Yesterday was the big day. Outer Banks Marathon 2009. I finished in 4:38:18.88. Let me give you a recap.
We, Esther, Hazel and I, went down on Friday, firstly to get ourselves oriented, but also to make it a little bit of a vacation. We stayed at the First Colony Inn, which was a fantastic place to stay. After figuring out the lay of the land, we ate at New York Pizza Pub, quite possibly the most outrageously priced restaurant I have ever seen. I give it two thumbs down. After dinner, I faded like Hazel. I was out by 8:15. Kind of lame, I know, but my body needed it.
Saturday, we breakfast’d at the Inn, a descent continental, before heading out to the Race Expo. The expo was half way down the Outer Banks in Kill Devil Hills community center gym and while a little hectic due to traffic issue, was over all a good expo. Nothing like the Rock’n'Roll Half, which had the entire Virginia Beach convention center, but an adequate expo space.
While cruising the expo space with Esther and Hazel, we were testing the Ergo baby backpack, which was a success, but a little stressful for Hazel. She didn’t like not being able to walk around and see Esther, but she survived.
I didn’t get sucked in by the expo gear at the Rock’n'Roll, but I did finally succumb to it. I ended up buying The Stick. I got the “stiff” stick, which, while it sounds dirty, has been a life saver after the event. Plus it will help free up my hands when it comes to the Mrs. Benoit back rubs, added benefit, worth the cost. I am not one who love’s massages, but this thing is magic!
After the expo, we decided to drive to the start to make sure that we knew the lay of the land for the drop off, a little before Outer Banks Mile Maker 1. Drop off, check.
After lunch, we decided to drive to the end of the course in Manteo to get Esther familiar with the route, including the traffic changes. There were some extra bridges to cover, but the route to Manteo only added an extra 15 minutes on our trip. After walking around the Manteo Downtown, searching for some fudge for Esther, and getting cut in line by 4 senior citizens at a coffee shop, we packed up and headed back to the hotel.
We had dinner at Pamlico Jacks, but I could barely eat. I was starting get very anxious about the race. After we paid our bill, we went back to the hotel and I started to layout my gear for race day.
All-in-all, I laid out:
1 lycra long-sleeve top
1 “wick-away” short-sleeve top
1 pair of running shorts
1 pair of Vibram Five Finger KSOs
1 visor
1 wool stocking cap
1 pair of small cotton gloves
1 Amphipod belt system
3 8-oz Amphipod bottles with Gatorade
1 8-oz Amphipod bottle with DIY Energy gel
1 5-oz Amphipod bottle with DIY Energy gel
1 1-Litre Camelbak with water
1 Garmin Forerunner 301
1 pair of found Oakley Sunglasses
With all of my gear laid out, we put Hazel to sleep and Esther and I tried to relax in the Inn’s library for a little bit, until I was too tired to stay up any more. Really, too tired is an exaggeration. I knew that if I didn’t sleep early, I would hardly sleep at all.
Race day exploits coming in the next post (26.2. Part 2).