I ran the Brooksie Way Half Marathon yesterday, and I am so glad I did. I have heard this is a 'must run' race, and finally see why. Many half-marathons try to dress themselves up with the grandeur of a marathon, but simply can't match the spectacle. This one is different. From the staging area to the course to the crowd support to just the general positive vibes of the event, this may now be my favorite half-marathon.
Certainly helped that it was a perfectly sunny day, no wind, probably 60 degrees the whole time. The course is partly on a wide, dirt trail, which was easier on the feet and felt like a trail run in the middle of a wonderful suburbia landscape. There was enough crowd support to feed off of, way more aid stations than was really needed, (even for a hotter than normal day) and the course was challenging enough to eat you up if you did not pace right. In fact, on one hill, 90% of the runners busted into a walk. You had to hunch over to make it and run nearly on all fours. Steepest hill I've ever ran in an event.
Most unusual sign I saw on the course: "Imagine A World Without Malaria." I am all for that, don't get me wrong, but, was this a call to action? hmmmm. A much more understandable sign read "Run Fast, I Just Farted" which I understood completely. A ten year old boy smirked behind the sign, and I saw some Baked Bean stains on his shirt from last night's meal.
The half-marathon was my first event as an advocate for Runwell, and I got the chance to talk to a few folks about what they do. It is nice to be able to not only explain the cause, but how it is also personal to me as someone who is in recovery from addiction, and how running plays an essential role in keeping me sober and loving life.
Want to become an advocate? Ask me how, and I shall tell you.
Pre-Race with Bib
The shirts are pretty flashy, have a bit of a European Biker team flair, and I felt cool wearing it (which is what counts) and cooler yet running for the cause. Being wrapped up in the Runwell flag reminded me that I am running for the high of it, for the joy it brings to my life and I felt great to be alive for one hour and fifty-seven minutes of the race. The runners high came to me like an old familiar friend, letting my spirit transcend my body for a bit, and then returning to its rightful place shortly after the finish.
Once in a while, like every good buzz, I do get a flashback.
Attached to my bib while I ran the race was a FREE BEER coupon. Yep. Every runner got them, and got to exchange them for a free beer at the beer tent. The irony dripped like sweat from my brow. I do not begrudge anyone who enjoys a beer at the end. It makes perfect sense. The addiction in me can still taste how a beer would hit some sweet spots. Of course, if I were to join you, I would take the whole beer tent hostage. This is not the first event where relapse waited at the finish, but fortunately, I do not partake, and am there for only one kind of buzz. Bottoms up.
My time was a personal worst, but, really a personal triumph. I am in a new age of running, and not just being an older fart, but a wounded one. I have run just two times in the last 18 days, have more work to do to in order to deal with the evil doings in my legs, so paced this wonderfully and kicked it out at the end. Last 3 miles were my fastest, including an Eminem inspired 7:40 mile.
Without a real time goal, I did plan to photobomb the finishing photo of Detroit Runner, that famous blogger dude who runs every race in Michigan and has clones in order to do so. He slipped in front of me somewhere, I think during my port-a-potty stop, and I failed by 165 seconds. My next chance would be to somehow bandit his 50k race coming up in two weeks. Stay tuned.
Like any splendid event, I know that the time I spent running it is the best I will feel all week. I do it all again in the Detroit Free Press US only half in 20 days.
(If you want to drop a five spot or more into the RUNWELL cause. Check out my donor page here. )
