Since quite a few of us have been talking about how great it would be to start doing race write-ups again, I figured I would be a good leader and post the first one! My featured race was the Best Damn Race (or more commonly referred to as BDR). This race takes place in beautiful Safety Harbor. What makes this race interesting is that there are really no other races that occur there. Unlike the overused Bayshore Blvd or Clearwater Bridge, they have this area pretty much to themselves. I was pretty excited to do this event this year because it was the 10th Anniversary and I can proudly say I ran the first one.
The race starts and ends right by the harbor, so you get a very scenic view of the water coming and going. It is a corral start so you get a chance to see where you fit in at as far as race pace. There are also pacers that you can run with to make sure you reach your designated goal. Usually, we have a large TBR presence at this race but this year it was just me and Robert for the half marathon. As soon as we are finishing singing the pledge of allegiance, we were off. During the first 3 miles, the road was flat as a pancake which allowed for me to REALLY turn up the speed! I was worried about my endurance for this race so my plan was to start out as fast as I could to bank some time for what I anticipated to be slower miles on the back end. Everyone was enjoying the run with only a light, misty rain coming down. The great thing about that was the air was perfect for breathing! No chance of getting overheated or even really dehydrated. As usual, I met several running friends along the route. For those who have not run in the area, Safety Harbor is one of the more scenic parts of the Tampa metro area. The race volunteers were wonderful as they cheered us on at every mile. This was an out and back and there were timing markers at the 2.8-mile mark, the 6-mile mark and the 9-mile mark. It never got too crowded or congested during the run and a lot of the runners would give encouragement to one another. I run with my hydration bottle so didn’t really have to stop at the water stops but there was one conveniently located every 2 miles (also plenty of port-o-potties). My running went well for the first 7 miles but then we hit the back end of the course. For some crazy reason I always forget (like a lot of runners do) that there are HILLS on this route! Nothing slows down a good run like those pesky inclines! I actually decided to walk up two of them so that I would not kill my quads. I made up time when we ran downhill into one of the parks which also was very scenic. The next few miles took us through one of the neighborhoods and after a few more twists and turns we were back onto the main street for the next 2 miles heading back to the finish line. This is where I really had to dig in deep in order to make my target time of sub 2 hours. Two years ago, I took my eye off the ball and finished in 2.01. So, swallowing the last of my Powerade I willed my way the final miles to the finish. The funny thing about doing races is that even when you have given it your all and feel you have nothing left, when you see the finish line you will find just a little extra energy to make it through. Crossing the finish line one of the volunteers handed me a bottle of water (which I quickly drained) and the beautiful 10-year Anniversary Race medal. The medal even has a spinner inside of the 0. After the race you exit into a massive outdoor expo area of merchandise, vendors and food and drinks. There is also a big sign that you can take your picture showing you did the BDR. Vendors were great and they had a nice area they called the “athletes food village”. Here you got some Papa John’s pizza (which was still hot!), soda, snacks (like chips, crackers, and pretzels), fruit, and a few other goodies. If you walked around to some of the other vendors, you could get some Celisuis recovery drink and Dunkin Donuts. I located Robert at the end, and we explored all that was offered and took pictures. So, in a nutshell, I did reach my goal with a 1:58 time (another sub 2-hour run), didn’t get hurt on the run, got a great medal for my collection and enjoyed the festivities. This is one I recommend to EVERYONE who wants a great race experience from beginning to end. Great course, great volunteers, great vendors, and great organization. Looking forward to the next 10 years for BDR!
Ron Tiller