Running with Donna

Time: 2:18:40
Distance: 13.1miles
Pace 10:33





I am fortunate enough to live 1.5 miles from the start of this race. But wanting to conserve every ounce of energy, I woke Terri and had her drop me off as close as possible. We didn't even get out of the neighborhood because the traffic was so bad. Ok, I've only a half mile walk to met our company team from the drop off. I'm last one there due to the walk distance even though I live the closest. Great.

First picture taken at 7:00...we walk about 100yd.... another team pic to be taken.



Another 100yds , another team picture. Clearly we were bought out by the Mutsubishi Corporation during the night and company policies are being applied.



Out the Runners Village we go for the big line up, We all split our separate ways at the exit. They attempted to coordinate start position with flag colors. Good luck with that.


What a great race day. A little cool, overcast. Perfect running weather. Race is well organized


No more than a 15 min wait with Patrick Ellis, a marketing guru of FLDIC, but I can't find my training buddy Chris. He was just here.

Oh Well. Patrick is ready to run. He establsh his desire to run 9:30's and I'm a little overwhelmed. I state I'll hang as long as I can but that is not my race strategy. All the while I'm thinking, dude you have not done any long runs, you are SO going to bonk. My evil plan to snare the FLDIC running title is within reach. If only I can outduel Chris.

Mile 1....10.32 running with Patrick up and over the bridge on JTB. What a beautiful site. This race has about a 3 to 1 women to man ratio also a beautiful site. Helicopter buzzing by taking lots of pics I'm sure

Mile 2...9.52 and still with Patrick...see pic.. Enjoyed once again all the deparate women dropin' trouse and letting it fly. Confirms my belief that we are still one outhouse from reverting to our simple cavepeople nature.




















Mile 3..10.11 and Patrick pulls away with a wave at the water station. I hang as long as I can in his wake but know better than to push to hard.





Mile 4....9.07..lots of funny signs and plenty of people now to cheer us on, made for my best mile




Mile 5...9.48..Funniest thing I saw was a life size Bunny costume with the woman wearing it holding a sign for "Saving Second Base". I laugh out loud so hard, the woman next to me was chuckling too.





Miles 6..9.59.. a mile on the beach, saw a hot pace bunny with a shirt stating " in your wildest dreams". Weak in mental disipline, but full of desire, I attempted to keep up. No luck but a 6th good mile.





Mile 7... 11.32..Left the beach here. I look down and I've started my period. I took the time to explain to our company running team organizer the need to get soft material shirts for the runners as bleeding nipples is less than attactive for a team logo shirt. See small dots in pic. Wrong material in the shirts was picked by the marketing department. Maybe Tampex bought us in the night and this was a strange marketing twist. That did not change my situation. The shirt had to come off. But I couldn't throw out a company shirt. Heaven forbid my boss see my discarded shirt and do a shirt count on Monday. So I tucked it into the back and carried on. Side note, My Wife hates me running without a shirt. But when dignity, collides with comfort, I'm afraid I've passed the age of caring. Now I really am beginning to understand my mom and dad. White socks and black shoes. Hmmm. I wonder how comfortable that must be. All this took it's price out on my pace.


Mile 8....10.35...All I can think about was a potty cause I gotta go. Great this never happens to me. Why this race? I don't want to stop because I want to catch Patrick when he bonks and I don't want a surpise visit from Chris who must be behind me or worse Aaron Burns the taunting youngster from the Gate Run last year.



Mile 9....12.20..Alot of walking now...trying to focus on getting back to JTB..Picked up a GU pack from a volunteer


Mile 10....10.26.. Wow I must have been Bonking...GU pack is kickin in and I'm moving again. I took some electrolite caps with me but only packed a banana for energy..Bad idea..


Mile 11...11.05; Mile 12..12.14.... This bridge sucks..So many around me are walk /running now.


Except for this one lady that is kicking our ass with some speed walking.



Mile 13...10.08; Bye bye speed walker you will NOT be finishing before me; down the hill I go with a big stride...many are falling to the Sasquach this day.






Final stretch...DAMN, I didn' t pace myself. I am not walking over that line. I gathered myself and finished proud. Took one of the best finish photos of a fat man ever taken. I sucked it in and stuck my chest out for all I was worth.











I never saw Patrick again. He ran a 2:02 and stands alone in a proud first place. Chris, I did see. He crossed 2 mins behind me and based upon our finish line conversation I knew with his start that we were close in our finish times. But I didn't know how close. Official time was Mark by 13 seconds. Talk about mirroring your training partner. It was a good race for where I am today fitnesswise. also 15 mins better than last year. I have hope for the Gate Run time now.












































Signing off
Shiek Shealy