You might think "A half marathon in June? You're crazy!" And the answer to that is "Yes" and Yes." Well, I can tell you that I would rather travel the country and run in states where the weather is a bit more amenable to running, but the Echo Half Marathon was close to my home, and the right price!
My running buddy, Sam, and I had been training fairly regularly for months, though my monthly average for miles slipped from 50 to 40 for May. It's getting hot in here! And while I enjoy not having to shovel snow twice a week in the winter, the summer humidity is less than desirable for running. And I've yet to find the motivation to get up at 5am to run. :)
Thus, on the morning of June 4th, with Sam's truck at the finish line - so he could jet back to Tampa for his work shift later that day (he's crazy) - we drove in my car to the start line and joined the other crazies for what was sure to be a humid race - it was very foggy!
My running buddy, Sam, and I had been training fairly regularly for months, though my monthly average for miles slipped from 50 to 40 for May. It's getting hot in here! And while I enjoy not having to shovel snow twice a week in the winter, the summer humidity is less than desirable for running. And I've yet to find the motivation to get up at 5am to run. :)
Thus, on the morning of June 4th, with Sam's truck at the finish line - so he could jet back to Tampa for his work shift later that day (he's crazy) - we drove in my car to the start line and joined the other crazies for what was sure to be a humid race - it was very foggy!
With plenty of time, we were able to relax in the car for a bit, go to the bathroom with minimal wait times and chill for a few minutes. As the fog continued to thicken, we were joined by the other runners and were off and running soon after. We ran past the ranch we were staying at via Airbnb and made our way over the massive pedestrian bridge that proved to be the biggest hill of the race. We made it to mile 4 before the humidity became too much and we started intervals. Most of my races and almost all of our training, we would hit mile 6 or 8 before intervals, but the heat was too much today.
The rest of the race was pretty shaded and enjoyable. The volunteers at the water/Gatorade stops were very cheerful and encouraging. Not too much else in the way of spectators - a few intersections along the way had some. I was taking a cup of water and a cup of Gatorade at each stop, sometimes 3 total, and even still, by mile 11, I was feeling cramps coming on. We took it easier toward the end, and I staved off the cramps, but my legs still felt pretty tight. I conserved enough energy to run the last quarter of a mile and Sam and I finished our second half marathon together!
They (thank the gods!) had iced washcloths for runners as well as ICE COLD WATER!!! I would say there's nothing worse than warm water after a race - I know it's not true - but let me tell you, the fact that both the wash cloth and the water bottle were icy cold was a blessing! We took a few pics to celebrate our hard work and then Sam was off to head back to Tampa for his work shift.
I had the rest of the morning to peruse the finish line party quickly, head back on the shuttle to the start, shower at the ranch and explore some of the surrounding area - an IHOP, a citrus nursery, and then a little shopping. Excited for my boyfriend to be coming home from visiting his family in Texas, I made my way back to Tampa and after getting a massage at Carrollwood Day Spa (highly recommended!), I started cleaning the house in preparation for his arrival.
The rest of the race was pretty shaded and enjoyable. The volunteers at the water/Gatorade stops were very cheerful and encouraging. Not too much else in the way of spectators - a few intersections along the way had some. I was taking a cup of water and a cup of Gatorade at each stop, sometimes 3 total, and even still, by mile 11, I was feeling cramps coming on. We took it easier toward the end, and I staved off the cramps, but my legs still felt pretty tight. I conserved enough energy to run the last quarter of a mile and Sam and I finished our second half marathon together!
They (thank the gods!) had iced washcloths for runners as well as ICE COLD WATER!!! I would say there's nothing worse than warm water after a race - I know it's not true - but let me tell you, the fact that both the wash cloth and the water bottle were icy cold was a blessing! We took a few pics to celebrate our hard work and then Sam was off to head back to Tampa for his work shift.
I had the rest of the morning to peruse the finish line party quickly, head back on the shuttle to the start, shower at the ranch and explore some of the surrounding area - an IHOP, a citrus nursery, and then a little shopping. Excited for my boyfriend to be coming home from visiting his family in Texas, I made my way back to Tampa and after getting a massage at Carrollwood Day Spa (highly recommended!), I started cleaning the house in preparation for his arrival.
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