It was a great day for a run!
Reggae Marathon last December may be months behind us but the memories haven’t faded. As is my habit, I turned in early Friday night after loading up on carbs at the Reggae Marathon Pasta Party. I walked back to my hotel about a kilometre away and thoroughly enjoyed the warm evening temperature and heady tropical scents. Before I turned in I followed my usual pre-race routine: Pinned on my Race Bib, laid out my running gear, set my running shoes near the door and checked my bag to make sure I had everything I needed post-race. I set three alarms for 3:15 am: My phone, my watch and the clock on the table beside my bed. Then I tucked myself in and drifted off to sleep. And sleep I did! Dreams of the 5:15 am Reggae Marathon torch-lit start mixed with music along the route and sprinting down the finish chute. It was all so vivid. Did I really sleep?
At 3:15 am all three alarms went off simultaneously. Time to go racing! I followed my usual pre-race routine: A glass of water followed by a small bowl of porridge. Being in Jamaica it’s oatmeal porridge of course. And coffee with a little milk…I need my caffeine and nothing is better than a cup of hot Blue Mountain coffee. No I don’t take it black…just a little milk, no sugar. Then a warm shower before pulling on my running gear and heading out to the start line.
I’m fortunate. My hotel is about one and a half kilometres from the Reggae Marathon start so the brisk walk over in the cool early morning was a great pre-race warm up. Once at the start/finish area I checked my bag then headed off for a true warm up run: Easy kilometre or so to get the blood flowing and as I always do, a short sprint back to the start line.
By this time it was about 5 am and the butterflies were churning in my stomach. No matter how many times I line up at a race, the feeling is always the same…and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Then I tuned out all the sounds around me and spent a few minutes visualizing the race itself: The first aid station, the turn at the round-a-bout, the Steel band about 500 metres from the start/finish area. And all too soon that was pleasantly interrupted by Race Director Frano counting down to the start promptly at 5:15 am. And then it began…itwas a great day for a run!
Reggae Marathon RunninGuy (aka Sugar ‘Tuff Gong’ Bong)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Register for Reggae Marathon, December 5, 2015: Reggae Marathon Online Registration
- For more information check the Reggae Marathon Web Site
- Click here for more details on Reggae Marathon’s Abe Issa Award for Excellence
- Here is the official 2015 Reggae Marathon Video: Reggae Marathon Video