorade, but it makes the story more interesting). Mile 18: 6:57 Somewhere between mile 18 and 19 the battery in my watch runs out and now I’m running blind. Nothing to do but try to catch someone else, as I start struggling in the later miles I will long for my watch to help tell me how bad I am sucking. I am either in 5th or 6th place depending on spectator reports, and I really want the top 5 finish now. I pass another guy about mile 20 in the sand pit. This was quite an interesting experience for me, I hadn’t ever run on sand for any real distance, luckily I had bought some gaiters the week before and nothing got in my shoe. Best $15 I ever spent. The biggest problem with the sand pit was the walkers doing the 15 mile race walking 4-5 across holding hands on any part of the pit that seemed better than the rest. After dodging around all of them finally emerged on to stable ground. I felt like the first creatures evolving from the primordial soup onto dry land. Then I saw one more person up about a half mile and knew he too would fall. About mile 22 and a half I caught him, and he forlornly asked me how close the next guy was and I said he was at least 2 minutes behind me but that after that guy there wasn’t anyone within 10 minutes, so he’d have to fight to keep his place, but if he lost the battle he could relax. The last two miles go around the wall of the base and it feels like they go on forever. The ground again looks completely flat but sure feels like it has an uphill climb. Finally I get to the end of the wall and make the left turn on to the base and see the finish line, I see that if I sprint I can still be 3:30 clock time and go for it. I wind up finishing in 3:29:45 gun time and I think about 3:29:07 chip time. I managed to snag 4th overall and 2nd in my age group, which is lucky since last year Keith Gora got 3rd in the age group but they only give awards two deep, although Keith did manage to get the only nonmilitary picture in this year’s program guide. At the finish line I saw Bill from the HCTR and we went over to eat. Had a tasty cheeseburger, lays potato chips and a Gatorade energy bar to go with the best tasting Bud Light I’ve ever had. Then I went to wait for the rest of the ship. Allegra was hoping to come in under 5 hours and she crushed that goal with a 4:37 which was good enough for 20th female overall, and Scott was hoping to break 5:30 and came in with a 5:28, and Janet had been looking to break the 6 hour barrier and she too beat the goal with a 5:52. So the Ship set sail from Austin to Bataan and everyone beat their goals. This was a fun race. That evening we headed to “The State Line”, the El Paso version of the County Line for some great BBQ, where they took great care of us, even Scott and I, since we were part of the legendary Hobbs Clan. The beer was cold, the BBQ was tasty, and the troops were tired. Overall a great trip. This was my 50th marathon or greater event since 2002 and I was fun to spend it with friends on a great course with great weather.