Here is a discount code for anyone interested in running the 2017 Tarheel 10 Miler or 4 Miler. Race date is 4/22/17, and will be the 10th Anniversary of this race! Since it’s a 10 Miler and the 10th Anniversary, I can only imagine what the medal will look like this time around. It should be epic!
You can visit the website at https://www.tarheel10miler.com
Enter discount code “TH10PAUL” for either race, and enjoy a $5 discount off current registration rates.
See you you in Chapel Hill!
Ran there, Rode that!
Another fun year down visiting Carowinds amusement park. Half Marathon and roller coasters, what could be better than that?
My time goal was hard to achieve because it was like a million degrees on race morning. Plus two million percent humidity. Just rough. Not enough water on the course, and although the course was still not measured correctly, it was better than last years fiasco.
The real kicker this year? The timing chips were all defective. For all races. The 5k, 10k and Half. They had to rely on runner help for times, and some shotty backup camera. Hilarious.
My time was 1:53:50, or so they say. Who knows. My garmin came in lower, the course was about a quarter of a mile long. Short? What ever. It was fun. I’m over obsessing about my times most days, so at least it was fun. And look at the medal!
Charlie Brown riding a roller coaster? Oh, hell yes!
Now a few weeks past, I have just a few minutes to try to recapture some thoughts and moments from my second running of a huge Triangle event. The Tarheel 10 Miler and 4 Miler were run on the beautiful (and difficult) Chapel Hill streets on April 23rd, 2016.
An event that draws thousands of runners every year, we converged on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill bright and early that Saturday morning. For me, it’s about a 50 minute drive, which means I left the house before 6am. I think I was parking about 6:30, for a meet up with my son, and eventual meetup time with the pacers at 7:15. Everything about the morning was smooth, except for the temperatures. It was a bit warm. Anytime you schedule a race later than mid May around here, it’s a complete crap shoot as to the weather. It could be 50, it could be 70. We were flirting with race day temperatures just a tad too warm.
We met at the iconic Belltower on campus for photos and quick meeting. My first time pacing this event, but have paced two other races (both Bull City) for this team. With a new race course, which promised more of a flatter run, and the dreaded 1 mile uphill climb near the finish, I didn’t notice much about the new course that made it easier. In fact, I ran it faster two years ago. Laurel Hill is the finishing challenge, and after fighting the warmth of the day, and mile markers which were all over the place, I had very little gas left in the tank for that mile long uphill climb.
There were three of us pacing the 8:00 per mile group, including my son and another guy who I hadn’t met previously. Right from the start it was painfully clear that our Garmins and the mile markers would make this a difficult race to pace. Side note: please, mile markers need to be carefully mapped and placed on courses in the correct spots! We were off by almost a quarter of a mile as we reached Mile 1! No excuses for that. It left us wondering, and confused. We had no choice but to follow our Garmin pace, because after asking several runners during the race, everyone’s timing devices were all over the place. Needless to say it made for a challenging race. We made ok time, but often us pacers were not even together, what to rely on? Course markers? Garmins? We did our best. That dreaded hill at the finish nailed all of our coffins, and each of us were just slightly over 8 minute pace. It really couldn’t be helped. Funny, too, that I ran the race 4 minutes or so faster a few years back.
It was still really enjoyable though, and I always love pacing, and the interaction with runners. We had a good race. The only other negative I had for the new finish area was that once you left the finisher chute, there was no access that I saw to additional water. If I had known that, I would have brought a drop bag with a few bottles of water in it.
According to the website, there were 4,010 finishers in the 10 Miler. That’s a big race! My finish put me in the top 16%. Not sure if I could have done better on the day if I hadn’t been pacing because the weather may have impacted my speed. It was just too warm and sunny. The Tarheel 10 & 4 Miler is a very successful and huge event in Chapel Hill, and you should try it one day! UNC is a beautiful campus! They have pretty nice swag, too for finishing!
For those of you who have been keeping track (and this probably includes only me), the Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh Marathon on April 10th was my 26th full marathon. I’ve considered myself a bit OCD when it comes to numbers, so this one was a big deal! Don’t you have a favorite number? A lucky number? Numbers that y don’t care for or feel odd about? Back several years ago my phone number included my birth date, my age and my sons age. Of course that only lasted a year or so, but funny stuff with numbers is kinda cool to me. They call an affection for numbers like this arithmomania. I definitely have that when it comes to my most recent marathon!
Twenty-six twenty-six point twos. Yep, most runners will never hit that mark. I mean, if you consider that less than 1% of the worlds population has ever completed one marathon, what must the percentage be for someone running 26 of them? A numerologist would have all sorts of fun figuring the statistics on people who run say more than 1, or more than 5. More than 10, more than 25, or even higher. It’s a crazy number that I hope will only continue upward for me. Let’s hope the body continues to hold up!
So yeah, my “double weekend”, including the Rock ‘n’ Roll 5k, which was my last blog post almost three weeks ago, was followed up by the marathon the next day. This was another race that I’m proud to have been running with my son. He ran the Half, to a blistering new PR, and although the course was extremely difficult, I managed a sub 4 finish.
Weather was pure perfection that day. Unusually cold at the start, followed by tons and tons of sunshine and a gradual warm up. A course that winds its way all over Raleigh up and down hills past historic cemeteries, buildings and monuments. Past several colleges, and local landmarks, this race is really a feast for your eyes. My first half was really good considering the hills. I went out at a pace just over 8:00 minutes per mile, and maintained a sub 8:35 pace until a tough spot at mile 10.
Considering the fact that I had just run a marathon a week prior, I was feeling pretty good. As the marathon and half courses split, that section through Meredith College was a big challenge. Not for the faint of heart. Or legs for that matter. It’s a true test, but also rewarded with a downhill as runners head back toward NC State. Even though my son is a student at State, there were parts of the course on the campus that I had never seen, and it was truly beautiful. Centennial campus was just a really great part of the course!
Now, what follows on Avent Ferry Road was another true test of grit! I believe for me, this was the beginning of the end for my speed. I eeked it out, but man was it tough. I didn’t have a ton of expectations for a finish time that day, I pretty much just wanted to finish in one piece. My legs were already tired from a disastrous marathon seven days prior at All American. You remember, my worst marathon finish ever. I really only wanted to go sub 4 in Raleigh.
My pace and legs were wrecked by the time I hit Lake Johnson in Raleigh, but the views and quiet of running around the lake for the first time gave me some positive enregy for the final six miles of the race. Just look at this picture I took. Pure running serenity!
Time to head back northwest to the city, the course was pretty unforgiving. With the exception of mile 22, where I had a burst of energy, and managed an 8:51 pace, each of my last six miles were over 10 minutes per mile. I was beat! I was looking forward to seeing my family at the finish. Once I finally crested the ridiculous Boylan Avenue hill, I turned east and on into the city for the finish. My younger son was waiting for me about 3/10 of a mile before the finish. He surprised me, and I asked he join me and run me in to the finish. He gladly accepted, although he wasn’t dressed for it at all. 🙂
Thanks to that final bit of energy he gave me, I gave it all I had and crossed the line in 3:59:05. Two marathons in seven days, I’ve barely run since. I was rewarded however with a nice marathon medal, and finish jacket. I also received the “Remix” medal for completing both races during the weekend of events. Although this marathon course will never be listed or described as flat, or easy, it’s always a joy to run the streets of Raleigh, my states Capitol.
I finished 30th in my AG, and 246th overall out of nearly a thousand finishers. Top 25 percent, I’ll take it. I hope to return to this race next year and give it another go. I surely recommend it!
4/3- The All American Marathon was my 25th Full. I’m going to take a departure from my normal race review due to time restrictions, and the realization that lately I just don’t have the time or energy to sit down and focus on a full account. I haven’t had the desire to blog as much lately, leaving me sort of at odds with how best to review my races, and share information that may be helpful to others in choosing events. I’ll just let my fingers do the typing and see where it leads……
I’ve raced the All Amercican Full all three years of its existence. It’s such a fun and inspirational event, growing in numbers every year. I’ve had a close affiliation with the race, this year taking the lead in the final month for the pace team.
I worked the pacer table at the expo the day before the race, meeting tons of enthusiastic runners. It was a chance to meet folks on the pacer team, and talk all things running related including the course, best spectator viewing spots, course elevation, etc… It was a lot of fun to be involved in this way.
Race morning came, my son and I took off early from the house for the 45 minute drive to Fayetteville. He was pacing the 2:00 Half, me the 4:00 Full. The best part about this? Since we were pacing the same time, we could run side by side for nearly 10 miles until the courses split! Race day weather would introduce a new challenge for me, and others. Temperatures were great, but it was very, very windy. I’ve run in the absolute bitterness of 8 degrees at the Asheville Marathon, near 80 degree temps at Rock n Roll Raleigh, rain in Hilton Head and Asheville Fulls, some wind in Charleston, but this wind was different. Headwinds of 20mph, mostly sustained, with gusts up to 30 mph. It wasn’t until we were about 6-7 miles into the race that I really understood how difficult this day would be.
Dylan and I enjoyed our time together, perfectly pacing 10 miles through Fayettevile, onto the All American Freeway and on into Ft. Bragg. Here are some awesome photos from someone overhead on one of the overpasses.
We are in green!
I realized as the courses split, that this day was going to test everything I had. It would take every ounce of energy I could muster just to cross the finish line. Turning onto Ft. Bragg, the winds got even worse. Knowing the course, I was yearning to hit Pope Airfield, where I knew we would turn, and hopefully (finally) get to take advantage of tailwinds. Just as he turn came, the winds died down, and with it my spirit. I had never worked this hard to maintain pace. I knew in my heart without a bit of help in my favor from the wind, the extra effort already expended would kill my race. So, let’s add mega wind to my list of hates for race day weather. The wind killed the races of about 300 runners that day in the marathon, as the list of runners that started the race but didn’t finish it, was immense. More than I had ever seen.
By mile 20 I wanted to walk off the course. I’ve never done this, but I wanted to. I had absolutely nothing left in the tank. All of my energy was drained from fighting the wind, and then it picked back up. More headwinds…. Really? Unbelievable. How can I pace this, when it was really just a death march to the finish? I was going to finish, but didn’t want to throw any runners off as far as pace, so although disappointed, took off my pacing shirt and ditched my pacing sign. I was in the race still, but only for me. Only to finish.
I have never felt so drained in my entire life, but I did eventually finish. My marathon #25 now barely completed, and now my personal worst marathon finish. BUT….I finished. I was embarrassed, and disheartened by my performance. I could barely stand, and felt like I could pass out of pure exhaustion any moment. Luckily my son was there to lend assistance if needed. It took me about 20 minutes to feel recovered enough to take the slow walk to the shuttle, and back to the car. The weather defeated my pace goal that day, but didn’t defeat my finish. I finished my quarter century marathon that day in a dismal 4:17:34. My worst by 4 minutes over the Outer Banks Marathon a few years ago.
Over a week has passed since this event, and my time to reflect has left me with this thought. I pushed through the conditions, and finished a marathon. A friggin marathon. Sometimes I take for granted just how difficult running a marathon is even in perfect conditions. On that day, the weather was not perfect, my performance was not perfect. Who cares! I FINISHED!
With a glimmer of Spring these past few days, all I can say is I am ready! Today being Leap Day, we have to wait an extra day until Spring this year, but the weather lately has me thinking positively. I went out on a five plus miler yesterday afternoon on a beautiful 65 degree sunny afternoon. It was even 60 degrees way up in the northeast. A good sign that Spring is just around the corner.
Will all of those miles logged over the past few cold, long dreary months pay off? Wel’ll see. In general, I’ve felt pretty lazy, as usual for this time of year. But, I for one, am ready to get off the couch and race! I have a busy few months ahead, so I am hopeful for some really fun events.
My “Spring racing season” begins in less than two weeks up in the mountains of North Carolina. I will be heading to Asheville for a few races back to back. I ran the inaugural Marathon at the Biltmore Estate back in 2013, returned last year to pace the Half Marathon, and this year will be pacing BOTH, on back to back days.
I am excited to return, and conquer the beastly hills on that lovely estate! Just thinking about them has me a bit nervous, but my experience should help. I’ve run them before. I can, I will, get over those hills again!
After Asheville, I have a few weeks break. Of course it will be good to take several days off to let my legs and feet recover. I’ll need it. With Easter during that time, we should be getting into Spring quite nicely by then.
The first weekend in April I will be pacing another event. The All American Marathon which is run on a point to point course from Fayetteville to Ft. Bragg, NC, will be my first time running the same marathon three times. Actually this year is the third anniversary of the event, so I will have run it all three times. The All American Marathon will be my 25th marathon overall, so it should be full of meaning for me! I am pacing the 4:00:00 Full, and couldn’t be happier to have reached the “Quarter Century” mark at this event! I’ve already spoken with the team there to try to get bib #25!
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Series first came to Raleigh back in 2014. The first event was on my 44th Birthday. The folks at RnR helped me celebrate with a 44 on my bib. Because of the heat and pollen and tough marathon course that year, I decided to run the Half in 2015, only to regret that decision when the made changes to the marathon course a few months prior to the event. The offered an incredible deal last year at the race expo, to run either race this year for $50. I signed up for the marathon this year, and I plan to just have fun with this one since it will only be a week after All American. I also signed up to run the inaugural 5k the day before. It’s been a few years since I’ve run a 5k, so I figured it would be a good shake out run.
What an awesome medal! Rock n Roll originally signed a three year deal with this Raleigh location, with an option to add two more years. So, depending on numbers, this may very well be the last event here. Time will tell.
It is surely going to be an exciting Spring for me. How about you? What epic races do you have planned for the coming season? I think that next year I am going to try to break out of my comfort zone, and do a destination marathon for Spring 2017. The three races I have coming up I have already raced twice each, and will likely choose a change of venue next year. Any thoughts? Suggestions? Where should I race next Spring?
Don’t miss out on this epic race! I will be pacing the 4:00 marathon this year, so sign up and join me. Today, you get a special 2016 discount!
The Bull City Race Fest is an amazing event, and was held for the third time in Durham, NC, on October 18, 2015. The event includes a 1 mile, 5 mile, and signature Half marathon distance race. It is truly an amazing event, that has gained popularity each year.
This race has it all! It is very family friendly, and one that I would recommend to any runner looking for a world class running experience. Everything from the ease of packet pick up and expo, to the post race food truck rodeo and relaxing finisher village. The highlight though in my eyes, is the race itself. The course, with all of its hilly challenges, is both scenic and exciting.
This race was both a recovery run from my Chicago Marathon a week ago, and my final longish training run for the New York City Marathon just 12 days away. The perfect way to run this race for me was to be a pacer! The opportunity to pace it didn’t come until just a few days before the race itself. I quickly jumped on it, and signed up my son to pace, as well. This would be his first time pacing, and probably around my 10th time pacing a Half. The best part? Pacing together as Dad and Son. In the same pace group, pacing the 8:30 (or finish time of 1:51:25). Two years ago I paced the 1:45:00 finish group, so I knew the challenge of the course, and knew that we could both easily handle the job.
Race morning went off without a hitch. Parking was easy and we made it to the starting line for some pre-race photos with the pace team members at 6:50am. The race was to begin at 7:30, so we had a chance to stretch and use the bathroom and get lined up with our fellow 8:30 pacers in plenty of time. A cold front had come through our area overnight, and we had unusually cold temperatures for race morning. It was like 36 degrees, so we tried to stay warm until the start. It had been so long since running in temperatures like this it was kind of exciting. When the sun rose, the sky was cloudless and blue. It was going to be fun!
The Half Marathon had over 2,200 people running and it was obvious when we all began lining up. It was a sea of runners both in front of us and behind us. I think we had 6 pacers in our group alone. We talked some strategy on how we would pace the group right up until the gun went off. With a challenging course like this one with all of its hills, I knew I wanted to be a few seconds ahead of target pace. The final few hills can be PR killers, so staying one or two second ahead throughout the race would leave us in good standing for the final mile.
The first few miles are crowded, and run through downtown Durham. You get a taste of the hills right from the start. We nailed our target pace though right from the start. We talked a lot with the group, but it was also obvious right from the start that we would be pacing about 40-50 people and we were all spread out. I think the most exciting thing for me was how into it my son was. He has a few trepidations about pacing when we first talked about it, but after I convinced him that he had everything it took to be a fantastic pacer, he really warmed up to it. He was very excited! I told him to stick as close to me as possible, but the excitement of the race had him out in front of me a ways quite often.
The course continues on trough Trinity Park, and Duke Campus, hills abound. With every uphill though comes downhills, and it’s a really nicely varying race. Occasionally there were neat signs along the course, and chalk drawings and encouragements on the road. Our group waxed and waned, but our pace was right on the mark. It was such an enjoyable run. Offering words of encouragement to runners as they passed me, or encouraging every runner up the numerous hills. The weather was so cooperative that I never felt like I needed to stop for hydration along the course. I did, however use my GU’s at miles 5 and 10.
As the final mile approached and we were nearing the finish I started turning and running backwards to encourage runners behind me to push hard and pass me. My son and I met up side by side with about a half mile remaining. I wanted to be as close to the target of 8:30 as possible without going over so I ran backwards for pretty much the majority of the final tenth of a mile. I have so much fun getting those racers to the finish! Pacing is a truly awesome way to pay it forward.
I crossed the finish line in 1:51:14. Eleven seconds under our pace goal. Perfect! My son finished about 45 seconds under the goal, so we were both within a minute under. After the finish we were stopped numerous times and thanked for our pacing efforts. I know several runners even had personal bests on that tough course, so it’s super satisfying to me.
The post race village is amazing, and absolutely packed with runners and families. Food trucks all over, lots of refreshments and food. It was the perfect day for relaxing and relishing in a victory of the course. Durham is such a fun happening city. Relaxing on the lawn in front of the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) was so much easier after we ran back to the car to change out of wet shirts and grab a jacket. It was chilly! Well, it felt down right cold to me. A few more photos on the lawn to commemorate our accomplishment, and a visit to the Baguettaboutit Food Truck before we called it a day and headed home. Don’t ask me how, but I knew about ten people racing that day and managed to not bump into any of them after the race. A bit of a disappointment, but there will be other races to meet up. I had the best time with my son pacing that day. I only hope the opportunity comes up again sometime.
The world is full of all sorts of challenges. Inequality, extreme weather and climate change, economic collapse, oil and water shortages, hunger, among many, many others. Over the last 50 years the human population has nearly tripled, and with that come epic challenges that we all must face as inhabitants of this beautiful planet. These challenges though cannot be overcome in a day, or two for the matter. It will take years and years of hard work. We may never see full solutions to these challenges. Ever.
Wait…. this post is meant to be light. It’s about challenges. So let me change the focus of our challenges to the good kind. Challenges we look forward to, challenges we take on with gusto. Challenges we set out to conquer!
I am a runner. My main goal today is to let you know about a new challenge for the running community. As the population grows, naturally the runner population grows. We are an ever growing and ever changing group. We are challenge seekers, and often find ourselves setting higher and higher standards for ourselves. We can, we will. Never give up. A few mantras I’ve heard lately.
In working with the running community and getting to know so many of you through running races and social media, my love for our sport has grown and grown. When I run a great race, I want to tell everyone about it. It’s really the reason I started blogging about my running in the first place. So, let me share with you some news about the Asheville Marathon & Half at Biltmore Estate today.
This race has grown and grown in popularity in the last few years. Why? Location, swag, race course, yes, all of those. An amazing event which has sold out each year. For 2016, the races will be held on separate days. An exciting weekend event. The Half Marathon on March 12th. The Full Marathon on March 13th. But wait! (Herein lies the challenge I’ve eluded to) Run both! The Backyard to Vineyard Challenge. Run both races on back to back days.
IDaph Events, which puts on this fantastic event (among others), recognizes the need to reward runners of all kinds. They welcome the first time Half Marathoner, they welcome the very seasoned Marathoner. They don’t discriminate. This year they are recognizing those of us who love a challenge. The Asheville Marathon & Half is now offering special discounts to Marathon Maniacs and Half Fanatics who may just want to descend on Asheville and take on a new and exciting challenge.
Here are is details…. and discounts…
If you want to run just the Half, save $10 by using code “2016AVLHALFMARATHONMANIAC”
Want to run the Full? Save $20 using code “2016AVLMARATHONMANIAC”
Run both races? Take on the Challenge and save $30 using code “2016MANIACCHALLENGE”
I think it’s very cool when a race recognizes the running maniac/fanatic in each of us. These two groups consist of approximately 24,000 runners worldwide, and growing. So? What are you waiting for? Jump on the bandwagon and score some awesome discounts to run at the Biltmore Estate next year! They are celebrating us runners, so let’s take them up on it!
Check out all of the details on the race here: https://www.ashevillemarathon.com
This past Saturday, 9/19/15, my oldest son and I ran an amazing race together. A new Half Marathon to us, but a tried and true tradition for years about a two and a half hour drive from home. This race has been on my radar for a few years now, but timing and obligations always seemed to get in the way. Not this year! Back at the beginning of the Summer my son called me and said “let’s sign up for a race”. You know me, I love running races with my boys, so I searched and searched to find us a race. Because I didn’t have a September marathon planned this year, this Half Marathon at Camp LeJeune was the perfect choice.
This race would be my sons 5th Half, and my 29th! The weather the week prior to the race was finally cooling off a bit. For a few weeks I had been able to get in some training runs in more moderately warm conditions versus down right hot ones. My son was taking this race very seriously. He has recently gotten a lot fitter, and had really taken training for this race to a new level for him. Based on the runs he had in the month leading up to the race, I knew if he had a good day that he would leave Dad in the dust right at the start. Time would tell.
This race location is an interesting one for us. Being about 150 miles away from home, it seemed too close to commit to an overnight in a hotel, but meant getting up mega early on race morning to drive there. I chose to drive on race morning since they offered race day packet pick up. It was way more difficult to do this than I had ever imagined. We had to leave the house by 3am!! Yes, 3:00am. Ugh! It wasn’t a big deal to my son, who threw on some headphones, and curled up in the passenger seat. To me? Not fun! Because of added security measures at Camp LeJeune, they suggested we get there 90 minutes before the race. We had to submit personal info prior to the race like drivers license info, make and model of the car I would be driving, etc.. Getting there early would mean I would have the needed time to get my parking pass, find parking on base, pick up our packets, and get prepared to race. It all worked out just fine, it was just a very long morning.
Our race preparations went as planned. I was a bit disappointed that the cooler morning temperatures of the prior week had decided to end abruptly that day. When I had gotten up at 1:30am, the temperature was 70 degrees. By the time the race started it was 72, and humid. We hydrated the best we could before the race began, and I hoped for the best.
This race also includes a 5k, and 10k so there were plenty of runners everywhere. A very nice large holding area/finish area, it never felt too crowded but I knew that based on previous runnings of this event that there was over 1,000 runners there ready to race. We lined up at 6:45, and promptly at 7am, the race began. I told my son to race smart, and to hydrate and be sure to take his gels. Within the first 30 seconds he was well out in front of me. I hoped he hadn’t gone out too fast, only to lose it on the second half. United States Marines manned intersections and kept traffic under control. Since this entire race course was taking place in their home it was only fitting.
The race course was quiet and mostly flat. I was clocking mile paces in the 7:30 range at the beginning. This would change, and all too soon. It was incredibly sticky outside, and by mile three began to feel more like I was running through a swamp and not running on the road. It was tough. The condition were not ripe for a brilliantly fast race for me, and considering I had run another Half Marathon six days prior, I wasn’t trying to set any records. I just knew it wouldn’t happen, especially with the heat of the morning. The race course was beautiful though. Several signs along the way, families in their driveways cheering us on. It felt cozy and warm. The section of the race course along the water was very scenic and tranquil.
My race shirt usually gets soaked with sweat during a race, but this was extreme. My shirt was soaked by mile five, and my shorts were already getting that way. I had a guy pass me around mile five that was literally dripping from head to toe. He was drenched! I think he was almost leaving wet footprints as he ran by me. It was humid! I was enjoying myself though, and found myself hoping that I would never catch another glimpse of my son until the finish line. I wanted him to have a great race. He trained hard for it, and I wanted him to succeed.
My race felt dauntingly slow. As my pace crept upward I made a goal to come in faster than 1:49:00, a mark I was using to pace myself the prior week at the Carowinds Half. I felt this goal was achievable, even in the heat. Beyond the midway point in the race the pack was very thin. I raced in and around the same group of guys for quite some time. We traded positions at every aid station. Water was every two miles on the course up to mile 8, and then every mile until the finish. I knew based on how much I was sweating that I had better take advantage of each one until the end. I would skip the last one.
The later miles were tough. I just wanted to finish. The effort I expended during this race was far more than my previous race, and it was all because of the heat and humidity. It really zonked my energy. Nearing the end, I couldn’t wait to see my son. I wanted to know how he did. I never caught up to him, but found myself doing a double take at mile 13 when I ran up next to an ambulance and medics loading a runner onto a stretcher. Luckily it wasn’t him, but felt badly for that guy. Been there, done that. Not fun. Racing in these conditions can land you in the hospital if not properly prepared.
The finish line finally in view, I managed to hold my pace under my goal. I crossed the line in 1:48:08. Receiving my medal from a U.S. marine in uniform was very nice! My son was there to congratulate me and tell me all about his run. We swapped war stories of the heat and how we managed to push through to the finish. He beat me by about four minutes. He did start out too fast, and really slowed down the last few miles. He was pleased though with his race.
We gathered some water and Gatorade, and tried to cool down. Once we did, we walked right over to the car to change clothes. It was nice to be able to do that so easily. The car was right there! I guess that was a benefit to getting there early that morning. We made our way over to the large lawn that was filled with runners, family and friends. They had quite the spread. Tons of food, everything from funnel cakes to hotdogs, and everything inbetween. Fruit, sweets, beer, the list goes on and on. It was very nice. My calves started cramping up the minute I sat down. Even though I tried my best to stay hydrated, the heat, sun and humidity of the morning left me a bit dehydrated.
We hung around for the award ceremony, you know, just in case one of us won something. Plus it was just a really nice atmosphere, and much needed recuperation time before driving back home. I’m glad we stuck around! As they began announcing the Half Marathon awards they started with teams, then masters, then age groups. Low and behold, my name was announced! Second place! Then, as they progressed to the younger age groups, my sons name was announced, too. He had won second place in his age group!
We were both thrilled! The medals are beautiful, too! We couldn’t have asked for a better way to cap off this event than with an extra medal each! Father and son had succeeded the best we could that day given the conditions. I’m so glad we finally ran this race, and I have to say, may become a tradition for us. A cooler day would have been more optimal, but we had a great time together.
My son finished in 65th place out of 975 runners! Just amazing! His time was 1:44:39
I finished 94th with a 1:48:08.
Running Wild 