I signed up for this race on a whim. I had not participated in a 5K in about a year and have been focusing more on distance rather than speed so I was not sure how I would do on a shorter distance. It was held at Christian Brothers Automotive in North Port. It was a very convenient location for me, only about twenty minutes away from my house. The parking was in the Publix lot across the street so there was plenty of parking and it was right across the street from the starting line.

The only restrooms were port-o-potties which are generally not my favorite (for obvious reasons) but these ones were pretty clean and there was a portable sink as well with running water and soap, which is better than the typical nothing or anti bacterial hand gel that is associated with most port-o-potties.

The course was an out and back off the main street. Starting time was promptly at 7AM after a few announcements and the Star Spangled Banner. The course was closed off to traffic and was a pleasant course with some shady spots along the way. There was a water stop about halfway and plenty of volunteers along the course directing the runners where to go.

Everyone got a cotton gender neutral t-shirt and a finisher’s medal. The post race food was hot dogs, bratwurst and two free beers per participant!! There was a bunch of raffles for chances to win gift certificates to Christian Brothers Automotive and Torch Bistro as well as race entries for this race next year and the grand prize of a cruise to Mexico!

At the finish line there was a bounce house and climbing wall for the kids. There was also a DJ and a few booths set up with vendors like an insurance agent, and Shakeology. The money raised went to the Florida Compassion Foundation which partners with the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the Alzheimers Association.

The awards ceremony started a little late in my opinion. The race started at 7AM but the awards didn’t start until 8:30AM. It was a hot day and the sun was out with very few shady spots which made the wait seem even longer. But you had to be present to win the raffles and they were held after the awards so you had to stick it out in the Florida sun. I didn’t end up winning any raffles (I never do) but I did take 2nd place in my age group with a new personal record of 23:02. I enjoyed this race and will definitely be back next year. It was a nice course, close to my home and for a great cause.

On Saturday, June 5th, 2016, I participated in the 30th Annual Naples Fitness Challenge Triathlon. It was my first triathlon of the year and the second year in a row that I have participated in this race. This sprint tri consists of a 5K run, 15K bike and 1/4 mile swim. Race packet pickup was held the day before the event, but if you emailed the race director a limited amount of people were allowed morning of packet pick up. I emailed to request that since the drive to Naples is an hour and twenty minutes long. The race started at 7:30 AM so I left my house a 5:15AM so I could get there around 6:30AM, which would give me an hour to get my packet pick up, set up my transition area and use the restroom before starting time. It was a very early morning but I was excited for my first tri of the year. I arrived in plenty of time, parked my car down the street from the starting line (the race directions that had been emailed out had warned about limited parking), and rode my bike into the transition area. I was able to get my packet quickly and a volunteer helped me with my race tattoos - one for each arm with my bib number and one for the right calf too with my age group. I got over to the transition area and set up with plenty of time to get over to the starting line. Here is my transition area:

The race started promptly at 7:30AM and because this was a reverse triathlon, the run was first. I started out strong and steady. I had run a 5K the day before (and gotten a PR) so my legs were a little tight. I took it a little easy and didn't overdo it. I kept a pace of approximately 8:30 per mile, which I was happy with and finished the 5K in 25:38. Up next was the bike portion. Bike is my least favorite. I constantly feel like everyone is passing me because I am so slow! This was the first race I had done where I wore my bike shoes. I usually just bike with my running shoes because I still get nervous when wearing my biking shoes in a large group, simply because I can't stop as quickly as I would like to. But this time i decided to go for it and wear by bike shoes and I felt really good on the bike! I wasn't super fast but felt better than I have before. I even passed a few people. I have a bike computer now so I was able to watch my pace and makes sure that I didn't fall below 16 mph. I finished the bike in 33:49. I still need to get faster on the bike but I was happy with this time.

Finally, I made it to the swim portion. It seemed like a long run from dropping off my bike to entering the water. I had to run through the transition area (my spot was all the way at the end), across the street, then all the way down the beach. By the time I hit the water I was really looking forward to cooling down. I normally enjoy the swim portion but I felt a little discombobulated this time. My goggles kept getting water in them and I had to stop at least three times to clear them out. One of my favorite parts of this race is that the finish line is just barely out of the water. I swam as far as I could, until the water got too shallow to go any farther, and then stood up, took a few stops and crossed the finish line to collect my finisher's medal!

The post race party was great! There was live music and plenty of food! The food ranged from bagels, fruit and granola bars to scrambled eggs, sausage and pancakes. (The scrambled eggs were a little runny, but for serving such a large group what can you really expect?) I snacked on some of the food and then made my way back to the transition area to gather my stuff and head home. I managed to get home right before the rain came in!

This past week I participated in the Harbour Heights Half Marathon. Despite the hot weather, it was overall a very nice race.

Pre-race info:
There was a pre-race packet pick up which was really nice this year. Last year, because of the parking situation (which I will discuss below), it was stressful to get my packet the morning of the race. So when I heard there was a pre-race packet pick up I was very excited. It did happen to be on a day that I was busy but my friend was able to pick mine up for me. The “swag bag” wasn’t really that “swaggy”. Other than the race shirt, bib and granola I’m not even really sure what was in there because I threw the rest away. I think there were some flyers for other races and perhaps a chap stick. Nothing terribly exciting.

Parking was much better this year than it was last year. Last year the park was being remodeled, so we had to park far away and take a trolley to the start line. There was also only one or two trolleys out there so it took a little while to actually get on a trolley due to the long line of participants that were waiting. But, this year the remodeling is done and you could park much closer to the starting line. I was still about a half mile away but that was a nice warm up walk for me.

Registration started at $65 and went up to $90 the longer you waited to sign up. They offered a $5.00 discount if you were a member of one of the local running clubs. (Which I am, yay Zoomers!). The half was limited to 800 people but there was no where near that many people there for the half. I think there was only maybe 200, so it was a smaller race, which is actually nice. I love the Disney races but you can never get a good time because they pack you in there like sardines and you can’t move around the slower people very easily. This course was wide open and due to the low amount of people I could easily maneuver around other runners.

The restroom facilities were pretty good. There were two restrooms open each with three stalls and there were also some port-o-potties. There was, of course, a line for the women’s restroom but it moved pretty quickly and it was well stocked with toilet paper.

This race is put on by Harbour Heights Charities, Inc. The do a 5K and a half marathon at the same time with the half marathon starting 15 minutes before the 5K. They have done this 5K for the last ten years and just added the half last year. They have raised more than $145,000. That money raised goes to schools in the community who teach autistic children. So not only is this a local race for me, but it also goes to a really good cause. I participated last year in the first half marathon and had to come back this year too. I hope to make this an annual event.

The race started promptly at 7:15AM after a few announcements and the national anthem. It was a chip timed event with finisher medals for all participants and medals 3 deep in each age category.

The Race:

The course was along the Peace River and the surrounding neighborhoods in Harbour Heights. It was flat (you have got to love Florida) and was all on paved streets. It started and ended at the park. It was very well marked with signs and lots of volunteers pointing you in the right direction.
It was such a hot day! By the end of mile 1 I was already drenched in sweat and I knew it wasn’t going to be a PR for me. But I set a goal of 1:55. I saw the 2:00 pacer and I kept him in sight for the first mile. Then mile 2 I decided I wanted to get in front of him, so that if I slowed at the end of the race and he passed me, I could just keep up with him and finish in under 2 hours. I’m happy to say that I passed the 2 hour pacer and never saw him again!

There was one section around mile 8 I think where I became desperately thirsty. I had bought a small water bottle that clipped to my spibelt before the Goofy and had intended on using it for races like this one - ono hot, humid, sunny Florida mornings. Unfortunately, I left that in one of the bathroom stops I made during the Disney marathon and have yet to replace it. So I was relying on the water stops provided by the race. I think toward the end of the race they could have used a few more water stops. When I finally saw the water stop around mile 10 I could have hugged those volunteers! I took one cup of water to drink and one cup to pour on my head and boy did that feel good.

Around mile 11 I went to pass this guy who I had been following for miles and he would not let me pass him. He sped up and stayed with me. Then I fell behind him and he led. Then I passed him. Then he passed me. We stayed together for those last two miles. I have no idea what his name was. We spoke to each other just briefly with little comments about how hot it was, how we hoped for clouds at mile 12. I was so glad he was there to keep me motivated on the last stretch. I was so sweaty I think my sweat was sweating! Having this random man really helped me finish strong. I crossed the finish line in 1:53. That was 2 minutes below my race goal of 1:55. It is not a PR but considering the weather I was very happy with that time and it was good enough to get me second place in my age group!

Post race:

When I crossed the finish line a volunteer gave me a water and another one gave me my finisher medal. I walked it off for awhile, just trying to cool down. I walked back to my car and got my flip flops and brushed my hair. I had forgotten my sweat towel. (I know, I know, how do you live in Florida and not have a post-race sweat towel with you!) So I had to settle for some hand sanitizer wipes to get some of the then-dried sweat off my face. I was feeling lazy so instead of walking back to the awards I moved my car closer and found a shady spot.

The race provided hot dogs, cake, banana and beer. Kind of an interesting combination. I’m not complaining, I actually very much enjoyed the hot dog and beer. But a little more variety in the food options would have been nice. The awards ceremony started shortly after I had finished my beer, which was nice to not have to wait around for too long. The person presenting the awards is someone I know through Zoomers and she did a great job of moving things along quickly and speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. I claimed my second place trophy and listened to the rest of the awards before heading out.

All in all, it was a very nice race, for a great cause and I can’t wait to do it again next year. Hopefully it will be a little cooler next time!

Recently I participated in the Sarasota Music Half Marathon in Sarasota, Florida. It was my first time participating in this event and it was my first long run since I was under the weather in January. I did the Goofy Challenge and the week after that I was not well enough to run for awhile. I just got back to running last week but only did a few short three mile runs. So I wasn't really sure what to expect from myself today. I woke up at 5 AM and thought the usual pre-race thought.. why the heck am I doing this?!?! I drove an hour to get to Sarasota (getting dozey on the ride) and made it to Sarasota in plenty of time, except that the parking was terrible and I couldn't find anywhere to park. Eventually I made my own spot and ran to the starting line with just enough time to use the port-o-potty and get to the start line. The place was packed!! I had to bob and weave my way through the starting line to try to get up to the 2 hour pacer. That was my goal for today - 2 hours. At least the packed starting line was warm! It was a very cold day for southwest Florida, only in the 50's and very windy!

I have to say, I loved this race! There were bands all the course. Some were doing covers, some were doing original songs and some were marching bands. They were all great! The course was a fun out and back and then out and back. So you ran out about three miles and then back three miles and then you did a different out and back to make up the rest of the miles. I really enjoyed running through Selby Botanical Gardens. There were pretty flowers and nice trees. It was very pretty to run through. It was fun to see people running the other direction and encourage them, or let them encourage you. The bridges were windy and freezing but watching the waves in the water because of the wind was a nice sight.

There were plenty of spectators offering high-fives and entertainment with fun signs. Some of my favorites were "Worst parade ever" and "You are running better than the US government!" There were water stops that were appropriately spaced, with both water and gatorade. In addition to gels at two spots they were also passing out girl scout cookies at mile 8! And to top it all off, at mile 12 there was beer!! (I was close to my goal time so I didn't stop to enjoy it, but still, it was there.) Even though it was a cold and very windy day I still had a great time! I crossed the finish line in 1 hour and fifty six minutes, which was under my 2 hour goal!

The finisher's medal was really cool too! It was two guitars and one of them had a moving part ( I don't know enough about guitars to say what part it was, but it was really cool!) The post race food was really good too. There was more free beer and a buffet with eggs, french toast, bacon, sausage and pastries. I was so happy that the buffet was inside because I was very cold from the run and appreciated the chance to warm up before making the walk back to my car. I also loved the shirt! It is a nice, thin material which will be perfect for summers here in Florida. It also has a keyboard graphic on both sides, which was a very nice touch.

I have only two complaints. One was that there was no race day packet pick up which meant I had to go out to Sarasota two days in a row. The other is the parking - there didn't seem to be enough and there was a lot of traffic from everyone trying to find a spot. But I don't think there is really anything that can be done about that. The race was sold out so there was 3,000 participants all packed into downtown Sarasota. Next year I will just have to get there earlier so that I can get a better spot and not have to run to the start line.

To end on a positive note - the race volunteers were awesome. There were a lot of them all over the course and they were all smiling, clapping and encouraging!

Location: Deep Creek, Punta Gorda, Florida

Race Size: Approximately 400

Registration: I registered online for $65. The price went up the longer you waited to register and got up to $90 day of.

Parking: Parking was not great. There wasn't much room to park at the starting line so they had us parking a few miles away and taking a trolley. Problem was there was only one trolley and there was traffic so it took the trolley quiet some time to go back and forth. I arrived at 6AM and had not picked up my packet yet and was anticipating I would be able to do so before the race started. I did end up getting my bib and shirt and still had time to use the restroom (because they delayed the start time by about ten minutes). But I did not have time to go back to my car to leave my packet so I stashed it in the corner. I'm happy to report it was still there when I got done with the race. Next year, I think they should have a packet pick up in the parking lot so that people could pick up and then leave it in the car and then head over to the race. It would also be helpful if there were more than one trolley running too.

Restrooms: Fair amount of restrooms. There were three stalls in one area, three stalls in another area and then several portable bathrooms at the start line as well. On the course I only saw one. They could have used a few more.

Aid Stations: I did not actually see any aid stations but there were multiple water stations. I would have liked to have gatorade or powerade or something like that available in addition to the water. There were a lot of water stops in the beginning but toward the end they seemed to be stretched out more. Could have used a few more toward the end, especially because it was starting to get pretty warm and sunny.

Awards: Very disappointed as far as age group awards-- there were none! They only did overall male and female and then masters and grand masters. There were no age group awards at all, which was disappointing to me since I took second in my age group. Next year I would recommend some kind of age group award. The money raised from the race goes to charity so I understand not wanting to spend a lot of money on trophies or medals, but some kind of recognition, even just a ribbon, would be appreciated.

Race Packet Contents: Fair. Included in the packet were: a nice moisture-wicking t-shirt, some information about upcoming races, a pen, a Chic-fil-a coupon, and a few other little things. I love free stuff so if they could get some more free stuff in there it would be awesome! Maybe a sample sized energy bar or something like that?

Post-Race: Mediocre. Food was not great - bagels, bananas, granola bars. There was no coffee or anything other than water. I love those races were you get an actual breakfast - like eggs and pancakes. But I know that isn't possible at every race. Would have liked to see a few more things to chose from though, or at least some coffee! They also had an area set up for vendors but there was only about five tables. I did get a free stress ball, some information about massage, and $5.00 off an upcoming race. But I would have liked to see some more activities, more games and give-aways.

Weather: Great weather! Start at a cool (for Florida) sixty two degrees in the morning. Before the sun came up it was very pleasant. When the sun started to come up it got pretty warm, but I was already around mile 9 by then so it wasn't too hot to handle.

Course: Flat, no bridges, easy course. Some people were complaining because we ran through some neighborhoods, and some sections had us run up one street and then back down the next one over. I didn't mind it. Plus there were some people who came out and cheered us on from there driveways. There was one part where you ran to the end of a street and did a u-turn and ran back. That was fun because you could see people running the opposite direction and cheer them on.

Other: This was their first year doing a half marathon here. They have done the 5K for several years (9 years I think). I was happy to see the addition of a half marathon because there are no other half marathons in Port Charlotte. The money raised goes to a great cause - autism work in the area schools. There were a lot of volunteers on the course helping direct the runners and helping at the water stations. They were cheerful and helpful and very much appreciated. All in all, there were a few kinks they need to work out - mainly the parking situation - but I can say I will be back next year and would encourage other runners to participate as well! Oh, and did I mention I got a new PR!!