First official race of the new year -
The Kiwanis Adventure Run. This is the second year that I've done this race. It is advertised as an adventure run, but there are not any obstacles like the Picnic Island Runs. However, the course is completely off road with plenty of sugar sand in the trails and rocks on the beach. Here is a picture of the course map:
There are a few reasons I like this race. Number one, long-sleeve t-shirts! Yess! Number two, awesome post-race breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, bacon - sign me up! Number three, Honeymoon Island is really beautiful. Don't know the history of Honeymoon Island, you say? Here's a mini Florida history record for you:
Honeymoon Island was introduced to the American public in the early 1940s through newsreels and magazines. The advertisements promised undiscovered pleasures for newlyweds. Honeymoon Island was formerly known as Hog Island (because of the hog farm located there). In the early 1940s, honeymoon-type huts were built on the island for vacationing, and the name was changed. World War II began and the thatched huts fell into disuse. The structures were torn down as the island was turned into a state park. However, the name stuck.
Since I did my long run on Saturday this was supposed to be my recovery run. Sometimes I find it hard to recover during a race - ya know? After the first mile I hit the sugar sand (as evident in my mile splits - HA!) and realized that I should calm down and try to enjoy this race. So I looked up and saw the sun coming up above the trees and it was gorgeous! So at that point I decided that I was going to just run how I felt and soak in the scenery.
Here are my splits:
| 1 | 8:33.9 | 1.00 | 8:34 |
| 2 | 9:45.1 | 1.00 | 9:45 |
| 3 | 9:04.5 | 1.00 | 9:05 |
| 4 | 9:18.7 | 1.00 | 9:19 |
| 5 | 9:31.9 | 1.00 | 9:32 |
| 6 | :58.6 | 0.12 | 8:12 |
Ahem, 5.12 miles - thankyouverymuch.
Saturday morning was my first attempt at a long run since being hit with a cold. I was a little worried since I've been stinking at running lately. I started out with Chris, Mel, and Rhonda. I was able to convince Chris and Mel to keep going past the 2.5 mile water stop and head straight for the 4ish mile water stop. Luckily, I'm a good salesperson and they both came along with my plan.
Once we got the 4 mile mark, we were pretty much on our own. Let me just tell you that listening to Melanie try to convince Chris to run a marathon is ALMOST as funny as listening to Chris trying to convince Melanie to do a triathlon. I was cracking up on the way back. Once we hit the 4 mile water stop on the way back, we met up with Rudy and JM. Chris eventually traded us for the faster pack as we headed in. And, I was very proud of Melanie for leaving me to pursue her own sprint at the end.
Here are the splits from the long run:
| 1 | 9:25.0 | 1.00 | 9:25 |
| 2 | 8:49.7 | 1.00 | 8:50 |
| 3 | 9:03.0 | 1.00 | 9:03 |
| 4 | 8:59.6 | 1.00 | 9:00 |
| 5 | 8:41.9 | 1.00 | 8:42 |
| 6 | 9:01.3 | 1.00 | 9:01 |
| 7 | 8:58.8 | 1.00 | 8:59 |
| 8 | 8:56.8 | 1.00 | 8:57 |
| 9 | 8:38.2 | 1.00 | 8:38 |
| 10 | 8:52.3 | 1.00 | 8:52 |
| 11 | 8:46.2 | 1.00 | 8:46 |
| 12 | 9:06.5 | 1.00 | 9:06 |
Just barely under the 9:00 minute pace needed for my sub 2:00 half marathon. Whew!
I was fortunate enough to receive a FREE entry to any Gasparilla race distance of my choice this week. (Thank you Susan from Kellogg's!). After much thought and consideration, I'm going to go for the Gasparilla Half Marathon as a backup plan in case RnR St. Pete is crazy crowded. Decision made!
