My Dad (a former track coach) advised me to hang on the shoulder of the leader for the entire race. Well, I couldn't do that since the winner ran the half in 1:18, but I took Dad's advice to heart, and hung on the shoulder of the 2:30 pacer.

This blog is my race recap. Detailed review here --> St Pete Beach Classic

The race began on time. Less than a quarter mile in, the sky opened and drenched us for a soggy minute. There was a collective moan from the runners as everyone realized we were about to run 13 miles with wet feet.

I was one of twelve runners with the 2:30 pacer (Carolyn), for the first few miles. Carolyn was amazing. It turned out she's a running coach. She kept us on pace the entire time — hills and no hills, wind and no wind. I was very impressed as each mile ticked off and we were still on pace.

That's the first time I ran in the thick of a pace group. Usually, I'm further back and keep them in sight. Coach Carolyn kept us engaged. She asked us questions, and gave us tips as our group ran mile after mile.

At mile 5, we lost 3 people from our group. A couple more runners dropped back at mile 8 when we faced very strong head winds. I learned later that the wind gusts were 30-35 mph.

The 7 people remaining in our group literally ran in a straight line trying to break the wind as we made our way through mile 9.

I suddenly got a Charley Horse in my left calf as we reached mile 10. My muscle screamed at me, so I slowed to a walk. Coach Carolyn turned and encouraged me to wait and walk through the aid station. I nodded. I wished that I could.

I watched as my pace group move ahead without me. Soon they were farther and farther away. It was sad to say goodbye to them. They were fun.

I massaged my calf muscle; even tried to roll it out each time I saw an appropriate railing. I decided to walk to mile 11 and then if my calf felt better, I would run the last couple of miles. I knew my PR had slipped away, but I wasn't ready to give up.

Questions? Feel free to comment or email me. #spbclassic

It was 75º at 4:30 a.m. The forecast said it would be clear and sunny all morning. Sunrise was at 6:46 a.m. When the race started at 7:21 a.m. it felt like 88-90º.
 
This was the 2nd running of the Honeymoon Island Half Marathon in Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin. The race was promoted as some paved trails and other trails. There was a half and a 10k. My plan was to run relaxed and steady; find and keep a pacer; listen to music; enjoy the view.

This is my race recap. Detailed race review —> Honeymoon Half

I arrived an hour early. Parking was easy. I walked around to see the set up. Base camp was a huge parking lot. I spotted 7 port-o-lets and a couple of permanent park buildings with restrooms. What I did not see anywhere was shade. There was a stage at the far end of the parking lot that looked like a semi-permanent fixture.

The race began in the huge parking lot (hot asphalt) ran on trails through the park, moved out of the park across the causeway bridge to Dunedin, turned around and came back. 10K runners ran the course once, half marathoners ran it twice.
 
I ran a 10 minute pace the first mile, then realized that was too fast. It was too darn hot. I fell into a 12 minute pace. I ran most of the race behind a woman with a very long brunette braid who maintained a perfect 12 minute pace. I was awed by her consistency, AND, the amount of sweat pouring off the back of her legs. No doubt the person behind me also had a sweaty view. It was 93º for most of the race. The skies were clear and the race course was in full sun most of the time.
 
I did enjoy running to and from Dunedin over the causeway. There were lovely views of the water, and lots of people walking, biking and fishing. Runners stayed on the sidewalk going over the bridge. It was tight on the bridge when there were people running in both directions. Otherwise, it felt good to be close to the water.

As I neared the 10K mark I decided to call it a day. I couldn’t imagine another hour out in the hot sun. During announcements we were told if we decided to run a 10k instead of the half, just let them know at the finish line and we'd still get our official times. (That never happened, but I had my own tracking app.)
 
I finished, received my medal and found a bottle of warm water. Volunteers at the finish line, and throughout the race seemed to be high school students getting their required volunteer hours done. They looked bored, hot, and uninterested in the race. I don’t blame them since the conditions were brutal.

I walked across the parking lot to see if there was anything cold to drink, or something to eat. Nope.

More than an hour after the start, there was no food, no cold drinks, no shade.

I’m going to say this race was disappointing for a few reasons:

1. 93º in November on a course with little to no shade. Race Directors can't control the weather, but they can respond to it. That didn't happen here.
2. Poor quality aid stations; warm water, or no water.
3. Nothing cold to drink at the finish. When I walked over to the beer truck, volunteers were pouring warm foam into glasses. I asked for a beer, was told “sure” and then nothing. I walked to the beach and came back after 5-10 minutes. I really wanted something cold to drink. Still no beer.
4. No food at the finish. No bananas or granola bars. They were just beginning to cook some sort of breakfast pancakes more than an hour after the race started. Remember, there was a 10K as well as a half marathon. That usually means finishers before the hour mark.
5. Most people/volunteers I saw in the post race area were working on wedding decorations. Part of the event was an attempt to win a Guinness Book of World Records for most wedding attendants. The race director and her fiancée were to be married after the race with all the runners as attendants. It was a nice idea — two runners getting married after a half marathon on Honeymoon Island — but the wedding seemed to take priority over runner safety. It added chaos and confusion.
   
6. Sweatshirts were promised at registration, but weren’t delivered. Not that anyone needed a sweatshirt that day.
7. I went to my car to get some shade and A/C and made a few phone calls. I knew I  couldn’t leave the island yet because the course traveled through the parking lot. When it seemed clear, I tried to leave, but couldn’t. There was a horrible traffic jam of cars stuck bumper to bumper waiting to leave the island.
8. It felt like an amateur event that wasn't worth the registration fee.
   
   

The 3rd Annual Honeymoon Island Half marathon is November 5, 2016. There will be 3 races: half marathon, 10k and 5k.

The 2016 race course will be in downtown Dunedin instead of on the island. I don't know if there will be cold water, or shade, or better organization — but at least runners will be near downtown businesses and have options for post race recovery. I hope to hear the 3rd year is the charm for the Honeymoon Island Half. Learn more about the 2016 Honeymoon Half 10k and 5k.

I've been wanting to try a trail run, and this event seemed like a good introduction to running a race on dirt and sandy trails.

Weedon Island Preserve is located in the NE corner of St. Petersburg, FL. The 3,100 acre nature preserve is run by Pinellas County. It includes a history center, nature trails, and canoe/kayak launch. It's a gorgeous piece of paradise on Tampa Bay.

This is my race recap. Detailed race review  —> 2015 Weedon Island Trail 8k.

I picked up my packet on Friday night at the Fit2Run store in downtown St. Pete. The shirt was short sleeved blue tech material with navy blue printing. Ladies received a v-neck shirt, and guys a traditional round neckline. The packet included the shirt, a bib, and lots of offers from local businesses that sponsor the race.

Packet pick up was available on site before the race, beginning at 6:45 a.m.

I arrived early on race morning because I wanted to park near the history center. The center was open so runners could use the restrooms.

I strolled around for a while. The weather was a perfect 70º with low humidity. Half an hour before the race I put bug spray on my ankles, and sunscreen everywhere else. The sun rose in a cloudless blue sky, so I waited in the shade for the race to begin.

This race was different in lots of ways — all good. It felt calm, low key. The number of participants was limited to about 200 because of the venue. That's the smallest race I've run.

A few minutes before 9 am, everyone gathered at the starting line. There were some announcements, and then we were off and running. The race began on a paved section of the trail, and then headed into the preserve.

Soon after the start, we were running single file. The trails were narrow, and often runners were moving in both directions. It was interesting. The loops in the course meant you saw the same people over and over again.

My favorite part of the race was running through a tunnel of Mangroves and mature trees next to Tampa Bay. I had to watch my step because there were lots of roots, ruts and dips in the trail. But, as much as I could, I peeked through the Mangroves to look at the water.

After the dirt trail, we ran on sand covered with pine needles and pine cones. Some sections were packed hard, but others were softer sand. After the sand we ran on boardwalks. I liked running on the harder surface, but the trade off was that the boardwalk was in full sun and had an incline.

Somewhere in the last mile, the boardwalk led to the observation tower. Yep, the 3-story observation tower. Everyone had to climb the tower, ring the bell on the top level, smile for the camera, and then descend to finish the race.

I remember asking the photographer if perhaps this would have been a better idea at the start of the race. He just laughed. If you run this race, please pause at the top of the tower and absorb the view. It's beautiful.

Runners were told at the start that they were responsible for recording their finishing time. As each runner crossed the finish line they noted their time on the digital display, then wrote it on a ballot at the scoring table. It wasn't high tech, but it didn't need to be. 

There were no finisher medals. All the prizes were donated by local businesses. That was more than okay, since we were all running the race to support Weedon Island Preserve. All proceeds benefit the preserve.

The post race party was right next to the finish line in an open field. Food was donated by local restaurants, and it was tasty. There was water and sports drinks. Runners received a free beer coupon, and were encouraged to visit a local brewery later in the day to redeem it.

I was so impressed with the volunteers at this race. They took tons of photos and made them available on the Friends of Weedon Island Facebook page a couple of weeks later. The volunteers on the course were friendly and made sure no one took a wrong turn. I really appreciate that.

If you'd like to try a trail race, I recommend this one. It's just under 5 miles and takes place in a beautiful setting. I know I'll run it again as often as possible.