DOUBLE ANNIVERSARY EDITION: MOUNT DORA HALF MARATHON & 5K (DECEMBER 18 & 19, 2021)

 Two anniversaries for the price of one…But I’m pretty sure one is more important than the other.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that the Mount Dora Half Marathon falls in very close proximity of my wedding anniversary (Dec. 20^th).  This year is the big “FOUR-ZERO,” which is obviously quite an accomplishment.  Then again, since I consider Glenda to be the greatest person I’ve every known, it’s been pretty much smooth sailing all of these years (at least on my part; you’ll have to ask her if she feels the same about me 😘).  As if this weren’t enough, it’s also the ten-year anniversary of this race.  I’ve participated every year, so we were truly looking forward to a special weekend...and what could be more special than Glenda running (okay…walking) the 5K on Saturday.

A major curveball was thrown at the weekend when I went to make reservations at our usual go to, the Historic Mount Dora Inn and Cottages.  They were totally booked, but were gracious enough to recommend the Adora Inn.   It’s just a couple of blocks down the road, and they were nice as can be when we called to book our room.  After checking in around 4pm, we walked over and picked up our race packets.  Kelly was there to greet us; she continues to do a great job promoting this race, especially when it comes to the social media. The race shirts for both the 5K and the half marathon were outstanding.  In fact, I would say the new logo and the shirts were the best yet.  I had the foresight to make dinner reservations at the Goblin Market, which is always jam-packed.  The food is amazing, and we sat outside in perfect 72° weather.  We walked around and looked at the lights for a little bit but saved the shopping for the next day.

The 5K on Saturday morning started at 8am, and we were literally two blocks away from the start.  In all my years of doing the half marathon, this would be the first time I would be participating in the 5K. It looked like a big crowd (752), and the temperature was 66° when the race started.  The course was an out-and-back, and we both maintained a brisk pace.  Santa was there at the finish line to shake our hands, and I could tell that Glenda was glad I talked her into walking with me.  The medals were tremendous, especially for a 5K.  After a few photos, we went back to the Adora Inn for an incredible breakfast (Arthur and John have an extensive background in the hospitality industry).  I would recommend this place without hesitation.

 

 

 

We have always wanted to do a boat tour, and this is the year we would finally “take the plunge" (maybe not the best choice of words).  Premier Boat Tours is a pontoon boat tour on Lake Dora and The Harris Chain of Lakes.  The two-hour tour includes the famous Dora Canal, which has been described as "The most beautiful mile of water in the world." As we cruised, the captain and crew shared their stories and local knowledge of the area, its history, flora and fauna. Bald eagles, herons, anhingas, turtles and alligators were all common sightings during our tour.  It was a blast, and I look forward to doing it again.  We were starving after the tour and did an extremely early dinner at the Olive Branch Grille.  The food was very good, but probably too much sangria (I took an impressive three-hour nap back at the inn).

 

 

 

 

 

The half marathon started at 7am, and the temperature was 72° at the start (a little warmer that I would have liked, but I’ll take it).  926 runners anxiously waited for the gun to sound, which was 258 more than last year.  Since this race was one of the few in-person races of 2020, the increase was impressive.  I was planning for a sub three-hour performance, but that may have been overly ambitious for this race.  This course is arguably my favorite (and most scenic), but it has a few too many hills for these old bones to overcome.  I ran strong, and the sun stayed behind the clouds most of the time.  Kelly was shooting video around the three-mile mark, and I stopped to speak to her for a few minutes.  There was no Gatorade at any of the water stations, which is my one and only criticism on the race.  As I was crossing the finish line, Glenda took one of the best race photos of me (and one of the best in her photography career).  I went over the three-hour mark but was not disappointed in my overall performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The race next year is the day before Hanukkah, so I’m already working on my outfit.

 

 

 

 

 

BACK ON THE BLOCK: TAMARAC TURKEY TROT 5K (11/25/21) & WESTON ROTARY RUN FOR TOMORROW HALF MARATHON (12/5/21)

For those of you who are too young to recognize this reference, it’s the name of a song (and an album) written by Quincy Jones in 1989.  It’s also very apropos to how good it feels to be "back on the block" and racing.

Sure, running Gasparilla “in person” in May was a treat, but it was still a virtual race.  All the races are starting to come back, despite the many spikes of COVID-19.  First up was the Tamarac Turkey Trot 5K, which by now you know was my first race (back in ’96).  Lindsey was down from New York, and this has really become a family tradition.  The pandemic might have kept some runners away (2,026 in 2019) but a robust crowd of 1,593 made their way to the starting line.  The gun sounded, and it was business as usual.  It was an enjoyable race, and my time was almost identical to 2019.  We stayed and spoke to Steve from Runner’s Depot for a bit, and then make our way home for Thanksgiving festivities.

 

 

 The Weston Rotary Run For Tomorrow was the first “in person” half marathon for me since Mount Dora (December 2020).  What I like most about this race is how easy it is to get there and park; what I don’t like will be explained in a few minutes.  As I approached the starting line, I thought to myself, “What a small crowd.”  Only 206 runners entered the race, as compared to 362 in 2019.  To be fair, the event added a 5K & 10K as well, but the numbers have gone down steadily over the past few years.  The race shirt was cotton (a no-no for half marathons and marathons) and the medal was nothing special (I’ll complain more after the race recap).

It had been a minute since I’ve completed a half marathon in under three hours; I was determined to do that today.  The course is totally flat, and I knew there would be only one thing holding me back…how many times I was going to stop and pee.  It wasn’t super-hot, and the sun stayed hidden most of the race.  With so few runners, I ran solo after the seven-mile mark.  I knew it was going to be close towards the end, and I really gave it my all down the stretch.  Sadly, too many trips to the bushes, and I missed my goal by 55 seconds.  As in typical fashion with this race, there was nobody at the finish line to hand me the medal.  In fact, I had to as some other runners where the medals were.  Silly me, they were just laying on the floor in a box.  I went to check my results later that day, but my finishing time was not there.  I had to email the timing company twice before it was finally posted.  In the meantime, I received an email congratulating me on the race, and gave me a finishing time that would have had me finish first in my age group.  Too bad that could only happen in my dreams. 

 

 

 

 

 

 It was still a blast; I’m really looking forward to Mount Dora in a couple of weeks.