Hialeah, FL
Weather: Cloudy, 82F, Humid
Bib# 169
Number thirteen. This race started like any other I have run this year. With the exception that is was in southern Florida, that is was eighty-two degrees in December, that it was a trail race, and that it was the smallest field of runners I have ever seen.
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| Last Start of 2013 |
There were three races running concurrently in this park, although only nine of us took the starting line intending to run the half marathon distance. This race had all the small town, folksy feel of a local running club event. It was a welcome change of pace from the huge, loud, rock 'n' roll type races that I have participated in this year. The start was marked by the race director, Marlon, looking at his watch and saying: - "go." I smirked and headed out.
The trail was a loop through Amelia Earhart Park in Miami, and is also a popular mountain biking course. I know this because I had to stop to let the mountain bikers pass and witnessed first hand two epic wipe outs and saw bikers spin and lost control in the mud. In all reality I would classify this as a half marathon obstacle course and it could really be re-named (copyright law allowing) 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.' I don't think you could classify the trail as a swamp but to this northerner it was certainly no forest either. During my first of four sweaty loops, I steeled myself to leap over alligators, and dodge whizzing arrows shot from unfriendly natives in my search for the crystal skull. Maybe the heat and humidity was getting to me.
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| "What's taking so long?" |
I ran into my cheering section near the end of my third circuit and asked in a daze what time it was. With a loving and sympathetic smile I was told not to worry about it. I did think it was strange that at the pre-race briefing the 5K racers (running 3.1 miles) were told to run one loop and the half marathoners four.
Lets see - 3.1 times four is, wait for it - 12.4 miles. I shrugged it off. Certainly my finish line will be extended down the road to account for the missing seven tenths of a mile, right?
Look, by the fourth loop I was walking and running, and dodging mountain bikers, and looking for gators. I had given up entirely on the crystal skull. Delirious. I crossed the finishing line as much out of relief as excitement. Whatever the finish, I had met my goal: I had run thirteen half marathon races in one year. Kate congratulated me on running sixteen miles. Wait, what?
Well, it turns out this small town folksy feel also included approximating the distance of the loop. It was proven after the fact by several racers and mountain bikers equipped with GPS that each loop was really 3.9 miles. This brings my total race to a whooping 15.6 miles- thats 2.5 miles more than a traditional half marathon. I knew going into this last race that it was not going to be PR material; I just wanted to finish my goal injury free. Little did I know that I would in fact set a new PR, for distance.
A special thanks to Marlon for an unforgettable race. Down 2 Earth: The longest half marathon in the country!
Finishing Time: 3:27:52
Garrison
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| At Last |
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