MIAMI HALF MARATHON – January 28, 2024

 

The bloom is off the rose…At least a little bit.

 

As best as I can tell, I’ve done this race every year since 2012.  They do a first-class job most of the time, but this year there were some “chinks in the armor,” which I’ll discuss as we go alone.

 

It was really a race "week," as Elaine and Lindsey came down to run.  On top of that, Rachel came down as well for moral support (and to escape the frigid conditions in Chicago).  It started on Tuesday, which meant one thing…three trips to the airport!  Elaine flew in on Friday night, and there were no more vacancies at “The Bone Yard.”

 

We got to the expo Saturday morning when it first opened at the Miami Beach Convention Center.  They moved the location to the north end of the building, which seemed more spacious.  The trouble is, the expos have really gone downhill since the pandemic.  Except for Hoka and Garmin, none of the national vendors were there; it was like a glorified flea market.  If there is a running store close to where you live, there was nothing to purchase at this expo.  On top of that, the race shirts (which were very nice looking), were a cotton/polyester blend!  If you have read any of my past blogs, you know my feelings on this: A marathon and/or half marathon shirt should ALWAYS be 100% polyester.  Therefore, it literally became a sleeping shirt.  We ripped through the expo in about an hour and walked over to Gabriel’s for breakfast.  The restaurant was located inside the Berkeley Park Hotel, which was just around the corner from the convention center.  When we got there, Gabriel’s was closed; I mean closed-closed, and for quite some time.  We told the person at the front desk that not only did we make reservations in advance, but Lindsey confirmed the reservations as well (she didn’t seem to care).  At that point, we went to our backup plan, Orange Blossom.  Lindsey’s friend Robert met us again this year, and the food was very good.  After an early supper, I went to sleep around 7:30, poised to get up around 2am on Sunday.

 

 

The weather leading up to the race (and after) has been delightful.  Lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s.  Of course, for one day only, the high would climb into the 80s.  We received an email the day before stating that due to higher-than-average temperatures and humidity levels, the race would start under a Yellow/Moderate alert level.  Loosely translated, this means less than ideal conditions.  Of course, for us South Floridians, it’s just another long-hot run (the day after the race, and all this week, the temperatures barely broke 70°).

 

 

15,015 runners lined up for this event, with 2,620 doing the full and 12,395 running the half.  These numbers were consistent with last year.  It was 72° when the race started, but it took us 52 minutes for our coral to start.  The absolute worst thing about this race is how congested it is in the beginning; there must be a better way.  For the first time ever, I would be wearing the Hoka Carbon X 3 instead of my usual Brooks Beast.  These shoes are hands-down the most comfortable I’ve ever worn.  I bought a pair on sale from Runner’s Depot, and Reneé said I should be okay to run the half marathon with them.  I ran 6.5 miles the week before to break them in, and everything seemed okay.  I also decided to “Raw Dog” it and not listen to my headphones.  Elaine and Lindsey would run together for the first part of the race (Elaine was running the full), but they decided to run at a “Party Pace”  (Lindsey only finished the race about ten minutes ahead of me).  I noticed there were way more photographers on the course than ever before.  In fact, I’ve never seen a photographer during the first few miles of the race.  It was nice, since they were able to get the cruise ships in the background.  In addition, there were two water stations on the bridge (and porta potties) instead of one.  Speaking of water stations, can we talk about the Gatorade?  I can honestly say that in all my years racing, this was hands-down the most disgusting concoction I’ve every consumed.  It even looked nasty.  I’m assuming it was supposed to be orange, but it looked brown.

 

 

I saw Robert around the four-mile mark, and I gave him a fist bump as I ran by.  It was at this point that I noticed a lot of people were walking, compared to past years.  The heat didn’t affect me, but a lot of runners were melting into the pavement.  I’ve never seen as many fire rescue trucks and paramedics coming to the aid of the participants during a race before.  Since we were running under a Yellow/Moderate alert level, I wonder if the race coordinators could have taken some extra precautions on their own.  Maybe some towels soaking in ice-cold water or hosing people down as they ran by.  At the very least, some extra ice could have helped.  The new running shoes were working out well, and my knee never felt better.  The course was great as always, and I did not walk the entire time.

 

 

Now for the bad part (it was 84° at this point).  After crossing the finish line and receiving my medal (outstanding as always), Lindsey and I went over to get our post-race food.  Only one problem…ABOSLUTELY NO FOOD!  We’re talking nothing…no sandwiches…no wraps…no bananas…no Gatorade.  This happened last year, and there were still a lot more runners behind us.  When we tried to speak to some of the volunteers, they didn’t seem to know or care.  I'm not saying the food is a feast fit for a king or queen, but there was nothing!  This was a crappy way to end a great race.  Lindsey and I went back to the car to change into dry clothes and walked back to the finish line to wait for Elaine.  When she finished, it was like a ghost town, as all of the vendors had cleared out.  We just jumped in the car and headed home.

 

I’m not saying I wouldn’t do this race again (I definitely will), but I do think the folks who put this event on got sloppy and will hopefully correct these missteps for next year.  Just in case, I'm going to bring some snacks.

MOUNT DORA HALF MARATHON (and Other Goodies) – December 17, 2023

 

 Okay…I’ve procrastinated long enough on this review.  The good news…bonus content.

 

Let’s start out with the Weston Rotary Run For Tomorrow Half Marathon, which took place on December 3, 2023.  I would typically dedicate an entire post to this race, but it’s always the same: My least favorite race...Three-hour time limit...One mile walk/run with lots of kids that finish exactly when I do...No one handing out medals at the end...Ugly shirts and okay medals.  I sound like a broken record; just read one of my previous posts to get more details.

 

The race itself:  272 runners, which was about the same as last year.  The temperature was 72° when the race began, and the knee felt great.  I do have to give them credit for one thing…water stations almost every mile.

 

 

Now on to the good stuff.  Lindsey was coming back down for the holidays. Since she’s not the biggest fan of Mount Dora, I had to sweeten the pot…How about a few days at Disney and Universal?  That was all I had to say, and she was all in.  We left early Wednesday morning and checked into Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.  A quick bus ride took us to our first port of call…The Magic Kingdom.  We had not been to the parks since 2018, and it sure felt great to be back.  It wasn’t super-crowded, but when is the Magic Kingdom not crowded?  It was rise-and-shine early Thursday morning and off to Epcot.  The park was not busy at all, and we were excited to go on Remy's Ratatouille Adventure for the first time (Fun fact…Ratatouille is Rachel’s favorite Disney movie).  We did a good amount of eating and drinking around the world and bought sweatshirts before leaving (you know it’s super cold in South Florida).  We slept in a bit Friday morning and made the drive to Universal Studios.  I hadn’t been there for a minute, and many of the rides had changed.  It was pretty empty early on; we left the park around 2pm to make our way to Mount Dora.

 

 

 

After checking into our cottage, we walked a couple of blocks for race packet pickup.  Glenda, Lindsey and I were walking the 5K, along with special guest participant Pam.  Mary was registered but had to unavoidably drop out at the last minute 😢.  The shirts for the 5K were very nice, but the shirts for the half marathon were just okay.  We shopped for a little while, and then dined at the  Goblin Market.  It’s become a tradition to eat there on Friday night as our official anniversary dinner. 

 

Pam parked at the cottage on Saturday morning, and we walked over to the start.  We hadn’t seen her since last October, and I was excited that she was coming down to walk with us.  The weather report for the weekend was not positive (to say the least).  Rain, rain, and more rain…nonstop!  That being said, it wasn’t going to start until after the 5K was over.  It was fun catching up with Pam and we went to breakfast at One Flight Up Café afterwards.  Once Pam hit the road, we did a bit more shopping before the skies opened-up.  We have been doing a boat tour for the past few years; this year...no such luck.  Fortunately (for me), there was pro football on all day, so it wasn’t a total loss.  We dodged a few raindrops on our way to supper at the Olive Branch restaurant, which has also become our go-to for Saturday night dining.  We got back to our cottage relatively dry, but it literally rained all night, making the start of the half marathon a major concern.

 

 

To my surprise and delight, the rain stopped about an hour or so before the race.  It was around 56° when the race started, with 835 runners battling the elements.  The ground was wet, but not really a factor.  However, the wind was pretty strong and made it difficult to run if it weren’t at your back.  I can’t explain why, but I didn’t really enjoy the race this year.  Maybe the adverse weather, but I wasn’t “feeling it Mr. Krabs.”  The knee felt good, but there were less people behind me than ever before.  A little depressing, but it is what it is.  I love the course, but my only real complaint is the lack of water stations.  With about three miles to go, it started to rain.  Not heavy, but enough to add to the misery of the cold weather and strong wind.  As I crossed the finish line, Glenda and Lindsey were there to cheer me on (and take photos), but most of the folks had cleared out by this point.  The medal was nice (they always are for this race), and they had lots of pizza at the end.  I’ve done this race every year since it started, and I’m already signed up for next year.

 

 

2023 ended with the traditional 12 Miles of Christmas training run, hosted by Runner’s Depot.  I usually do all 12 miles, but I decided to do six this year to save some wear and tear on my knee.  Just as the run was about to begin, it started to pour.  It delayed us for about ten minutes, and it was only sprinkling when we started.  Funny line of the run…I went out with the ten-minute pace runners, since I know everyone was going to pass me anyway.  As another group caught up to me, one of the runners said, “Good morning. I guess you’re running with our group now.”  My response…” Good morning.  I’m pretty sure I’ll be running with every group.”  I was feeling froggy and did seven miles instead of six.

 

 

All in all, I did 78 more miles this year than last year.  Hopefully, the upward trend will continue.

 

MAYBERRY HALF MARATHON – November 11, 2023

 

 

Early to bed, early to rise…

 

After spending an exciting week in NYC on the sidelines, it was now time to turn my attention to a race I would actually be running…The Mayberry Half Marathon.  Elaine turned me onto this race several years ago, but due to factors beyond control (pandemic, Gator home games, etc.), I haven’t been back since 2019.  Located in North Carolina, Mount Airy was the home of Andy Griffith.  The downtown area looks exactly like Mayberry from the show.  We flew up on Friday morning, and Elaine picked us up from the Charlotte airport.  She and Joe now live in the mountains, so it was a good two-hour drive to the airport.  Their place is amazing!  They live in a cabin on Buck Mountain and built a second cabin for guests.  The view is breathtaking, but you need to be your own best company, as their cabin is pretty isolated from civilization.  Elaine made us supper, but it was an early lights-out.  The race was on Saturday at 8am, and we would be leaving around 5:30am.

 

 

It was 45° when we got to Mount Airy on Saturday.  We picked up our race packets, and I must say the long-sleeve shirt honoring Veterans Day was really nice.  The half marathon was starting at 8am and the 5K would begin at 8:30am (Glenda was walking/running this race).  The participant breakdown was as follows:

 

Half Marathon:           315

10K:                            250

5K:                              426

Total                            991

 

 I was still unsure about my knee, but I had not done much running in the past few weeks.  I was really looking forward to the race; I don’t think I got a full appreciation of the course last time.  This happens occasionally, as I think my expectations are set too high.  Once we were off, the knee and leg were kind of stiff, but I was not in any pain.  I tried to soak in the course; it did not disappoint.  The cold weather was refreshing, especially after doing so much running in the sweltering South Florida heat.  Only two pee breaks, but I struggled a bit towards the end.  My heart rate was a bit elevated from the lack of training, and the knee started to tighten up with a few miles to go.

 

 

 I did not finish last, thanks to 64-year-old woman who was much slower than me.  The medals were OUTSTANDING, and we met up with Glenda for some souvenir shopping and lunch at The Loaded Goat.  The food was excellent, and we made the long drive back to the cabin.  It would be yet another early night.  We were flying out at 7:30am on Sunday, so we would be leaving to go to the airport at 4:00am (Thank you Elaine for being such a trooper).

 

 

 

I hope to do this race again...Just waiting for the football schedule to come out.

 

 

NYC MARATHON (SORT OF) – November 5, 2023

 

Apparently, this race was doomed from the start.

 

Lindsey belongs the New York Road Runners, which puts on a series of races throughout the year.  They have a 9 + 1 program; Runners who completed the program are eligible for a guaranteed entry to the TCS New York City Marathon.  She completed the program and was officially entered this year.  This would be her first full marathon (she has run 19 half marathons) and asked us to come up and support her.  I had tickets to the Gators game that same weekend, so we probably weren’t going to make the trip.  Then I got to thinking…I haven’t run a full marathon in about eight years…It might be kind of cool to run one last full with Lindsey in NYC.  This way, coming up to New York as a runner instead of an "athletic supporter" would be worth missing a trip to Gainesville.  I entered the lottery, and of course did not get in.  My last resort was to ask Renee if she could contact New Balance (the sponsor of the race) to get me an entry.  As I waited to get a response, I pondered if I really wanted to put in the training necessary to do 26.2 miles.  I stopped running full marathons to concentrate more on half marathons...no other real reason.  I never really thought about one more full, but this would be a great finale.  I eventually got the invitation to enter the race, and the training began.

 

Lindsey set up a training schedule for us, which would involve running distances that she had never run before, and I had not run since 2015.  To top it off, the training would be taking place during the hottest time of the year in South Florida.  My 17 previous marathons took place in either January or February, so the training usually began around October.  I was literally waking up at 2:30am to do these long weekend runs, and the temperature was already 80° (I won’t even go into the humidity).  The training was brutal.  I questioned whether I was in over my head or how much I really wanted to do this.  Lindsey came home for Rosh Hashanah, and we went out for a 16-mile run.

 

This was the beginning of the end.

 

During this run, my knee was in a great deal of pain.  I never run in pain, but guess who won the pony.  I have arthritis in my left knee, which is why I wear the brace.  I got to the 12-mile mark, and Lindsey insisted that I go home.  The knee felt better a couple of days later, but I would get additional rest.  I was going up to see the Gators play Tennessee that next weekend and would resume training after that.  WRONG!!!  For the first time, I got COVID…then I got rebound COVID.  That essentially knocked me out of the race.  Full disclosure, I was more relieved than disappointed and was at peace with just going up to root Lindsey on.  Even if I wanted to resume my training, a night in the emergency room for high blood pressure (over 200) was the final nail in the coffin (no pun intended).

 

At this point, I’m tagging in my celebrity blogger Lindsey to give her reflections on the race and the race weekend:

 

 One of the ways you can get into the NYC Marathon, and how I got in, is through the 9+1 Program through the New York Road Runners. You run nine of the races and volunteer at one of the races the organization puts on in the calendar year, and then you have guaranteed entry to the marathon the following year. In 2020, I had run 3 races, registered for 6 more, and registered to volunteer by the time COVID hit in March. As everything got canceled, I had three options: get my money back for the races I registered for, have the registrations roll over, or let the NYRR keep my money and use the registrations as part of my 9+1 (which is what I did). Once they decided the marathon would be back on in 2021, they reached out to me (and probably the handful of others in the same boat) saying the marathon participation would be limited that year so we were allowed to rank the next three years we wanted to defer our entry to. I picked 2023 at the time because that was the farthest away. 

 

In February of this year, I officially signed up to finally run the marathon I was 2 years overdue to run. I mapped out my training schedule, following Hal Higdon's Novice 1 schedule for the long runs on the weekend and added in 2 short runs during the week. Training started the first week in July which coincided with my busy time at work. For the first month, I would wake up early, run three miles, shower, and log onto work, and then work non-stop until about 7:30 at night. By the time the 13.1 run came in the last week of August, I decided to drop my two short runs to one (to not put too much strain on my body). I switched up my long runs by being in different states (Florida and Washington), running Park Avenue for Summer Streets, running the NYRR races that coincided with the mileage I needed (which ultimately lead me to my 9+1 so I can run in 2024 if I so desire), saved the 15+ mile runs for the flat West Side Highway in NYC, and powered through the Central Park hills for the 12 miles or less runs. By the time I hit the taper, I was feeling good. All my long runs had gone mostly smooth, and I was trusting in all the training and fueling I was putting in.

 

After 4 months of training, Marathon weekend finally came after weeks of anxiety and lack of sleep. The first day of the expo started on Thursday and I decided to head over to the Javits Center by myself to grab my bib and goodies. Funny enough, the Javits Center is where I got my first round of COVID vaccines. I had heard some of the merch sells out quickly and I was dying to get the jacket. I grabbed my bib, race shirt, and bought a jacket, hat (and one for my dad), and magnet. My parents flew in on Friday and I decided to take the day off to try and sleep in and do some laundry. I met up with them around lunchtime; we grabbed some bagels, and then headed back over to Javits so my dad could grab his bib and shirt. He bought a quarter-zip, and I got a short-sleeve shirt. We watched videos of the race route, found our names on the wall of runners, and grabbed some free swag. We headed out and then got some dinner at one of our favorite Mexican spots, and then waited for Rachel to get in. Rachel got in around 9pm and then the band was back together again.

 

 

We slept in on Saturday and met up with Alex for brunch. We went back to the hotel to watch the Gator game, and once they lost in overtime, we headed over to my apartment to do more lounging and dinner. I have a ritual of eating the same meal the night before my long runs; since it was working for me, I asked my family if they’d be okay with that as well. We ate, I prepped my outfit and everything I would need for the start and the race and said farewell to my family while I attempted to get some sleep.

 

I was up at 4:30am on Sunday.  Luckily, I got about six hours of sleep thanks to daylight savings and was out the door by 5am. I had scheduled a Lyft the night before to drop me off at the Midtown Bus I was taking at 5:30am (thanks, dad). I had heard from a few sources that the Midtown bus was the way to go, rather than taking the ferry to Staten Island and then getting on another bus to the start. The Lyft driver made it about halfway before he turned onto a street that was blocked by an empty ambulance. He sat there for about three minutes just hanging out as if he had no cares in the world. I decided to get out and walk there. Once I got to the 42nd Street Library, the line to get onto the bus was "Disney World" long. It took about 30-minutes to get onto the bus and I made a few friends in line. I got onto the bus and was chatting with the woman next to me and realized we were going the wrong way. The woman sitting in the front seat was navigating the bus driver to Staten Island and she was from Chicago! After many concerned passengers came up to the front to make sure we indeed headed to Staten Island, we finally were on the right path. 

 

We got to the start village a little before 8am and I headed into my color-coded starting area. I had brought a foil blanket to sit on. I was wearing some throw-away sweats, and had a sudoku book to kill time. I ate my breakfast bar, used the bathroom for good measure, and then my wave was open. Once I got into my corral and it suddenly became very real… I was about to run a marathon. They brought us to the start, sang the national anthem, fired off the cannon, and then Frank Sinatra sang us off with New York, New York.

 

Depending on what color you were, it determined on where on the Verrazano Bridge you ran; I was luckily on the top, but unluckily running with the incline. The view on the bridge and seeing all those people around you was surreal. Even though I knew no one else would be walking, I stopped at mile one and then two to take a quick walk break since that was how I had trained. I wanted to make sure I didn’t feel pressured to keep running and burn out quickly. We made it into Brooklyn and borough number two with The Beastie Boys playing us in. Those first few miles in Brooklyn are not that exciting as you run along 4th Avenue until you get to about mile 6.5 when all the fans really show up. I was reading all the signs which was a great distraction and really felt as if each mile was going by quickly (I was not running fast so it was not in fact going by that quickly). I got excited as we got to mile 7 knowing my parents, sister, and Alex would be by mile 8 and my heart started pounding with excitement. One of my plans was to make sure I stopped for a minute to say hello to my family (as a break from running, because they came all the way out to support me…this was the least I could do). When I spotted them at mile 8, I was feeling great. The area they were standing in had a huge crowd and so much excitement. After a minute of chatting, I took off knowing I would see them later.

 

 

For the next few miles in Brooklyn, the crowds and signs continued. I saw some friends and some amazing signs as I chugged along. Then… I got to mile 12 and I started to feel fatigued. I got to the halfway point and I thought to myself, how the fuck am I going to make it through another 13.1?! I took some Advil and ate some candy corn as we got to the Pulaski Bridge and willed myself to get more energy as we made it into borough number three. Queens was a blur - it’s short, lacking energy, and boring. The sign I saw once we got off the bridge summed it up perfectly… “Welcome to Queens, now get out!” 

 

Finally, we made it to the Queensboro bridge, and I decided to walk the uphill. I knew once I came off the bridge, I’d be seeing friends and family. I wanted to conserve some energy and make sure I looked (and felt) strong when I saw them. Sure, maybe I could have shaved a few minutes off my time if I ran, but this was 100% the right move for me. I ran the downhill and made it into borough number four…Manhattan. As I got off the bridge the energy was electric and just what I needed. I knew I’d see some friends, my family, and my friend Danica with a Diet Snapple. I immediately heard my name being screamed by my friend Jimmy, then saw my friend Britney another 10 blocks up. My family, now joined by my cousins Charlie and Ren, and my friend Karli, were now in position in their Sandhouse Running Club shirts, hats, buttons and posters. I stopped again to chat, we took some pictures, and then I was back off and ready to grab my Snapple. Of course, I missed the one person who had something for me, but I was going to have another chance later on. I saw familiar faces both running and cheering, including Katie Couric who was cheering on the sidelines for her daughter. First Avenue is LONG and slowly loses the fans and momentum the higher up you go, but then it was time for borough number five… the Bronx. Now, I had heard the Bronx BRINGS IT since they know miles 20-21 is when many runners hit the wall, but the only energy in the Bronx was my friend Grace who screamed at the top of her lungs for me as we got off the bridge. Besides Grace, the Bronx was just like Queens… short, lacking energy, and boring. I took more Advil and candy corn, hoping for another boost of energy. We finally made it back into Manhattan after crossing the last bridge around mile 21. As we ran down 5th Avenue, I saw more familiar faces of people I see on Tik Tok but was absolutely losing steam. By the time I made it to the Sandhouse Running Club right before getting into the park at mile 24, I was almost crawling. But I told my family there was a great chance of me finishing under 6 hours which had been my goal, and they said, “well get the fuck out of here and go finish.” So, I did. As I made it into Central Park, I missed Danica again with my Snapple. 

 

 

 

 Now, I run Central Park all the time and I know every hill and crevice. But one of the coolest things about running it during the Marathon was that I wasn’t even paying attention to that because fans were lining both sides of the course. So many people really struggle here, but I loved it. I was scanning faces and signs and then at one point I thought to myself, “I don’t even know where in the park I am!” You exit the park with 1 mile to go, so I took a quick walk break, ate some more candy corn for good measure, and went for it. As we ran back into the park with about 800 meters to go, it started to feel so surreal. I got verklempt as I saw the finish line and thought to myself, “you’re about to finish this marathon.” And that I did… I crossed the finish line 6 minutes ahead of my goal.

 

Okay…So I just finished the marathon at 26.53 miles according to my Garmin but it was far from over. I still needed to get a bag full of post-run fuel, an orange hooded fleece blanket (that according to Ren, made us all look like we were in The Handmaid’s Tale,) and most importantly…my medal. Now it was time to make the long-ass trek out of the park for another 10 blocks. I finally met up with my family after what seemed like another mile; we celebrated, took some pictures, and then I said, “how are we getting home?!” The thought of taking the subway was just not in the cards for me, so we walked ANOTHER 20 blocks to take the bus. We stopped at my apartment to rest, shower and evaluate the damage to my body (a few blisters, some chafing, 1 black toenail… and a partridge in a pear tree). We walked a few blocks to get some pizza and sangria, and then it was time to head home and go to bed. I took a fat melatonin and slept for 10 hours.

 

 The moment I finished the marathon, I questioned whether I’d do this again and immediately the answer was no. As time has gone by, the answer has absolutely changed to yes. All in all, this was a (mostly) positive experience: I had no pain other than general fatigue, I overall just had a good day, and the hard work and 4 months of training paid off. 

 

Questions I got after the marathon:

Best sign: Around mile 22 I saw a sign that said “are you feeling it now Mr. Krabs”

Any regrets: I shouldn’t have worn long sleeves

Did you stop to use the bathroom: No

Any training you’d do differently: Strength train (I did none)

Did you walk at all or run straight through: I walked at every water station and whenever I needed to

Did you eat anything while you were running: Honey Stinger gummies, salt tablets, a few bites of a Larabar, and candy corn

Would I do it again: Yes, but maybe I’ll take next year off?

When’s you next race: Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving and then the Miami Half Marathon in January