LBA3?

I will die of happiness if they make this.

Pictures

No, I didn't win the Lake Placid Half-Marathon. My time was about 2hr 4 min, and the winner did something like 1hr 5min. So I was pretty close.

Things I learned:
1) Although uncomfortable at first, running in cold mist is good for the body.
2a) I have the World's Smallest Bladder.
2b) This will be an issue during the NYC marathon - no woods for me to pee in.
3) Need to work on my pacing. During the first 7 miles I ran a too-slow-but-comfortable 10 minute mile. The rest were about 8 minute miles, and the last one was an 7 minute mile sprint.

It was a truly wonderful experience. We stayed in a rather quaint log cottage 3 miles from the finish line. I went to bed at 11pm, but probably slept 2 hours total. Got up at 6am, started drinking and eating, and then off to the site.

Going through that finish line was an unbelievable feeling. I placed rather low in my category, but it doesn't matter: approaching an official finish line, with a digital clock, and people yelling your name, the PA announcing "Gabriel Florit from Saratoga Springs, coming in strong", ... it was all worth the pain I felt immediately afterwards and for the next 15 minutes.

And God bless the lady that offered me a cup full of warm chicken broth.

Here's some pictures to prove I'm not making this up.





And finally, watch my decapitated head mysteriously reappear as I cross the finish line (this might take a second or two to load - blame it on the internets and the tubes and the congestion and so forth):