MOUNT DORA 5K & HALF MARATHON – December 17 & 18, 2022

It’s far and few between when you live in South Florida and the temperature dips below 70°.  Not bad, except when you want to go out for a run.  During the summer I often get up as early as 4am to run…and it’s already 80°!  Not as bad as folks trying to leg out some miles in the cold and snow (and do most of their winter running on the treadmill), but it would be nice to get a break.

 

One break coming up!

 

Even though it is already December, you never know when a cold front may hit.  This was to be my eleventh consecutive year running the Mount Dora Half Marathon, and only a small handful of times has the thermometer dipped below 60°.  This weekend would be different.

 

Glenda and I drove up on Friday afternoon and picked up our race packets.  Not super-thrilled with the shirts, but they would be hard-pressed to beat last year (outstanding).  We did a late supper at the Goblin Market, which served as our “unofficial” anniversary celebration.  We were married on December 20^th and eating here has become an annual tradition.  We then walked around in 56° weather and checked out the holiday lights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 5K on Saturday started at 8am, and it was 47° when we got to the starting line.  The sun was out in full force, so it didn’t really seem that cold.  This was a walking event for us, since that was the only condition I could get Glenda to sign up. The course itself is through some very quiet neighborhoods, and we hung around until the end to chat with some folks we know.  We ate breakfast in the cottage, did some shopping and took a boat tour on Lake Dora at 2pm.  We did this last year and really loved it.  One major difference was the lack of other boats in the Dora Canal because of the colder weather.  I highly recommend the Premier Boat Tours if you are ever in this area.  We ate an early supper at the Olive Branch, which has a very diverse menu for us picky eaters.  After another walk around town, it was an early lights out for the half marathon on Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was 56° as I approached the starting line.  I wore my Sandhouse Running Club Hanukkah shirt, as you will see in the photos below.  As cold as it was, I knew I would warm up at some point.  I usually opt for the compression sleeves instead of a long sleeve shirt (just keeping my options open).  851 runners crossed the starting line at 7am.  This was down a little bit from last year (926).  I was a little stiff for the first few miles, but I knew that I would warm up as time went on.  I took of my compression sleeves around the four-mile mark, so my strategy paid off.  My one and only complaint about this race was the shortage of water stations on the course.  After giving Weston props for having a water station every mile, this was not the case.  It was okay because of the cold weather, but it would be a bigger concern in the heat.  I think I noticed this more because I started to run with only one small water bottle.  Maybe I should add this to the suggestion box 🤓.

 

 

 

 

 

I ran a very strong race, but a very slow time.  I never wanted to blame the knee brace in the past but let the blame rain down!  As I was ready to cross the finish line, Glenda was there snapping photos to try and make me look good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting ready to do the 12 Miles of Christmas on December 24^th (this is a training run; probably no blog post).  The temperature should be around 47°.

 

Happy holidays everyone!

WESTON RUN FOR TOMORROW HALF MARATHON – December 4, 2022

 

 

One of the more difficult things about writing this blog is trying to entertain my loyal readers; it’s not always the easiest thing to do.  Sure, I’m a witty guy (at least in my mind), but some of these races just don’t provide me with enough memorable content.  I don’t want to bore all of you with a mile-by-mile recap of the race, so I try my best to think outside the box.

 

As I’ve mentioned before, the race season in South Florida (not including 5K & 10K races) is very short.  The blistering heat is the main culprit.  Therefore, beggars can’t be choosers.  I kicked off the season on Thanksgiving with the Tamarac Turkey Trot with Lindsey, and then focused my attention to the  Weston Run For Tomorrow Half Marathon.

 

 

Celebrating their 25^th anniversary, the Weston Run For Tomorrow Half Marathon is the race I’ve run more than any other, not named Tamarac Turkey Trot.  It’s about 20 minutes from my house and is easy in-and-out.  You probably know from previous posts that this is not one of my favorites…but let’s not dwell on the negatives.  There are other activities taking place during race day, which includes a 5K, 10K and One-Mile Family Walk & Commission Cup.  All this is followed by a big festival, with many vendors and activities for the youngins.  One thing that seems apparent is that the major draw is not the half marathon, which may explain why this race never gets bigger from year to year.

 

274 runners entered this race (up 72 from last year).  By comparison, 207 ran the 10K, and 292 lined up for the 5K.  One interesting tidbit…the website said you need to finish the half marathon within three hours.  My guess is that if you are even slower than me, you may be discouraged from entering the half, and maybe drop down to the 10K.  There are races that require you to be in a certain place by a certain time, but I’ve never seen a three-hour time limit on a half marathon (I’ve even run with the balloon ladies).  They did not close the course at the three-hour mark, but my best guess is they want everyone to finish before the One-Mile Family Walk began at 9:30 (the half begins at 6:20).

 

The weather was in the low 70s most of the time, and it was a relatively easy race for me.  To their credit, there were water stations at each mile, and they stay until everyone finished.  I did not finish last, but there weren’t too many folks behind me.  As I turned the final corner, the One-Mile walk was starting.  Boy, where there a lot of people doing this event.  No wonder the half marathon is not their priority! 

 

 

The race shirt was outstanding and the medal…well, they tried.

 

 The weather for Mount Dora is supposed to be in the 50s, so I’m really looking forward to that.

 

GASPARILLA DISTANCE CLASSIC – February 26 & 27, 2022

 

ARRRRGH YOUR READY TO RUN...BY YOURSELF?

It was finally time for the Gasparilla Distance Classic.  The most exciting, relaxing, and hectic weekend on my race schedule.  Only one thing was missing this year…no one in my running inner-circle signed up for it.  Lindsey was staying in New York, Elaine was skiing in Utah, Doug was on a cruise, and Glenda was too overwhelmed at work to go with me (I even tried to bribe Rachel to drive down from Tallahassee).  But all was not lost…Mary was coming in from Ocala with Cynthia and Michele.  I told her I would need her to be my babysitter for the weekend, and she was up for the challenge.  This would all change on the Thursday before the race.  Mary called me to say she and the gang would not be coming to Tampa.  Pneumonia (Cynthia), broken bones in the foot (Michele), and exposure to Covid (Mary) had taken the three of them out of action.  I asked both Jen and Pam if they wanted to meet me, but it was not enough advance notice for either one of them.  I was very disappointed, but I am my own best company.  My friend Erin (whom I’ve known since fourth grade) lives in Tampa and was free to see me Friday afternoon.

I arrived at the hotel around 3:30pm on Friday and made my way to the expo.  To get into to Tampa Convention Center (and the races for that matter), you would need to show proof of vaccination or a negative test.  They put a bracelet on my wrist and told me not to take it off for the weekend.  I met Erin outside the building, and we sat and talked for over two hours.  She had knee replacement surgery recently and was not up to walking around inside.  Once she left, I went in and picked up my race packet.  The shirts were exceptional (as always) along with the jacket they give you for doing one of the challenges.  There weren’t as many vendors as in past years (same with Miami), but I did buy a sweet looking Gasparilla sweatshirt.  After I put my “booty” away in the room, I walked over to Publix for a “Pub-Sub” and other goodies for supper.  I went to sleep early, with the 15K starting at 7am on Saturday.

 

 

Let’s go through the numbers for the weekend:

15K:     2,482

5K:       3,799

Half:     2,701

8K:       2,435

The 11,417 runners were considerably less than the 27,275 runners from two years ago, but Susan also put a cap on the races this year for health and safety reasons.  That notwithstanding, it’s always exciting when such a large group of runners line up for the starting gun.  The temperature was about 65° when the race started, and we were off.  I usually start in the middle of the corral, but this year I went all the way to the back.  Let’s face it…that’s where I’m going to finish, so why not avoid the crowd?  I ran an exceptionally strong race and only stopped to pee one time!  I also used my new Flipbelt running belt (as mentioned in my last blog post) and I really liked it.  I only carried one 11oz. water bottle, so I make sure I stopped and hydrated at all the water stations. Once I crossed the finish line, I caught up with my “pirate” friend Christine and took several photos with her.  They moved the after-party to a spot across from Publix, which is right by the finish line.  There was music and free beer, but no food this year.  No worries…I still had half of my “Pub-Sub” from the night before.  I was now faced with the biggest decision of the weekend…What was I going to do to entertain myself Saturday afternoon?  After showering, I made one more trip to the expo.  I bought a pirate hat and shirt, which I obviously missed on Friday.  I dropped them off in the room and took the trolley to Ybor City.  I had lunch at the Tampa Bay Brewing Company; I have to say, it’s been a long time since I’ve dined in a restaurant by myself.  They have a beer called “Smooth Pontoon,” which has the texture and taste of a smoothie.  Sadly, they did not have enough on tap for me to get a “to go” can or two.  There was a nice street festival going on that day (the roosters were also out in full force), so I walked around for about an hour.  After a 15K, two beers, and some sightseeing, this little boy was tapped out (no pun intended) and ready for bed.  The half marathon was starting at 6am on Sunday, and I was “counting sheep” by 8:30pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I forgot to mention that I ate a few too many cookies before I went to sleep and was still feeling the effects when I got up at 4:30am.  I was also a little sore from the 15K and sightseeing on Saturday but was still excited for the half marathon.  The temperature was about the same as the day before, but at least we start before the sun comes up.  They did a thorough job of checking to make sure everyone had on their wristband before entering the corrals.  Once again, I moved towards the back and avoided most of the crowd.  When we were under way, my stomach felt much better.  That being said, I know it was not going to be the same “walk in the park” as the 15K.  When I got to Bayshore Blvd. (around five miles into the race), I felt as if I were on cruise control.  It’s hard to explain; I wasn’t struggling, but I wasn’t running strong either…I was just running.  It was sunny, but not super-hot (I stopped to pee three times).  I called Glenda with about three miles to go, which made time go by quicker.  I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face, and half marathon #81 in the books.  I hung out with Christine for a while, but I had to shower and make that exciting drive back to the 954.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Susan and her crew put together a professional and well-organized race weekend; I’m counting down the days until next year.

This time, I hope I have some company.

One last note...I did not see Meb in the elevator this year.

 

 

 

 

 

MIAMI HALF MARATHON – February 6, 2022

 

 #miamifamous once again.

After a one-year hiatus (I ran it virtually last year), the Miami Marathon & Half Marathon were back in business.  This race would be a special one for me...and for them.  This was their 20^th anniversary.  I don’t know the exact number of times I’ve run (I did my first in 2007), but I’m pretty sure it’s at least ten.  As for me, I would be celebrating my 80^th half marathon.  I’m still hoping to get to 100; so far so good.  Lindsey came down to run with me (via a wedding in Jacksonville), but Elaine would take a pass this year in favor of snow skiing.  Since this is an international race, it would be interesting to see what the turnout would be due to travel restrictions.  There was also an added bonus…They moved the expo back to the Miami Beach Convention Center.  Due to renovations, the expo had been moved to the Mana Wynwood Convention Center for the past several years.  This building was way too small for the amount of traffic that attends the expo.  I wanted to attend the expo on Friday, but Lindsey had too much work to do.  She suggested we go first-thing Saturday morning, so we had our plan in place.

We left around 9am on Saturday, and parking was no issue at all.  My aunt and uncle lived right across from the convention center, so I’ve made this drive more times than I could count (either behind the wheel, or in the back seat as a youngin).  We got there about 15 minutes before they opened, so we stood in line for a little bit.  To my surprise (and delight), there were not too many people this early in the day.  Once they opened the gates, we were able to move around easily.  The convention center is really big, and there weren’t as many vendors as in years past.  I’m guessing this may be a trend for a while until things get back to normal.  The race shirt was kind of disappointing.  The 20^th anniversary logo was very nice, but the shirt was white.  I am not a fan of white running shirts, and the design would have looked great on a black or navy shirt (in my opinion).  The giveaways were really good, highlighted by many packets of Liquid I.V.  I have become a big fan over the past few months, and the flavors are delicious.  Lindsey bought a new running belt.  She wanted something that did not have water bottle attachments.  Her thinking is that since they have water stations on the course, why anchor yourself down with extra weight.  She purchased the Flipbelt Zipper, which checked all her boxes.  I like to carry a drink with me, but Flipbelt does make small bottles that can go inside the belt.  I’m not happy with my current running belt situation but would wait to get her review after the race to potentially purchase one for myself (She gave it a thumbs-up; I’ll give you my review after Gasparilla).  After leaving the expo, we had lunch at Orange Blossom on South Beach.  It was just a few blocks from the convention center and was highly recommended by one of Lindsey's work buddies.  I have never taken a picture of my food and posted it to social media; if I did, the avocado toast I ordered would have been the first.  The presentation was excellent, and it tasted just as good.  We made our way home after that and tried our best to go to bed early.

 

Sunday morning…You know the drill…Up at 2am and out the door by 3:15am. As we made our way to park at the FTX Arena (formally the American Airlines Arena), the traffic flow was next to none.  In fact, almost all the roads that are always blocked off were all open!  We would normally mosey into our corral around 5:15am or so, but the race added a new twist this year.  The start of the race is 6am, but only corrals A-G were open early.  The remaining corrals (H-K) opened at 6:15am.  I’m guessing this was to cut down on the congestion, especially amidst a pandemic.  I think this was a really good idea, and we found our place rather easy (we were in Corral I).  I’m not good at approximating the size of a crowd, but it did seem like less people than usual.  2,471 ran the full marathon and 9,819 ran the half marathon, for a total of 12,290.  My approximation skills were correct this time; 18,587 ran the race in 2020.  It was our time to cross the starting line, and Lindsey would “throw me a bone” and run with me this year.

I almost never publicly give my opinion on “controversial” subjects, but there was an incident that took place in the first few miles I want to weigh in on.  There was a runner pushing a wheelchair with an elderly woman.  There were also several runners pushing baby strollers as well.  IN MY OPINION, wheelchairs and strollers should not be allowed in races (especially in a race of this size).  The woman pushing the wheelchair was running at a brisk pace and was yelling “excuse me” literally every 15 seconds.  With that many runners grouped together, worrying about getting plowed over by a moving vehicle should not be on the mind of anyone.  Sure enough, we saw the wheelchair a few miles later.  There was a collision with a runner, who was laying in the road bloodied and bruised.  Ironically, more people were attending to the elderly woman in the wheelchair (who seemed unscathed) than the woman who got run over (we did see her after the race was over.  She continued the race but had way too many battle scars as a souvenir).   In smaller less-congested races, wheelchairs and/or strollers may be okay.  At the very least, why not create an extra corral at the end for all the runners pushing someone.  Just a thought.

 

NOW BACK TO THE RACE...

The temperature was around 66° for most of the race, with the sun out the entire time.  I had lots of energy, and only had to stop two times to pee (a personal record).  Other than the collision in the beginning of the race, nothing noteworthy to report on.  The scenery of South Beach, the water and the boats really keep you pumped up throughout the entire race.  I started to slow down a bit with three miles to go, so I told Lindsey to go ahead.  I got a good amount of SpongeBob cheers, which put a big smile on my face.  The medal was outstanding, but it was bittersweet to not have to wait for Elaine to finish the full marathon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m already looking forward to next year, as both Lindsey and Mary have signed up; I hope Elaine will be there too.