| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
66.40 miles
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Time: 05:24:12
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Avg Speed:
12.29 mph
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Max Speed:
34.70 mph
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Weight:
172
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Effort:
4 - Normal 14-16 mph
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Route:
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Altitude Gain:
0 ft
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Terrain: Road: Flat
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Bike: Bacchetta GIRO 20 (SOLD FEB 2010) SWB Bent
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Club: 'BentRider Recumbent Club |
| Weather Conditions: Delightful |
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What I thought was going to be a nice quiet Sunday ride turned into an adventure.
Seems there was the annual Miami Marathon taking place and the runners go along a lot of the same exact route I use for my bike ride in Coconut Grove. The streets were closed off to traffic with half the street reserved for runners. That left the other half for the police, helpers, first aid crew and well whataya know: Me.
Hours later returning home from the Key I saw some of what I call the real heartfelt stories of marathons like this: The runners who after hours and hours and hours are still slogging along, many at a walking pace but each determined to complete the course. See the last photo. The guy was walking and when I asked how long he'd been on the course he said: "A little over 7 hours". I said: "Good job..you can do it." With that he smiled and started jogging...didn't matter he wasn't going to break any records. He already set one.
When I lived in NYC I worked for a still photo crew shooting stills of the runners. How fast did I shoot? I had to knock off a 36 shot roll of film in about 25 seconds and did that for about 4 straight hours until we lost sunlight. Then we'd fold up shop but many of us would hang around for another 4 hours cheering the final runners home.
All those memories came flooding back as I cycled along with the packs of runners.
Then heading to Key Biscayne I came across the "Miami Parrot Club" lining the streets and urging the runners home. Stopped to chat and one of the Parrots offered me a drink. Little did I know I'd be having a Margarita at 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning..and man ..it was a great margarita!!
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.jpg)  Thanks for that encouraging story, Joe --- have started running (read: walking fast ...) last Fall and am signed up to do my first half marathon in April. No idea how I am supposed to make it halfway decently. Then again, I might have an idea now: I will try to at least show style and grace all the long way 
Thanks also for the pics - they convey the atmosphere. And I appreciate that you are wearing the livestrong wrist band. I do too (when not working, as I have a suit job) - but not very many people in Europe, even less in Germany than elsewhere - still do so. The doping scandals have damaged the bikers' and LA's image quite a bit. I often try to explain that there is a difference between LA the TdF winner and LA the Livestrong founder and restless advocat. And that a good cause stays a good cause. Well, I am curious to see how many yellow wrist bands we will be able to spot during this year's TdF when Lance rolls along with the pack again.
posted by bxa on
1/27/2009
at 10:16:14 AM
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