It's 32 degrees as I'm standing in shorts and sandals on the metro platform waiting for the next train. This is the same platform I've toed 3 times before early in the morning on my way to the Maine Corps Marathon, but today I'm on my way to South Florida via Regan National Airport to run the Miami marathon.
I must have looked cold in my summer attire but I would rather be comfortable on the plane and when I arrive and deal with the cold temps for the short time. After a 15 minute wait, a closed down metro line, a bus trip from UDC to Dupont, yellow line transfer and security screening I was standing in the terminal ready to board and sit in 14f, a window seat of course.
The Google Maps view I had of South Florida while landing at the Ft. Lauderdale airport gave me an idea of just how desperate humans are for the ever decreasing space on this planet. We cruised West straight onto the mainland past civilization and across the threshold to the Everglades, banged a Uey (U-Turn) and landed safely with a southern view of the Miami coast and skyline.
The dividing canal between development and nature seemed as impenetrable as the Berlin wall but I wasn't sure if it was there to keep civilization out or protect the development from being overtaken by nature. Either way, from the sky, the Everglades look as designed and man-made as a modern sky scraper.
When the plane door opened I was greeted with moist 75 degree weather, a feeling I bothlooked forward to on this trip and spent time respecting and researching in regards to my run the next day. In less than 24 hours I would witness the lack of respect some people had for the heat. My good friend Yolanda (YoYo) picked meup in zone 3 and we headed straight for the Miami Beach convention center to pick up the usual bib number and tee-shirt. Quickly in and out we walked down the Lincoln Mall and settled for lunch at Bella Cuban on Washington Ave.
After an afternoon walking around and a short trip to the beach to watch a cruise ship sail out into the Atlantic we headed back to Ft. Lauderdale so I could put my feet up and carbo load. (Note: I don't really LOAD)
In front of the freedom tower
The 3:45am alarm clock was one of the earliest I've woken to but I had slept well on the couch with the porch doors wide open welcoming the cool Florida night breeze. A quick cup of coffee, banana and chia water and we were off through the night. The morning was cloudy as we parked a few blocks north of the start line and made our way through the massive gathering crowds to bag check and then back to my starting corral. This was the first time I have been able to wear my Marathon Maniacs shirt and I was happy to sport it while running through the streets.
With plenty of time before our corral crossed the start line I began to get my routine under way and get my feet warmed up for the miles ahead. As usual I spent a good amount of time talking to the people around me that were astonished that I was going to attempt the race barefoot. I was a little unsure about the roads here in Miami and my winter training was slightly lacking in BF miles, but I was convinced I could tough it out as long as I kept my form together.
YoYo and I at the start
The gun went off and the Famous Party started, 3,900 marathoners and 20,000 halfs. Even though I had seeded my self in a decent starting corral, this race began very crowded and slow. I didn't mind so much as my goal was to keep my pace around 9:30 with the heat and humidity. I was just happy to see the city on foot and enjoy the weather and views.
Our trip began across the MacArthur causeway to South Beach where we had fantastic views of the port of Miami and the docked cruise ships. As we made our way down Ocean Boulevard we passed all the neon hotels and night clubs including Mangos where we typically go for a drink and a salsa d
ance in the evening. At 6:45am the strip was mostly dark with a few people having breakfast and cheering us on.
We wove our way around Miami beach and through the Venetian islands back onto the mainland where we passed a huge cheering section include YoYo holding up a sign that read “Barefoot Runners Rock and Roll” with pictures of feet on them. This pumped me up after a lonely 11 miles and I got a separate boost after running through downtown and hearing the energy of the Half Marathoners finishing.
As soon as we made the turn the crowd thinned so much there were times I was running alone on a block. We turned onto South Miami Ave and ran 6 miles down through old gorgeous neighborhoods to the coconut walk. During this stretch there were a few parts of the road that gave my feet a challenge but overall the surfaces were quite nice.
Around this time it began to drizzle and the cooling precipitation was a welcome treat as were the 100′s of people out cheering, eating breakfast and drinking coffee at all the restaurants in downtown Coconut Grove. I looked down at my watch and saw to my surprise at mile 19 that I had pushed my pace down to 9:20 from 9:35 at the half. I didn't want to risk over heating so I just kept it there and added a few more cups of water to my head at the next aid station.
Just after the grove I ran up next to another Maniac Eve and starting talking with her. Turns out we are both from Bethesda, MD and began running together for the rest of the race. We talked about our yearly race calendar, Ryan Hall, accounting and who knows what else. Before I knew it we had gained significant speed yet we were both attempting to take it easy on this race. By the time we made it out to Rickenbacker Causeway with a great view of the city I was down to a 9:10 pace. At mile 24 I was pretty sure I wasn't going to suffer heat stroke or hit the wall and had a great time coasting in through downtown to the finish.
As I crossed the finish line I was rewarded with the biggest and heaviest medal I have ever seen. 4:03:27 was my time and I was quite happy with the turn out considering I started slow with a goal of 4:15 in the heat. The feet held up well and the legs even better. This was #4 of 6 in my marathon chase and it seems like I might just extend this goal to 12 in 12. I already have an April race booked in New Mexico, hopeful races in May and June, and who knows how many I can get in this summer and early fall.
When a race starts at 6:15am, and is done before 10:30, there are a lot of things left to do in the day. To celebrate the finish we went out to lunch for burgers and then headed to the Everglades for an air boat ride to see some American alligators. The wilderness is so close out here and I hope we don't kill it in the next 20 years or so.After a short nap on the couch it was out for Sushi and a few beers back on Miami Beach with YoYo's friends. The day was long and exhausting and I was happy to kick back on the couch and take in 9 hours of sleep. The next morning before my flight we headed to the Ft. Lauderdale coast for breakfast on the beach and a walk in the sand. The early morning joggers made me jealous even though I knew I had just run a nice 26.2 the day before. I was a bit sore, but nothing that would prevent me from a post race jog when I got back to DC to work out some of the lactic acid in the legs.The trip was a great success and Yolanda was such a great friend letting me crash, chauffeur me around, and wake up in the middle of the night to come to the race and cheer me on. Miami in January is beautiful and the Marathon is warm and scenic. A must do for those who like the big marathon atmosphere with great sights and mild weather.Cheers, Chris
I must have looked cold in my summer attire but I would rather be comfortable on the plane and when I arrive and deal with the cold temps for the short time. After a 15 minute wait, a closed down metro line, a bus trip from UDC to Dupont, yellow line transfer and security screening I was standing in the terminal ready to board and sit in 14f, a window seat of course.
The Google Maps view I had of South Florida while landing at the Ft. Lauderdale airport gave me an idea of just how desperate humans are for the ever decreasing space on this planet. We cruised West straight onto the mainland past civilization and across the threshold to the Everglades, banged a Uey (U-Turn) and landed safely with a southern view of the Miami coast and skyline.
The dividing canal between development and nature seemed as impenetrable as the Berlin wall but I wasn't sure if it was there to keep civilization out or protect the development from being overtaken by nature. Either way, from the sky, the Everglades look as designed and man-made as a modern sky scraper.
When the plane door opened I was greeted with moist 75 degree weather, a feeling I bothlooked forward to on this trip and spent time respecting and researching in regards to my run the next day. In less than 24 hours I would witness the lack of respect some people had for the heat. My good friend Yolanda (YoYo) picked meup in zone 3 and we headed straight for the Miami Beach convention center to pick up the usual bib number and tee-shirt. Quickly in and out we walked down the Lincoln Mall and settled for lunch at Bella Cuban on Washington Ave.
After an afternoon walking around and a short trip to the beach to watch a cruise ship sail out into the Atlantic we headed back to Ft. Lauderdale so I could put my feet up and carbo load. (Note: I don't really LOAD)
In front of the freedom tower
The 3:45am alarm clock was one of the earliest I've woken to but I had slept well on the couch with the porch doors wide open welcoming the cool Florida night breeze. A quick cup of coffee, banana and chia water and we were off through the night. The morning was cloudy as we parked a few blocks north of the start line and made our way through the massive gathering crowds to bag check and then back to my starting corral. This was the first time I have been able to wear my Marathon Maniacs shirt and I was happy to sport it while running through the streets.
With plenty of time before our corral crossed the start line I began to get my routine under way and get my feet warmed up for the miles ahead. As usual I spent a good amount of time talking to the people around me that were astonished that I was going to attempt the race barefoot. I was a little unsure about the roads here in Miami and my winter training was slightly lacking in BF miles, but I was convinced I could tough it out as long as I kept my form together.
YoYo and I at the start
The gun went off and the Famous Party started, 3,900 marathoners and 20,000 halfs. Even though I had seeded my self in a decent starting corral, this race began very crowded and slow. I didn't mind so much as my goal was to keep my pace around 9:30 with the heat and humidity. I was just happy to see the city on foot and enjoy the weather and views.
Our trip began across the MacArthur causeway to South Beach where we had fantastic views of the port of Miami and the docked cruise ships. As we made our way down Ocean Boulevard we passed all the neon hotels and night clubs including Mangos where we typically go for a drink and a salsa d
ance in the evening. At 6:45am the strip was mostly dark with a few people having breakfast and cheering us on.
We wove our way around Miami beach and through the Venetian islands back onto the mainland where we passed a huge cheering section include YoYo holding up a sign that read “Barefoot Runners Rock and Roll” with pictures of feet on them. This pumped me up after a lonely 11 miles and I got a separate boost after running through downtown and hearing the energy of the Half Marathoners finishing.
As soon as we made the turn the crowd thinned so much there were times I was running alone on a block. We turned onto South Miami Ave and ran 6 miles down through old gorgeous neighborhoods to the coconut walk. During this stretch there were a few parts of the road that gave my feet a challenge but overall the surfaces were quite nice.Around this time it began to drizzle and the cooling precipitation was a welcome treat as were the 100′s of people out cheering, eating breakfast and drinking coffee at all the restaurants in downtown Coconut Grove. I looked down at my watch and saw to my surprise at mile 19 that I had pushed my pace down to 9:20 from 9:35 at the half. I didn't want to risk over heating so I just kept it there and added a few more cups of water to my head at the next aid station.
Just after the grove I ran up next to another Maniac Eve and starting talking with her. Turns out we are both from Bethesda, MD and began running together for the rest of the race. We talked about our yearly race calendar, Ryan Hall, accounting and who knows what else. Before I knew it we had gained significant speed yet we were both attempting to take it easy on this race. By the time we made it out to Rickenbacker Causeway with a great view of the city I was down to a 9:10 pace. At mile 24 I was pretty sure I wasn't going to suffer heat stroke or hit the wall and had a great time coasting in through downtown to the finish.As I crossed the finish line I was rewarded with the biggest and heaviest medal I have ever seen. 4:03:27 was my time and I was quite happy with the turn out considering I started slow with a goal of 4:15 in the heat. The feet held up well and the legs even better. This was #4 of 6 in my marathon chase and it seems like I might just extend this goal to 12 in 12. I already have an April race booked in New Mexico, hopeful races in May and June, and who knows how many I can get in this summer and early fall.
When a race starts at 6:15am, and is done before 10:30, there are a lot of things left to do in the day. To celebrate the finish we went out to lunch for burgers and then headed to the Everglades for an air boat ride to see some American alligators. The wilderness is so close out here and I hope we don't kill it in the next 20 years or so.After a short nap on the couch it was out for Sushi and a few beers back on Miami Beach with YoYo's friends. The day was long and exhausting and I was happy to kick back on the couch and take in 9 hours of sleep. The next morning before my flight we headed to the Ft. Lauderdale coast for breakfast on the beach and a walk in the sand. The early morning joggers made me jealous even though I knew I had just run a nice 26.2 the day before. I was a bit sore, but nothing that would prevent me from a post race jog when I got back to DC to work out some of the lactic acid in the legs.The trip was a great success and Yolanda was such a great friend letting me crash, chauffeur me around, and wake up in the middle of the night to come to the race and cheer me on. Miami in January is beautiful and the Marathon is warm and scenic. A must do for those who like the big marathon atmosphere with great sights and mild weather.Cheers, Chris
