Yesteray was my 2nd Run 50 By 50 race, the Iron Girl 5K in Clearwater, FL.
I was really excited to do this race because it was the first race I ran back in 2006 when I first started running.
The day started out
very early, getting up at 3:30am. With all the traveling I've done recently for work I did not want to spend another night away from home and in a hotel, so I decided to make it a day trip. I told Tim he didn't have to come with me, but being the great guy he is, he did come with me because he didn't want me driving alone that early in the morning.
We left at 4:30 and arrived about 6:15. Which was pretty good since I find driving around Tampa and Clearwater to be very confusing and we made a couple of wrong turns, even with using GPS.
Once we arrived I went to find where I could go get my number and chip. It was crowded but not a total madhouse.
We hung out, mostly in the port-o-potty line, it was long and moved slow, but chatted with some nice people. Then we went on the hunt for water since I hadn't drank any yet that morning. To my surprise they were not giving out food to athletes pre-race, although we did find a water station with small cups and water.
While we were hanging out the half marathon kicked started. It was fun cheering them on and really looking at the bridge we all had to cross.
Since I had run this race before I knew what to expect for the bridge but it surprised Tim.
Then it was time to line up. The excitement was kicking in. I am happy I have virtual run options to complete my 50 By 50, but there is nothing like an in person race to get the adrenaline pumping.
And then we were off. First street was uphill already. Then it flattened out until we hit the bridge. Going up the bridge the first time wasn't bad, and of course the scenery was beautiful.
Hit mile 1 at the top of the bridge, and then I really got to speed up going down the bridge. Got to the water stop, grabbed a cup and then arrived at the turn around. Unfortunately going back the other way we only had one lane to run in, the other lane was open to traffic. And a LOT of people were not following good race etquiette (another blog on that one coming soon!).
Going back up was tougher, I think it was longer going up the second time and I was going really slow. But eventually I reached the top and then it literally was all down hill from there :-)
Crossing the finish line, as always was awesome. Then the usual line for water, medal, and chip removal. One of the things they did that I LOVED was to give everyone a sponge soaked in cold water. That felt
AMAZING!
Final time was 40:06, slightly slower than the last time I ran it, but this time I knew I wasn't going to PR and I just enjoyed it, even stopping to take pictures.
After looking around at the vendors for a couple of minutes we went for our traditional post-race breakfast at Perkins. Then off to the Gun Show in Tampa so Tim could have some fun too.
Overall a great day. I love that race, even with the bridge and am excited to do it again next year.
