…Well, this could be the last time. This could be the last time. Maybe the last time. I don't know.
- The Rolling Stones
These were my exact thoughts as the months, weeks and days leading up to the Miami Half Marathon quickly approached. It’s not as if I had lost my love for the race itself, it was the “process” that was making me want to part ways after 14 years. The going to the expo down in Miami Beach the day before, the getting to the race at 4am, the waiting for our corral to start after 45 minutes, and the no food at the end were all contributing factors. Plus, this year Lindsey was on a “sabbatical,” so she wasn’t running with Elaine and me. Besides all if that, half marathon #100 was quickly approaching, and I could “afford” to drop this race. I tried my best to put those voices in my head aside and focus on why I entered the race in the first place…I LOVE RUNNING!!!
On Thursday morning, I get a call from Lenny (one of my closest friends). I knew right away why he was calling:
Lenny: Hey dude!
Me: Hey dude! You’re calling me early; it must be bad news.
Lenny: It is. Harriet just passed away.
Harriet is Lenny’s mom, and the call was somewhat not unexpected. She lived a long life (91) but was spiraling downhill for a long time. Traditionally, a Jewish burial takes place withing 24-48 hours. They believe the soul inhabits the body and that when a person dies the spirit returns to God. It is for this reason that it is of utmost importance that a Jewish funeral occurs as soon as possible after death, as the body's “returning to earth” is tied to the soul's ability to return to God. Funerals are not conducted on the Sabbath (from Friday evening to Saturday evening) or on major Jewish holidays. The funeral is scheduled immediately after these periods. Since she passed away on Thursday, the funeral looked as if it would be held on Sunday. Was this a self-fulfilling prophecy? Lenny was on the way up to Coral Springs to be with his sister and would let me know the details as soon as he found out. I immediately called Elaine; she totally understood the situation. She had come down to Florida earlier in the week and was spending time with family. Lenny called me Friday morning and told me they had to push the funeral up one day…Monday. I would be able to do the race but would have to miss a big event at work. I take photos every semester for the Career Fair, which was scheduled at the exact same time as the funeral. Sonia (my boss) could not have been more sympathetic and understating; she would have her assistants cover for me.
Elaine and I drove to the expo on Saturday morning; It was very nice and well organized. The race shirts were a unique color (coral), with an equally unique design. We walked around for about an hour, with no purchases on my part. In years past, we would meet up with Lindsey’s friend Robert and have lunch on South Beach. This year, we drove back home and had lunch at Spanky’s Cheesesteak Factory. Best Chicken Philly Cheesesteak I’ve every had (and I’m not just saying that because they are a client of Glenda).
Sunday morning was the usual getting up around 2am and out the door by 3:30. Lighter than normal traffic, even at that hour. Elaine and I decided to go to our corral when it first opened, rather than sitting in the car. We were in “G” this year, which was the earliest starting corral I’ve ever been assigned for this race. We struck up a conversation with Eric, who was wearing the same running shoes as me. For the first time, I would be running a race in shoes not named Hoka or Brooks. I purchased a pair of New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v3, which is a carbon-plated shoe just like the Hoka Carbon X I have been wearing (only way more attractive). I ran with them a couple of times before the race, so I felt confident the shoe would not do me in.
16,146 runners (2,946 full; 13,200 half) were pleasantly surprised that there was not as much time between the start of the corrals (probably my biggest criticism). Add this to our earlier starting corral, we were off and running at 6:27 (we typically start at 6:45). It was 72°, and I was excited to run. Elaine stayed with me the entire time, since she was not doing the full marathon this year. Sadly, she walks faster than I run. My pace was pretty slow, with my puppies barking several times during the race. They were hurting during the week, so I will reserve judgement about the new shoes until next time. The course is beautiful, but boy was it hot! Especially since it was in the 50s the previous week (it was 82° when the race ended). The shocker of the day was that I only had to pee one time, and it was around the 10.5-mile mark. I told Elaine I may not do this race again, but she shut me down pretty quick. If we do it next year, we will shell out the $30 to have them mail us our bib and shirt, so we don’t have to go to the expo. No food or Gatorade at the end (just bananas and snacks), but I think this was a conscience decision this year. We make it home quicker than usual, and Elaine was out the door and on the road to visit her son in Sarasota.
The funeral on Monday was very nice. I love Lenny’s family and friends, and Lenny’s speech had everyone in tears laughing. Thank really lightened the mood on such a sad occasion.
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