I see them out there on this unusually cold and windy morning, running along the asphalt trail, only I am driving in my car. As of last week, I resume my old running routine. The long run gets done. My Garmin Forerunner 205 watch no longer beeps, and if it does it’s faint. Searching around on the ‘net, the problem might be due to sweat sweeping into speaker holes on the watch’s underside and corroding the speaker. Of course, the watch is out of warranty, but it still works.
At this point, I am not really concerned about the marathon. I know I can complete it. It’s the “what’s next” question that bothers me for it remains unanswered.
This is the last from the batch of books that I bought last summer. Of the three male authors that I read, I figure that I choose a female author for variety’s sake. I prefer books that tell a tale; however this one does not fall into that category.
Each chapter is a life lesson that is connected to running. One chapter echos non-materialism which is a common theme found in other running books. Of the lessons that stands out is: Starting Lines.
… Nothing started, nothing experienced, nothing learned, nothing finished …
We need to do more than just avoid them [starting lines]. We need to actively seek them out. Otherwise, we grow stagnant.
Like the first week, I have not done much running. Part of me wished that I did not sign-up for another so soon. Another part reminds me that I need to get back into the routine.
As I take I-275 southbound into downtown Tampa, there’s a billboard that stands to the right advertising the next race. Among the races they offer, this will be their last full marathon. Having lived in the area nine of the ten years this marathon has been active, I have never completed it. An allure draws me to sign-up and run the final one.
Since my attempt last year of running a second marathon (Miami) a few months after the first (NYC) did not prove successful, I will under-prepare for this upcoming one.
The smartest move per the recommendation from my uncle who resides in Minnesota who is one of the three running with me was a trip to Goodwill to buy throw-away sweat shirts/long running pants. Instead of spending $20-$30 for an article of new clothing, I spent $4 for used pair. The long running pants were an embarrassing light blue color which I wore through the first and the majority of the second day. My uncle suggested that I keep a patch of the long pants as a keepsake, but I discarded them around mile 21.
Upper layers consisted of the following.
- Long sleeve cool max shirt.
- Tank-top cool max shirt.
- Sweatshirt.
- Trash bag.
On the first day, we encountered sleet. There is nothing like the feeling of a small shard of ice striking your lips or landing in your ear. After about 1 hour 40 minutes into the race, people around me groan, “No, not again” as the cold rain resumes. I pull out the trash bag that I stashed in my pocket and put it over me.
Weather cooled down considerably on the second day. Water stations became more of an obstacle course where you navigate around patches of ice. Volunteers threw sand on standing water to try to prevent more ice from forming. It was safer to walk through these areas than to try to run through them. Paper cups filled with Poweraide or water are encrusted with ice.
Comparing the 2010 version of this race with 2008 included the following differences:
- The Race Expo expanded across two separate buildings instead of one.
- Disposable cameras with 27 exposures where included in the goodie bag. I tried taking pictures during the half marathon but left the camera at home on the second day since I found these as more of an annoyance.
- The portalet situation was improved in 2010. I no longer heard people complaining that there were not enough of them.
- Two lanes featuring music from the ’70s and ’80s were removed.
- Due to weather conditions on the first day most of the cast characters were absent; the choir normally located end the finish of the half marathon at mile 13 was not there.
A forty degree drop in temperature coupled with how to appropriately dress dramatically made the race much more enjoyable. The only thing noteworthy was the mishap trying to get to the race start for the marathon. Waiting in the car until the last minute yielded in a 12 minute waiting time before the start of our half marathon wave, but this technique backfired as straggling runners were barred from entering the starting corrals. This leaves me wondering what happened to the groups waiting at the closed gate or awaiting for further instructions with the lady near the wall of portalets. Did they ever start the race? I’m sure that there is a blog describing their point of view; it’s just a matter of finding it.
Anyhow, these are the obligatory finisher medals that you receive at the end of the race. The leftmost is for the half marathon. The center is for the full. The one on the right is for both. Since it’s the fifth year anniversary of combining both days into a unique event, the medal on the right looks different.
The inscription on the back of the right most medal reads:
These will be kept in a dresser drawer with the other finisher medals that will not see the light of day again.