THIS WAS A MEMORABLE EVENT FOR MANY REASONS. THE PACKET PICK UP WAS AT A HOTEL DIRECTLY ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. THE SURF WAS WAY UP AND THE SURFERS AND NORTHERNERS WERE WHOOPING IT UP ON THE BEACH. THE OCEAN HAS A MUCH DIFFERENT FEEL THAN THE GULF. THE WATER IS A DEEPER COLOR AND THE WAVES HAVE FOAM / DIMENSION AND CHARACTER AND IT JUST FEELS SO HUGE AND INTERNATIONAL. THE GULF HAS A MORE CARRIBEAN FEEL TO IT. (CUE THE STEEL DRUMS). PRE RACE WAS MY 2 FAITHFULSTANDBYS- HAMPTON INN AND OLIVE GARDEN. SIMPLY UNBEATABLE.
RACE SWAG WAS EXCELLENT: POSTER, COOL T SHIRT AND A FIRST CLASS HAT WITH VENTS AND A LITTLE LONGER BEAK FOR THE FLA SUN. A KEEPER. THE RACE FEATURED A 2 LOOP ROUTE-(MY FIRST!), LOTS OF LIVE MUSIC OF ALL TYPES, 2 BIG BRIDGES TO RUN UP AND OVER, AND A HANDCYCLE CHAMPIONSHIP. MOST OF THE HAND CYCLISTS WERE VETERANS- WHAT HEROES. THANK YOU THANK YOU.
PRE RACE THE MANIACS HAD A PHOTO POSE AND OFF WE WENT. MILES 1-5 WERE ALONG THE INDIAN RIVER WHICH WAS VERY WIDE LOOKING ACROSS TO THE BARRIER ISLAND ON THE OCEAN. THE MORNING WAS OVERCAST, VERY HUMID AND STILL. UP AND OVER BRIDGE 1. ABOUT 1/2 MILE UP THERE WAS A WHITE GRAND PIANO PLAYED BY A MAN IN A TUX. SO CLASSY. THERE WAS MUSIC OF ALL GENRES PLACED EACH MILE. REALLY FUN. THERE WERE ALSO FUNNY POSTERS WITH LYRICS ABOUT RUNNING FROM SONGS. LOVED THE MANIAC SHOUT OUT.
SINCE THIS WAS A RE-DO STATE FOR THE BIB, MEDAL AND IT WAS WARM AND REALLY HUMID I TOOK PHOTOS AND ENJOYED THE VIEWS. THERE WAS LOTS OF AID AND GELS AND THE SPECTATORS ALTHOUGH SPARSE WERE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC. I WAS JEALOUS OF ONE OF THE MANIACS (IN GREY) ALL THE WAY FROM NOVA SCOTIA WHO DECIDED TO DO THE RACE TO FILL THE TIME BEFORE HIS CRUISE SHIP LEFT THAT NIGHT.
SAW JENNY MANIAC #74 AND THE 3 TIME GUINESS BOOK OF RECORDS HOLDER LARRY MACON WHO IS DID 113 IN ONE YEAR!! THE PREVIOUS YEAR HE DID 106 ONLY TO LEARN HE NEEDED A FEW MORE. HE WILL HAVE AN EASY YEAR IN 2012 AND ONLY DO 50 OR SO. HE STARTED AFTER A WATER COOLER FIB “OH YEAH I’M DOING THAT MARATHON TOO THIS WEEKEND” THAT WAS 850 MARATHONS AGO. HE HAS AN AMAZING SENSE OF HUMOR AND POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND GOOD TRAVEL BANK ACCOUNT. HE IS A LAWYER AND SAYS HIS WIFE DOESN’T ENCOURAGE TO COME HOME.
BACK TO MELNBOURNE- THROUGH A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD AND UP AND OVER BRIDGE NUMBER 2. THE DJ WAS ROCKING THE TUNES AT THE TOP. 1500 HALFERS WENT ON TO FINISH AND 350 OF US WENT AROUND AGAIN. THE GRAND PIANO GUY WAS PLAYING SOFT SONGS ON LAP 2, SOME PERFORMERS HAD PUT ON A CD AND WERE FANNING THEMSELVES AND LOOKING HOT AND TIRED LIKE US.
THE HAND CYCLES CAM ROARING THRU AT MILE 18 FOR ME AND WE WERE DIVING OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS THE BIG DRAFT PACKS CAME ROARING THRU. CLOSE T0 30 MPH ON THE FLATS. EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE. AID GOT A LITTLE SPARSE AND THE LAST MILES WERE REALLY LONG. THE FINISH WAS A WELCOME SIGHT. BEAUTIFUL MEDAL. THE POST RACE AMENITIES WERE OVER BEFORE I CAME IN AT 4 HRS 56- RUN FASTER IF YOU WANT A SNACK I GUESS, BUT I HAD SOME GREAT STUFF IN THE CAR. HAD A PRETTY 3 HOUR RIDE ACROSS THE BEELINE – THERE IS LOTS OF NATURAL BEAUTY IN THIS STATE- THEN IT WAS SUPERBOWL TIME AND THE MADONNA HALFTIME SHOW AND CELEBRATION TIME FOR THE NY GIANTS.
FLA IS NOW OFFICIAL 22 STATES LEFT- NEXT STOP NEW ORLEANS 26.2 IN THE FRENCH QUARTER. GET YOUR BEADS ON.
HAPPY TRAILS NW
Nanadventure 