Question on insoles....any specific brands you recommend for replacing stock insoles? Recently got a pair of Salomon Ultra Glide 4 Trail shoes....and the stock insoles are mushy and retain way too much water.

Looking for something with a bit more snap to it that will also dry more quickly.

Has anyone run either the Duke City Marathon in Albuquerque or the San Antonio Marathon? I am planning to run the half-marathons in October and December, respectively.

I know that the San Antonio one used to be a Rock 'n' Roll race, but it changed over to local ownership and operation in 2025. Experience from years before 2025 is appreciated, but I would particularly appreciate the experience of anyone who ran in 2025.

I am looking for any experience with overall organization, start area logistics, course notes, spectator access, etc., particularly focused on race day.

I ran San Antonio this past December. Crowd support was more than I expected. Rolling hills weren't horrible. My only complaint was like at mile 21 or 22 we got to a military base and we were running with no shade on pavement while the sun destroyed the last bit of will I had left lol

Overall, it was a great race though.

You saying "rolling hills" plural made me think I was looking at the wrong thing, or we were talking about different things. Then, I looked at the elevation profile for the marathon, and it is quite different from the half. The half just has one climb around mile ten, and that's about it. There is ~700 feet of elevation gain in the second half of the full course.

Anyway, thanks for sharing what you did, I appreciate it.

ptothemo said:

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Has anyone run either the Duke City Marathon in Albuquerque or the San Antonio Marathon? I am planning to run the half-marathons in October and December, respectively.

I know that the San Antonio one used to be a Rock 'n' Roll race, but it changed over to local ownership and operation in 2025. Experience from years before 2025 is appreciated, but I would particularly appreciate the experience of anyone who ran in 2025.

I am looking for any experience with overall organization, start area logistics, course notes, spectator access, etc., particularly focused on race day.

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The SA half just has one, mile long hill on mile 8-9 but is otherwise fairly flat. I think my total elevation gain was around 250ft. Last year was miserable because it was hot and humid. I thought the course was okay. It's nearly identical to the RnR course, running mostly through downtown, Brackenridge park, down broadway, and then a brief diversion through Ft. Sam Houston. Crowd support is just okay. My wife works downtown, so has access to her parking garage, so getting there was easy, but parking didn't seem to be an issue for most, just obviously make sure to get there early. The expo sucks, but I've been told most marathon expos have been shrinking in size over the last several years. Picking up the race packets at the convention center is fairly simple.

Have successfully worked my base mileage up to 50 mpw. Week after next I'm starting a modified Pfitz 18/55 marathon plan. Anyone completed it before and want to give me tips?

The last couple expos I have gone to had Andersen Renewal booths. I agree that they're going downhill.

I ran the SA Marathon this year. The course from mile 10 to mile 21 or so was very hilly. The hills individually where not that long but they were plentiful and extremely steep.

What are you planning on modifying? I have used the 18/70 plan, and the plan that I use now is a modified version of 18/70 that I have tweaked to what works well for me and keeps me healthy. I could probably write a bunch of stuff that may not be helpful to you, so knowing what you are modifying may help me hone in on whether any of the experience is helpful.

Still trucking along on the Hal Higdon conditioning/base run plan until the 18 week novice plan starts in September. Up to 13-15 miles per week, which is close to what it caps at. I've only missed two runs, and that was last week when I broke my thumb and then ended up in the ER after a vasovagal response during a visit with the surgeon.

I changed my route, and it's a beating. However, I think it's good training. Basically a gradual downhill for 3/4 of a mile and then back up 3/4 of a mile. I'm wiped, but feel really strong after.

I have yet to lose a single pound. Haven't increased intake at all, but I'm down a shirt and pant size. I can definitely see it in my body composition. I don't scale watch, but just thought it was interesting.

The only real mod I'm doing is an extra really easy 3 mile run on Tuesday's and Thursday's.

There is one broad category of modification that I make, which is essentially replacing VO2 max workouts with threshold and replacing threshold workouts with tempo. I realize the lines there can gray pretty quickly, but the mental model of effort works better for me. I have burned out and gotten injured enough in the past to know that I do better with more miles at slightly lower intensity than higher intensity work.

The other thing that I modify is not to do the workouts two days after the marathon pace long runs. I will still run two days after the marathon pace long runs, but it's all easy/recovery. I had times in the past where I would try to push workouts too quickly after the marathon pace long runs and end up missing multiple days due to burnout or being too beat up.

That is solid advice. Thank you.

Ags2013 said:

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Does anyone have a favorite non-major? I ran San Antonio this past year but don't want to do that one again this year.

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Big Sur marathon is a bucket list one for a lot of people although not for the faint of heart with some pretty extreme elevation gain. I used to train out there when I was stationed at the Presidio and you can't beat the views while running that coastline. (Never did the full marathon, but have 1000s of miles around the area)

Also I second what was said about planning a vacation around one. I ran one in Cocoa Beach a few years back and we had a great time. A lot of the national parks also have races throughout the year, I'm going to do one in Glacier at some point.

crowag said:

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I was blessed to run NYC in 2024 (lottery) and Chicago in 2023 (time qualifier). Amazing experiences - just keep trying because you never know. I'm chasing Boston now - I ran a BQ at Houston this year but only got under the qualifying standard by just over 3 minutes which likely won't be enough. Talk about heartbreak - technicially qualifying but likely not by enough. I'm doing another marathon next month in the hopes of shaving off another minute or two and improving my chances of getting into Boston 2027. The journey and anticipation is all part of the fun. Just keep running!

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Crowag, what was the biggest key to hitting a BQ time for you. I've chased it off and on for the past 7 years and haven't been able to put it all together for a number of reasons.

I'm way more experienced as a half marathon'er and have pushed my time there down to 84 minutes, I just haven't been able to translate it in the full, mostly because I keep getting injured when I train out to marathon distance and then end up scaling back my training.

My new work schedule is much more flexible than in the past so I've decided to make another run at BQing. I'm 41 now, and am targeting a qualifier in early 2027 and Boston in 2028 if all goes according to plan.

AggieEP said:

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crowag said:

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I was blessed to run NYC in 2024 (lottery) and Chicago in 2023 (time qualifier). Amazing experiences - just keep trying because you never know. I'm chasing Boston now - I ran a BQ at Houston this year but only got under the qualifying standard by just over 3 minutes which likely won't be enough. Talk about heartbreak - technicially qualifying but likely not by enough. I'm doing another marathon next month in the hopes of shaving off another minute or two and improving my chances of getting into Boston 2027. The journey and anticipation is all part of the fun. Just keep running!

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Crowag, what was the biggest key to hitting a BQ time for you. I've chased it off and on for the past 7 years and haven't been able to put it all together for a number of reasons.

I'm way more experienced as a half marathon'er and have pushed my time there down to 84 minutes, I just haven't been able to translate it in the full, mostly because I keep getting injured when I train out to marathon distance and then end up scaling back my training.

My new work schedule is much more flexible than in the past so I've decided to make another run at BQing. I'm 41 now, and am targeting a qualifier in early 2027 and Boston in 2028 if all goes according to plan.

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you didnt ask me, but the biggest key for me when I qualified for Boston was consistency. Not sure what you mean by "chased it on and off for the past 7 years," but mine was a fairly focused multi-year effort where I concentrated on lowering my marathon time. Sure, i had "off seasons" but they still kept a certain level of base speed and training. I didn't overload my calendar and only did 1-2 marathons a year, but also concentrated speed in the 5K to half marathon distance, which made my "base speed" faster. The very high level, general structure was track/speed work on tuesday, tempo on thursdays, and a weekend long run. That and I was fortunate enough to be in group training, so I ran with people faster than me who constantly kicked my ass. Over time, I could hang for longer and longer.

Was super bummed to not hit my goals for the Brooklyn HM on Saturday. Initial goal was to get back down to sub-1:40, but it became apparent that the weather wasn't going to cooperate with us. Warmer start times and no cloud cover led to a very hot 2nd half of the race. Temps jumped rapidly into the 80s.

Decided to scale it down and go for 1:45 and missed it by 30 seconds. But at least nobody died like last year. Weather was in the 90s in NYC yesterday

Great advice. Off and on just means that I periodically swear off doing marathons because they keep kicking my ass. Great feeling of accomplishment to finish, but I keep missing my goals.

My work schedule was pretty challenging when I was living in Colorado (last 3 years) and so I kept my base speed up (still a 20-21 minute 5k) but I reduced my yearly mileage significantly from like 1500 a year to like 500.

I've started to build my distance up again, but like I said, the challenge has been how to conquer miles 19-26 without breaking down. I've held a 3:12 to 3:15 marathon pace up until mile 20 a few times now but have faded hard after that. Probably a mixture of a training deficit at the higher mileage but also a lack of motivation to keep pushing it once it became clear I had no chance at hitting a BQ time.

I'd love to find a group to run with, not always easy to find guys that want to run that fast though.

A few thoughts:
I'm in my mid 40's. I ran my first distance race exactly 10 years ago - a half marathon. About one year later I did another one and had a decent time - 1:37 I believe so I knew I was above average and could maybe keep getting faster. I found Pilot here on Texags - he has been coaching me for 8-9 years and has helped me remain consistent and push myself with some well thought-out training schedules.

Since starting 10 years ago, I've now done 9 halfs and 9 fulls. I feel like I've got the half marathons down. Last one I did I ran a 1:28 and kept getting faster as the race went on - such a great feeling. Even though I BQ'd in January, I absolutely don't think I've mastered the marathon distance. I've done 9 of them and have pretty much fallen apart the last 4-6 miles in 7 of them - I usually get very nauseous which sucks. It is just tough. Only two of them have I felt like I finished strong.

Some things I've learned over the past couple years:

-You have to train with a purpose. Sort of like Michael Jordan in practice - he practiced at the same intensity as he played. Of course some of your runs need to be nice and easy, but then when it is time to run far or hard or both, you need to get into the race mindset and push yourself. I think marathon pace long runs are super helpful - doing a 18 mile run with the last 8-10 miles at marathon pace is great - it helps you get used to the discomfort you will feel on race day plus it obviously helps train your body to sustain that pace. I didn't always train with a purpose - I would stop to rest or take a water break. You won't do that on race day, so don't do it while training.
-Pilot told me a long time ago to "get comfortable with being uncomfortable" - race day is going to hurt. I still haven't mastered this. You have to really want it. Sometimes I hang thru the pain, sometimes I fold. The last six miles of the marathon are just brutal, especially if you are racing it hard. Like I said I have almost always gotten nauseous during my last 6 miles of the marathon and that really makes it tough.
-Consistency is so important. I've had a few small injuries, but for the most part I've been fortunate to stay healthy. I've run 2000+ miles every year for the past 7 years or so without fail. I run when I travel. I run in bad weather. I almost never skip a run unless I absolutely can't do it. I eat well, sleep 7+ hours every night, and take care of myself. I would love to run more mileage if I could, but have found that 55-65 is about my peak weekly mileage during marathon training that I can sustain and still be fresh and healthy for race day

I certainly don't have all the answers and am still trying to get better. If I could clean up the last few miles of the race I would be all set.

Thanks for the response, makes me feel better about my hard fades in the last 6-7 miles of my marathons. I've never had the time to get 2000 miles in per year, but maybe that's part of what I need to do is to work in some extra mileage. I'll have to think about the best way to add productive workouts. I really like my 5 mile easy pace stress relievers, might need to make those into 8 milers.

I ride 6-7 miles a day commuting to work, not sure that has any real benefit though outside of saving gas.

There is no science in this, but I find the premise interesting and have anecdotal experience that it is true regarding falling apart in a marathon. I can't remember where I first heard it, but I heard it somewhere through the years.

Mile 17 means that one went out too fast for the day and conditions and burned up. Mile 20 means that one did not fuel properly and hit the glycogen wall. Mile 23 means that one does not have the mileage and tempering of their legs established through training.

That's interesting, and I have considered that some of the issues I've run into during marathons could be related to not having properly learned how to fuel myself during the race.

My last marathon I targeted a 7:10 pace/mile, and I held that almost exactly for 19 miles, minus mile 5 where I had to take a quick pit stop and ran an 8 minute mile. I think I'm solid on hitting and holding my pace. HR was consistent throughout and my lungs felt good.

The battle I started to face at 19/20 miles was some pain in the ball of the foot (this has manifest itself in training as well on longer runs) and some strange feelings in my calves and quads. I'm not sure exactly how to describe the feeling I had (kind of like cramping but not really), but the sensation was odd and created an internal battle over my will to keep going as my legs stopped obeying me and the pain in my foot got a bit worse. I slowed down to 8:30, then 9:30 pace and just cruised in from there at a jog pace with some static time for stretching trying to figure out what was going on with my legs and keep them from locking totally up on me.

I do not fuel at all during a half, and during my fulls I also am pretty infrequent at using the water/gel stations during the beginning parts of the races. It could definitely be that I need to have a better race strategy. How early in a full do you start fueling? Do you have any recs on a specific schedule throughout a marathon?

This happens to me during every marathon around mile 21/22 and I have always chalked it up to just being the marathon experience. My legs start fighting me and begging me to stop

What works well for me is:

15 or 20 minutes before start - half of a Maurten 320 drink mix + 1 Salt Stick electrolyte cap - 40g carbs
Mile 5 - Maurten 100 gel - 25g carbs
Mile 10, 15, 20 - half of a 320 + 1 electrolyte cap - 40g carbs each

That works out to carb intake every 30 to 35 minutes for me.

I will also carry an extra gel mostly for mile 23ish. If I need or want it, I just try to force down a third or half as quickly as possible. I'll take water at aid stations as needed, some for hydration and some for temperature regulation if warm out (dumping it on my head).

The big thing that goes into this plan is that I have to have people at the spots on the course handing me bottles. My wife and mom have that part of the logistics down to a science at this point.

When running a half, I try to follow the same plan since those are dress rehearsals and tune ups. That's not always possible for different reasons, so I might end up just taking a Gel 100 every 5 or 6 km.

Had to get a screw put in my thumb today. Been feeling really strong after my runs lately. Gonna turn them into longer walks until I can run again. Hopefully that's not too long and I don't get out of the groove I was in.