16 Feb. 2012: ONLY 13 MILES TO GO

This area hasn't had any significant rain for weeks so it's not surprising there are already grass fires in local fields. Lately it's been very warm (near 80 F) but just last weekend the temperature dipped below freezing (28F) overnight. We don't have cold weather clothes with us, but last Sunday we were up before dawn to drive to St. Petersburg for their very first Rock n Roll Half Marathon. What??? Well, it seems there's an organized circuit of events by that name in dozens of cities in the U.S. and Canada. Ask your friends who are dedicated runners.

It was a whole new world for us. We expected lots of rock n roll music because of the (duh) name of the event. Besides the PA system blaring out Huey Lewis or AC/DC tunes, there were 13 local bands set up, one at each of the (26.2 divided by 2=) 13.1 miles of the half marathon. The staging area was a sea of colourful costumes, such as hundreds who ran in ballet tutu's. Or face paint. Or pink tuxedos. Or just serious hi-tech gear such as Garmin GPS strapped on the wrist to check times and distances. 8,000 runners (or walkers) paid $85 to $120 to register. People from California, the midwest, even Whitney Houston's hometown in New Jersey (that got a big cheer). Ages ranged from 10 to over 80! The start was staggered ---- "corrals": of about 200 at a time, every 90 seconds beginning at a frosty predawn 7:00 a.m.

Thousands of spectators and supporters bundled up and sipped coffee. Meanwhile, the runners peeled off their layers along the route, often ending up in only lightweight shorts, and grabbed icy cold water literally on the run. The fastest time was 1 hour and 10 minutes, or about five and a half minutes per mile. Am I crazy, or is that fairly doable for a recreational run (no big $$$$ prizes)?

By noon the run was over, the air was in the 50's F, and the roads were open again. It was a real jolt of excitement and inspiration. Thousands of healthy active people spending time and money to exult or stagger after 13.1 miles. We promptly drove 13.1 miles home and promised to run it, right after a snooze by the pool....