It’s 6:30 a.m. here in the Keys as I am waiting for my flight to Atlanta and then another home to Austin, TX.
Bits and pieces of the last 36 hours are starting to work their way back to the forefront of this tired runner’s mind and body.
10.3, 13.5, 12.5 mile runs at 1:00 p.m. Friday, 9:00 p.m. Friday night and the final legs at 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning. All totaled about a little less than a marathon and a half run over a 19-hour period. Going into the event I thought that running as a 6-person ultra-team rather than the 12-person two-van team that we had last year would be slightly more difficult from a running perspective
An 8-mile leg vs. a 12-mile leg isn’t really that big a deal I told myself. But of course as most things are in life. You don’t know what you don’t know until you experience it for yourself.
A full race report will come in the next few days when all of the thoughts and memories of an amazing 199 mile adventure from Miami to Key West make their way all the way back from the recesses of this tired runners mind.
There was the first bridge to crest coming out of the starting area that didn’t show up on thee course map. The crowded sidewalk I ran navigating foot traffic, vehicular traffic and even what I’m certain was “drug” traffic in one of the not-so beautiful parts of downtown Miami over my first legs of the race.
There was the rocky, pothole filled canal road in the dark of night through the Everglades that required my signing of an “alligator waiver” prior to starting the race. Seriously.
There would then be the final run, slightly less than a half-marathon in length up and over the 7-mile bridge with the bright Florida sun beating down on the concrete and Gulf of Mexico sending heat and temperatures from warming to the start of the run to toasty in the middle to downright deadening by the last few miles.
All in all the running was good, 6:58, 7:07 and 7:09 were my overall paces for my three runs, the company was even better and last night I had one of the top-10 beers that I have ever drank in my life, shortly after perhaps my number one shower.
The Team covered the 199-mile course in 27 hours and 21 seconds. In truth we ran 201 miiles as one of our runners went on an extended adventure on one of the overnight legs, but you’ll have to read the race report for those details.
It was not Allligator related, but it still makes for a great story – afterall, if it was easy – everybody would do it.
Steve, Ally, Jenny, Thomas, Sean and our driver John – thanks for the memories – you guys are the greatest. I can’t say I’m looking forward to my next training run on Tuesday morning preparing for Boston, but I am looking forward to the next Ragnar in 2013.
I think we need a couple more runners next time though. And less Alligators.
Joe Runs For Dom 