Mid month final (of this year)

Mid month final (of this year) is here!

Saturday agenda-race!

These are the events I considered for today:

1. frosty 5k
2. classics by the sea 10k/5k
3. river run 5k
4. north creek explorer 5k
5. live ultimate quarter marathon/5k

In order to satisfy my appetite for racing, I scheduled 2 double headers for this weekend. Strike 1=furthest event (west side). I picked the latter for 2 reasons-inaugural quarter marathon and proximity (SoBe).

Event 1 deserves the Clint Eastwood synopsis:

The good: got a PR (never did before), finishers medal
The bad: time, due to internal & external (wind, humidity) conditions
The ugly: didn't place

Event 2 (#4) is a return event. I'm not fond of night events but I am of races, therefore I ran. Since I started off the day with an 'endurance event' (I'm a 5k'er), I was tired & tight, not to mention it was much hotter and humid in the afternoon. By the grace of God, despite the poor time, I made the podium (2 ag) and picked up first award of the day and weekend. Double header completed!

Sunday agenda-race!

Even more events this day:

1. Santa hustle (OH)
2. Santa hustle (IN)
3. Jacksonville marathon (half & 5k)
4. jingle bell 2 miler
5. Naples chill duathlon
6. jingle bell run 5k
7. parkland 5 mile holiday run
8. tyler s goldberg 5k
9. 5k chanukah run

You can automatically eliminate the first 2; out of FL. #3 can follow since it's the furthest in FL. The latter is the most logical choice (closest to me) but I passed on that and many others on my coast for guess what? An inaugural!

Event 1: In my career, I've only done one other duathlon in December, many many years back by some other company that left FL. This was going to be a challenge, not so much the event, but that I have to travel to Naples (get up earlier and drive much longer) to do it. I was a bit rusty but luckily, I kept training. Weather, except for wind, was awesome (cool). I ran ok, especially the last run. My cycling was average at best. I made a grave error and forgot my pump but kudos to the ladies who let me borrow theirs. When the dust cleared, I won my age group and made the top ten; praise the Lord! Great way to start the day.

Event 2 (#4) is another return event. It's for a good cause but was a challenge for me in few ways:

#1- 2nd event of day and 4th of the weekend
#2- begins an hour earlier than last time (now 3 pm), reducing recovery time
#3- internal (tight & tired after endurance event & number of prior races) & external (heat, wind, humidity) conditions

On top of the aforementioned, somebody fresh decided to give me a 'run for the money'. By the grace of God, I edged him out for the master title. Praise the Lord for allowing me to advance in position, both podium and overall position, with the last being 4th on my quest for quadruple event weekend. Another double header completed this day!