Miami Marathon Weekend!!

After months of training the Miami Marathon weekend was finally here!!! Three quarters of Team Donahue and road crew got on a flight out of Boston bound for Miami late Friday afternoon. We got in late Friday night, had dinner and went to bed excited about hitting the Marathon Expo to pick up our numbers and do a little shopping. For those of you new to marathon running, going to the expo is an exciting time! The Boston Marathon has by far the most impressive expo with exhibits taking up a large part of the Hynes Convention Center. Let’s just say the Miami Marathon Expo, while well organized and spacious it’s not as big as Boston. The best part of the Miami Expo is that it is held in the center of South Beach Miami. Where you can enjoy the warm sunshine, the beach and see lots of fellow runners carrying their orange bags from the expo around with them as they explore.

The Marathon and Half Marathon start promptly at 6:15 AM. We were all up early and headed down Biscayne Avenue with fellow racers, all pleased to be comfortable in shorts and T-shirts pre-6 am! On the way over we had our picture taken in front of the American Airlines Arena by an ING. Excitement ramped up in the corral – Heidi and Meredith were plotting strategy for the half marathon and Christine and Sharon, who were running the full distance, reviewed their plan to not go out to fast and synchronized their ipods.

The race kicked off right on time and the course did not disappoint! The first 3 miles are across as 3 mile bridge with a few of docked cruise ships all lit up in the dark, then along South Beach as the sun is coming up and the partiers are walking home from the night before. After a tour of South Beach the race turns back across the Venetian Causeway and through the “tube of cheer”, the Wii Rock Band Guys (stage and everything!) and then the course splits where the half marathoners finish (Heidi had a PR!) and the full marathoners head into the loneliest mile 14 ever! After a couple of transitional miles, the marathon route heads into a great residential area with tons of flowers, palm trees and enthusiastic volunteers and spectators.

Sharon and Christine ran together for the first 18 miles and executed the plan we had started with. But as the morning went on the temperatures rose from 63 to 75 degrees, Christine started to fade back. At mile 22 Heidi and Meredith were right underneath the mile marker cheering us on!! Between miles 22 and 24 is a 1 mile out and back where they hand out orange leis! Sharon and Christine passed each other waving wildly during this part of the run. Then it was on to the finish!! A great time was had by all.