I learned some things today about the art of racing in the rain. Waking up this morning in Mahwah at the early hour of 3:30 A.M., the dog and I went out and while it was damp, there was no precipitation falling. This was a hopeful sign for all of the hour or so it took to get down the Garden State Parkway to the Oranges exits, where the skies opened. When I got to Long Branch, I was fortunate to get a parking spot not too far from the start line, and it was free of parking fees. What was not so fortunate was that the rain and wind were really pounding. The ocean, so calm and serene in my cover photo, was really churning and an angry gray color. Looking at Facebook posts from others on my phone questioning whether the race was still on, I knew it was. However, questioning the races fate was not on my mind, but questioning my sanity was in moving forward with this adventure. I braved the soaking rain to pick up my packet from a tent near the start line and retreated to the car. The heater was turned up full blast, and I put my running jacket, appropriately water resistant, near the vents to soak up every last bit of heat before I had to leave for good. I would recommend that every person who decides to run no matter what have a consultation with their local running store guru. Mine is Joe Glotzbier of Fleet Feet Mahwah, who steered me in the right direction as to what to wear for this soggy race. He did not tell me I was insane. I was careful not to overdress for this occasion, following his advice. That can definitely one of my faults and having given my trusty and faithful spectator, Marian Westner dispensation from showing up to view this one, I had no one to grab my extra layers should I want to shed them. The race went off only a minute or so late, and it was well-run, no pun intended. Aside from some squishy shoes and socks due to the puddles that were unavoidable, the runners owned the Long Branch beachfront. I am not sure how many women and a few men did this race, but the encouragement and spirit of the race was not dampened by Mother Nature. At times, the winds pushed us along, and at other times, it pushed back at us. A few seconds after an hour, I arrived back at the finish line, having conquered the conditions with a respectable time for me. After a few snacks, including the soft pretzels I love (gotta love a south Jersey race not to far from Philly, we get bagels up north more commonly), I departed for the car where I took off the now-soaked running jacket and replaced it was a very thick sweatshirt. Even with that, it took till Paramus, about an hour and a half later, to start to feel warm. While running in the rain isnt something Id do often, I have to say that despite the conditions, Beauty and Beach this year rocked. Congratulations to all the participants, volunteers, and organizers on a job well done! And thank you sponsors for the nice swag we got, as well.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 22:56:26 +0000
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