Luckily after a late nite of TV (NCAA March Madness stops for no one), enjoyed my latest marathon start to date – 9am. Scored off-street parking near the Start, then waited inside Cape May’s historic Congress Hall with a thousand new friends.
Lotta sunshine, check. Lotta wind, check. Cold day (27°F), check. All the makings for a new PR 🙂
Hats off for the National Anthem; then ran seaside down Cape May’s boardwalk, UP the short bridge past the US Coast Guard Training Center, another mile to Wildwood. Lotta runner traffic ‘til the 10-miler split off, followed by 2 more miles of boardwalk.
Posted a 1:48 Half – good pace. Maybe, possibly, sub-4 today?
Happy time: Saw my friend Stephen in Stone Harbor near mile 17. Super motivating. Many thanks!
Unfortunate: Miles 23-25 were a slog – lotta headwind & no spectators as we ran thru ‘new construction’ neighborhoods…wood-framed in-process homes, hammers, drills & work crews. Odd setting; lost focus.
Last mile, GORGEOUS – ran oceanside on Sea Isle City’s boardwalk. Seemed I could see the Finish for miles.
2nd sub-4 finish of 2015. Boo-yah! 3:55:10 – 11 seconds faster than my previous PR in Indianapolis last November. Great way to kick off my ‘7 week, 7 marathon, 7 state’ challenge. FAAANNNTASTIC!
Next weekend’s adventure? Charlottesville, Virginia – home of Thomas Jefferson.
Ocean Drive Marathon
Haga, K R 3:55:10 Louisville, CO, USA
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- Congress Hall, Cape May NJ (pre-race mylar wrap)
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- 2nd sub-4 finish of 2015 — FAAANNNTASTIC!
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- cold & windy: my kinda marathon, 23rd state finish & a new PR — I heart Jersey 🙂
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- dehydrated & cold — post-marathon relief in the medic tent
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- every young girl’s dream, being crowned “Polar Bear Queen”
12:50am flight departure to Philly – another crazy early start to save a buck. Snagged 3 hours of sleep, picked up my rental, then hung for an hour waiting on my friend Stephen to arrive from New Hampshire.
Spring is the season of weather extremes. Upper 70’s in Denver, 33 degrees this morning in Philadelphia. Forecast for tomorrow’s Ocean Drive Marathon – wind, temps hovering just below freezing (27-32°) & sunshine. Yep, all the elements for a new PR – LOL>
Philly Airport to Atlantic City Expressway to NJ’s Garden State Parkway – 2 ½ hours later, scenic Cape May, New Jersey. GORGEOUS…so THIS is why folks crowd the Jersey Shore. Bib pick-up in Wildwood, hotel check-in, then google-searched for lunch. Most businesses are seasonal on the Shore, many not opening ’til mid-April or May.
Cold temps & snow squalls meant no long walks along the ocean – but didn’t deter today’s pre-race destination: Cape May Lighthouse.
Cape May, Portland & Cape Hatteras (NC) are represented on most every ‘lighthouse’ calendar. So for me – being a HUGE fan [of lighthouses] – today’s experience was a “must see”. AND for a few bucks, Cape May allows you to actually climb its lighthouse. Crazy cold & windy at top – but well worth the trek UP its spiraling flight of stairs.
White caps, sand, sea gulls – and frigid cold temps – practically, paradise. Nothing slowing this runner tomorrow 🙂
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- bib pick-up & course details – all ocean all day, gonna be SPECTACULAR!
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- 199 steps UP the tower’s cast iron staircase
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- the Atlantic Ocean
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- crazy cold & windy at top – but well worth the trek UP its spiraling flight of stairs
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- today’s WOW shot – beautiful Cape May Lighthouse
Delmarva weekend started after yesterday’s run in Rehoboth Beach, my last marathon of 20-14.
Delmarva is a large peninsula occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia.
After my post-race shower at Quality Inn, headed south on Coastal Highway (Delaware 1). Spent Saturday night in a no-frills Ocean City MD hotel located in town harbor. Like many beach towns, most store fronts & hotels were closed during winter.
Grabbed an early diner breakfast, then south 30 minutes further to Assateague Island. Windy winter day but saw sunshine – not the norm for Nov-March on the East Coast…so counted myself lucky 🙂
Assateague Island?
Wild ponies have inhabited Assateague Island for hundreds of years. While some have suggested that the wild ponies on Assateague Island trace their origin to horses released to forage on the Island by early settlers, the circumstantial evidence suggests that they are indeed the descendants of the survivors of a Spanish galleon which wrecked off the coast of Assateague. A fence along the Virginia/Maryland State line separates Assateague Island’s ponies into two herds. The Maryland herd is owned by the National Park Service. The Virginia herd is owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. The US Fish & Wildlife Service allows the Fire Company to maintain a herd of approximately 150 adult ponies on Assateague Island.
Called ahead to secure a pony tour – closed. Kayaks – closed. Nothing open & available ‘til next April. UGH!
Oh well…still great to see the ocean – even in winter. Would start off on Assateague, then an extra hour to Chincoteague to visit the lighthouse & NASA Visitors Center. (NASA Visitors Center: closed on Sunday – bad luck, huh?)
Crossed the bridge to Assateague & near swerved off road in excitement – PONY!
Took a tens of pics of the lone pony, thinking this my one opportunity. Nope. Not only had the park to ourselves (not a lotta December beachcombers – HA!), but saw several wild ponies grazing near the tree line. WOW, what luck!
Not sure how wild the ponies are – one came to the car window. I did not feed but guessing tourists past have broken this rule. Beautiful animals. Took rural roads to Chincoteague, short hike to the Lighthouse, more ponies & a beach walk.
Whatta year – grizzly bears in Montana & the wild ponies of Assateague Island. Crazy blessed life; life is good.
Autobahn’d back to BWI in under 3 hours, crossing the [Chesapeake] Bay Bridge into Baltimore. Thought I had overcome my fear of high bridges – NOT – spanning almost 5 miles over water, felt white-knuckled near the end.
5 weeks off ‘til marathon season picks up next year in Mississippi. Fingers crossed — snow on Christmas 🙂
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- wild ponies of Assateague
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- sizing up the situation
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- getting curious
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- up close & personal
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- salt & snow
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- winter beach day
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- had the beach to myself – surprise, surprise 🙂
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- last pass at the ponies before Chincoteague
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- big fan of lighthouses
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- 10 degrees warmer on Chincoteague
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- held pose — seemingly still in the gusting wind
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- sea foam sudsing, rolling on the surf
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- love the ocean – even in December!
