I ran the Excalibur 10 Miler race in Melbourne, Florida on March 18th. Participants could run the entire course or as part of a two-person relay team. A 2 mile race ("Dragon Slayer") was also offered. This was the 3rd year of the 4 year "Game of Stones" series, which offered 3-year participants a finisher crown. This was my first time running Excalibur, so no crown for me.

Training & Goals
I'm still looking for my lost motivation and desire to run. My recent long runs have all been races. I'm looking to lose some weight but motivation has been hard to find for that as well. So I guess I've just been muddling along. I still love racing and I was looking forward to this run, a new race distance for me. I hoped to finish in under two hours.

Race Day: March 18, 2018
The race site is about an hour and 15 minutes from home, so I got up early and hit the road. I arrived shortly after the site opened. Parking was nearby and plentiful, and packet pickup was quick and painless. I waited for about a half hour in my car before looking around the staging area. There were several fun photo opportunities in the pre-dawn light. It was fun to wear themed gear -- a knight-themed InkNBurn shirt and a foam kid's crown that I stapled onto a Headsweats visor.

The start/finish at Viera High School means real toilets instead of portalets, woo hoo! Soon it was time to make the long walk out to the starting area. Medieval Times knights dressed in maroon and blue (representing two fields of runners) fought a sword duel to a draw before it was time to run. It was about 59°F with 88% humidity and clear skies at the start.

Mile 1: 11:23
We ran around the school property and headed out onto Stadium Parkway. 

Mile 2: 10:53
Following Stadium Parkway, we passed the recently-renovated USSSA Space Coast Stadium.

Mile 3: 11:04
This mile took us to Viera Boulevard, on our way to Duda Farms.

Mile 4: 11:36
We turned onto Duda Farm property and began running on Power Line Lane, a dirt road. There was a lot of course jostling as we tried to run on the hardest-packed part of the road, which was ever-changing. Singing Eastern Meadowlarks all over the place were a nice distraction.

Mile 5: 12:21
At the halfway point we passed the relay exchange point. More dirt road running.

Mile 6: 11:51
There was another half mile on the dirt before we turned onto North Wickham Road. After the turn I had a big problem with my eyes. I always get sweat in my eyes and it's usually not a problem but as soon as we were into the sun my eyes were really irritated. I kept winking as I ran and closing my eyes for a bit when I was walking. It was a big struggle and I didn't understand what happened.

Mile 7: 12:04
Once we turned back onto Stadium Parkway my eyes stopped being a bother. It was my nose's turn! Sniff, sniff, sniff. I was desperate for a portalet so I could blow my nose. After a mile or so of sniffing nonsense it seemed to subside a bit.

Mile 8: 11:44
More running on Stadium Parkway. Uneventful.

Mile 9: 12:43
This mile included an out-and-back portion on Judge Fran Jamieson Way. When I faced into the sun again my eyes started acting up again. Sweat + sun = a problem suddenly!? Strange allergic reaction exacerbated by bright sunshine? I dunno but I was glad when we turned north again.

Mile 10: 11:54
My nose started running again but now the timing was good -- I could run into a portlet and blow my nose with some toilet tissue. After that quick pitstop the course continued on pedestrian trails under Stadium Parkway and back onto Viera High School property for the finish. I was happy to meet my goal with a finish just under two hours.

After the Race
There were lots of treats for finishers, including cans of Coca Cola, pizza, BBQ chicken, and chili. Some stands had other small swag giveaways as well.

Recommendation
This was a really well-organized race with a fun theme. Course pointers were dressed up in fun medieval-style costumes. Water stop volunteers were friendly and enthusiastic. Law enforcement traffic support was excellent. The course itself was good. I wish I had gotten into the series sooner. Highly recommended.

Chip time: 1:58:01
Placement details: 36/105 in Age Group, 756th overall out of 1577 finishers
Race Amenities: Extremely nice finisher medal for all, free race photos, and possibly my favorite race t-shirt ever.
Cost: $59.30

Report written March 22, 2018

I ran the 5th annual Best Damn Race Orlando half marathon on March 3, 2018. A 10K and 5K (plus challenge) was also offered. The half course runs through downtown Orlando.

Training & Goals
I hadn't run since Gasparilla the previous week. Just not feeling it. No goals. Just hoped to finish in under 2:40.

Race Day: March 3, 2018
I had picked up my bib and shirt the day before so I didn't have to arrive too early race morning. I found some free on-street parking about a half mile from the start at Lake Eola. I stood shivering in my sweater by the gear check area as long as I could before the race started. As the start time approached, I found a spot in the back of the corral. It was 55°F at the start with low 44% humidity and clear skies.

Mile 1, 2, 3: 11:36, 11:32, 11:19
We ran on some brick roads here, but they were pretty smooth. Feeling good.

Mile 4, 5, 6: 11:19, 11:19, 11:15
Ooh, nice splits!

Mile 7, 8, 9: 11:32, 12:28, 11:47
Poor preparation = longer walk breaks in the second half of the race. I felt okay and surprisingly no hamstring aches, just fatigued. Mentally not into it either.

Mile 10, 11, 12: 12:14, 12:42, 12:40
Here were more brick roads and they were a lot more hazardous than we ran earlier in the race. I was running with some women and we saw a guy in front of us trip and almost go down. We all gasped. I spent a lot of time looking down.

Mile 13+: 12:05, 1:39
I walked a bit more of mile 13 than I would have liked but ran in at the very end. I was pleased to see my finish time was under 2:40.

After Party
There were several tents in the runner village giving out treats and samples. The race offered pizza, fruit, and beer for finishers. It was a pretty good spread but I didn't stick around too long.

Recommendation
The half marathon course is a really nice run through downtown Orlando with lots of shade. I'm not a fan of the brick roads. Good swag and after party. Recommended.

Chip time: 2:35:22
Placement details: 30/48 in Age Group; 720/936 overall
Race Amenities: Soft t-shirt, no-show socks, personalized bib, nice finisher medal, well-stocked after party, free race photos.
Cost: $38.50 (early tiered pricing)

Report written March 8, 2018

Arthur and I traveled to Tampa so I could participate in the 2018 Gasparilla Distance Classic. I had registered for the Michelob Ultra Challenge, which meant I would be running four races over two days: a 15K and 5K on Saturday, and a half marathon followed by an 8K on Sunday, for a weekend total of 30.4 miles.

The Gasparilla Distance Classic is just one of several annual pirate-themed events that take place in the Tampa area. The first Distance Classic took place in Feburary 1978, and since then the races have raised over $5 million for local youth organizations and running programs. The Wikipedia article on the Gasparilla Pirate Festival explains a bit about the history of pirate events in Tampa.

Training & Goals
I've filled up my race calendar but I haven't been keeping up with my training. I went into Gasparilla on a nearly two-week running drought, logging only 11 training miles. Yikes. My only goal was to finish. I was a little bit worried about Sunday as the time between the half and the 8K didn't leave a lot of wiggle room for slower runners.

Race Weekend Day One: February 23, 2018
Arthur and I headed to Tampa on Friday, with a stop at Sparkle Skirts Headquarters on the way. Our next stop was the Health and Fitness Expo at the Tampa Convention Center. I picked up my bib, shirts, and challenge jacket. We had a look at the vendors and I was able to find my name on the huge printed banner on display in the hall.

Tampa was having their monthly Fourth Friday celebration, in which several art and cultural venues in the city open their doors for free or offer specials to visitors. We walked to the Henry B. Plant Museum for an hour visit. After dinner we went to the magnificent Tampa Theatre where we enjoyed a show of all the Oscar-nominated animated shorts. They had a two-for-one beer special so I did some extra alcoholic-style carb loading before heading back to the hotel for the night.

Race Weekend Day Two: February 24, 2018
Our hotel in Brandon was just a short drive into downtown Tampa. We found a place to park close to the start/finish area. First we stopped at the convention center for a group picture with my running club before heading over to the start of the 15K race, my first of this distance (instant PR!).

Gasparilla 15K
The corral was extremely crowded and it was hard to find where to enter the fenced-off area. I lined up according to my projected pace.

It was about 70°F with clear skies and 100% humidity at the start. It didn't feel that humid to me. There was a light breeze off of the bay thay may have helped. Arthur took this photo of me at the start:

The course was a simple out-and-back along Bayshore Boulevard. The run had very little shade. I knew I had plenty of time to complete this race, as the following 5K wouldn't start until 9:25AM at the earliest, with the last wave starting at 9:45AM (I crossed the start of the 15K at 6:49AM).

It was fun to be running somewhere new. It was nice to look out over the bay on the first half of the run. There were ample water stops and some distractions, like a group of Rough Riders cheering the runners. There were even some spectators handing out pieces of Krispy Kreme donuts at the turnaround - thank you!

On the way back, unfortunately, all I could notice was the fishy / garbage-y stink coming off the water. At first I thought I got a whiff of a porta-potty but the smell continued for most of the run back. The breeze must have been off the water but at our backs on the way out. On the way in the breeze went right up my nose and I found it quite unpleasant. :(

I finished with a mediocre time of 1:51:13, slowing down significantly for the last four miles, constantly thinking about all the running that was still ahead of me. The best part of the morning was meeting Meb Keflezighi, who was giving out high fives and taking selfies with finishers after the race. I had missed him at the expo so I was very glad to see him, albeit very shortly, at the finish line.

The finish chute, which would be the same for all of the races, was a long walk over the bridge back towards the Tampa Convention Center. Runners could pick up their medals, water, snacks, and cooling towels on the way out.

Gasparilla 5K
After crossing the finish line and getting my goodies, I found Arthur in the crowd. I handed him my medal and then we parted so I could make my way to the starting corral for the 5K. It was even more crowded, and more chaotic. I had no idea where to line up and again it was hard to find the way into the fenced-off corral. My Ultra Challenge bib didn't seem to match the color coding system for the wave starts and the volunteers in the corrals also didn't know where I should be. I made my way to the front of a middle corral. After a while I saw they were letting Ultra runners into the next corral so I asked to be let in as well. I ended up crossing the starting line at about 9:36AM which would have been good for a projected race time of 36-40 minutes. It took me a bit longer than that: 46:44. Oops.

It was 73°F with 83% humidity for the start of this race. The sun was blazing and it felt a lot more than 3° hotter. The route took us along Bayshore Boulevard again. It was a slog. This time the Rough Riders were handing out whole doughnuts at the turnaround. Yummy!

I wasn't feeling super great during either race. I was kind of down on running in general actually. Though I complained about the stink, I should probably put more blame on the copious amounts of beer I drank the night before. Oops.

Anyway, after the 5K I met Arthur back at the car. We headed back to the hotel so I could shower and change. After a nice big late breakfast at First Watch, we headed to the TECO Manatee Viewing Center. It was too hot for manatees but we had a nice visit at the center.

We had an early dinner at Bahama Breeze and then went to see Black Panther at a local cinema. I got a huge soda and a huge popcorn (birthday freebies). So I went from a pre-race beer binge to a pre-race popcorn binge.

Race Weekend Day Three: February 25, 2018
Another short, uneventful drive got us into the city from our suburban hotel.

Gasparilla Half Marathon
I met up with WVR club members before the race for a group photo, but took my leave quickly. I wanted to try to get as far up in the start corral as I could. I was the only club member running both races on Sunday and I'm really glad I left when I did.

I managed to squeeze my way close to the front of the 2+ hour corral. I knew I had to be back by the time the 8K started at 9:15AM. I crossed the half marathon start line at 6:03AM. It was 70°F with 100% humidity. The weather felt pleasantly cool - we started running before the sun came up.

The first part of this race took us through the residential streets of Davis Islands. It was quite dark in some places so I kept my head down, watching my footing. There were plenty of water stops and some distractions along the way, like a fire juggler and cheering homeowners. I was taking it easy but I felt much better than I did the day before. I guess a boatload of popcorn is okay race fuel?

After running the first 5 or so miles on the island, we crossed the Davis Boulevard Bridge to finish the run on Bayshore Boulevard (UGH). On Sunday the stink wasn't as prevalent as on Saturday. It was tolerable.

There were even more spectators out on the route, some giving out brownie bites (YUM), Twizzlers (THE BEST), and even mimosas (darn, I missed these!). Throughout the last 8 miles I was doing a lot of race math (math is hard) and slowing my pace, just wanting to finish and not struggle too much in the blazing sun. I wanted to time my finish so that I wouldn't have to wait around too much for the 8K to start, and it worked out okay. I finished the half in 2:51:33.

Gasparilla 8K
The start of the 8K was directly next to the finish of the half marathon, so after I picked up my half medal I handed it to Arthur and then swung around to get into the 8K corral. It was fun cheering on the incoming half marathoners as I waited for the 8K to start. It was 72°F with full blazing sun. It felt hot. I was going to take it slow. Very, very slow. I did a lot of walking and finished with a time of 1:21:47. Unfortunately some of the water stops ran out of cups for us back-of-the-pack runners, which was disappointing.

After Party
There was a lot going on after the races on Sunday (maybe on Saturday too, but we left early). Unfortunately the food line was closed before I could get anything from the buffet, even though it looked like there was still plenty of food. I saw other runners carrying whole bunches of bananas but I was only given one at the banana table. Huh? Kids were trying to give away whole boxes of Kashi bars and fruit cups. I saw runners with beer, but where did they get it? The beer tent and rest of the runner village was about a 1/3 mile from the food, in a totally separate area. That was pretty strange. Arthur and I walked over so I could get my free post-race beer and we picked up a few other freebies along the way. I was super glad it was over!

Recommendation
I'm glad to have run Gasparilla once, but I think that once was enough. I wasn't a fan of the chaotic starting corrals, the literally stinky course, and running along the exact same stretch of road for four races. The lack of food and shortage of water cups was no fun either. The t-shirts and medals are great but the jacket premium for challenge runners isn't special. All in all I was a bit disappointed after hearing a lot of hype about this race series.

15K chip time: 1:51:13 Placement details: 291/498 in Age Group; 3648/5367 overall
5K chip time: 46:44 Placement details: 472/802 in Age Group; 7460/11356 overall
Half Marathon chip time: 2:51:29 Placement details: 330/457 in Age Group; 4283/5292 overall
8K chip time: 1:21:47 Placement details: 358/431 in Age Group; 4180/4648 overall
Race Amenities: Tech race shirts for each distance, medals for each race plus challenge medal, challege jacket, reusable Publix shopping bag, various swag and coupons at expo
Cost: $203.80 for Michelob Ultra Challenge

Report written March 7, 2018

Professional race photos (c) MarathonFoto

After each runDisney race, participants can pick up a bottle of water, a banana, and a runDisney snack box.

What's inside the box? It varies, though I think if they ever got rid of the chips and cheese there would be mass outrage. A few things seem to come back time after time, and some things are new to the boxes, depending on the race series and the participating sponsors.

Here's what was inside the box for the Princess series in 2017:

• Alejandro On The Go Cheese Snack (130c, available at Dollar Tree and Amazon)
• Rachel's Bite Size Tortilla Chips (140c)
• GoGoSqueez Applesauce On the Go (60c)
• Oreos 2-Cookie Pack (100c)
• Welch's Dried Cranberries pack (80c)
• Clif Builder's Chocolate Mint Protein Bar (140c with 20g protein)
• small moist towelette

This is what was being served after the 2017 Dark Side 5K:

• Alejandro On The Go Cheese Snack (130c, available at Dollar Tree and Amazon)
• Rachel's Bite Size Tortilla Chips (140c)
• GoGoSqueez Applesauce On the Go (60c)
• Oreos 2-Cookie Pack (100c)
• Nature Box Apple Berry Medley (90c)
• Chocolate Yummy Snack (150c)
• small moist towelette

Lately the cheese, tortilla chips, and GoGoSqueez seem to be default treats. I really like the dried fruits for fuel during long runs so I've saved those for future training. I've also seen Ghirardelli chocolates in some boxes. Have you received something different from a runDisney snack box? What's your favorite treat? And what about that "cheese"? Yay or nay? For me, it's a hard no on the cheese but everything else is fair game!

I ran the Belle Terre Bobcat 5K on February 10th. Proceeds from this race go to support student programs at Belle Terre Elementary School in Palm Coast.

The race was accompanied by a cute little health fair with local vendors, as well as a free pancake breakfast for runners following the race.

Goals
My motivation seems to be taking a vacation without me. My desire to run has been AWOL since Dopey. So if I wasn't signed up for some races I might not be running at all. I guess that shows that I didn't have any particular goals for this one (although that's not entirely new).

Race Day: February 10, 2018
Arthur and I drove up to Palm Coast race morning. Parking and packet pickup were smooth. We had a look at the health fair before the race began. It was 66°F with 100% humidity by the time the race started at 9AM. The early clouds cleared up very quickly and it was a hot slog in shadeless bright sun on the run back.

Mile 1: 10:00

Mile 2: 10:34

Mile 3+: 10:56, 1:08

After the Race
Arthur and I stayed in the cafeteria after the race to watch the awards ceremony. I had some complimentary pancakes. For the second 5K in a row I came in 4th in my age group, womp womp (awards are given to the top three in each group).

Recommendation
This was a cute little charity race. It was well-run by school officials and Red Pointer Productions. Recommended for locals.

Chip time: 32:37
Placement details: 4th of 17 in Age Group, 55th overall out of 207 finishers
Race Amenities: Thin unisex cotton t-shirt, finisher medal for all, health expo with various swag
Cost: $22.75

Report written February 16, 2018

I ran the inaugural Running with the Herd 5K in the Villages. I like to race in the winter and some of the local races I've run in the past are no longer happening. I thought it might be fun to take a drive out to the Villages for this school charity race. Proceeds from the race were to go to the Buffalo Scholarship Foundation.

Race Day: Feburary 2, 2018
The drive out to the Villages was about an hour and 15 minutes. The race start and finish were at the Villages Charter School. It was about 61°F with 82% humidity at the 8AM start for the race.

Mile 1: 10:19
We started on the school track and headed out to run around the Villages Charter Elementary School grounds.

Mile 2: 10:23
There were some twists and turns around the school parking lot and at one point it wasn't clear which way to go. We had to ask a course marshal to point the way.

Mile 3*: 10:07
The race finished with a longer run around the school track, which was fun. These cheerleaders were at the finish line.

Unfortunately the course was short, which is a bummer. My GPS gave me 2.99 miles for the run. Another bummer: I was 4th in my age group. Womp womp.

Since the race took place on school property, runners could use the facilities. Not having to use a porta potty is always a bonus. I was even able to change clothes in the restroom before leaving the venue -- woo hoo!

Recommendation
This was a cute little race. Course direction was fair, as was the course itself. There were two water stops. The short course was a bummer. It's a good cause but there was nothing extra special about the race that would make me come back. Mildly recommended for locals.

Chip time: 30:47 (short course)
Placement details: 4th of 9 in Age Group, 56th overall out of 185 finishers
Race Amenities: Cotton t-shirt and finisher medal for all
Cost: $20

Report written February 10, 2018

I ran the 9th annual Daytona Beach Half Marathon on February 4th. I ran the same race last year and I guess I had a good time if I came back for more! The good course, great organization, and awesome beneficiary all brought me back.

Goals
So I put on a bunch of weight during the fall, feasting for the holidays and packing on pounds through Dopey training. I knew I wouldn't beat my time from last year. I hoped to run under 2:45.

Race Day: February 4, 2018
It's a lot of fun driving into the speedway. Getting to the venue, parking the car, and picking up my shirt and bib were all super smooth.

I had pre-ordered the race Tervis cup and forgot about it. It wasn't offered or mentioned during packet pickup. While looking around the vendors on the way to the bathroom I noticed a booth selling the cups along with previous race year t-shirts and swag. When I mentioned that I didn't get a cup, the volunteer just gave me one without asking for my name. I thought that was kind of strange. Anyway.

West Volusia Runners had a pretty large presence at the race. There was a tent to promote Lighthouse Loop as well. Here's our group before the half marathon.

It was 63°F with 94% humidity at the start of the race (last year it was 55°F with 100%). It was partly cloudy through the race, with the sun beating down at times and extremly light sprinkles touching down around the time I finished.

Mile 1, 2, 3: 11:03, 11:27, 10:57
Running on that racetrack was pretty cool once again. Even though I'm no Nascar fan, it's neat to be running in such a famous and recongizable place.

Mile 4, 5, 6: 11:16, 11:38, 11:29
We ran down residential streets of Daytona, with a few spectators out to watch the runners. The traffic police did a great job keeping drivers in line and us runners safe.

Mile 7, 8, 9: 12:29, 11:05, 12:54
Just before the race began we learned that it was high tide so we would not be running on the beach. I don't really understand this because I thought that tides were predictable, but whatever. We still had to run over the causeway bridge twice, and it sucked. Going back over the bridge after the turnaround was particularly brutal and I had a nice stream of profanities running through my head as I trudged over. Ugh.

Mile 10, 11, 12: 13:10, 12:57, 13:34
So after the bridge, I struggled. My watch can detect my heart rate, and while it spiked during the two bridge crossings, it remained elevated for the remainder of the race. This is kind of interesting / discouraging / motivating. I think I need to try hill repeats in my training more often -- maybe it will help my future bridge / hill performance. Right now it's quite abysmal.

Mile 13+: 14:06, 2:50
Total mental defeat for the last mile, and I'm not sure why. Way too much walking, too much struggling and failing with race math, too much defeat. Ugh. I managed to run the last bit on the speedway on my way to the finish line. I heard my name called again as I went over the mats and that is always fun.

After the Race
I picked up my medal and found fellow club member Naymond, volunteering at the finish line, to get my finisher towel. I went and got a complimentary sack of popcorn and sat down on the grass along the track to watch 3+ hour half marathoners and superfast 5K runners finish their races. Eventually I got up and checked out some of the sponsor tents. I got photos with our two famous local turtle mascots.

The noms on offer weren't as elaborate as last year but I didn't mind. I snagged a egg muffin sandwich to go before saying goodbye to my club mates and heading home.

Recommendation
No complaints. I like this race and will run again in the future if it fits my schedule. I decided to "just" run the half marathon rather than the challenge, which would have added the 5K and some more awesome swag. I do think I'll run that challenge at some point, though...

Chip time: 2:40:53
Placement details: 38th of 75 in Age Group, 678th overall out of 1058 finishers (I don't know why there is a difference in my certificate info and the official race results?)
Race Amenities: Nice gender specific race shirt, finsher medal for all, beach towel for all, great course, free race photos. After the race there were some free treats, like breakfast sandwiches and popcorn.
Cost: $85.80

Report written February 10, 2018

Professional race photos (c) BB Action Photo

WVR team photo (c) Almost There Photography

I ran the Lady Track Shack 5K on January 27th. This is a long-running local all-women 5K race that celebrates women's health and raises money for mammograms for members of the community in need.

Training & Goals
I've been struggling a bit with motivation and keeping up an extremely modest weekly base are about all the miles I've managed to log lately. I was just looking for a good tempo run and hoped to avoid tripping on Orlando's cobbled roads.

Race Day: January 27, 2018
I had picked up my shirt and bib prior to race day so I didn't have to worry about getting to the event early. Arthur drove down with me and we found a spot to park the car in a nearby parking garage. We followed pink people to the race staging area, which had a lot of vendors and activity. With over 2K runners, the race lineup stretched around a corner. It was 63°F at the start with 83% humidity.

Mile 1: 11:13
I was a bit late getting to the starting area so I found myself towards the back.

It took me over two and a half minutes to cross the starting mat! I had to walk on and off while I made my way through the sea of pink. It was a fun atmosphere, with lots of runners in costume and many groups of women running or walking together.

Mile 2: 11:28
The field thinned out a bit but there was still some bobbing and weaving. We passed a DJ playing music behind Track Shack at around the halfway point.

Mile 3+: 10:53, 1:39
The approach to the finish line was full of spectators. I tried to pick it up at the end for a strong finish. This was a slower 5K for me but I was happy with the run.

After the Race
All runners received a finisher medal as well as a small plant as a finisher gift. I picked out a little palm. I got a banana and a bottle of water and found Arthur. We looked around the runner village for a while and I got a couple of treat samples before we headed back to the car.

Recommendation
Track Shack events are typically slick and well-run, and this race was no different. Support on the course was very good and there was a lot to look at and do at the start/finish area. The race supports a great local cause. Recommended.

Chip time: 35:11
Placement details: 61th of 255 in Age Group, 618th overall out of 2213 finishers
Race Amenities: Long sleeve Raw Threads t-shirt, nice medal, choice of baby plant
Cost: $30.00

Report written February 7, 2018

Professional race photos (c) BB Action Photo

I first ran the Lake Helen Holiday Stress Buster in 2016. In 2017 it was my only holiday-themed race.

Training & Goals
The Dopey Challenge of four back-to-back races would start the following Thursday. For this race I was looking to have fun and remain uninjured (same old same old).

Race Day: December 24, 2017
Lake Helen is close to home. I had to get my packet before the race but there was plenty of time to get parked, pick up my stuff, and drop it off back at the car. Arthur came along to spectate. It was 61°F at the start with high humidity and partly cloudy skies.

Mile 1: 10:44

Mile 2: 10:44

Mile 3+: 10:20, 1:32

Recommendation
A nice little local holiday race. The course through Lake Helen is cute and the event was well-managed. Recommended.

Chip time: 33:05
Placement details: 10th of 28 in Age Group, 159th overall out of 426 finishers
Race Amenities: Swag included a nice long sleeve tech shirt and finisher medal for all
Cost: $18.00

Report written January 28, 2018

The day after the 2018 WDW Marathon, Arthur and I boarded the Disney Dream for a 4-night cruise. This particular cruise is tied to marathon weekend, in a way.

While all Disney cruises that visit their private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, offer a "ship 5K", only once a year does runDisney offer a race there. And anyone who ran any race during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend who also runs this special runDisney Castaway Cay 5K earns an extra special medal for completing the Castaway Cay Challenge.

Naturally that means that this cruise attracts a lot of runners as passengers. There were some runDisney events on board, including runDisney crafts (making spectator signs) and runDisney trivia. There was also an information session the night before we docked at Castaway Cay. There were about 3000 passengers on board, and about 1000 of us ran the Castaway Cay Challenge. It was fun to be on a runner cruise like this.

The four-night cruise started with our departure on Monday evening. Tuesday we docked in Nassau. It was overcast and drizzly but Arthur and I still had a nice walk out to a small zoo for a visit, where we could do some birding in addition to seeing the resident animals. We stumbled upon the Rainbow Lorikeet enclosure at just the right time.

Race Day: January 10, 2018
Wednesday we docked at Castaway Cay.

Castaway Cay Challenge 5K
The first race was early -- runners were able to leave the ship before anyone else and we had a nice view of the ship docked in the dark. The race included four rotating characters at two different stops. We ran an out-and-back along the island's airstrip and finished by making a loop on the bike path. It was 70°F with light drizzle and 100% humidity at the start of my run.

Mile 1: 19:06 | Mile 2: 18:02 | Mile 3+: 13:53, 7:15*

After the Race
After picking up our medals (a rubber one for the race and a nice metal one for completing the challenge) we picked up water, bananas, and runDisney snack boxes. Characters were out for finisher photos, and there was a beverage kiosk offering beer and champagne for sale.

"Ship" Castaway Cay 5K
The challenge race was followed by the usual "ship 5K" race which was open to all passengers. Arthur signed up for it and I ran that along with him (although he ran ahead of me, bored with my walking pace). It was still 70°F at the start of this race, with intermittent light rain.

Mile 1: 13:45 | Mile 2: 14:07 | Mile 3+: 15:31, 1:48*
Arthur finished before me so he saw me get my last medal from this whole Dopey ordeal.

After the Race
For this free race there were no characters out on the course or at the finish. The beverage tent was gone but water, bananas, and leftover runDisney snack boxes were still out when we finished.

After the second race, Arthur and I headed back towards the ship, where Captain Hook was out for photos. Back on the ship, we had breakfast, rode the AquaDuck (fun, too cold, no lines), and freshened up. Back on the island, we took a few glamour shots with all of my medals.

We had some BBQ lunch in the rain and looked at a couple of the island's shops. The weather was pretty lousy so we didn't stay on the island too long.

Garmin Times: Both races were untimed. Garmin gave me 58:17 for the CCC and 45:10 for the ship race
Race Amenities: Rubber finisher medal, Challenge medal, personalized bib, and short sleeve tech shirt for CCC. Rubber medal and generic bib for the ship 5K.
Cost: $70 for the CCC; $0 for the ship 5K

*I often forget to turn off my Garmin after a race, so the final time is skewed.

Report written January 28, 2018