Another Runcation in Florida

I've been in Florida the past couple of days visiting my family and preparing for the Gasparilla Marathon on Sunday. I took a late night flight out of Burlington on Tuesday and arrived here just before 2 a.m. on Wednesday. It's amazing I'm still healthy after spending six hours in recycled, contaminated air.

On my first flight, I sat diagonal from a puking 3 year old (her mom felt it was necessary to bring her on the plane despite the fact she threw up at least 4 times in the terminal before the flight), in front of a wailing (and I mean WAILING) baby, and surrounded by dozens of coughing, sneezing, hacking, and sniffling other passengers. The environment was enough to make anyone germ phobic. Fortunately, I'm still healthy. Maybe it was the bottle of hand sanitizer that I bathed in upon my arrival???

Before I left on Tuesday, it's worth mentioning that I managed to sneak in a 5.5 mile run while waiting for my car's oil to be changed. Then, I headed to the gym for a 40 minute swim session. I still struggled to breathe. I did two laps and then took a break to calm my heart and breathing. The pool was nice and quiet and I actually got my own lane. I was so used to sharing a lane that I swam my first several laps right up along the rope. I can only imagine how silly I looked to the lifeguard. After nearly everyone cleared out of the pool, I noticed that the lifeguard actually stepped out of the pool room for about a minute. Wow! Did he trust my swimming skills that much? I must be making progress.

Since I've been in Florida, I've only run twice. I'm tapering and saving my energy for Sunday. The weather is looking favorable. Thank goodness! The forecast is calling for sunshine, 10% rain, low of 43, and high of 67. Perfect--as long as I finish before it hits 67.

I decided it would be best for me to stay out of the water while I'm here for several reasons. The water is a bit chilly and I think I should save my energy. However, my biggest reason for staying out of the water is that I don't want to be confused as shark bait. My swimming most closely resembles a fish in distress or...shark bait. Now, I don't know if there are many sharks around here, but if there are, they will find me. I know there are dolphins, sting rays, and manatees...I'm not pushing my luck.

Please consider supporting our fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Visit our Team Courcelle fundraisng page.