LAKE MINNEOLA HALF MARATHON - March 22, 2026 (Special Birthday Edition)

…And now for something completely different.

 

Having to bail out on the Miami half marathon, I was now down one race for the year.  The plan was to run the Chicago Spring half marathon again and meet Rachel there. Those plans changed as well. As my daughter put it “I love you guys, but if I go to Chicago, I really want to hang out with my friends.”

 

Now, with two races off the table, what choice did I have but to consult one of my close friend, ChatGPT.  I asked her (I’ve assigned ChatGPT a female voice) to find me a half marathon in Florida. It didn't have to be in the southern part of the state, but I want something small like Mount Dora.  A couple of suggestions really caught my eye. The first one was in Howie-in-the-Hills.  This is a small town in Lake County, which is a little bit north of Orlando. The problem...it was the same weekend as the Gasparilla half marathon, so that was a big no. The other race that caught my eye was the Lake Minneola half marathon.  Minneola is also north of Orlando and right next to Clermont.  It even has its own exit off the turnpike; I decided to visit the website. It looked like a pretty course, and it checked all the boxes. The best thing of all was that it was the day after my birthday. They also had a 5K and 10K; Glenda would be able to walk the 5K.  I sent a message to Aaron who is the ultimate authority on all races Central Florida and beyond.  He told me it was worth running, and he was planning on doing it again this year. That was all the confirmation I needed but there was just one more detail I needed to settle. I told ChatGPT that I wanted to stay at a hotel that was literally walking distance from the starting line.  That is one of my requirements when I do an out-of-town race. She recommended the Lake Minneola Inn.  Founded in 1882, the Lake Minneola Inn is a quaint, historic hotel located on the eastern shore of Lake Minneola.  It reminded me of the Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora, but on a smaller scale. I called there and spoke to Amber; just like that I booked the room for the race weekend. Amber told me that there was a Tiki bar and Grill right downstairs overlooking Lake Minneola, so no need to get into the car and drive for our meals.  If this weren’t enough excitement, I let Mary know that Glenda and I would be coming up for the weekend to do the race, and she said she would meet us and walk the 5K with Glenda.  Mary had run the half marathon many years ago, but the course had changed for the better.

 

 

 

Since all the races were taking place on Sunday, we drove up on Saturday. What an exciting way to spend the early part of my birthday! We got to the Inn around 3:30 and met Amber in person. She was super sweet and gave us a tour of the place which looked like an old Victorian home that had been converted. Our room was super nice, and you could tell it had been renovated somewhat recently. 

 Once we brought our stuff up, we walked over to Waterfront Park to pick up our race packets.  Waterfront Park is located alongside Lake Minneola and hosts festivals almost every week. It would also be the start of all the races on Sunday. The packet pick up area was exactly one mile from the Inn and was extremely scenic. Lake Minneola had a man-made beach all around it, which reminded me of Lake Michigan in Chicago. It was wild how many people were laying out in the sun. This is Florida, not Chicago; then again, this area is kind of in the middle of the state, so going to the beach is not something the locals get to do on a regular basis.  There were also a huge number of boats in the water.

 

 

The shirts for the race were extremely nice and long sleeve.  We walked around the park a little bit more before making our way back to the Inn.  After a brief Shabbos nap, we headed downstairs to the Tiki bar and Grill to grab some supper.  Amber warned us in advance that the place was always packed; boy howdy was she right.  There were very few tables available, so we wound up sitting at the bar. Once we ordered, our server told us there was about an hour back up on the food. I told her it was my birthday, if that made any difference.  She said, “nice try”. However, we did get our food about 20 minutes later.  I don’t want to throw out a cliché by saying it was worth the wait, but it was worth the wait. Amber also told us that the big highlight was the sunset, and that was spectacular as well.

 

With a 7 AM start time for the half marathon, we left the Inn around 6 AM. Once we got to the park, we met up with Mary. I was super excited to run this race and it’s always a pleasure not having to fight your way to the starting line.  434 runners ran the half, which was perfect for me (349 did the 5K and 330 did the 10K).

 

The race started out in the same direction as the Inn.  After about 2 miles we made a turn around and came back towards the starting line. It was about a mile after that that I saw Glenda and Mary, who had started their race at 7:10 AM and were on the way to the finish line. Most of the race was along Lake Minneola and was very pretty.  The park and surrounding areas were huge, and we ran on a paved trail the entire time.  The course was not congested at all, even though there were times where you had runners going in both directions.  The temperature at the start of the race was about 57°, but it seemed a lot warmer than that.  I also made the executive decision to wear my new Hoka Cielo running shoes that I purchased at the Gasparilla Distance Classic expo (discussed in my last blog post). I did a couple of runs with them before the race including a nine-mile run. I knew I would be taking a chance, but I must cut the ties with my Carbon X at some point.  We made the turnaround about nine miles into the race, and I was feeling good. Best of all…there were 30 runners behind me when I crossed the finish line.  My finishing time was about average for me.  There were lots of people still hanging around the park for the after party, which included servings of mac & cheese. I saw Aaron a couple of times during the race, and we met up afterwards to take a picture and talk. I met Aaron at Mt. Dora many years ago and he’s a great guy.  Mary drove us back to the hotel where we showered and grabbed lunch at the Tiki bar and Grill. It was nowhere as crowded as Saturday night since we got there when they first opened. We were able to score a table, and lunch was excellent.

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s my review of the race and the weekend. I’ve never given star ratings before; I’m not going to start now. I will be registering for this race next year.  Overall, everything was excellent. If I really had to nitpick, the water stations weren’t great, but they weren’t terrible. I did not stop one time to pee, but they probably could’ve used more Porta Potties on the course. The race seemed well run and extremely organized.  This is exactly the kind of race I really look forward to.  I just wish there were more of these closer to home.   

 

I told Elaine that I wasn’t going to do Miami again, and she should come down and run Weston with me. She signed up and Mary signed up to do the 5K with Glenda. As of right now that’s the next race on my calendar.

 

I may need to have another talk with ChatGPT to discuss my future running plans.

 

GASPARILLA DISTANCE CLASSIC – February 21 & 22, 2026

   

Life after 100…

 

For some strange reason, everyone thought that my 100th half marathon would be my last. OH NO! I'm just getting started (too cliché?).  100 was always just a number out there. It was never a goal or an intention. As the number became more prevalent, it was just an attention grabbing mechanism. Rest assured, I’m not done yet.

 

Now at this point, you’re expecting a review of the Miami half marathon. Well, that ship came and went. Because of the tremendous snowstorm and bad weather up north, Elaine couldn’t get out of North Carolina to run with me; since I’m pretty much over this race for reasons that I mentioned in previous blogs, I decided to skip it. No remorse here, and I decided to find another race as a replacement. More on that in my next blog post.

 

Alan and I left at our usual time on Friday. To our surprise and delight, the traffic was virtually nonexistent. That was a first. We went over to the expo to pick up our race packets and boy did they up their game. The race shirts were a whole new design, and they were now giving away a hoodie rather than a jacket if you did one of the challenges. I couldn’t stop laughing because the hoodie for my challenge was yellow and blue which made me look like a Chiquita banana or a 12-year-old. I also bought a quarter zip since they were so much more merchandise that they were now selling.  We had supper at the Yard House, which is relatively new and very close to the hotel.

 

 

 

The temperature for the 15K on Saturday was 66°…not bad.  3,755 runners finished this race, which was up 363 from last year.  I was going to wear my Nike Vomero Plus, but I chickened out at the last minute and went with my usual Hoka Carbon X.  I don’t know what’s happening to me recently, but I’m having a very “turn back the clock” moment with my flexibility and pain. I can actually bend down and pick money off the street… should I see any.  My knee has also been feeling great. I don’t know how long this is going to last, but I’m going to ride that train as long as I can. Nothing super exciting to report from the run. It was fun as always, and Alan met me at the finish line to take photos.  We were now getting ready to walk the 5K.

 

 

 

 

 Since there are so many people entered in this race (7,117), they have the runners and walkers starting in many different waves spread apart. We went out with the mommies pushing strollers, which felt like the appropriate place to be that day.  Alan had a relatively easy walk, and it was fun to wind down after the race at the after-party.  We had a beer or two before heading back to the hotel room to watch the Gators play basketball.  Alan decided to take a Shabbos nap, and I walked back over to the expo to see if there were any last-minute deals.  What a good decision.  All the race apparel was 20% off, so I purchased another quarter zip.  In addition, one of the vendors was selling a pair of Hoka Cielo for $150 (the usual price is $275).  I called Steve from Runner’s Depot to ask him what he thought, and he said it was worth the gamble. This is a carbon plated marathon shoe, so I figured I’d give it a shot to see if I could wear it for my next race. They felt very comfortable when I tried them on, so I took the gamble.  Later that evening, we met up with Erin and her boyfriend Steve at Columbia Café.  I know Erin since fourth grade, and it’s always great seeing her in person.  Great food and great conversation, and an early “lights-out” for the half marathon on Sunday.

 

 

It was a little warmer for this race (71°), but we also started at 6 AM, which gave us close to an hour before the sun came up.  4,244 runners participated (433 more than last year), which was Susan’s last year as Executive Director of the Gasparilla Distance Classic.  She has held this position for the past 35 years and decided to finally call it quits. I know Susan personally and she’s a wonderful person. I’m going to miss our conversations, but her legacy will definitely live on.  Once the race started, I could kind of find myself dragging a little bit, although I wasn’t in any pain. My pace continued to be incredibly slow, but I was totally enjoying myself (although this was probably my worst finishing time for a half marathon).  After crossing the finish line and taking photos, we packed up and headed back down towards Coral Springs.

 

 

 

All in all, an excellent weekend. I’ve already signed up for next year, and Alan is thinking about walking the 8K.

 

A big surprise for my next blog post, so stay tuned.

MOUNT DORA HALF MARATHON – December 21, 2025 (#100)

 

 

It was always just a number out there, but now it’s official: my 100th half marathon is complete.

Full disclosure… it’s not that I consider 100 half marathons a “monumental” event. Sure, it’s impressive, but what’s even more impressive to me is that my body has been able to withstand the punishment over all these years with minimal wear and tear. That notwithstanding, I was more than happy to let everyone within earshot know that I was running my 100th.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and checked into the Lakeside Inn instead of our usual Airbnb. Overlooking Lake Dora, the hotel opened in 1883 and is the oldest continuously operated hotel in the State of Florida. More importantly, it is literally in front of the starting line for the half marathon. Our room was not ready yet, so we sat outside and ate lunch (excellent). We then walked over to pick up our race packets and spoke with Kelly for a few minutes. She knew this was my 100th half and was genuinely excited. This race weekend always coincides with our anniversary (#44), so we typically celebrate by dining at the Goblin Market on Friday night. The food was great, so we didn’t have to order off the bar menu (the curse of picky eaters).

The 5K started at 7:45 on Saturday morning. It wasn’t quite as cold as last year, with a starting temperature of 47°. 1,225 runners/walkers braved the cold — 185 more than last year. The sun was out full force with no wind. Glenda told me I wasn’t talking that much, but I reminded her that she usually walks with Amy & Pam (the three affectionately known as the “Walking Yentas”); the bar is set pretty high. After crossing the finish line, we went back to the hotel for breakfast, which was incredible. Since the weather was now in the 70s, we signed up for a two-hour boat tour on Lake Dora and the Dora Canal. We have done the tour many times, but it was too cold and rainy the past two years. We then had an early dinner at… you guessed it… the hotel.

 

 

 

 

Sunday morning saw a starting temperature of 52°. Vickie (the director of the race) told me there would be a Rabbi saying Mi Shebeirach before the start of the race for last year’s winner (I believe she was hit by a car while running and was in bad shape). This is the main Jewish get-well prayer, asking God for complete healing of body and soul. I wasn’t the only Jew at the starting line, but it didn’t seem as if many runners knew what was happening. It was a thoughtful gesture, and I made sure to say “Amen” when the prayer was over. I was excited to run since I really love this race. 1,162 runners began at 7am, up 185 from last  year. I even got to see Aaron at the starting line.

 

 

I felt good early on and enjoyed the cooler weather. I was keeping a solid pace, and there were a lot of runners behind me (good for the ego). For the first six miles or so, it looked like I might finish under three hours, but I began to slow later, and that dream ended. This is probably not a race to PR, since it is anything but flat. The biggest highlight of the race… I did not stop to pee! Yes, a half marathon with no potty breaks.

 

I ran strong and consistent throughout the race. My pace fluctuated minimally, and over 60 runners finished after me. After crossing the finish line, Kelly had Chris make an announcement that it was my 100th half marathon. Very thoughtful of Kelly, though I was really hoping for a parade 😂😂😂.  I could not think of a better race to accomplish this milestone.

 

We took some photos afterward but had to check out shortly after. The hotel wasn’t quite as accommodating in terms of a later checkout.

Now that I’ve had time to let it sink in, I guess 100 half marathons is a big deal. I’ll milk it as much as I can until January 25, 2026 — the date of the Miami Half Marathon and half marathon #101.

WESTON RUN FOR TOMORROW HALF MARATHON – December 7, 2025 (#99)

 

 

“Hello, my name is Jay, and I am a slow runner… I mean a REALLY slow runner.”

Not the charming, under-the-radar kind of slow either — the kind of slow where there’s no confusion about how long you’ll be out there.

You have to go all the way back to December 2019 to find the last time I broke three hours in a half marathon. That was five years ago! Clearly, I don’t do speed training and never really have — but come on, man… it’s not like I’m not trying. It’s very easy to blame the knee brace, so let’s go with that.

I went back as far as 2011 and saw that I was running 11‑minute miles. Why am I bringing this all up? Because this year, during the Weston Run for Tomorrow Half Marathon, I was determined to break three hours. Last year I came close, finishing at 3 hours and 4 minutes. And the only reason I didn’t break three hours was because I stopped to take way too many photos along the way. Obviously.

This is the perfect race to finish with a great time because it’s totally flat and it’s an out‑and‑back. More often than not, I’m not really focused on my finishing time, but this year I was.

Let me clarify a few things (or possibly make excuses) before I continue. I am not built for speed and never have been. I am built for distance and endurance. I’ve always had good cardio and have used that to my advantage. I’m not depressed about this — maybe just a little frustrated that I can’t do better — but I was determined to put forth a concerted effort this year to come in under three hours.

Typically, I like to do a 10‑mile run a week or two before a half marathon. That didn’t happen for this race. Back‑to‑back Gator games prevented me from doing a long run on the weekends. That was okay, since I consider myself always half‑marathon trained.

Then came the week of Thanksgiving. I got a call I wasn’t expecting from my dermatologist. A biopsy they had done on my face showed some squamous cells, and they needed to do Mohs surgery. This is a precise outpatient procedure used to remove skin cancers like basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. The surgeon removes thin layers of skin, examines them under a microscope, and repeats the process until all the cancer cells are gone — preserving as much healthy tissue as possible. It has high cure rates and better cosmetic outcomes, especially on the face, hands, and feet.

I scheduled the procedure for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, which meant I would miss the Tamarac Turkey Trot 5K for the first time since 1996 (not counting the pandemic years). The strategy was simple: stitches out the following Tuesday, good to go for Weston. This meant even more training I would be losing. I was going into this half marathon having run only once in close to two weeks.

As I’ve mentioned in prior blogs, there are several events taking place at this race — not just the half marathon. There’s also a 10K and, of course, my favorite: the kids’ fun one‑mile walk, which always seems to interfere with the finish of the race. As best as I can tell, 349 participants entered this year, which was up 56 from last year.

The good news? I didn’t finish last. I continue to hang my hat on the fact that I have never finished last in any race I’ve done — although I’ve come close a few times.

I started out with a pretty good pace, reflected by my heart rate hovering around 150 bpm for most of the race. That’s much higher than usual, but I was determined to keep it up to accomplish my goal. One fun fact: they added a couple of extra porta potties around the two‑mile mark this year. Porta‑potty placement has always been curious at this race. There’s one at the turnaround point, which makes no sense because you can only use it once. Putting another one at mile two gives you one last shot later in the race. Thankfully, I don’t have to stop that many times anymore, so it wasn’t an issue. There may have been some logistical reasons with the city for the placement — who knows.

As hard as I was running, it became obvious with a few miles to go that I wasn’t going to break three hours. That was pretty disheartening, but it also gave me a legitimate excuse to do some walking toward the end.

There weren’t too many kids cluttering up the finish line this year, but as always, there was no one there to hand me my finisher’s medal. I walked over to where they were doing the award ceremony, only to be told I had to wait until it was over to receive my medal. Gee, that’s fair. Apparently, I was being penalized for being slow — which is really the only thing I’ve never been able to accept in all the years I’ve been a runner.

As it turns out, I wasn’t the only one without a medal. After the ceremony, a representative from the organization announced they had run out of medals and would take our names and phone numbers to call us when more arrived. Let’s just say the mood shifted quickly. We asked to speak to the race director. When he came over, I politely told him this happens every single year. I also mentioned that if you’re telling people they need to finish within three hours, there needs to be someone at the finish line handing out medals the entire time.

Now, clearly, I didn’t finish under three hours — but that’s not the point. Some people who did finish under three hours didn’t receive medals either. He went back to the finish line and managed to find additional medals in a box lying around, so at least we all got to go home happy. I’m hoping this won’t be an issue next year, although I’ll probably email him beforehand just to make sure someone is there the entire time.

I felt decent afterward and wasn’t too sore the rest of the week.

And while this race didn’t go the way I wanted, it did remind me why I keep coming back. Not for the times. Not for the medals. But for the chance — every once in a while — to see what I still have left in the tank.  Take it from me...there's a lot left!

We’ve all heard the quote: “It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” That’s great — but it’s also nice to have a little extra incentive to shoot for.

And now, the big moment has finally arrived: Mount Dora… and half marathon #100.

 

CHICAGO SPRING HALF MARATHON – May 18, 2025 (#98)

 

Wait!!!... Who took the “spring” out of the spring half marathon?

Let’s keep it hunny—I would never complain about running in cold weather. This was my third race this season with temps under 55°, and I loved it. It was the rest of the weekend that had this South Florida boy bundled up.

We flew into Chicago on Friday afternoon. The temperature? A pleasant 84°. It took nearly an hour to get to the hotel—O’Hare is way out there (note to self: it’s Midway only from now on). Rachel was working but broke away for a quick lunch. Afterward, we walked over to the Chicago Athletic Association to pick up my race packet. The shirt was solid again this year, and the merch? Surprisingly good-looking.

Later, we met up with Rachel at her apartment and had an excellent supper at Yellowtail Sushi Bar & Asian Kitchen. The food was on point.

Saturday kicked off with an early brunch at Avli River North before catching the train to see the Cubs take on the White Sox. It was about 62°, but we were cold. Our seats were on the third base side, under the overhang. I know people love Wrigley Field for its tradition, but honestly? It's kind of a dump. (Though not as bad as Fenway.) You couldn’t track a fly ball to save your life, but I appreciated the unique perspective from our spot. We left after the sixth inning and headed back to the hotel for a much-needed “Shabbos nap.”

Dinner was early. Rachel took us to Bar Siena in Fulton Market, right on “Restaurant Row.” We sat outside—it was actually warmer out there than inside. Behind us were two guys dressed like cowboys. I figured they were either auditioning for the Village People or headed to the Beyoncé concert. (Spoiler: it was the latter.)

Race day kicked off with a crisp 54° morning. I was in Corral G this year (E last year), joining 5,366 runners at the 7:00 a.m. start—almost identical to last year’s turnout (5,306). I waited just 17 minutes before crossing the start line.  The majority of the course is hosted along Chicago’s Lakefront Trail – extremely flat, fast and incredibly scenic.

One of the best things about this race is the spacing: you're never stuck in a “bumper-to-bumper” crowd. The staggered corral starts work perfectly, and no one seems to be running more than two across.

I chatted with Lenny for the first few miles—it was an hour later in Miami—before warming up and ditching my compression sleeves around mile three. The sky stayed overcast for the whole race, which felt great. I ran strong the entire time, though (as usual) my final time didn’t quite reflect that. No major moments to report—except stopping to pee three times—and it was awesome to see Glenda and Rachel snapping photos as I approached the finish line.

 The medal? Outstanding. The after-party? Big and lively, with live music. We walked back to the hotel, and Rachel grabbed bagels for breakfast. We spent the afternoon shopping and braving our traditional (and freezing!) architectural boat tour on the river, then capped off the weekend with dinner at Ēma—a go-to spot the ladies absolutely love 

 

All in all, a successful and thoroughly enjoyable race weekend.

P.S. Monday morning? 45°.

So much for spring!