Gasparilla 2009

A long overdue race report from Gasparilla..it was a really great race weekend. I landed in Tampa, to perfect weather, ditched my jacket immediately! M and I hit the expo, (always my weakness, but I did ok, it set me back a t-shirt, hat and new swim suit, which I actually needed!) Then we hit a restaurant patio, ahhh, Florida in the winter...: - )

To make a long story short, we headed back to the airport to pick up J, only to find out she had boarded a city bus. I didn't know Tampa had buses. She can travel by bus, because when we finally found her, she brought along a backpack, for the entire weekend. My hair upkeep alone needs a backpack?

Saturday was the 5K, which started at the very leisurely 9:30 a.m. That allowed us to hit the Marriott breakfast buffet!! Those of you who have traveled with me for races, know I love the breakfast buffet!!

Saturday a.m. was another beautiful Florida winter day, light breeze, tickling 75 degrees. The 5K start was packed. I am very conscientous about putting myself in an appropriate start, to my finishing time. M and I started at the front and were trying to work our way backwards. It was too crowded, we camped at the 25 minute finishing group. I compromised and told myself, I had paid it forward so many times, putting myself in the correct starting order, only to hit the riff raff in front of me. I shouldn't have worried, we never stopped passing people as the race went on.

We had a tough first mile,working through the riff raff, but by mile 2, we settled into a nice pace. I warned M, I would own her with .5 to go. There would be no quit. We dropped 3 minutes from WPB, so it was a very successful race!

We found J at the finish and just enjoyed the sun and a few beers at 11a.m.! We headed back to the expo, (of course). While J and M went ahead, I stopped for a massage on my calf. Of all the trials of the last 12 months, my calf had escaped unscathed, until now.

The expo got me again, this time, for my Boston Outfit. I found a really cute skirt and long sleeve top, to go with a top I had already purchased, and was debuting in Tampa! I will be pretty in (hot) pink!

So fast forward to the main event. It is windy, with predicted rain. I should I also say, at about 4 p.m. Saturday, we realized the half start was not at 8 a.m., but 6 a.m., hmmm, how did I miss that?

With a 3:45 wake up call, we are out the door at 5:15 a.m. (no buffet..: - ( It is windy, God's Fan, we would call it. God's Fan on high. As we lined up, the announcer told us the weather service had advised race officials that sometime in the race, there would be a period of intense rain, and 40 mph winds. As only runners up at 6 a.m. can do, we whooped it up, bring on the wind! Hey, there is always the chance it could be at your back?

It was a tough start, very crowded, no advance start for the wheelchair racers. Lot's of turns, onto cobblestone streets had me apprehensive. It wasn't until I got through the 3:30 marathon pace group, that I could settle in.

I found it humid, but J said later it didn't bother her. By mile 4, I was dumping water in me and on me. I was fine with my pace and felt I could challenge 1:40 until about mile 7, when the Squall moved in. Around mile 7, M saw me and yelled the wind would be at my back from here to the finish. Knowing I had to go out and back, for the final 6, I wondered how that would work?

Her info was bad. At mile 7.65, (I looked) I faced the Squall head on. I hate wind!! You have to run twice as hard. I went from a consistent 7:35 to 8:30. 1:40 was gone. But I must be growing up, because I was ok with it. I did start shouting at people, asking them where the turn around was, where I would be able to finish with this glorious wind at my back.

Race spectators have no sense of distance. For the last mile into the wind, it was: 'just up ahead', 'not too far' or the racer's favorite, 'you're almost there!' If I can't hold my breath, it is not close.

I made the turn, and I swear the wind stopped. At this point, with 2.5 to go, I just wanted to find my stride and finish strong. I 'turned it on' with a mile to go and a little bit into that, I feared I turned it on too soon. I thought I might be sick. Then I saw I girl in front on me with cute pink shorts, (my signature color) and set about catching her. I started this about 300 feet behind her.

At this point, I wished I had someone yelling at me, telling me to ignore the pain, focus on the finish and celebrate the final .5...this is why we train, right? For this moment. So I yelled at myself, with results. I closed the gap with Cute Pink Shorts girl. She saw me come along side of her and we raced to the finish. That is why we train. We did one of those hugs where you are really just holding each other up. The finish alone, erased any disappointment of missing the now elusive 1:40.

We found J and walked back to the hotel in the eye of the Squall. I will try to post the video. The weather completely sucked. The beach was out. But after bankrupting a buffet, we spent the afternoon in our hotel room, laughing uproariously at the photo's and video's of the weekend. Somehow, it was one of the best race weekends EVER. Thank you M and J, I can't wait until next year!