Feb 22: Runnin' on Sunshine

So I got myself into the A1A Marathon this weekend. I made very good time too, averaging somewhere around seven miles an hour. And I even stopped along the way for coffee. And a doughnut. Oh yeah, one other detail I perhaps should mention. I was driving. Hey, what law says you actually have to run these things? The funny part of this whole deal was that I didn't know the event was taking place until I was in it. "In it," of course, being a relative term. I joined a long line of cars while motoring home from Lighthouse Point - and I'm thinking, like, what is going on here? I mean, vehicles were backed up bigtime. Then I saw the traffic cones and cop cruisers and water stands on the route. And the signs saying things like, "Mile 18." Hmm, ok. It's a marathon. And for some reason, I just kept driving "in it" rather than cutting over to Federal Highway. Running my own marathon on gasoline. And sunshine.

The weather was totally, absolutely perfect for this event. Or any event. Perfect for anything else, really. Clear sky, clear sun, clear sea. The gorgeous day helped motivate me to keep on keepin' on, just as it likely also helped motivate all those runners to keep running.

Admittedly, my marathon was somewhat easier than their marathon. But listen, you think I didn't struggle too? There I was at Commercial Boulevard and A1A, with a smooth drive home on Federal Highway waiting just over the Intracoastal bridge. It was calling out to me. But did I take the easy road? Did did I bail out? Nope. And then again at Oakland Park Boulevard, where the traffic really got jammed. And on down the runners' route, heading south past Sunrise and Las Olas. At any of those spots I easily could have said, "Enough!" But I never quit. Not for one second. I managed to enjoy my marathon thoroughly, breathing in the warm rays through my opened sunroof and breathing in the fresh sea through my opened windows, watching the crowds in the restaurants and hotels and on the sidewalks and sand along the Fort Lauderdale beach. While completing my marathon, I even found time to scan the Bonnet House trees for wild monkeys. That's how slow the traffic was moving. Didn't see any monkeys. But it was a truly lovely morning and I finished my marathon none the worse for wear. Go ahead and laugh at me if you want to. All I know is that this race was only one of many outdoor events happening around Greater Fort Lauderdale in the weeks just ahead, as the perfect weather settles in. So I figure it's wise to pace myself a bit, you know? That's all I'm saying. And if that means running a seaside marathon in my Mini Cooper, so be it.