Blustery CareTeam Race Report

 It was a cold, windy, morning… One of those mornings where I would normally stay in my fuzzy fleece jammy jams and sip coffee under the blankets. Of course, I had already committed to the CareTeam Beach Run & AIDS Walk, so I had to get up and get moving.

There was a little debate about whether or not it would be a good idea to bring Gabby to the race, in the end we decided it was going to be too cold and windy for the princess to be out. Admittedly, I was just a tiny bit bummed because I love having my hubs & baby girl at the finish line…A girl gets used to the cheering section. As I hopped in the car and headed toward the race, I thought it was ok, I've done races alone before (usually I know someone who is racing as well, but not today) and it wasn't a big deal.

When I pulled onto Ocean Blvd, I parked in a place that I was hoping was legal (the last race we got a ticket, and you have 4 days to pay it or they charge you an additional $10, needless to say I sent it in about 45 days later…lol). As I watched the palmetto trees sway in the wind, I had a thought, 10mph winds my a$$, more like 25! I got out of the car and immediately was relieved that my little pumpkin was not with me. She would have been so cold, and I would have felt so horrible!

I checked in, got the usual race stuff and then heard how the ENTIRE race was on the beach… WTH, I had no idea… I guess the whole "Beach Run" didn't relay to me that it was on the beach, I simply thought it was called that because it was AT the Beach…damn. Have I mentioned before how I despise running on the beach, sand is not this runners friend (not sure how many runners like the sand really) but hey I was here, and I was doing it. Have I mentioned how COLD it was??? At least it was for a good cause, otherwise I may have bailed (haha no I wouldn't of, I'm just talking smack now).

The gentleman who addressed the audience spoke of how he was HIV Positive at the age of 22, and how it was 20 years ago. He went on to talk about how grateful he was to still be alive, and happy that we all came out to support the cause. I guess it's true how 10-15 years ago, HIV & AIDS was all over the news, new studies seemed to come out all the time, people were in shock over it's impact, now, can you tell me the last statistic you've heard in the media about HIV or AIDS? Yeah, me neither. I guess we've become desensitized to the health issue, the impact it has on our country… Now we hear more about salmonella deaths than those a result of HIV/AIDS.

It was then time to make our way down to the beach, and instructions were given. Here I go! I was hoping for a PR kind of day, but the trifecta of cold, wind and sand, basically abolished that thought. I was just going to run it, outcome unimportant.

I do now know what a real jellyfish looks like (a dead one anyway, which in my opinion is the only way I want to see one), they are one of the hazards when running on the beach. Poor guy in front of me almost busted his a$$ as he stepped on a carcass…sorry guy but better you than me! It wasn't a horrible run, I am not a fan of the down and back, where I am forced to count the people on their way back already and in this race, twice.
As my run was concluding I could read the clock (mind you my thumbs were fastened securely in the shirt sleeve so I hadn't looked at my Garmin at all) it said 25:50 and counting… In my mind I thought, NO WAY!!! Of course when I came to the end of the chute and they were removing my chip, I looked at my Garmin and said, "That's what I thought…No way". The course was about a half mile short (a minor miscommunication for the first turn around location), for a split second I thought I had done something so awesome, but alas, not so much…lol It was fine really, I got my finishers medal and because it was a small event, I placed first in my age group. I wish the course had been 3.1miles, but it wasn't, and that is life, sometimes you come up short! I thought sticking it out, even though it was freezing (relative to location, I am sure you guys from Michigan, Minnesota and all points around there would laugh) and it was in the sand, was my accomplishment for the day. BONUS was there was free Starbucks coffee, so instead of rehydrating with water, I opted for the hot coffee - if for no other reason than to thaw out my digits!

Moral of a beach run, at least you're not a jellyfish! Happy Running!