RACE: Reindeer Run 5K, Cherie Down Park, Cape Canaveral, FL (did not run) (and FOOD: The Omelet Station, Cocoa Beach, FL)

[Note: Here's a LINK to the results.]


The fourth race in the Space Coast Runners' Runner-of-the-Year Series was last Saturday up in Cape Canaveral. It's another one of those races that's becoming a tradition. And it's one in which I have the chance to see again a lot of familiar faces. The running community here in Brevard is fantastic!

Anyways, The weather was a bit chilly but the race was very nice. As noted before, I didn't run but I did take pictures. The pictures have been downloaded, sorted, selected, cropped, then uploaded. They're in 6 album on my fotki page. Click on the headings below to take a look at each individual albums (each will open in a new window/tab). [Note: these are not permanent links but should be good for a few more months.]

Enjoy!

Miscellaneous
Start
Middle
Finish
Youth Series
People
The Mayor of Cape Canaveral Rocky Randels and Me
And here's a VIDEO of the event from kjhorton:


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UPDATE [very ATF]:

FOOD: The Omelet Station, Cocoa Beach, FL
After the reindeer run race, a few people from the office who ran in the race and I went over to The Omelet Station for breakfast. None of us had ever been there, but another coworker recommended it.

Anyways, long story short, the place had a local feel to it with a in-house, odd-looking young santa, and an advertised "Barack Obama-let" (egg whites, spinach, and feta cheese), but were known for two things (or so we were told): their home-squeezed orange juice with no added sugar, and their omelet station (derh) -- we fill a little cup with fillings and hand it off to the "omelet dude".

The food was fine but not very timely, Melanie didn't get her omelet until well after the rest of us finished ours. And we ordered more Gooey buns that had existed. And on an non-time-oriented note, my name became "Sid" *shrug*.

It was kinda fun for that morning, but I'm not sure if I'd return.


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[Old Post]
Did not run but did take pictures (346 of them). It was a good race -- big attendance and lots of familiar faces. I got some Youth Series bling and some good shots. Then afterwards, I went to breakfast at The Omelet Station with some of my co-workers who ran in the race.

Now, I'm downloading the pics before I figure the next move -- whether to quickly pack for a night over in Orlando and try to make it over for the 3:15p showing of Milk at the Enzian before the 7:35p OGC concert, or wait it out, go to Titusville to take pictures at the Grinch 2 Miler at 5:45p then rush to Orlando for the concert...

I'm leaning towards Milk since it'd only incur a MOVIE post instead of another set of pics to sort through and a RACE entry to story up... plus I'm needing something gay this weekend, and I want to be on the early end of watching it.

Alright, I'm going to update this post with pictures etc. tomorrow or sometime next weekend (it's busy times right now).

:)

RUN: 8.00 miles! @?:??:??, SCR Sunday Fun Run & Potluck, Cocoa, FL

[The route map is potentially "very tall"
so it's at the end of this post
with the event pictures following it]
I woke up at an hour that begins with the number 5 and drove up to Cocoa for the SCR Sunday fun run and potluck. It was my first time at one of these (as I'm usually a bum on Sundays), and I was surprised by the number of people out there; many from Titusville. It was just as popular as the Running Zone Thursday night fun runs -- could it be the promise of food? (the tactic has mixed results when applied to Toastmasters).

Anyways, I was dressed up in my fleece pullover and pants, had my full set of keys and a set of spare batteries, and toted the digital as I ran, sans music and avec knee brace. I planned on doing a simple 2-3 miles, but Jorden told me that there was water at the mile 3 marker. When I got there I saw the causeway a little further and just had to get that extra mile out in. So I ended up running/walking 8 (with my left foot acting up starting at mile 7).

I took some pictures along the way. I haven't reviewed them yet, but I suspect a number of blurry pics -- it's hit-or-miss days with this camera. Hopefully there'll be a couple that end up newsletter-worthy. I was sure to get some establishing shots and there were quite a number of animals out... a short-tailed cat and a lot of squirrels. And when we got back to Riverfront Park, there were food pic opportunities.

The weather this morning was nice... cool and a little breezy. Next week's Space Coast Marathon should be wonderful, and again I'm really hoping that there'll be people out there taking pictures :).

Anyways, so I have about 120 pictures to go through -- I want to trim it down to under 60 before I post. I also need a nap at some point this afternoon and some general housekeeping before I start packing for the trip home. And maybe I'll treat myself to Bolt in 3D if I get all done by 4pm.

Weather was chilly and kinda breezy but nice day. Lots of food (lots of carbs) and juice waiting for us. Riverfront park was decorated and had an ice rink tent set-up. I was there to take pictures and got a little camera shy... (I wasn't fully awake yet and got a bit self-conscious). Took 120 pictures nonetheless. Hoping to get it down to under 60 for post. No stand-out photo that I remember but we shall see.

Route Map (again from runningahead.com)

[NOTE: I'm posting 20+ photos here, so I going "medium-sized".]

Cocoa Village before morning

The Fun [run] begins


A couple stablishing shots on the run northwards


I made it to 4!

A couple establishing shots on the run southwards

I've heard of a "gaRage" sale...

Thank goodness I have backup!

Potluck food pics (oh, the carbs)




Squirrels in the park



And finally... a return to the sweaty Ceddy jumping pics.

EVENT: SCM Race Packet Stuffing

This morning after the run, I drove over to Running Zone to help with the Space Coast Marathon race packet stuffing. The stuffing was staged at the old store space.

Also in the room were props for some of this year's themed water stations...


(as if the pictures needs any more explanation)
The same event took well into the afternoon last year. This year, we got done by 11am. The sharp increase in productivity came from managing the finisher's medals and towels the night before and from putting the race number, timing chip, dining ticket, and final instructions in a separately-sealed envelope. Also, the outpour of support from the local running community in volunteering expedited the process.

we clean up quickly

(did you notice the wookie guarding the door? anyways...)
The pizza place wasn't even open yet to order pizza for the crew, so we just did with tasty bagels (I had a couple of whole grainers).

FOOD PIC!


I'm a little sad that I'll be missing the race this year -- the race gets bigger and better each year -- but I'm glad to have had the opportunity to help today. I hope other people take lots of pictures and post them. I want a good report! :)

this year's finisher's medals (they look nice!)

finisher's towel; and this isn't even half of it!

don't forget to SIGN UP

RACE: Space Coast Classic @1:17:46 (PR), Windover Farms, Melbourne, FL

After the first night of the TM D84 Conference and the subsequent hospitality room, I get home and into bed by 1:30am. A mere five hours later, I'm up and getting dressed, for a race -- the Space Coast Classic 15K, the second event in the Space Coast Runners Runner-of-the-Year series.

I went into the race with one goal: to finish. I had attempted the same race four years ago but posted a DNF after I was pulled from the race it was suggested that I quit the race for not being able to run straight and stay on the road (I went out too fast) -- anyways, no hard feelings. And with the decline of my running abilities due to injury and relaxed training, I knew that I could still declare a PR if I just... finished. And in case there were more than three people in my age group, I decided to run with a Hawaiian shirt and hope to be in the top 3 of that category then we were running.

...Did I catch you off-guard? That's how the race start was. The stakes were low for me, and I found the quiet start somewhat charming. The weather was cool and a little numbing, which reminded me of my first marathon -- it was good weather. But a 15K is not a short race. It's 9.3 miles, or if you're running... say 8:20.61 per mile pace... it comes to 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 46 seconds on the course. Temperatures could and did change. It got a little warm, especially when it felt like we were forever running into the sun (EAST!). I managed maybe 5-6 miles fine, then after had to resort to frequent walk breaks; granted, it was a smidgen embarrassing when people I knew passed me, but I smiled, cheered them on, and focused on my goal.

Anyways, I finished. And looking through my race records, I found a 10-miler in 2006 that I did in less time than the 15K this morning (and even then, I could've fit in another mile). But I took the sense of accomplishment I felt after the 15K as a testament of my evolution as a runner, and as a member of the running community.

I enjoyed the post-race camaraderie and festive atmosphere at the neighborhood pavilion (nice job, Cyndi), and headed back to take pics of the Youth Races but found out I was too slow and had missed them (dah). Anyways, I should've just headed home to get ready for the Saturday afternoon session of the Toastmaster Conference but I stayed till the end of the awards.

It didn't take long afterwards to hear my left food scream -- I really probably should've run the 15K but I'm stubborn, and I had to limp my way around the conference that evening (taking Sunday off to ice and rest it). And having signed up for the OUC (early December), I have to reconsider running Deland (may still walk it).

Anyways, that's the report. I forgot to take sweaty ceddy jumping pics and didn't take a full-body pic of the [alleged] horror show that was what I was wearing after the race. Okay, now some pics:

The Venue


Potion Pics (horror show pt. 1 on left)


A Couple Group Pics


Results


Awards


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UPDATE: Here's a course map I borrowed from http://amilauf.blogspot.com/. I saw that I made it onto her blog-roll. You ROCK Kerstin! :)