PoohsPal
06-01-2006, 02:23 AM
Ok, this was like no run I’ve ever done before (because I am a real vet, you know :p ).
It was a continuous start. You were assigned a bus on the south side of the bridge, bussed to the north side and then you started anytime after 6 am. Being runners 104 and 105, we were in the first group. Buses scheduled to be out at 5:30 am. Had to be there at 5:15. OK, up at 4:15, left the hotel by 5. Really slept in compared to Disney. Just like Disney, though, we got no sleep. Wish it was due to the excitement. Double bed, noise outside, parking lot lights coming in. Fun.
OK, so we get to the parking area and have to walk to the bus pickup area, which was right by the finish. You can see that the crowds were terrible. ;)
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b352/PoohsPal/Mackinac/IMG_1709.jpg
Over the bridge and we were dropped off. There was a bit of frustration on the bus that the sign side “Joggers”, not runners. People were kind of grumpy about that.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b352/PoohsPal/Mackinac/IMG_1714.jpg
The bridge was beautiful, though.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b352/PoohsPal/Mackinac/IMG_1710.jpg
The cool part for us was that we got to walk on the southbound side of the bridge. This gave us bragging rights in the family, because we’ve walked the bridge Labor Day for about 12 years. For that, though, it’s the north side. :p
We get off the bus and the guy with the megaphone tells us that after 6 we can start and that we run to the road and turn right. Duh… Seeing as it is the bridge run, kind of figured we’d be on the bridge.
OK, walk to the restrooms. There were 3 busloads dropped off and 3 women’s restrooms. Yes, there was a bit of a line. At least there were not porta-potties, though. So, I’m in line and these women were talking about the Bayshore Marathon. Happening this weekend. I mentioned that the kid that sold me my shoes was doing that. (I know he had to be 17, because he did a marathon in the fall, but must have just turned 17 in the fall. He looked 12!) I told them that he had a 4:30 when he ran the first one, kind of on a whim and that he wanted to break 4 this weekend. :O
A guy sitting nearby on a bench casually asks one of the women, “What’s you get at Boston?” :O :O “Oh, I just ran it for funs, as I only qualified by getting under 4 by 30 seconds. I just got a 4:15.” Open mouth, insert foot. Not that it was hard to get my foot in with my jaw on the floor! The woman was in her late 50s, early 60s maybe. :worship: (I did tell her about Disney and she wanted to know what parks it went though and such, so I may have recruited another one! :D )
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b352/PoohsPal/Mackinac/IMG_1716.jpg
OK, time to wander to the start, as it’s a bit after 6 by the time I was done. We reach the start and go through it. Very odd. I forgot to start the garmin for a few feet, as there was no gun, no nothing.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b352/PoohsPal/Mackinac/IMG_1717.jpg
It was a continuous start. You were assigned a bus on the south side of the bridge, bussed to the north side and then you started anytime after 6 am. Being runners 104 and 105, we were in the first group. Buses scheduled to be out at 5:30 am. Had to be there at 5:15. OK, up at 4:15, left the hotel by 5. Really slept in compared to Disney. Just like Disney, though, we got no sleep. Wish it was due to the excitement. Double bed, noise outside, parking lot lights coming in. Fun.
OK, so we get to the parking area and have to walk to the bus pickup area, which was right by the finish. You can see that the crowds were terrible. ;)
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b352/PoohsPal/Mackinac/IMG_1709.jpg
Over the bridge and we were dropped off. There was a bit of frustration on the bus that the sign side “Joggers”, not runners. People were kind of grumpy about that.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b352/PoohsPal/Mackinac/IMG_1714.jpg
The bridge was beautiful, though.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b352/PoohsPal/Mackinac/IMG_1710.jpg
The cool part for us was that we got to walk on the southbound side of the bridge. This gave us bragging rights in the family, because we’ve walked the bridge Labor Day for about 12 years. For that, though, it’s the north side. :p
We get off the bus and the guy with the megaphone tells us that after 6 we can start and that we run to the road and turn right. Duh… Seeing as it is the bridge run, kind of figured we’d be on the bridge.
OK, walk to the restrooms. There were 3 busloads dropped off and 3 women’s restrooms. Yes, there was a bit of a line. At least there were not porta-potties, though. So, I’m in line and these women were talking about the Bayshore Marathon. Happening this weekend. I mentioned that the kid that sold me my shoes was doing that. (I know he had to be 17, because he did a marathon in the fall, but must have just turned 17 in the fall. He looked 12!) I told them that he had a 4:30 when he ran the first one, kind of on a whim and that he wanted to break 4 this weekend. :O
A guy sitting nearby on a bench casually asks one of the women, “What’s you get at Boston?” :O :O “Oh, I just ran it for funs, as I only qualified by getting under 4 by 30 seconds. I just got a 4:15.” Open mouth, insert foot. Not that it was hard to get my foot in with my jaw on the floor! The woman was in her late 50s, early 60s maybe. :worship: (I did tell her about Disney and she wanted to know what parks it went though and such, so I may have recruited another one! :D )
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b352/PoohsPal/Mackinac/IMG_1716.jpg
OK, time to wander to the start, as it’s a bit after 6 by the time I was done. We reach the start and go through it. Very odd. I forgot to start the garmin for a few feet, as there was no gun, no nothing.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b352/PoohsPal/Mackinac/IMG_1717.jpg