Tuesday, March 17, 2015

2015 Gate River Run Recap

I can sum it up in one word: hot. It was hotter than I hoped. I know some people do well running in the heat, but I am not one of them. Despite the heat, I love the run. It is crowded, it has bridges, and it lacks shade, but I still love it.

It was all smiles before the start
The race didn't start until 8:30 which gave the morning plenty of time to heat up. I knew within the first two miles that I was screwed. By mile 3, my hands were swollen. I could barely make a fist. By mile 4, I was starting to feel dizzy. At the halfway point I decided to switch to intervals to conserve my energy and finish. I was a little scared if I didn't give myself a break I was going to be in an ambulance. So, I started my 2:30 intervals, and it helped a lot. I was drinking half my water cup, and then dumping the rest on me at every stop. I ran through every sprinkler that was offered, and enjoyed the ice pop from a lovely spectator. And then, I  hit the dreaded green monster. I swear that bridge felt like the longest stretch in the world. Have you ever felt like you were running in place instead of moving forward? That was me. I eventually made it to the top. I crossed the finish line at a time that I will take. I was hoping for a PR before I saw the weather forecast. I was 8 minutes slower than last year if that tells you how hot it was for me. My body hates the heat, but I have to learn to deal with it because it is Florida.

The best part of this race is the crowd support. I felt like there was more last year, but there were still a bunch of people out. There were groups giving out oranges, strawberries, beer, mimosas, ice pops, donuts, and I think someone had tootsie rolls. The bands were awesome. I ran without music so I could soak in the atmosphere. Plus, you get this beauty at the end.


8 comments:

  1. Ugh running in heat is not my favorite either! Great job though you are awesome!

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    1. Thanks! Since it seems like summer is upon me in Florida, I will have to suck it up and adjust to the heat.

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  2. It was crazy hot, especially at the end!! Since I'm not really trained, I made it my goal to PR in drink stops. That made it more fun for me and took the pressure off so I was able to really enjoy it. I told my husband I need to do that every year for this race since there is so much going on.. although.. those top 10% hats were awfully pretty!!

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  3. Ice pop from a spectator! That's really nice!

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  4. OMG, it WAS so hot. I was having the worst time trying to regulate my body temperature. I hate being wet so I skipped the hoses, but it took me a while to get back to normal. Mile 6 did me right in.

    I did manage a PR, but just barely.

    One of these days, we are going to meet up!

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    1. I am not a fan of being wet either, but I was desperate. My hands were swollen for a few hours after the race.

      Congratulations on the PR! We do need to meet up soon!

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  5. Nice job!!! I'm totally with you. Running in the heat - especially races - is not my jam
    There are some hills around us that are totally unavoidable if you plan to run further than a half mile. A few of them I feel as if I'm not making any progress until I finally reach the top. They're the worst. But, the good thing about going up is coming down!

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  6. Good for you! I don't think I would have been able to complete a race like that!

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