Brunswick ((Half)) Marathon

 

It's really supposed to be the Brunswick Marathon, but some of us have, on occasion, wimped out and only did a half. So it's almost a thing. In fact, since I did it this time, I'll go as far as to say that the Brunswick Half Marathon is a thing.

At the start - Julie Boggs Photo

That didn't affect Michael Kazar and Felicia Fago, who managed to run the whole thing. But for me, a half would be just fine, thank you. Fine because I haven't run more than nine miles (and most of those were walking) since my surgery. 

But I felt absolutely fine during the first fun 6.55-mile romp around the streets of Brunswick. I started with some fast folk, but hardly noticed the speedy pace because we were all talking, catching up on old times. By the third mile, I certainly did notice the fast pace, and duly slowed down. (Note that, as always, whether a pace is fast or slow pace is entirely relative.) I should also mention that our fastest 1/2 marathoner went out so fast, he was nowhere to be seen.

I finished the first loop with my usual running posse consisting of Harold Dravenstott and Andy and Michelle Wolff, and that was fun as well. We all talked for a while, and some were done for the day, either because they started early or because they were just plain done. But when it was time to begin loop 2, I paused for a moment. Yes, I was feeling fine, but this would be uncharted territory for me.

Off I went, following my friends Theresa Wright and Julie Boggs. Would I be able to maintain this? The short answer is yes; we stuck together for those entire 6.55 final miles. I do think those two could've left me in the dust if they'd wanted to. We all finished together, and I was still surprisingly fine. I'll be sore tomorrow, but probably not hoblling.

My time was 2:38:51. Not bad for an old guy coming off surgery, right? Don't answer!