MAYBERRY HALF MARATION - November 16, 2019

Sheriff Andy Taylor: Anybody here know why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace. I now pronounce you man...

Opie Taylor: I know why they shouldn't be married.

Sheriff Andy Taylor: Opie, what're you tryin' to do?

Opie Taylor: I'm speakin' now so's I won't have to forever hold my peace.

Deputy Barney Fife: You're not supposed to speak.

Opie Taylor: Then why did he ask?

— Opie Taylor (Ron Howard), The Andy Griffith Show, season 1: The New Housekeeper

Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina. The town is widely known as the home of actor Andy Griffith. The town is believed to have been the basis for Mayberry, the setting of the TV shows The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry RFD. The community holds an annual "Mayberry Days" celebration during the last weekend of September. Three Ford Galaxie police cars, painted to resemble those used on the show, give rides to tourists; a barber shop has been named "Floyd's."  The Andy Griffith Museum, founded in 2009 by Emmett Forrest, attracts 200 visitors a day. The 2,500-square-feet museum, located half a mile from Griffith's childhood home, houses the world's largest collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia.

At this point, you may be asking yourself why in tarnation am I going on about this in a running blog?  If you don’t know by now, the Andy Griffith Show is my all-time favorite; the fact that there is actually a Mayberry Half Marathon is incentive enough for me to enter.  That fact that Elaine lives very close to Mount Airy (and has run this race before), is just icing on Aunt Bee’s cake.  The Gators usually play a home game the same weekend as the race; this year the game was away, so I was excited to enter.  I’ve been to Mount Airy many years ago, and remember just how charming the town was.  I really never thought I would have an excuse for another visit. Elaine and Joe graciously offered to let me stay with them, so I flew up on Thursday.  Other than the fact that this would only be my third race outside the Sunshine State, the weather would be much colder than this Florida boy was used to.  Once off the plane, I was greeted with temperatures in the forties.  Joe picked me up from the airport, which was almost an hour from their home.

Our first stop on Friday was to Salvation Coffee Co.  The place (owned and run by Jim Young) is geared towards a more mature crowd, including veterans, although anyone, of course, is welcome — including hipsters. He wants it to be a place where people can come in, relax, enjoy good music and, of course, a good cup of coffee.  It was a really good cup of coffee (especially on a cold day), and I struck up a conversation about comic books with a guy who was a bigger geek than me (hard to believe).  After an enjoyable lunch at Mediterranean Grill, our next stop was to a running store in Chapel Hill called FleetFeet.  They had more apparel than shoes, but I was able to score a pair of gray running shorts (I’ve been looking for that color for a long time).  We than drove around Elon University, which is pretty close to where Elaine and Joe live.  I of course had to stop in the bookstore to buy a jacket; you just can’t have too many of them when you live in South Florida.  Elaine made a delicious supper, and I went to bed pretty early.

The race time was Saturday at 8am, but Elaine and Joe live around 90 minutes from the starting line.  We were out the door around 5am, and picked up our race packets around 6:30am.  The race shirts were very nice, and the volunteers were even nicer.  With the temperature around 34°, we sat in the car most of the time.  Joe had registered for the run, but had recently been having knee issues; he was there for moral support.  399 runners took their mark on the main street of “Mayberry,” led by a Mayberry Sheriff Department police car from the show.  We ran through downtown for the first half mile, and then into a park.  Most of the race was on a concrete trail, with a river alongside of us.  The course was an out-and-back, and very flat.  With so few runners (and me being extremely slow), Elaine and I did not see many other participants, especially on the way back.  The weather was delightful, with virtually no wind the entire race.  The scenery was exceptional, and I felt great the entire time.  The good news is that we did not finish last, as there were ten runners behind us.  I appreciate the fact that Elaine prioritized running with me over her finishing time, as she is much faster than I am (what a surprise).  Joe was waiting for us at the finish line, and snapped a few photos.  The medal was nice, as it was shaped like a sheriff’s badge (I’d expect nothing less).  We walked around town for a bit, ate lunch, drove home, and watched the Gators destroy Missouri.  The perfect end to a perfect day.  I flew home the next day, and back into eighty-degree temperature.  Talk about a reality check!

 

 

 

 

  

I enjoyed this race very much, but would not necessary recommend it as a destination race.

That is of course…unless your close friends are part of the destination.

RACE FOR WOMEN'S WELLNESS HALF MARATHON - March 23, 2019

In the words of Patti Labelle: “Ooh oh ooo oh, I've got a new attitude.”

Yes, I ran this race again, even though I besmirch it all of the time.  However, I had some pretty good reasons to register this year:

1. I needed a race to get to Half Marathon #60.  I could have done Ocala, but this was more convenient.
2. They dropped the price around $20.  As I’ve mentioned several times in past blogs, this was a really overpriced race: now it was in the ballpark.
3. Most importantly, it’s for a really good cause.

There you have it.  Half marathon #60 would be right in my backyard…literally.

This post is going to be short, sweet, and right to the point.  I decided to change my attitude, and just enjoy the race.  It was probably going to be the last of the season, and I wanted to end on a really high note.  Doug was running as well, so I was looking forward to seeing him.  The start is literally five minutes from my house, but I got there early to get a chance to visit with Doug before we started running.  Doug and I have gone in opposite directions in terms of finishing times, so running together was highly unlikely.  The temperature was 54°, which was amazing for the end of March.  419 runners entered the race, but it didn’t look like that many as we made our way to the starting line (Doug estimated around 200, and I can’t judge a crowd at all).  As soon as we started, I felt great.  The good vibes, along with the weather, seemed like a recipe for success.

I was really enjoying the race this year.  No Debbie Downer attitude, and digging the scenery.  I texted Glenda and Rachel around the nine mile mark to make sure they were in position to cheer me on as I passed the house.  They were already in place, with smiling faces, and a Diet Mountain Dew for the last three miles.

   

I really ran strong at the end, and crossed the finish line in a full sprint.  I met up with Doug, and he was proud to inform me that he had a PR.  My time was not great, but it was a really strong race for me.

 

 

 

I’m guessing I’ll run this race next year.  Ooh oh ooo oh, I've got a new attitude.

GASPARILLA DISTANCE CLASSIC - February 23 & 24, 2019

Coming off what can only be called a disappointing race last week, it was now time for my favorite race weekend…Gasparilla.  This is a top-notch event, and just an overall party weekend.  We would have a smaller crowd than usual, as Doug was globetrotting on vacation, and many of the Turtles were going to Southern California in a few weeks.  The great news was that Lindsey would be flying in from NYC to run with her old man.  Mary had signed up for the weekend as well, but she was still suffering the effects of her cold from last week.  She was still coming up, but only as a cheerleader.

I got to the hotel around 2:30pm, and to my surprise and delight, the room was actually ready.  The Westin Tampa Waterside is a great place to stay, and our usual “go to.”  Lindsey’s flight was coming in around 3pm, so I walked over to the expo to pick up our race packets.  The race shirts were outstanding (as usual) and the challenge jacket was black with gold trim (which is great if you are a Steelers fan).  There was a brand new challenge this year: “The Michelob Ultra Pure Gold Challenge.”   This consisted of the 15K on Saturday, and the half marathon on Sunday.  This was the challenge we had been waiting for, but I guess Michelob needed to come out with a new beer first.  We always walk the 5K on Saturday, and I’m not a big fan of an 8K right after a half marathon; this was perfect.  Lindsey arrived around the same time as Mary and Cynthia, so I met them back at the hotel.  It was back to the expo for more intense shopping.  It was a pleasure to actually have room to walk, since the venue was pretty large.  I bought a couple of shirts, because the 200 or so that I already own is not enough.  Lindsey and I then took a walk over to Publix for food, drinks, and cookies.  We met up with Mary and Cynthia for an early supper at Jackson’s, and then back to the room for an early lights out.

 

We met Cynthia in the lobby around 6:15, as we made our way to the start of the 15K.  Here is the breakdown of all of the races:
15K – 6,483
5K – 13,511
Half – 6,194
8K – 5,157
31,345 participants in all, which was a little less than last year (199).

It was pretty warm, but Lindsey was very excited to be out of the cold.  We were off and running, and I felt great right from the start.  The temperature was now around 73°, but it felt hotter than that.  We were running under “Code Yellow,” which meant that extra precautions would be taken for the heat.  There were water stations every mile, and sprinklers throughout the course for a quick shower.  I have to say, the volunteers at the water stations were really on point.  We played a game throughout the race, not unlike what you would play during a long car ride.  Instead of looking for license plates from other states,  we tried to come up with the top five songs you would expect to hear during a race. This was the final poll (in no particular order): Living on a Prayer, YMCA, Eye of the Tiger, Don’t Stop Believing, and Uptown Funk.  Celebration received honorable mention. Not the most scientific of polls, but it certainly kept us preoccupied.  As we crossed the finish line, it felt as if the temperature could be 90°.  That notwithstanding, we ran a strong race.

 

 

 

 

 

It was now time for some food and beer, all before 9:30am.  The after party for this race is always excellent, with live music to groove to while you re-hydrate.  We hung out for pretty long time before going back to the room for a shower.  It was now around noon, and we headed over to Columbia Café for lunch.  We typically eat here for supper, but there wasn’t much of a wait.  Lindsey and I split a pitcher of sangria, which really hit the spot.  With a good amount of adult beverages in our system, we revisited the race expo.  I was able to persuade an unsuspecting volunteer into giving us a shirt for the 5K, even though we didn’t run the race.  We really liked the color, and I was pretty persistent.  We napped for a couple of hours, and then headed out for supper.  Mary and Cynthia had picked up Pub-subs earlier, so they were staying in.  Haidee was now in town, and invited us to join her.  We politely declined, as the restaurant she selected was a few miles away.  We decided to eat a Fergs Live, but they were closed due to construction on the road.  That would have been nice to know before we walked over there.  We went to our “Plan B,” but they were closed for renovation.  At that point, we just went to Publix, and shoveled down our food back at the hotel.  The half marathon was starting at 6am, so it was another early bed time.

We met Haidee in the lobby at 5:30am.  Cynthia was entered in the “Lime Cactus Challenge,” and would be running the 8K later in the morning.  Since the half marathon starts at 6am, we would get to run in the dark for about an hour.  It was just as hot as Saturday, but it seemed more humid.  Once the race started, I was just not feeling it.  I wasn’t hurting or tired, but I felt very lethargic.  I asked Lindsey if she would be okay if we did intervals (3 x1), and we agreed to wait until we got off the island (around mile 5) before making that final decision.  The sun started to rise, but it was very cloudy…thank goodness!  I could see that Lindsey was really making an effort to slow down and keep pace with me, so I told her to just run her own pace.  The heat felt trapped inside my body, struggling to get out.  Once off the island, I did make the switch to intervals, but I was feeling better at that point anyway.

 

  

The cloud cover continued throughout the race, which made it a little more enjoyable.  I made an extra effort to stay more hydrated than usual, which really paid off.  The 8K participants were all lined up for the start of their race, and they cheered me on as I crossed the finish line.  I wasn’t very pleased with my finishing time, but was grateful that I got stronger as the race went on.

 

 

Elaine called me later in the week to see how the races went.  Believe it or not, she had never run Gasparilla.  I told her that if I could only participate in one event per year, this would be it.  I might have convinced her for next year.

FIVE POINTS OF LIFE HALF MARATHON - February 17, 2019

I don’t think I have ever been this conflicted about writing a post for my blog.

It’s that feeling that no matter how lightly you try to tread, no matter how much you try to sugarcoat, no matter how much of the benefit of the doubt you try to give…it’s still not going to come out well.

Let’s begin by beating this dead horse one more time:

• This is my favorite race.
• It’s Gainesville.
• It’s running through the University of Florida campus and downtown Gainesville.
• I set a PR for a full marathon during this race.
• I’ve participated in this race more than any other.

It’s not the most attractive course, but it’s MY COURSE.  The only thing that could sour me on this race would be if they were to totally changed the course, and move it out west.

That’s exactly what they did.

Mary had signed up for the race, and was excited in participating for the first time.  She even convinced Pam to run with us, so I was really stoked.  In mid-January, Mary texted me to say “The one time I decided to run Five Points, they no longer run thru the stadium.”  I called her immediately, and said that you just run through the concourse, and not through the actual stadium.  What she said next shocked me to the core. The entire course had changed, and they were moving everything out to Celebration Point (a new destination experience, off Archer Road & west of I-75).  Celebration Point?  This was nowhere near UF or downtown.  I sent an email to the race director Ricky, but really…what could he say?  I’ve heard that the university wanted them to change the weekend of the race, and that the sponsorship to move the race out west was too good to pass up, but I don’t want to speculate on any of that.  The race would now be totally flat, which was a total disappointment to this South Florida boy. As much as I dreaded some of those colossal hills, it was still part of the charm of this race.  The course map did not look particularly exciting, but I would run the race before I passed judgement.  On the bright side, I would still get to hang with Jen, Mary, and Pam for the weekend.

I left the “954” around 6am, and drove straight to the UF Bookstore.  Jen had some errands to run, so I would meet up with her later.  Mary called me, and she sounded awful.  She totally lost her voice, and was really sick.  She was not going to be able to run with us, but would drive up with Pam for moral support.  This was a total bummer.   After a few purchases for Glenda and Lindsey (nothing for me), I met Jen at the Hotel Indigo Gainesville-Celebration Pointe, which was where I was now staying.  This hotel opened in October, and I must say…it is beautiful (and very reasonably priced).  The expo was located inside the hotel, but it was very small.  The race shirt was very nice, as it always is for this race.  My only criticism was the shirt was a 60/40 (cotton/polyester) blend, which means I won’t be able to wear it while running.  In my opinion, any race shirt for a marathon or half marathon should always be 100% polyester.  Save the cotton for a 5K.  We grabbed lunch at Miller’s Ale House (also located in Celebration Pointe), and then off to VegFest.   Gainesville VegFest is presented by North Florida Veg Events, Inc., and is a celebration of a healthy, sustainable and compassionate way of life.  VegFest is dedicated to informing and inspiring the community to make healthy food choices.  The event took place in Depot Park, which is very close to where Lindsey used to live.  The park was very pretty, with lots of vendors, music, and people with dogs.  Still feeling full from lunch, we passed on all of the healthy choices.  Jen dropped me back at my hotel, as I got ready for round two…Dinner with Paula and Bill.  I hadn’t seen them in quite some time, and it was good to catch up.  I was really tired when I got back to the room, and went to sleep around 9:30pm.  The race started at 6:15am, and the ladies would be meeting me around 5:30am.

 

I slept well, but of course I woke up before the alarm.  Pam and Mary were right on time, but Mary really looked like death warmed over.  I told her to stay in the room and try to sleep while the race took place.  She could then meet us at the finish line later on.  I didn’t need to tell her twice, as she grabbed her box of tissues and hit the sack.  It was 64° as we made our way to the starting line, which was not at the same location as the full marathon.  It was obvious where the race started, but not if you were staying in the hotel.  In my opinion, a few signs (or volunteers) pointing the way would have helped.  600 runners were entered in this year’s race, which was 82 less than last year. So much for the excitement of this new course and branding campaign.  We decided to do intervals (3 x 1), since Pam had not run in quite some time.  After exchanging pleasantries with Ruth and Bill G., it was now time to start the race.  It was still dark outside, and we had the “pleasure” of running west on Archer Road for the first four miles.  With nothing to see anyway, I guess it was better to get this part of the race over with first.  Archer Road is only one lane each way, so cars heading west were literally driving in the middle of the road.  Although there were cones for the cars, it was still a bit of a concern for the runners.  We then turned into Halle Plantation for the next 5.5 miles.  Halle Plantation is a very pretty and upscale neighborhood, and my ultimate port of call when I retire.  At this point, Pam and I had not seen any other runners for a few miles (a volunteer did shout out "you have nice skin." but we didn't know which one of us she was referring to)..  It was very quiet, with literally no crowd support at all.  In addition, there was a glaring lack of signage in terms as to were you were supposed to run.  It was pretty obvious, but with no life in sight, a first-timer to this area might have been nervous.  In addition, the lack of police presence on many of the side streets had a few rogue cars enter the course.

Once out of the community, it was onto Tower Road.  We then ran down some weird streets, which was okay with me.  Our pace was very slow, but I felt really good as we crossed the finish line.  Mary was there to greet us, but she wasn't feeling any better.  The after-party was nice, with music and pizza.  Mary and Pam went to breakfast, and I got ready for the long drive home.

 

 

My final thoughts...Since the medals and shirts are “Gator” themed, I think the course should have taken on the same personality.  Where were the student volunteers and cheerleaders?  Where was Albert?  In fact, if we did not see a building that had the Shands Hospital logo on it, you may not have known you were in Gainesville.  I won’t be too harsh on the water stations, but improvement is needed there as well.

In the words of Avril Lavigne…‘Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?”