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.

 

 

 

 

 

DOUBLE ANNIVERSARY EDITION: MOUNT DORA HALF MARATHON & 5K (DECEMBER 18 & 19, 2021)

 Two anniversaries for the price of one…But I’m pretty sure one is more important than the other.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that the Mount Dora Half Marathon falls in very close proximity of my wedding anniversary (Dec. 20^th).  This year is the big “FOUR-ZERO,” which is obviously quite an accomplishment.  Then again, since I consider Glenda to be the greatest person I’ve every known, it’s been pretty much smooth sailing all of these years (at least on my part; you’ll have to ask her if she feels the same about me 😘).  As if this weren’t enough, it’s also the ten-year anniversary of this race.  I’ve participated every year, so we were truly looking forward to a special weekend...and what could be more special than Glenda running (okay…walking) the 5K on Saturday.

A major curveball was thrown at the weekend when I went to make reservations at our usual go to, the Historic Mount Dora Inn and Cottages.  They were totally booked, but were gracious enough to recommend the Adora Inn.   It’s just a couple of blocks down the road, and they were nice as can be when we called to book our room.  After checking in around 4pm, we walked over and picked up our race packets.  Kelly was there to greet us; she continues to do a great job promoting this race, especially when it comes to the social media. The race shirts for both the 5K and the half marathon were outstanding.  In fact, I would say the new logo and the shirts were the best yet.  I had the foresight to make dinner reservations at the Goblin Market, which is always jam-packed.  The food is amazing, and we sat outside in perfect 72° weather.  We walked around and looked at the lights for a little bit but saved the shopping for the next day.

The 5K on Saturday morning started at 8am, and we were literally two blocks away from the start.  In all my years of doing the half marathon, this would be the first time I would be participating in the 5K. It looked like a big crowd (752), and the temperature was 66° when the race started.  The course was an out-and-back, and we both maintained a brisk pace.  Santa was there at the finish line to shake our hands, and I could tell that Glenda was glad I talked her into walking with me.  The medals were tremendous, especially for a 5K.  After a few photos, we went back to the Adora Inn for an incredible breakfast (Arthur and John have an extensive background in the hospitality industry).  I would recommend this place without hesitation.

 

 

 

We have always wanted to do a boat tour, and this is the year we would finally “take the plunge" (maybe not the best choice of words).  Premier Boat Tours is a pontoon boat tour on Lake Dora and The Harris Chain of Lakes.  The two-hour tour includes the famous Dora Canal, which has been described as "The most beautiful mile of water in the world." As we cruised, the captain and crew shared their stories and local knowledge of the area, its history, flora and fauna. Bald eagles, herons, anhingas, turtles and alligators were all common sightings during our tour.  It was a blast, and I look forward to doing it again.  We were starving after the tour and did an extremely early dinner at the Olive Branch Grille.  The food was very good, but probably too much sangria (I took an impressive three-hour nap back at the inn).

 

 

 

 

 

The half marathon started at 7am, and the temperature was 72° at the start (a little warmer that I would have liked, but I’ll take it).  926 runners anxiously waited for the gun to sound, which was 258 more than last year.  Since this race was one of the few in-person races of 2020, the increase was impressive.  I was planning for a sub three-hour performance, but that may have been overly ambitious for this race.  This course is arguably my favorite (and most scenic), but it has a few too many hills for these old bones to overcome.  I ran strong, and the sun stayed behind the clouds most of the time.  Kelly was shooting video around the three-mile mark, and I stopped to speak to her for a few minutes.  There was no Gatorade at any of the water stations, which is my one and only criticism on the race.  As I was crossing the finish line, Glenda took one of the best race photos of me (and one of the best in her photography career).  I went over the three-hour mark but was not disappointed in my overall performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The race next year is the day before Hanukkah, so I’m already working on my outfit.

 

 

 

 

 

BACK ON THE BLOCK: TAMARAC TURKEY TROT 5K (11/25/21) & WESTON ROTARY RUN FOR TOMORROW HALF MARATHON (12/5/21)

For those of you who are too young to recognize this reference, it’s the name of a song (and an album) written by Quincy Jones in 1989.  It’s also very apropos to how good it feels to be "back on the block" and racing.

Sure, running Gasparilla “in person” in May was a treat, but it was still a virtual race.  All the races are starting to come back, despite the many spikes of COVID-19.  First up was the Tamarac Turkey Trot 5K, which by now you know was my first race (back in ’96).  Lindsey was down from New York, and this has really become a family tradition.  The pandemic might have kept some runners away (2,026 in 2019) but a robust crowd of 1,593 made their way to the starting line.  The gun sounded, and it was business as usual.  It was an enjoyable race, and my time was almost identical to 2019.  We stayed and spoke to Steve from Runner’s Depot for a bit, and then make our way home for Thanksgiving festivities.

 

 

 The Weston Rotary Run For Tomorrow was the first “in person” half marathon for me since Mount Dora (December 2020).  What I like most about this race is how easy it is to get there and park; what I don’t like will be explained in a few minutes.  As I approached the starting line, I thought to myself, “What a small crowd.”  Only 206 runners entered the race, as compared to 362 in 2019.  To be fair, the event added a 5K & 10K as well, but the numbers have gone down steadily over the past few years.  The race shirt was cotton (a no-no for half marathons and marathons) and the medal was nothing special (I’ll complain more after the race recap).

It had been a minute since I’ve completed a half marathon in under three hours; I was determined to do that today.  The course is totally flat, and I knew there would be only one thing holding me back…how many times I was going to stop and pee.  It wasn’t super-hot, and the sun stayed hidden most of the race.  With so few runners, I ran solo after the seven-mile mark.  I knew it was going to be close towards the end, and I really gave it my all down the stretch.  Sadly, too many trips to the bushes, and I missed my goal by 55 seconds.  As in typical fashion with this race, there was nobody at the finish line to hand me the medal.  In fact, I had to as some other runners where the medals were.  Silly me, they were just laying on the floor in a box.  I went to check my results later that day, but my finishing time was not there.  I had to email the timing company twice before it was finally posted.  In the meantime, I received an email congratulating me on the race, and gave me a finishing time that would have had me finish first in my age group.  Too bad that could only happen in my dreams. 

 

 

 

 

 

 It was still a blast; I’m really looking forward to Mount Dora in a couple of weeks.