The Publix Florida Marathon Race Recap

There are just some times of the year that going somewhere warm and sunny is JUST what you need. Think – “Jack Nicholson at the Overlook Hotel.” This past weekend I had the chance to break away from the winter cold for a few days down to Melbourne, Florida. It was my first time pacing with Elevated Racing and Pacing and I was super excited for the opportunity. Join us this week for the Publix Florida Marathon race recap and be sure to bring some sun glasses!

I Love the Smell of Donuts in the Morning

My day started at 4 am as I woke up to eat my pre-race meal. For me that meant diving into a bag of chocolate donettes. I know it isn’t the most nutritious thing to eat but it’s been my “go to” for a few years now. 

Getting Ready to Race

The race was scheduled to start at 6:10 am so I made the 10 minute walk over to the start area around 5:35. We had a group photo with the pacers set up at 5:45 and I needed to sunscreen up heavily because I knew at some point the Florida sun was going to try and kill me. 

Shortly after that I lined up in my spot in the corrals in preparation for the 6:10 am start. I always enjoy this time before the race starts to chat with the runners who are planning to run with me. It’s a great opportunity to share my pacing strategy as well as to learn a little about them. It looked like there were many first time marathoners in the group. At some point I must have missed an announcement about the start time being moved back 10 minutes because 6:10 rolled by and we weren’t going anywhere yet. 

A BIT Toasty

As much as I appreciated being away from the cold, I knew it would be a little challenging suddenly running a race with a starting temp of 65 degrees with 90% humidity. When the start gun went off at 6:20, I was already feeling a little warm and had started to sweat. This is never a good sign so I knew I better have a plan. 

Nothing New on Race Day (ish)

My plan for fueling was to take a U Can Edge Energy Gel after 30 minutes and then every hour after that. I’ve been tracking my blood glucose and wanted to try a gel that would lessen any glucose spiking throughout the run. Most people will tell you not to try anything new on race day but I was ok with taking the risk. As far as hydration I planned to walk thru each of the 16 water stations to make sure I was getting enough water. 

The Course – Of Course

The two loop course had us running along US-1 on the west side of the Indian River before crossing over the Eau Gallie Causeway. Once across the Indian River the course continued along Riverside Drive on the east side of the Indian River before crossing over the Melbourne Causeway and then doing it all over again.

The First Six

I had a decent group running with me for the first six miles and enjoyed the early conversations before things started getting tough for the runners. I found out that one of the runners in my group was also a kidney donor, having donated to her brother a year prior. This was her first marathon since donating. 

Once we hit the first causeway the group seemed to split up a bit. The strategy for the bridges was to drop the pace back on the uphills and make up for it on the downhills. Some runners fell behind and others went ahead. For some reason by mile eight I found myself running alone. This isn’t uncommon when pacing. I know my job was to keep a steady pace regardless if anyone was running with me or not.

Mile 9 Support

Around mile 9 I came across a young lady who was running the half marathon. She seemed to be struggling with cramping and asked if she could run with me for a while. We shared conversation for the next few miles and I think it helped her to take her mind off of the discomfort she was feeling. She shared her goal of qualifying for Boston some day and I encouraged her to never give up on her dreams. Just prior to mile 12 she was able to pick it up before heading to her finish at mile 13.1. 

Mile 12 and the Causeway

Around mile 12 when heading up the Melbourne Causeway, a young man named Sam started a conversation with me. He shared that it was his first marathon and that he wanted to quit thru the first nine miles and asked if I had any advice. I talked to him about his training and encouraged him to trust in it and use positive self talk to keep going. As we came down the causeway he saw his family at mile 13 and that seemed to lift his spirits quite a bit. 

We’re Halfway There (Whoa-oh)

Shortly after the halfway point I ended up picking up a group of about 8 people. All were hoping to finish under 4:30 and I assured them if they stayed with me they would definitely do just that. We ran together as a group thru the fog for the next 6 miles or so. There wasn’t a lot of conversation during this time but I continued to try and encourage them as the miles clicked by. 

Speaking of the fog, although it kept me from enjoying the scenery, it definitely helped keep me from overheating. I was warm but I wasn’t getting fried. Between that and regularly hydrating I was feeling pretty good for most of the race. 

The Causeway…Again

As we climbed the Eau Gallie Causeway for the second time, Sam’s family made another appearance and that definitely inspired him as he seeemd to pick up the pace a bit and move on ahead of me. It had an affect on the rest of the group as they all took off too. Coming off the causeway at mile 20 had me once again running solo. Remember when I said earlier that the sun would try and kill me? This is the point where it decided to make its move as the fog lifted and the baking began. 

Along the Riverside

Shortly after making the turn onto Riverside Drive I ended up picking up another straggler. This young lady was running her second marathon and had hit the wall really bad during her first. I did my best to encourage her and she managed to stay with me from this point to the finish line.

Mile 22

At about mile 22 we picked up another runner. His name was Hunter and he was running his first marathon. He was struggling and was beating himself up a little bit. I spent the next couple of miles encouraging him and sharing the importance of positive self talk. He was able to dial in and stay with me as we approached our last turn before the Melbourne Causeway. I could see Sam up ahead in the distance and could see that he was starting to slow. 

One Last Climb

Once I started our last climb of the race I caught up to Sam and encouraged my little group of three to keep pushing. I shared with them how proud I was of their effort and that once we reached the top of the hill it was all downhill to the finish line. All three managed to stay with me to the top and then filled my heart with joy as they sped on down the hill ahead of me. 

The Big Finish

My assigned goal for the race was to finish in under 4:30. Ideal finish time for a pacer is 30 seconds under. I came in at 4:29:38. More importantly than that, I was able to help many people achieve their goals for the day. After crossing the finish line I was fortunate to have many of the runners and their families find me and thank me. Seeing the look of joy and accomplishment on their faces was a great reminder of why I love pacing so much. 

• Marathon: #41
• Marathons Paced: #15
• Pace Group: 4:30
• Finish Time: 4:29:38

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