YO HO YO HO A RUNNERS LIFE FOR ME: GASPARILLA 2020
So last year I stepped up my game and did the Lime Cactus Challenge and in 2020 I was on the fence about maybe going for the half however I instead opted to do the Bud Light Orange Challenge (same Challenge as last year just renamed) and so I went in doing the 15K on Saturday and 8K on Sunday and hey… this time I even did a 9 mile long run outside as part of training so achievement.
So the scheduling gods were on my side and gave me Friday (as well as the Tuesday after my planned recovery day) off and so I ended up taking the bus cross town to do a few errands before making the drive toward the Expo.
Thankfully unlike last years false alarm the only DRAMA was when I went to look at the famous name wall only to see my first name at the end of one line and my last name at the start of the following line on total opposite ends of the wall
Though this was one of the earliest years I’ve been at the expo and got lots of free samples as well as was able to do a CHARACTER MEET!!!
I also fed my addiction by purchasing three more Bondi Bands not that I need them
As we left the expo at the Downstairs entrance to the convention center Dick’s Sporting Goods had a table set up and I ended up winning myself a $10 gift certificate which will definitely come in handy as I continue my runners journey
I stayed over in Tampa again once more at the Fairfield Tampa Airport which I highly would recommend and left the hotel room around 540am ish. I was entering the Convention Center at around 558am ish to grab some fresh safety pins and use the restroom as well as keep out of the cold and by cold I mean around 46 degrees but feels like 36 as I was arriving at the center….
Due to the cold my OOTD was a pair of 7/8 length Livi leggings, my 2016 Wine and Dine shirt, Teal Xersion Jacket, and Kraken Bondi as well as my pink sneakers
At 637am I slipped into the coral at the first wave 2 barricade break as the national anthem was starting. I was behind the 11 m/m pacer so pushed as far right as I could as I knew that was way too ambitious (I know the 13.5 m/m pacer passed me at some point I don’t know how many more might have)
As Wave 1 was about to get off they announced that Pirates and Star Wars characters would be on course (among other fun surprises between the two races)
I started at 6:51 am and between the momentum of starting where I did as well as my playlist choices I was flying even as about 8 minutes in shortly after passing the finish on the opposite side of the road I began to roll up my sleeves and put my hand warmer in my pocket for comfort.
I reached mile marker 1 with a split of 12:42 and an overall pace of 12’44
Two water stops happened and while it was chilly I was glad that they weren’t scaling back (though they did lack mister fans which was reasonable) Also in that mile I passed by the 5K halfway arch and timing mat all ready to go once the 15K runners cleared as well as the Rough Rider Crew and a few Star Wars cosplayers
I Got to Mile Marker 2 with a split of 13:58 and an overall pace of 13’19
I hit up a third water stop before the pace car started to come back down Bayshore ushering in the winners of the event… oh to be that fast but I still have seven miles to go so lets get to it
After a quick adjustment of my shoelace soon another water stop breezed by as well as some pirates handing out beads and a Shark mascot from a local radio station (I got a better look at them on the flip side)
Got to Marker 3 with a split of 14:04 and pace of 13’33 (with weaving I was registering 3.11 miles with a PR of 34 seconds
I Buzzed getting my 10,000 daily steps and after water stop #5 I approached mile marker 4 with a split of 13:37 and pace of 13’37
I reached water stop #6 and soon I was halfway there!!!!
And shortly after I had done the quick out and back on Gandy and was making my way back to the ‘other side’ of Bayshore where the Bay Breeze mixed with the already crisp air was doing on a number on my sinuses and since I was on par to get a PR already opted to walk more then jog/sprint
Just before the turn back to Bayshore however was mile marker 5 with a split of 14:07 and pace of 13’44
Water Stop #6 & 7 occurred with the end of the line truck rolling up the other side of the road in between.
Mile 6 came with a split of 14:39 and pace of 13’53 (it registered 6.21 leaving me with a 10K PR of 16 minutes!!!)
I found myself briefly between a couple of girls and I don’t know if the back of their shirts was meant to be throwing shade due to RunDisney’s Princess Half Weekend also being held these dates or not but in my mind… well
The course also passed by the shark mascot and pirates again (no longer giving out beads)
I was slowing down a bit at mile 7 with a split of 14:51 and pace of 14’00
Water Stops #8-9 happened before approaching some on course entertainment and figuring that even with my pace tapering a bit I could still have some fun and so I took a selfie with some of the Star Wars Characters and Rough Riders who were now on that side of the road
I got to mile 8 with a split of 15:15 and pace of 14’13 Water Stop #10 happened and soon it was my favorite spot on the course
There was some more fun signs (lots of them on course but I wasn’t going to take pictures of all of them…. Note the man walking away in the background had one with an arrow pointing to the woman saying she’s bad at math)
Water stops were coming fast and loose with stops #11-13 before reaching mile marker 9 with a split of 15:57 and pace of 14’23
I ended up finishing with my my FitBit registering 9.66 miles with an OFFICIAL time of 2:19:09 a PR of about 7 minutes!!!
Unfortunately this year they didn’t have a PR Bell unless it was down the street at the post race party but celebration none the less
Sunday arrived and it was time for leg two of the race where it was significantly warmer with it being 52 feels like 57 at race time and me wearing my black costume vest and red bandanna bondi band paired with a new white champion shirt (my old one was used for my Roger Rabbit costume) and my Livi tutu capris along with my pink sneakers
We got to the convention center around 820 and while like I said the weather was warmer I stayed inside to do my business and relax before making the long haul to the coral and arriving inside at 9. This year they did two mini waves so I stood where the signage was for the second wave and was near the 12 m/m pacer however as the first wave was gearing to go off people were inching closer to fill in gaps.
I crossed the start at 9:19am and it was a bit of a bottleneck at the start and so I didn’t have as much momentum as I did the day before (and honestly when things spread out the humidity was already smacking me in the back so I mentally told myself as long as I stayed under a certain pace I’d be fine)
I was about a half mile in when a guy was weaving in and out of the crowd with a stroller…I didn’t think those were aloud outside the stroller roll 5K and there was at least one other I saw as I went on my way.
After a water stop I reached mile marker 1 with a split of 13:39 and pace 13’42
At this point I saw the pace car coming up to usher in winners which I never will be and that’s not pessimism it’s fact.
Some of the Star Wars cosplayers were back and near the beginning of the course there was also a mime pirate…I didn’t catch a photo/timestamp of them but got a GREAT picture on the back half so remember that in the back of your mind. Along with the entertainment there was a second water stop before mile marker 2. I reached it with a split of 14:20 and pace of 14’02
I reached a 3rd water stop and another visit from that 98.7 Shark before being blessed with a mister that was turned on…. This was one of only two and I didn’t take a stamp of the second one I just twirled around in it for a moment…
I got to the turnaround where moments later was the halfway arch
Then there was a runner who was dressed as a Pirate of a member of the Adventurers Club but I was able to snap a photo of him as I ran past him (and we kept passing each other off and on from there with him crossing the finish fairly close to me)
A 4th water stop lead me toward mile marker 3 with a split of 14:24 and pace of 14’10 (at 3.1 miles I was about a minute or so above my official 5K PR)
The pace car came up the other side of the road signaling the end of the line and soon I buzzed with my 10,000 steps and hit up waterstop #5
The one mile left to go sign appeared just inches before mile marker 4 with a split of 14:59 and pace of 14’26
The 6th and final water stop happened and then I passed that pirate mime again and like I said snapped a good photo
I ended this race in 5.13 miles with weaving and an official time of 1:13:59 (a PR of about 3 minutes!!)
NOTES:
RTY PROGRESS:
Last Milestone 400 Miles—126.14 Running Miles (as of 2/20)
UPCOMING RACES (NEXT 3 MONTHS)—Promise Run 5K 2/29
RACE COUNT—45
PRS—5K {42.46} 8K {1:13:59} 10K {1:42:52} 15K {2:19:09} HALF {3:48:35*} FULL {} *virtual half run in increments
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