Yes, that's right, Keys 100 as in 100 miles! No, I wasn't crazy enough to try this one alone though. I was part of Team North & South, consisting of my co-worker and friend Lori, her husband Jim, his sister Sue, Lori's friend Jill, and my friend Lisa. The race was a fundraiser for prostate cancer and there were over 500 people (both teams and those nutty ones who ran the whole darn thing alone). The race started in Key Largo at MM101 and ended in Key West at Smather's beach, just shy of the southernmost point in the continental United States. It was really a fun experience, mostly I think because our team was so easy-going. We each ran 2-5 mile stretches (we had originally thought that we would run three 6 mile legs but because the heat was so intense, we adjusted to save our energy) and then rested in between.
We had two chase vehicles, one was driven by Jill's significant other Kirk (what a sport he was for driving the WHOLE way) and then we had the RV, which was driven by pretty much everybody at some point. Lisa had never driven an RV so she was able to check that off of her bucket list. The RV was a godsend since we were able to stretch out, take naps, make sandwiches, and even take showers! I had never taken a shower in a moving vehicle so I was able to check that off of my bucket list :)
Along the way, we got really hungry and found a great big bug (Florida lobster) but alas, the creature was made of plastic...what a disappointment. Oh well, back to bananas...
Among the many teams we played leap frog with throughout the race, the team in this photo struck a chord for me. They carried the American flag (and not a tiny one either) for the entire duration of the run. I would have liked the opportunity to speak with them after the race, as I truly admired their patriotism. It is becoming more difficult to find people who do little else than to sideline officiate about what the government is or is not doing correctly. They have opinions about what everyone else should be doing but are unwilling to make any changes within themselves towards that end. This photo gives me hope that there are still souls out there who believe in the founding principles of this country and work to point out their existence in daily life.
Here I am, running strong, feeling good, making progress. Shortly thereafter I was sapped of all available energy due to the brilliant repaving project that laid blacktop down on the walkways. It was over 90 degrees and my feet felt like they were on fire!! I believe that it was after this leg of the run that I told Lori the next time she wanted to go to Key West we could just drive.....
Ah yes, here I am being the epitome of a good teammate, cheering Lisa on as she finishes her run. Do you see the path behind her? Ugh. That had to suck. I think Lisa is saying things in her mind at that particular moment that I would definitely NOT be able to include in this blog...
This is Lori, a pint sized powerhouse of a runner who tackled the seven mile bridge (no switching runners on the bridge at all), and ran in the heat while still brandishing a smile. She was our team captain and my personal hero for this run.
And as it got dark, we were required to dress like we were billboards in Las Vegas. There were some parts of the run at night that were pitch black. Truthfully I was a tad bit scared, especially since my night sight is not so good. But Lori and Jim had us decked to the hilt in state of the art blinkies and bibs for just such an occasion!
So, did we make it? HELL YA WE DID!!! We finished the 100 miles in 19 hours and 58 minutes. There was even pizza and beer at the finish line when we arrived!
We spent the next day or so in Key West and then headed home. Lisa and I made a pit stop in Little Torch Key to have a private tour of Little Palm Island, the resort that Scott and I are planning on getting married at. It was something right out of the travel channel's ten best show and I am absolutely convinced that there is no better place for us to start our life together. You can check it out at www.littlepalmisland.com
Aloha peeps!
