Recap: 2015 Best Damn Race Marathon - Cape Coral

Since I have never run a marathon in my hometown, I decided it was about time to run a race in my old stomping grounds. Fortunately for me, Best Damn Race holds a race about 2 miles from my parent's house.  Can't get too much closer to home than that.   Cape Coral is in South Florida, about 7 hours south from where I currently live.  The race was a good excuse to take a weekend drive down and visit the family. 

Expo

The expo was held in a field adjacent to what would be the starting line.  Thankfully, the weather was nice.  Otherwise, it may have made packet pick-up difficult. On the upside, I was able to bring the dogs to packet pick-up.  With my packet in hand, I headed back to my parents house to relax. 

Race Day - 12/13/15

Well rested and ready to run!

It was very nice only having a 3 minute drive to the starting area.  (Yes I could have walked the few miles, but I wanted to stay fresh for the race.) I hung around race village for a few minutes, then  made my way to the corrals. The marathon and half marathon course are the same, with the marathoners enjoying a second loop.  Since I had just finished Space Coast a couple of weeks previous and the weather was going to be brutal again, I planned to run/walk an easy pace and enjoy the day.

                                                 And we're off!

Most of the race ran through neighborhoods I was very familiar with.
 

 Best Damn Cheerleader!

My lovely DisneyBride brought me cold Gatorade, ice, and snacks along the course. Magnus offered me enthusiastic barks and slobbery kisses.  

Mission accomplished!  The weather turned out to be even more brutal than I had expected.  My Garmin recorded temps at 93 degrees.  Following the race, I wanted nothing more than to get back to my parents house and jump into the pool to cool off.  

Pretty solid finish line pic.

I did manage to finish within about 2 minutes of my PR.  Eventually, I want to have an opportunity to run a marathon with close to ideal temps.  My luck, it will be at Disney, when I just want to take pictures with characters and hop on rides! Ha!

 

                                        I am hot!  Really, I am very hot! It was 90+ degrees.

Pros

• The aid stations were well manned.  Special recognition to the volunteers from Cape Coral High School!  Once a Seahawk, always a Seahawk.
• Flat course.
• Well marked course.
• Ice on the second lap. This was great to help keep the beverage in my polar bottles cold. 
• The finish line had plenty of food and beer. Pollo Tropical is a South Florida chain of cuban style food. Beans, rice, plantains, roasted chicken. They had much so that my Wife,  Mother, and Grandmother were all offered food to take home.
• Finish line beer.  Cold and delicious, the perfect finish line beverage.  They also had a hard root beer, I tried a couple of sips.  It was just too sweet for me.   
• I'm going to call her the 'tutu volunteer'.  A woman with a boa and a colorful tutu was cheering on runners at about the 1.5 mile mark.  She was beyond upbeat, not only first thing in the morning, but just as excited and cheerful at the completion of my second lap.  Thank you awesome volunteer!
• Free race photos.  Yep, no paying extra for photos.  

Cons

• Super Hot.  Not the race's fault, just an observation.
• Not enough volunteers to manage traffic from side streets. Too many drivers going far too fast, far too close to runners.
• Nuun.   This is more a preference issue.  I don't think Nuun has enough calories for me.  I also seem to remember that the website advertised a different beverage (Note: I can't find this now. Perhaps, I remembered wrong.) 

This might be my favorite pic of the day. Ben and Magnus rode with DisneyBride in the car and were my furry cheerleaders. They had air conditioning. I didn't. Life ain't fair.
 
To continue with my fairly aggressive race schedule - I have a half marathon on Jan 3 - my last longer distance race before Dopey Challenge.

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Recap: 2015 Space Coast Marathon & Half Marathon: PR or ER

DG:  My training has been going pretty well this season.  So a couple of months ago, I decide to make the Space Coast Marathon my A race.  The course is flat, the weather in late November is typically good, and I didn't have any big races before Space Coast. 

Saturday
DB: We followed our traditional pre-Space Coast Routine again this year.  After waking up early, dropping off the dogs at the vet's office, and picking up the rental car we got on the road to Cape Canaveral.  It's a bit over 4 hours and we arrived just in time for lunch.  I used to live in Brevard County in the late 90s, and I had a favorite falafel spot. A very tiny little - blink and you miss it place:  Sinbad's.  

Yep, the logo on their sign looks like Aladdin.  Maybe this was what originally piqued my interest in this place. I do love me some Aladdin.  But I love falafel even more.  And theirs is FANTASTIC. They add pickled red cabbage - and it is heaven.  Really.  This is the third year in a row that we've been coming down for this race, and the falafel meal  at Sinbad's has now  officially become a pre-race tradition.  

DG: Arriving later to the expo is not without some advantages. The lines are not bad to pick up your packet.  In just a couple of seconds DisneyBride and I both had our bibs.  The only long queues were in the Space Coast Marathon merchandise tent.  I am so glad that a friend of mine picked up my Tervis tumblers that morning.  It has become my tradition to collect them when they are available for races. These sell out quickly and were already gone when we made our way through the booth.  

I love my Tervis Tumblers! 

  On the way out, we took the astronaut photo (up top) and headed to meet some friends.  I really wish they would move the statues somewhere else.  It makes it confusing on the way into the Expo with everyone crowding around for photos.  It just seems to keep people from being able to leave and prevents people from entering. 





Race Day (Sunday - November 29, 2015)

 

Yikes - what a scary photo!!! 

 Pre-race - Yep - we woke up at 4am!

 
DG: With the goal of setting a PR, I left the big hydration pack and mobile phone behind.  Yep - except for my Garmin, I ran 'naked'. After a quick shower, a PB and J, and some Mountain Dew we were off for the start line.  With a bathroom break and some catching up with friends, DisneyBride was off for her race.  The half marathon starts 30 minutes before the full. A kiss and wishing each other luck, she headed for the corral. 

First Half

After the countdown start, we were off!  The weather at the start was perfect.  Nice and cool (relatively) and the humidity was manageable.  However, the crowding on the course seemed to be far worse than in past years.  Not only on the first half of the course, but the entire course.  My 1:1 intervals felt great, and I was right on pace for what my training runs had shown was possible.  As I approached the half way point, a very light rain started to fall.  I crossed the the mid-point right on time!

 Second Half

How quickly things change.  The temperature quickly rose, according to my watch topping out at 88 degrees.  My pace plummeted and just finishing the race became the goal.  I felt like I slowed to a crawl.  I was not alone, it seemed like the heat was really hurting runners all around.  The heat was brutal and my goal time was thrown out the window. 

Fortunately, the second half of the course features far more on-course support from spectators and entertainment.  The cool/wet towels from the Parrot Heads were amazing.  It amazing how a little heat can change what you want on the course. 

I did manage to cross the finish line with a PR.  The mission was accomplished, however, I had hope to cross it sooner.  I think it will be a while before I try to PR a marathon again, it did take quite a bit out of me. 




DB: Some of you may know, I have been focused more on cycling lately, and my running has taken a backburner.  I followed a training plan but I didn't really have high hopes for this race.  

But I got lucky. There were pace groups for all paces! Yep - even for me! I've never run with a pace group before, because well - they usually don't have them beyond a 16 min/mile pace.  You know - for the 'all-the-way-in-back-of-the-back-of-the-pack'. Which is where I live.  But at Space Coast this year - there was a 4 hour run/walk pace group. I know - 4 hours is slow by most standards. But since this course is open for 7.5 hours, I've always known I had a lot of time. So for the past few years, I've walked this race, made a lot of stops, took a lot of photos, etc - making my already slow pace... even slower. This year, I wanted to stay on track.  And I found this guy here carrying a Jeff Galloway run/walk pacer flag.  So I joined in - had a lot of laughs along the way, and instead of goofing around, I stuck with the group and got a PR.
 
 

My wonderful pacer,Mel!

Since this was Year 3 of the 5 year Big Bang Series, DG, myself, and our friends we traveled with, all walked away with the Milky Way Challenge medal for completing 3 consecutive years.

2 big medals each. Not bad.

Final Thoughts

DG: We'll be back again next year.  The rest of my running crew have sworn off the marathon and vow to only run the half.  The race is perfectly placed as a great Dopey warm-up, I guess I'll see if I give into peer pressure.

The second half of the course needs more (more visible) medical support.  It was scary the number of times I was asked about where the medical tents were.  The weather never seems to cooperate with this race, it gets very hot. This is my third year running, and I have still seen no improvement in medical support.

DB: I was thinking after 3 consecutive years I was done with this race. There are just SO many other races I want to do on or near this date. But take a look at this view.  This is what you are looking at on the course. A beautiful waterfront.  

My one suggestion for improvement: Vegan options. This race is known for having an excellent after party.  Beyond the typical water and bagels - there are beer trucks, icy cold Coke products, cold OJ, and for food: hot pizza, freshly made pancakes, and scrambled eggs. The drinks are fine - but as vegans - our food options were limited to eating a banana.  Yes, - that is all we had to eat at the party. 

 It is very easy to make regular pizza vegan - they can just leave off the cheese and pepperoni - and leave the bread, sauce, and veggies.  You can make pancakes vegan too, don't use eggs or milk in the batter.  (Bisquick is vegan. Just add water!) I ran into http://girlsgotsole.com blogger, Shannon, a vegan we've met through runDisney events - and she has been writing the Space Coast RD and asking for vegan options also.  So if you would like to see plant-based options in 2016, send an email to the race director. I will be doing that myself.
 
So yes, I'll be back next year. I do hope there are still pace groups for the back of the pack. It made all the difference for me that day - and for many other runners in that group.  Thankfully DG and I each got the PR and did not have to go to the ER! After the race, we showered and made the 1 hour drive to our happy place. 

You guessed it! 

 

Not sure where we got the energy after waking up at 3:30 am and then running - IN THE HEAT, but we managed to hit all four Disney parks that evening.  

Then after the parks closed - we made the 4.5 hour drive home.  

Yep - it was a very long day - but a very memorable one.

Note: If you plan to do this race, keep in mind the half marathon usually sells out the first day registration opens. One good thing, if you have run the previous year - you get first crack at an early registration.

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Gasparilla Distance Classic- 2 days and 30.4 miles

Sorry for this recap being nearly two months late.  The Gasparilla Distance Classic was Feb 20 & 21, 2015.

This year we did not run the runDisney Princess Half Marathon.  We ran the Gasparilla Distance Classic in Tampa that weekend.  The GDC is a two day event, with two races on Saturday (15K & 5K) and two races (1/2 Marathon & 8K) on Sunday.

There are three challenges available: 
Michelob Ultra Challenge: All four races for 30.4 miles
Michelob Ultra Amber Challenge: 15K, 5K, & 1/2 for 25.5 miles
Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus Challenge: 15k & 8K for 14.2 miles

I did the Ultra Challenge and DisneyBride did the Ultra Lime Cactus Challenge.

Expo

This expo was by far the best I have ever attended. The expo took over a pretty large portion of the Tampa Convention Center. Free samples and demos were everywhere. 

There was even a Star Wars themed booth with characters for photos.

The pick-up areas (Bibs were picked up separate from your shirts and jackets) were well staffed with volunteers and the waits were a couple of minutes tops.  Free samples and demos were everywhere. We tried several foods including electrolyte popsicles, chips, drinks, fruit, and other snacks. Also, the reusable bags from the race sponsor, Publix, were a very nice touch.

Day 1: 15k and 5k

Our hotel was near the start area so we could walk to the races. The starting area was well organized and the corrals were well marked. The 15k was an out and back course mostly along Bayshore Blvd. 

It was a cold morning but we had a fun time.  We ran with several friends from Tallahassee.

The course had plenty of aid stations and also featured entertainment at several points. 

The legendary Bart Yasso was announcing the runners as they crossed the finish line

After finishing the 15k, runners had the option to check their medals before the 5k. I choose to put my medal in my hydration pack. Other runners told me the medal check was organized and accepted and returned medals very efficiently. The finish line was well stocked with water and Gatorade.

I finished the 15k with plenty of time to stroll towards the starting line for the 5k. Plenty of volunteers were on hand to guide runners to the the start of the next race. The 5k followed the same course as the 15k (obviously the turn around was much earlier). For a very well attended race, the crowds didn't seem that bad. At the turn around for the 5k, I ran into DisneyBride. We finished our respective races together.  

Following the race we headed to the festival area. The festival area is broken into two separate areas. One near the Convention Center has plenty of food and drinks from sponsors available. Fresh fruit, cold coke, fruit cups, and more was available to runners. Further down the walkway, in an adjacent park was a live band and the beer area. The cold beer and live music was a great way to wind down from the races.  

Day 2: Half Marathon and 8k

The starting area was well organized on day 2 as well.  Since I had to finish the race under 2:55 gun time, I decided to try and PR.  The course is a basically a figure 8 and relatively flat. Again oncourse entertainment was plentiful, bands and entertainers to keep your mind off the running. I did manage to get my half marathon PR that day. Not quite the PR I had hoped for, but a PR.      

The finish line was again well stocked with beverages and the medal lines were quick. I headed for the starting area of the 8k as was pleasantly surprised by how close it was. I had read recaps of previous years where people made it out to be quite the hike.  

The 8k was essentially the same course as the 5k.  Running the half really took a lot out of me.  I ran the 8k pretty leisurely with a friend.  Crossing the line, I headed to the food area next to the convention center (long drive this day, so I skipped the beer), they really brought out their "A" game.  Unfortunately, everyone decided to enjoy the festival area.  Lines were enormous.  I skipped almost all of them and headed straight to The Columbia table and enjoyed a nice plate of delicious hot food.

The Good

• The Ultra Challenge (all 4 races) cost the same as the Princess Half Marathon, so I felt like it was a good value
• The expo was amazing
• Aid stations were plentiful 
• Post-race food was great
• The shirts and the challenge jacket

My Michelob Ultra Challenge jacket

DisneyBride's jacket, bib, and medals

The Not as Good 

• All four courses are pretty similar
• The medals (with the exception of the half marathon) look the same.
• The challenge medal was not that impressive.

For next year, we are undecided if we will return. I would love to go back, but DisneyBride wants to go to Princess Half Weekend.  We still have a few months to decide.

Pirates OR Princesses for 2016?   
Tough decision.  Which would you choose?

~DisneyGroom

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Day 5: 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend #DopeyChallenge #WDWMarathon Recap

The big day has arrived.  Going to bed early the night before paid off.  The alarm went off at 1:45am (I wish that were a typo) so that we could get to the start area early.  Since I missed out on a Dopey Challenge race banner last year, we had decided to arrive very very early.  That meant driving. It worked.  Arriving at about 2:30am, we were about the 5th group in line at the merchandise tent.  The merchandise tent itself did not open until 3am.

I got my Dopey banner and also picked up a Goofy one as well.  They look great hanging in my office. (We get them signed by characters.) 

After picking up the banners, I headed back to the car to relax. Since we arrived before everyone else, we had a pretty sweet parking spot. Having the car there meant I was able to spend some time in a nice warm comfortable seat.  Very convenient since I was feeling a little twinge in my ankle. DisneyBride kept trying to get me to take a nap, but I was too excited to sleep.  So at about 4:45am we got out of the car to go catch up with a friend. 

With Michelle from  https://middleofmainstreet.wordpress.com/

No, that is not my costume. Yes, I really did wear a trash bag at the start line. It was cold. #DontJudge

Speaking of costumes - this might just be my first runDisney event where I did not wear a costume or at least something costume-like. Instead I had on my Marathon Maniacs gear (because the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon qualified me to be a Maniac). I also wore InknBurn shorts, my custom Run Alice Run arm sleeves, and my Orange Mud Vest Pack 2. 

After catching up with friends for a few minutes, I gave DisneyBride a goodbye kiss and headed for my corral.  The weather for the marathon was far better than it had been for any of the other races.  Even so, I kept my trash bag on to keep me warm.

Let me take a second to point out something I thought was a little off all weekend.  The poor Goofy runners almost received no love. Even before the marathon, they seemed to only get a quick mention.  It was the 10th anniversary for the Goofy Challenge and the Dopey Challenge still seemed to cast a huge shadow over Goofy.  Congrats to all the Goofy Challenge participants and and even bigger congrats to those that have completed all 10 years!

The fireworks to send off the runners were amazing.  Better than I've ever seen at a runDisney race start, and I've seen a few. I need to learn how to get better photos of the display.  Thankfully, most of you read the blog for my humorous take on running, not for my photography skills.

Miles 0-13.1

The course starts off the same as the half.  For the Dopeys, the 2 mile marker is an important one.  It is just past the halfway point of the Dopey Challenge's 48.6 miles.  Pretty amazing to think that 2 miles into the marathon, you are only half way though the challenge.

Outside the Speedway, a few new cars were out on the course.  

Just outside the Ticket and Transportation Center, I ran into DisneyBride.  It's always great to see smiling faces.

DisneyBride looking good with her Mickey hand and Buzz Lightyear hat.  

Speaking of smiling faces, the High School bands really knocked it out of the park again.  Here is the Timber Creek High School band, my vote for the best band of the weekend.

The run from the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom is pretty uneventful.  The DJ with the huge Mickey hands always does a great job of pumping up runners to make it up the hill in front of the Contemporary.

Arriving in the Magic Kingdom the first picture should come as no surprise.  The one, the only, the Buzz Lightyear.

Second stop was the Mine Train.  Thanks again runDisney for giving us the false impression months ago that the Mine Train would be operating during the Marathon,  Apparently, running past the Mine Train was enough to make it "part of the race course". Yes, I did 'air quotes'.

I said it before and I'll say it again, it never gets old running through the castle.  I even managed to get a spectator to take another great castle photo for me.

Leaving the Magic Kingdom you make your way past the monorail resorts. My first stop after Magic Kingdom was Genie and Abu. Apparently, my luck ran out right before it was my turn for a photo. The Genie had some sort of genie emergency and had to take a few minutes.  

Next up was the Speedway, running on the track is always a really awesome experience.  Several local car clubs bring out some cars to show off.  My favorite was a 1966 Ford Fairlane.  I probably liked it because it is very similar to my 1st car, a 1967 Ford Galaxie.

After leaving the Speedway, we started heading to Animal Kingdom.  The first stop was the couple partying with their RV. Last year they had pickled herring to help fuel the runners.  Unfortunately, they didn't have any fish to fuel us, but they were enthusiastic cheerleaders.  It was nice since the next several miles are pretty boring/gross. 

First up, the compost facility and the solid waste transfer station.  Super pleasant to see and smell.  It's a little too 'behind the scenes' for me. 

Then the Country Bears were jamming out. I guess runDisney really wanted us distracted.  Because the next sight is probably the favorite of all the marathoners.  The waste water treatment facility truly sprinkles 'Disney Magic' upon our noses.  Even being a pretty cool day and the plant spraying to keep the smell down, it was still there.  Oh the joy!

The cast members had several animals out again.  I managed to stop for the sheep and pig.  The animals also had custom bibs, a really nice touch.  Perhaps, I should have gotten better pictures of their bibs.  You know... just to check the results and see if they beat me. 

I had hoped to ride Expedition Everest upon my arrival in Animal Kingdom.  Since I arrived just minutes before the park opened, the ride already had about 30 minutes worth of runners waiting to get on.  I decided to pass, waiting that long just wasn't an option. 

Leaving the park I finally hit the halfway point.

13.1-26.2

It really seemed like the second half of the course flew by.  If your are still reading, I promise the second half of this recap isn't as long as the first half.

The parking lot to the Animal Kingdom had quite a few spectators with really great signs.  Also, Mickey was on hand to ensure that everyone was having a great time.

I'm a big fan of the GraveDiggers.  They are always rock solid in their performance and really get into the spirit.  Even better, the line was super short and moving very quickly.  Even with runners taking time to 'get buried' they were up and back to running in just a few seconds.

I always enjoy the run through Wide World of Sports.  The cool towel on the way into the complex was really refreshing.  Nothing like having something cool to wipe the sweat from my face and neck.  The constant scenery changes, the varied surfaces, and the twists and turns keep you distracted from the run.  The run through the baseball stadium is one of the highlights for me.

After leaving the complex, I finally arrived at mile 20 marker.

Its just about 2 miles until you arrive at Hollywood Studios.  Hollywood Studios has probably my favorite aid station.  Yep, cool delicious chocolate.

The run through Hollywood Studios is short, but very scenic.  It was also my opportunity to make up for not being able to run Expedition Everest.  While in Hollywood Studios I decided to go off the course and ride Toy Story Midway Mania!  

If was funny watching people yell at me "You're Going the Wrong way!  Then they laughed when I told them I was heading to a ride.  It might have been even better than riding Expedition Everest.  I think I have a new tradition. 

In line for Toy Story Midway Mania!

Who rides the rides in the middle of a marathon?  This guy!

Approaching EPCOT, I began to get thirsty.  Luckily, Germany was nearby.  Just like last year's marathon, an adult beverage was in order.  Yep, had to stop for an ice cold beer.  Having the opportunity to choose the country where it comes from is just a bonus.  Perhaps next year I'll change it up: England, Canada, Japan, who knows?

I cannot believe how AMAZING this grapefruit beer is! I gotta bust out some dance moves!

Crossing the finish line, I felt really good.  I immediately received my Marathon medal and headed for the Dopey tent.  Anxious to see what they were going to confirm, I peeked at the computer as they typed in my bib number.  All they checked was that I was the one who had picked up the bib at the expo.  I don't believe they actually checked to ensure that I ran the other races, just that I picked up the bib.  I hope that they eventually get to the point where they verify times for the Challenge participants. 

Marathon medal Volunteer!

Goofy Challenge Medal Volunteer

Dopey Challenge medal volunteer

With all my medals around my neck, I headed for the reunion lot.  I wanted to get my final Dopey photo with all the medals gloriously around my neck.  DisneyBride was already in line with my 5K, 10K, and 1/2 marathon medals and she greeted me with a big kiss. 

Finally, DisneyBride understands my love of Tonga Toast and came through again this year.  Waiting for me was an order of Tonga Toast and some bacon.  

I was only back home a few days before a few friends agreed to sign on for 2016 with me.  Yep, I'll be heading back for another Dopey next year!


-DisneyGroom

Thanks for reading!

For my other 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend recaps see the links below.

Expo Recap

http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-1-disneygrooms-2015-dopeychallenge.html

5k Recap

http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-2-disneygrooms-2015-dopey-challenge.html

10k Recap

http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDW10K.html

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