Michael and I go to the beach each year for our anniversary. The FloraBama 4 Mile Run was held while we were in town. I did this run in 2013 and really enjoyed it. I hesitated to sign up because it had only been three weeks since my marathon and I wasn't sure if I should be racing that soon afterwards. I waited until we got there on Friday to register. I decided ahead of time that I would take it easy and run by feel.
The FloraBama Make it to the Line 4 Mile race offers walk and run divisions. They also offer a one mile fun run. It's a flat, fast, down and back course. Several hundred people participated in this race. A portion of the proceeds benefitted Innerarity Point and Orange Beach Fire Departments.
It was overcast with a light drizzle at the start of the race. Within the first mile the sun came out from behind the clouds and it got warm. I was glad I wore short sleeves instead of the pull-over I thought of wearing. I got slower with each mile, especially on the final two mile stretch. There was a strong headwind on the way back. It was so strong it blew my hat off, and I had to run back to get it.
Mile 1- 8:13
Mile 2- 8:28
Mile 3- 9:02
Mile 4- 9:06
My time was 33:55. It took me several minutes to catch my breath after crossing the finish, and my heart was beating out of my chest. On this day a 4 mile run felt tougher than running my first marathon.
We stuck around for the post race festivities which included free beer and red beans and rice. I saw a couple from back home, Paula and Mark, on the bleachers in the post race area. I met them at the Shrimp Festival Run in October. Paula congratulated me on my full and asked me how it went. She was training for her first full marathon and she had run a few half marathons during her training. She ran her first sub 2:00 half marathon a month earlier at the Kaiser Coastal Half. I wished her luck on her marathon in January and congratulated her on her accomplishments. A sub 2:00 half marathon is a goal I really hope to achieve one day.
The results were posted and Paula and I both placed in our age division!
Paula and I receiving our awards
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