For the first time since New Year's morning and the Hair of the Dog 5 Miler, I got up, put on my running gear and actually ran. 5 weeks between runs is not generally found in most training plans, and hopefully I can eliminate it from mine now.
The alarm went off at 6:00, and we left the hotel around 6:35 for the 30 minute drive. The morning drive was beautiful as the sun was rising as we headed towards Tybee Island. Gerri and I both have so many great memories of Tybee, that the drive was relaxing, something I don't generally experience on a race morning.
Should have known that today would be a good one when we arrived to get the last parking space in the South Beach parking lot. It was cool outside, so we stayed in the car and relaxed, except for my normal visit to the restrooms pre-race.
We ran into one of our Greenville friends, Drew and her friend Faris. Drew, who was part of Team Tiara last year with Gerri, was running the Half Marathon. We eventually lined up a few minutes before the race. The attitude was island laid back. My pre-race goals, to enjoy the race and attempt to run the entire distance. Pretty funny how you adjust your goals when you haven't been running.
The air horn sounded and we slowly made our way under the Fleet Feet logo as we headed up Butler towards the Tybee Lighthouse. The first mile was awkward, as I got used to the movement of running again. I started slow, something I have not been very good at in the past. As Gerri and I weaved our way around some slower runners and walkers, we reached Mile 1 near the YMCA. This was the starting point for the Half Marathon last year.
Further up Butler, we turned right at the Sugar Shack, a Tybee landmark since 1971. It was here almost 5 years ago that we celebrated our wedding day with lunch of burgers, fries and ice cream. And it was yummy.
The next stop down memory lane was the Bed & Breakfast that we all stayed at, and then finally the Tybee Lighthouse. 2 miles had gone by and I was still feeling pretty good. At 2.5 miles, I thought, halfway there and feeling pretty good. At this point, I went into a bit of a zone. It may have been the crisp morning air, the rising sun on my face, the sound of my feet on the pavement or perhaps the memories that had flooded back. All I know is the miles were passing and I was almost unaware of the time and distance passing by.
Suddenly we are back on Butler, passing the YMCA and mile 4. I picked my pace up slightly, knowing that with only 1 mile left, I would make it without stopping. I became aware of those around me now struggling to finish, and enjoyed encouraging them to finish strong. With about 2/10th of a mile left, we turned left and could see the finish line. As we got closer to the finish, a near disaster was avoided as without notice the metal barriers began toppling over like dominoes. Luckily no runners were close enough to the barriers to get hit.
I crossed the finish line in 55:22. My Garmin showed the distance just over 5 miles and a 10:58 pace. This was a far cry from my 9:40 Half Marathon pace last year, but I couldn't have been happier. I ran without walking and enjoyed myself. Perhaps this will be the springboard needed to get me back on track.
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