The Half Marathon Course: to the end and back 52 times
As the quarantine progressed and more cancelled races came and went, viral videos of runners doing their once-upon-scheduled-races virtually, or just challenging themselves to mind boggling trials, started popping up. I saw a guy who ran a full marathon in his 23-feet long balcony, another one who did 1066 laps on his backyard. Others ran a variety of distances with unhuman number of laps around their blocks.
My first thought was that I would need a psychiatrist after completing one of these challenges. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was nothing more than a mental experiment. So I went into the backyard of my subdivision and measured the distance from my patio door to the bridge, which was about 0.128 miles, so about 0.255 for the round trip. Doable, for sure.
As I started elucubrating the plan, my wife kept suggesting options for longer routes, so I wouldnât have to complete an insane number of laps. The more I consider it the more I realized my challenge was not running a half marathon, which between competition and training I have done more times that I care to count. This was supposed to be a mental challenge.
As I have been limited to a run/walk schedule as I wait for a surgery to correct a small health issue, this was the first obstacle. I know I canât run the entire distance, so I adjusted by running on the way out and walking on the way back. Running for so long on grass was also another challenge. I have never done it for more than a few hundred yards. Could I take it for 50+ laps non-stop?
The medal represents my backyard. It was made on polymer clay and it was handmade by my wife.
On Monday, April 27th, I gave the idea a trial run. I went back and forth for an hour and passed the test. So I planned the half for Saturday, May 2nd, so I had Sunday to retry in case there were weather issues. During the week I planned everything I could possibly require. I made sure all the batteries were charged to the brim, that I had plenty of water, electrolytes and nutrition available. I was ready to go.
The first challenge came earlier than expected I hadnât been running for 60 seconds when my socks were already soaked. Because I have no experience running on grass, I never accounted for it being wet at 6:45 AM. By the end of mile 1, I was seriously considered aborting the mission and retrying in the afternoon, but it was then when realized this was a mental challenge. So I kept moving forward. At mile 7 the grass was dry, so I invested 3.5 minutes in a change of socks, which made a world of difference the rest of the way.
By loop 4 or 5 I had already lost count. From there on I only counted distance, as marked by my watchâs beep every half mile. I was feeling so good at times that my mind wandered as I contemplated going on for maybe 26.2 or even 30 miles. But at mile 11 I realized I was barely trained to complete a half marathon so a half marathon would be good enough.
Towards the end, my wife asked me how many laps to go, to which I answered, âabout 5â. A bit later she asked again: âtwo more!â. As I was coming back from my last lap, I saw a beautiful finish line made with toilet paper, which I crossed big grinned and arms up where she was waiting with an embracing hug and a big kiss. Neighbors on the other side of the canal started cheering and clapping, they must have seen me passing by who knows how many times. As if it wasnât awesome enough, my wife surprised me with a spectacular handmade medal with an image of the scenery I enjoyed during my run. It now occupies a privilege spot in my medal rack.
What I learned from this crazy adventure is that I am mentally stronger than I thought. I had large playlist of podcasts lined up to accompany me in the journey, but I never even picked up the phone from the table. To me, 52 laps of anything is about 51 more than most of us can handle. Same applies to 103 U-turns. Yet, once I got over the wet sock obstacle, I never wavered from my goal. I also realized that I hope I donât have to experience another quarantine to see if I can extend my challenge to 104 laps.
Final time, if anyone cares to know, was an unimpressive 3:20:30.
With the cancellation or postponement of three races in my calendar, as activities all over the world came to a halt because of the Covid-19 pandemic, my 2019-20 running season comes to an abrupt end. I understand the reasons behind it, and they are justified. Yet, on a personal level, this is a reflection on how rough the season was for me.
Season best at the 305 Half Marathon in Miami Beach
I had a couple of non-running related injuries, which took me twice to the operating room, and had me limited in my athletic activities since May 2019. I have been able to keep myself active, first by walking and then going back to my old friend racewalking. I racewalked from 2012-15 and really enjoyed it. It was my way back into the sport after a long hiatus. But then on 2015 I started running again and improved plenty through the seasons despite the almanac doing its thing.
For the 2019-20 season I was already registered in three half marathons, which is by far my favorite distance, so rather than skipping them I trained to racewalk them. After flirting with the sub-2 last season, I had to settle to see if I could go sub-3 this season. It was a struggle to find myself towards the end of the pack after being in the middle of it no so long ago. It was a struggle to ask my friends to wait for me at the finish line party when I was arriving an hour after most of them. It was a struggle at times to reach mile 9 around two hours knowing you had another full hour to go.
My personal triumph was to go sub-3 in all three races, including a season-best of 2:54:23 at the 305 Half Marathon in Miami Beach in early March. During the season I also participated in two 5Ks and one 10K race, just for the pleasure of keeping myself competing in the activity I love and sharing my friendsâ achievements.
With my 3 runners from the Miami Marathon
There were highlights to my season, though. I had the chance to run an entire 5K with my dad and finish together, holding hands. I had three coaching clients finish the Miami Marathon, two of them smashing their PRs. I was also able to lock in four more runners who requested my coaching services. Also, my half marathon count reached 40, which I take as a secondary milestone.
It is a dilemma to be so thankful about being able to keep active and participating yet being so frustrated when you see a season pass by without being able to accomplish what you would have hoped. But as the sports clichĂŠ goes: âthere is always next seasonâ and, as the suffering Brooklyn Dodgers fans used to say: âWait till next yearâ. Even though I am not completely healed from my ailments, I already started running a little bit and enjoying the runnerâs high, the camaraderie and the time alone with myself on the road. So, I look forward to a better season recap a year from now.
Thanks for all the support. I couldnât have done it without it.
I wrote this one back in 2014. As the fifth anniversary of the event approaches, and I start this new blog, it is the perfect time to repost and update. Enjoy!
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Given the fragility of the political situation and lack of personal security in our native Venezuela, the Araujos have spread around the world just as many local families in the last 15 years or so. Even though email, Skype, WhatsApp and other communications advances have helped us keep in touch, there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction with siblings, parents, cousins and uncles, like in the good old days.
The time for a Family reunion was set for August 2, 2013, when the head of our family, my grandmother, would celebrate her centennial. But on March 15, she passed away four and half months before her 100th Birthday.
All bibs had our grandmother;s name on them
As the dust settled after her passing, the cousins started discussing in our WhatsApp group the best way to commemorate her Centennial. Not very many ideas were presented when we settled on a half marathon in her honor. Miami was chosen given that it is a central location. I had participated the previous two years, so I knew it was a good race.
It is important to note that at the time of the decision; only four of us were active runner/walkers. Three were former runners and 11 had never showed any interest the activity. 18 of us, all either first cousins or married to one, finished the race. Another, my wife, one got injured in training and could not participate.
We all live in different cities and countries. Through our WhatsApp group we encourage each other. The experienced runners coached the novices. We shared tips, we forced the lazy ones hit the road during rough long-distance weekends and we rekindled the cousin bond my grandmother always preached. Little by little a handful of cousins started doing 10K races as well as 14, 16 and 18K training sessions. Many of them had never run 1K before my grandmotherâs passing.
These are people with jobs, young kids, financial and time commitments, just like anyone else. None of them are âreal housewives of anywhereâ, with trainers, maids and personal assistants. Some of them even trained in the snow. These are real people that had to add training for a half marathon to their already busy routines.
The big day finally came on Sunday, February 2nd. Cousins from Bogota, Colombia; Caracas, Puerto La Cruz and Maracaibo, Venezuela; Panama City, Panama; Toronto, Canada; and Miami and Houston in the USA; took position in the different corrals during a hot and muggy morning in Downtown Miami. All of our racing bibs proudly displayed âABUEâ under our numbers, which short for Abuela, Grandmother in Spanish.
It was amazing to start a race with my sister and my twin brother. To see the 5 Garcia siblings start side by side, to have three of the 4 Bradley sisters running the distance for the very first time, just as the Pernalete siblings. Throughout the race we all kept bumping into each other, telling stories, sharing tips and experiences. And then, it was the meet up at the finish line, where we 18 of us proudly displayed our medals earned with our efforts. Itâs incredible what these pieces of cheap metal meant to so many of us.
At 75 years old, my Dad, a former marathoner, also started the race, but as planned, only ran 11K before stepping out of the course. I want to make sure kudos are extended to him, too.
A family party with 40 members of our clan took place after the race to commemorate the achievement. A centennial celebration and a half marathon on the exact date our ABUE would have turned 100 ½. Words fall short on the meaning of this event to the Araujo family.
With the exception of a couple of cousins stating âitâs done, never againâ, the vast majority realized what running/walking can add to the quality of their daily life and plan to participate in a few more races. Lives were changed. One of us is running a full marathon on March 2nd for the first time in 18 years.
Thank you Abue for keeping the family united around you, even after you are no longer physically with us.
UPDATE
Five years later, as Venezuela sinks into a deeper chaos, many of our cousins have stopped running altogether and some have moved to greener pastures overseas trying to give their family new opportunities for a real future. But a handful of have kept going at it. Two graduated to their first 26.2s and a couple more revisited the distance after many years off. I stopped racewalking and restarted my running; even became a certified running coach. Despite things settling down on the athletic history of our clan, this day five years ago is still remembered as one of its most memorable moments in the history of our family.
From left to right: Top Row: Peter McGrath (2:37:18); Jose Herrera (1:58:04); Belen Bradley (2:04:03); Luli Garcia (2:33:47); Osvaldo Garcia (2:59:54); Jose Salgueiro (2:17:25). Middle Row: Jennifer McGrath (2:26:03); Maria C Pernalete (2:55:41); Lupe Bradley (2:19:44); Maria Salgueiro-Alessio (2:41:26); Lionel Alessio (2:41:26). Bottom Row: Franz Pernalete (2:25:54); Marisol Garcia (2:56:50); Neycy Morales (2:33:28); Marianela Garcia (2:40:02); Adolfo Salgueiro (2:49:05). Not shown: Christina Bradley (3:00:11); Maria InĂŠs Garcia (3:35:48).
