Missoula Marathon Report - Short Version

Well, as I mentioned in my last post, my Missoula marathon experience got off to a rough start with the fuel pump problems and all. Let's just say that it didn't end all that much better....although it could have ended much worse, so I guess it ended okay, if that makes any sense. To put it briefly: it was friggin hot. I (apparently) don't run well in the heat and it was in the mid 80s by the time I finished at 10:00 AM. I would be perfectly content if it were about 55 degrees all day every day year round. It started out in the low 60s, so it wasn't my type of conditions from the start, but I still laid down a solid first half. But, a long (i.e. two mile long) hill and the heat got to me in the second half and I was toast....literally. I ended up crossing the finish with cramped up legs in 3:32, which is actually pretty respectable, but I've done better. I'll post the gory details when I finish my full length report after returning to South Dakota.