Anybody running the Space Coast marathon?

[chanson2]

Hi all!

Just thought I would post and see if anyone out there is running the Space Coast marathon or half marathon in Cocoa Beach? Its just around the corner! My DH and DD are running the full. DD really wanted the half, but it sold out too quickly for us. So she's running her first full, 5 days before she turns 21. She's really in it for the bling -loves medals and esp loves space shuttles - she wanted to work at NASA mission control for the longest time, till the shuttle program was shut down.

Anyway, happy running!

 

[ANIM8R]

I'll doing the Space Coast marathon, too.

I've wanted to do it since I first started getting back into running a few years ago and things worked out with some other travel plans so off to Cocoa Beach for us!

Woke up to 4 inches of snow today and tomorrow's high is supposed to be around 20. I can't wait to get out of here!

I'm going to treat it as a 20 mile training run for WDW (Space Coast is six weeks out from WDW). Unless I feel absolutely spectacular, I'll take a walk break at mile 20 and do run/walk the rest of the race. I'm really gearing myself to the Dopey in January and, at my age and fitness level, I'm worried I might end up taking a step back if I go too hard that weekend.

Best of luck to you and your family that weekend!

 

[Disneyland_emily]

Running the half! Year 4

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

I've looked at the Space Coast 1/2. Looks like a good, interesting race. It would be hard for DW and I to get all the days off we'd want for the race, though.
Will you be doing a post race report?

 

[chanson2]

I will post a race account - according to my family members running it!

DD and DH did a training run of 24 miles last week, and DD had a smile on her face at the end, so at least they know they can do it! Hope she recovers quick as we have tickets to MVMCP that night! But hey, she's 20, so hopefully no problem!

 

[belle2211]

I'll be running the half again!

 

[John VN]

This will be our 5th Space Coast. Wonderful route for house viewing and river viewing. Absolutely fabulous breakfast and towel. Medal has always been outstanding and the series medals are really cool.

Watch out for road camber and some cracks/pot holes. Fast course with a couple of little ups that are not killers but let you know that FL. is not ALL totally flat.

Fabulous breakfast if you didn't see that I already mentioned it.

 

[sunnygal041]

I'll be running the half again!

Did the full last year, doing the half this time around.

 

[ANIM8R]

How did it go for everybody?

I caught a cold a couple days prior (stuffed-up, sore throat) . Friday night I was only able to sleep for a few hours. Felt so-so the next day for the Expo, beach, and general vacationing. Saturday night was miserable - zero sleep. Couldn't breath (through my nose). Contemplated not going but after spending the money for the race and the accommodations, that wasn't going to happen.

Felt fine the first half - ran at my normal pace - and was optimistic. Had it not been for the cold, I was shooting for a 5:00. I was running with the 4:30 pacer up through the 13 mile mark. Then about 16 or 17 the congestion, sleep deprivation, and general lack of strength hit me.....HARD. 4:45 passed me. Then 5:00. Then 5:15. Then eventually 5:30. It's the first time I've ever considered not finishing. That was rough. I ran my first marathon faster than this one.

I finished though and I certainly keep my condition in perspective in that I'm lucky because it's not as if I injured anything or sustain any serious physical damage to knees/feet/legs/etc. So, I'm fortunate in that I don't need to rehab anything or need surgery, I just need to kick this cold!

How about that finish line though? I never though I was going to reach the actual line while running through that pavilion. I saw a couple of people stop once they reached the pavilion - I didn't know if they meant to stop or thought it was the end....but at that point it just seemed to go on and on and on and on!

Loved the medal and the beach towel. I hope I can do it again for a couple of reasons 1) to redeem myself and my finish time and 2) to work towards that 3-race bonus medal!

 

[McCoy]

How did it go for everybody?

I caught a cold a couple days prior (stuffed-up, sore throat) . Friday night I was only able to sleep for a few hours. Felt so-so the next day for the Expo, beach, and general vacationing. Saturday night was miserable - zero sleep. Couldn't breath (through my nose). Contemplated not going but after spending the money for the race and the accommodations, that wasn't going to happen.

Felt fine the first half - ran at my normal pace - and was optimistic. Had it not been for the cold, I was shooting for a 5:00. I was running with the 4:30 pacer up through the 13 mile mark. Then about 16 or 17 the congestion, sleep deprivation, and general lack of strength hit me.....HARD. 4:45 passed me. Then 5:00. Then 5:15. Then eventually 5:30. It's the first time I've ever considered not finishing. That was rough. I ran my first marathon faster than this one.

I finished though and I certainly keep my condition in perspective in that I'm lucky because it's not as if I injured anything or sustain any serious physical damage to knees/feet/legs/etc. So, I'm fortunate in that I don't need to rehab anything or need surgery, I just need to kick this cold!

How about that finish line though? I never though I was going to reach the actual line while running through that pavilion. I saw a couple of people stop once they reached the pavilion - I didn't know if they meant to stop or thought it was the end....but at that point it just seemed to go on and on and on and on!

Loved the medal and the beach towel. I hope I can do it again for a couple of reasons 1) to redeem myself and my finish time and 2) to work towards that 3-race bonus medal!

Congrats on finishing, despite everything going against you! My story is almost the same, except I wasn't sick at all, just not properly trained. We were probably pretty near each other the second half of the race though. I have never done any run longer than a half marathon, and used Space Coast as a sort of training run for Goofy next month. I've got a lot of work to do! Started with the 4:45 Galloway group, and was great up until mile 17, and hit a wall. Tried to jog intermittently on the way in, but then ended up walking the entire last 3 miles. 5:00 and 5:15 groups passed us up as well, but we were able to get in a little before 5:30. Ugh.

I still like the race overall, but like last year, we felt race check-in was just a mess and poorly organized, despite the new location for the check-in and expo. They completely ran out of men's large and XL shirts by early afternoon because they weren't at all checking what anyone actually signed up for, the expo was just a mess of people in too small a location, and we weren't thrilled with the bus situation Sunday morning.

But, all that said, we will probably be back next year for the half. (I have no goal or desire to do any other fulls after Mickey next month). We're hopeful they will continue to try to make some things better, because we really do like the race itself.

 

[chanson2]

OP here - both DD and DH finished the marathon, right at the 6 hour mark. It was rough for DD. I wasn't sure she would make it! We train on the tobacco trail here, which is a converted railroad, and it has both paved and dirt, so the 26 miles on all pavement really took its toll on her joints. She also is stubborn about fueling regularly! Was proud of DH tho - he even made it through Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party that night.

They took the later bus from Zone 1, and had no problems. It took me awhile to get over the bridge later that morning. It merged into one lane right by the finish line. We went early enough to the expo so no problems with shirts, ect. Didn't attend either the mingle or the pasta night.

DH said they ran by some beautiful houses. Loved the medal. DD would love to come back, but only for the half next time!

 

[John VN]

#5 done and will be better prepared for #6. Expo was crowded as mentioned. Should be relocated to a larger building.

DW only had 20 miles of "training" since Donald Half in January. She has been experiencing foot issues, had x-rays and now will be getting a MRI asap. DW, DD and DGS took first bus from Best Western and it wound up leaving earlier than the scheduled 4:15. I took the 5:00 bus which didn't leave until almost 5:20.

I forgot about the ISS passing over Cocoa at 5:58 right before the Half start. Would have been cool mentioning it to the announcer and having everybody see it.

Very slow but we finished. My knees gave me notice that they still are not happy. Residual effects from Ironman Florida on November 1st. I didn't really put an effort into it so I had no breakfast. Just wasn't hungry.

REALLY liked the FINISHER being printed on the top of the beach towel!!!

Dopey McFlurry John