My inspiration to run long distance road races began in DC, while working for the Marine Corps Marathon and the network manager.  There was so much emotion at the finish line, the expression of accomplishment at the finish line.  The irony is that until recently, all of my races have taken place in Europe.  I’ve ran a series of marathons and half-marathons in Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Germany, and Spain during my six years of living in Europe.  In 2011, I spent three months on assignment in Miami.  After three months of sunshine and great food, I couldn’t resist to make it the city in which I would run my USA running debut.
I may have not followed the textbook recommendations of 48 hours prior as I indulged at one of my favorite restaurants in Miami: Ceviche 105, followed by dancing all over Brickell until 5am.  Not the smartest race tactic, but I had so much fun!  Saturday, I rode by all my favorite South Beach spots with DecoBike.  Loved riding through Collins avenue and seeing the good, the bad, and the weird.  It was so nice to feel the warm sun on my skin on January day after the cold and snowy days in DC.  After some fun in the sun, I headed to the expo.
Compared to European events, the Miami Marathon expo was much larger and  prices were much better in apparel, gels, and other accessories.  In contrast, I noticed most road races in the United States are more expensive than in Europe.  For example, I paid $62 for Berlin Half Marathon (one of the largest half marathons in Europe) and but paid 93.50 for Miami Half Marathon.  Another significant contrast was the race t-shirt.  My European race t-shirts only have the name of the race and some the name of the main sponsor.  The back of the Miami t-shirt was filled with sponsors’ logos. I know sponsors are necessary to carry on a race but it feels tacky and commercialized. It doesn’t make me want to wear the t-shirt after the race.

Finished!

The race began at 6am given the Miami heat.  The energy of the people made it much bearable to be awake at 5am on a Sunday. From what I read, there were over 30,000 runners for both the half and full marathon.  I felt the race organizers did a great job in getting all the runners to their places despite the huge crowds.  I also enjoyed the energy of the MC’s and how they got the crowd going at such early time in the morning. 
As I began the race, I felt great.  There was a nice ocean breeze crossing the bridge to South Beach.  As we ran past the cruise ships, many on board waved at us from their balconies.  The first six miles were great.  I was moving at my desired pace.  My goal was to run 2:10 but once the sun showed its face, I started to slow down.  For the locals, the weather was perfect.  For those who are not acclimatized to South Florida weather, it was a little rough.  I did appreciate the frequent water/Gatorade stops during the course.  Even more appreciated was the makeshift water stop outside a private home around mile 7. 
As I approached the finish line, I was way off my desired finish time but it was a beautiful day in Miami and it was nice to take it all in, medal on my chest.  I enjoyed all the snacks provided at the finish line and the lively atmosphere.  Overall, it was a great race.  As I walked past the marathon runners on my way to Brickell, I realized I need to do some changes to my training and diet if I want to run close or below my personal best for the 13.1 and the 26.2.  I recently signed up for the Rock and Roll DC Half Marathon. I hope to redeem myself. This fall I plan to run the Marine Corps Marathon and hopefully run my personal record at the race which inspired me to run 26.2 miles nine years ago.

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