Disney weekend

Talk about cool running! This past weekend a total of 55,000 runners braved freezing conditions including sleet to take part in the disney Marathon weekend. Saturday morning broke with a light drizzle that soon turned into sleet and flurries with temps in the low 30s. Sunday was even colder but without the precipitation. My preparation for the marathon was fine and I felt ready except that I have never run in sustained 20 degree tempuratures. I finished wearing all 4 of my tech shirts along with a knit cap,2 pairs of gloves,tights and hand warmers! There were many Sarasota runners who braved the elements along with me and congrats to all of you for persevering. Next race for me is the ING Miami Marathon the last Sunday in January. Lets hope the weather is more cooperative.

Local Races

The past 2 weeks have been busy ones both for the Manasota track club and myself. There have been two local 5K races-Jingle and Jog and the Sandy Claws that saw about 800 total runners participate. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate for the Jingle race as we ran in a torrential,steady rain. Spirits remained high and everyone shared coffee and hot chocolate at the end. I finished in 3rd place for my age group and missed a 2nd place finish by 2/100's of a second! sandy claws was run in perfect conditions on the beach at Siesta. The race was chip timed with awards going 6 deep. Yours truely took a 5th place age group medal which felt great considering this was my 1st 5k on sand. Keep checking for local race information on our web site as this area has alot to offer.Races coming up include the Ringling Bridge run and the 5 mile Snead Island run.

Last Sunday was a great day for the 2nd Fort Lauderdale 13.1 Marathon- Where the party meets the road. Perfect weather and a course that followed A1A along the Lauderdale beachfront. Approx 25oo runners lined up for the 6:13 AM start. I felt good at the start and was able to keep my pace relatively even throughout the race with a slight negative split for the last 5K. Post race festivities consisted of Pina Coladas, Pancakes and all the other normal post race foodstuffs. This is a good event to do if you want a scenic course combined with a good relatively close get away weekend. Full Race results. I wanted to take it easy because I am running the Philedelphia Marathon next Sunday. Will report back post race

Bill's Beer Run

The running of the 21st Bill's Beer Run was a hugh success with over 650 runners negotiating the scenic 5 mile course on Casey Key. The weather was fantastic with temps in the 60's and little to no humidity. Many runners wore Halloween costumes while posting great finish times. The post race festivities grow larger each year with beer,hot dogs,pizza,bagels and fruit offered in ample quantities to runners and guests. Sarasota Footcare Center had a booth and many runners took advantage of our presence to ask questions and request copies of our free books about Heel Pain and Running. This is an event our community should be proud of.

Congrats to all of you who have already completed your fall marathon goal. The races in Chicago and Hartford were great with Sarasota runners doing very well. This week we have MCM and then NY to look forward to. All of us have trained smart and I expect the same smart running during your races. DO NOT start out too fast,keep hydrated even if it is cool and use your GU, etc. at regular intervals. Remember this is NOT the time to try any new gear(shoes,shorts or singlets). Lay everything out in advance and be sure to account for all weather variations before you finally pack up to go. Best of luck to all. Run safe smart and hard! Let me know your results so we can post them and share the joy