Now participating for my sixth consecutive year, the Mount Dora half marathon has truly become a holiday tradition. The best way to think of Mount Dora is to think of Stars Hollow. During the holiday season, the lights are spectacular. Lindsey was supposed to go with us, but her friend Jacqui was having her bridal shower the same weekend; I guess that’s enough justification to miss the race. Rachel had midterms coming up, so she decided to stay home as well. Glenda and I drove up Friday afternoon, and checked into our usual haunt, the Mount Dora Historic Inn. I picked up my race packet on Saturday morning, and we grabbed lunch right after that. The best part of being in Mount Dora is that everything is in very short walking distance. Another bonus this year was the temperature. After an unusual “heat wave” last year, the temperatures were in the sixties. Not too cold; not too warm. We were able to eat outdoors the entire weekend.
With the starting line just a few blocks from our cottage, I was able to grab some extra sleep before making my way out. It was 54 degrees, and I chose to wear a long sleeve shirt. In retrospect, I should have worn a short sleeve shirt with compression sleeves. I wasn’t broiling during the race, but I did get a little warm. 977 runners entered this event, which was 100 less than last year. I made the decision to do intervals, as my knee was still sore from Weston the previous week.
I enjoyed the race very much, except for the hills. Living in South Florida, you sometimes forget just how flat it is down here. I probably did a little more walking than I would have liked, because the knee was not cooperating during several points of the race. Nothing terrible, but it was annoying (and frustrating). Besides the temperature, the weather was perfect. After I crossed the finish line, there was actually food this year for us slowpokes. I mentioned to Chris (the race director), that the food had run out every year I’ve entered this event. He must have flexed his authoritative muscles, and it was much appreciated.
As I’ve probably mentioned in previous posts, I highly recommend this race. It is relatively inexpensive, and the medals are always very nice. A very nice course, and even nicer people running the event. It’s also a great pre-holiday getaway without breaking the bank.
KEEP TRACK OF MY RUNNING ON
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