This was the 10th Annual Palm Beaches Marathon Run Fest which included a 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, and relay. There were about 2500 half marathoners, 866 marathoners with additional 964 relayers.
I had planned the race as a back to back with the Savannah River Bridge Double Pump (15k) as I am training for the 26.2 with Donna and have done some reading on training plans that doing back to backs help your body and mind prepare to run on tired legs. I had to make the 6 hour drive from Savannah in barely enough time to catch the end of the Expo at the Harriet Himmel Theater at City Place at 6p. The Expo was of a small size and had minimal fueling supplies. What was the worst part is you had to pay for parking to get to it! (Valet or Parking Garage)
Being on a tight budget, I opted to stay about 10 minutes outside of town at a Residence Inn which had a full kitchen where I could not only save money but time with eating in. After dinner, the soreness was kicking in after the bridge run combined with long drive, so I took an Epsom bath and covered my legs in icy hot and made it an early night.
It was an early morning, but it was good to have a hot breakfast as well as homemade coffee. The race did a great job of pre race communications via email and Facebook and let us know of all the parking options, which included several parking garages....a couple free, and some you had to pay, even if they were right next to each other. No sense. I made sure I was there early enough to get the best FREE spot!
The race had a super early start time of 630a. Well, supposedly. We had about a 20 minute delay. I later learned its because the cops would not let us start until the entire course was barricaded, yet the directors had planned to do the last few miles as we ran the first few miles. Think again.
We woke with temps already at 75 degrees and they were predicted to climb well into the 80s. The Start Line already had the Yellow Caution Flags flying. I later learned the marathoners were put under Red Warning Flags.
Arriving early meant no lines for the porta potties!...at least the first time around. The 2nd time was very short as it seemed there were plenty and in different locations.
This race is technically not 'at' the beach. It is officially in West Palm Beach, which is on the other side of the intracoastal waterway, but it is still a very scenic race.
The course is an up and back and then down and back....meaning we ran right by the finish line....which is never acceptable when you are a slow runner and you are seeing people celebrating their finish already and all you can think is 'how much more do I have to go?!'
My goal was to 'wog' 3/1 (jog 3 min/walk 1 min) as this was the plan for the full marathon in February. The first half was easy peasy and I felt strong. It was definitely hot, but the majority of it was in the shade and we had a nice breeze going on. The last few miles though were in pure sun and the temps definitely took its toll on my body and there was a lot more walking. I grabbed 3 cups at each station (which were properly stocked! Kudos for plenty of supplies during such a hot race!) a water, a Gatorade, and another water to dump on my head. I was drenched by the time I hit the Finish Line! I later learned about 50 people were treated for heat related illnesses. Out of the 10 years, this was only the 2nd hottest race for this series. The medal makes it kind of ironic, as it is a huge sun! But what can you expect for a Finish Line hosting a Christmas tree sculpted out of sand!?
The finish line was stocked with lots of packaged snacks provided by Publix. I walked away literally barely able to carry it all! We ended in a park, so there was plenty of area of stretch out and rest for a bit. However, the 2 free beers were outside the park, and inside a bar (World of Bar). It was a bit of a wait in line, but not the worst, probably because I was able to chat with some people.
All in all, I would recommend this race. Its a great scenic (and flat) course and is a great location to have a beach vacation. Its also perfect location for tons of restaurants, bars, and shopping, so plan to spend some time for this race weekend to celebrate!
I unfortunately had to hurry back home after the race. The weather had a couple stray showers coming thru (which probably helped the marathoners cool off) so it was probably for the best. I took the scenic route home up A1A and stopped at a few beaches along the way to rest the tootsies!
HM #33
2:32
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