It was a great day for a run!

Reggae Marathon last December may be months behind us but the memories haven’t faded. As is my habit, I turned in early Friday night after loading up on carbs at the Reggae Marathon Pasta Party. I walked back to my hotel about a kilometre away and thoroughly enjoyed the warm evening temperature and heady tropical scents. Before I turned in I followed my usual pre-race routine:  Pinned on my Race Bib, laid out my running gear, set my running shoes near the door and checked my bag to make sure I had everything I needed post-race.  I set three alarms for 3:15 am:  My phone, my watch and the clock on the table beside my bed.  Then I tucked myself in and drifted off to sleep. And sleep I did!  Dreams of the 5:15 am Reggae Marathon torch-lit start mixed with music along the route and sprinting down the finish chute.  It was all so vivid.  Did I really sleep?

At 3:15 am all three alarms went off simultaneously.  Time to go racing!  I followed my usual pre-race routine:  A glass of water followed by a small bowl of porridge.  Being in Jamaica it’s oatmeal porridge of course.  And coffee with a little milk…I need my caffeine and nothing is better than a cup of hot Blue Mountain coffee.  No I don’t take it black…just a little milk, no sugar.  Then a warm shower before pulling on my running gear and heading out to the start line.

I’m fortunate. My hotel is about one and a half kilometres from the Reggae Marathon start so the brisk walk over in the cool early morning was a great pre-race warm up.  Once at the start/finish area I checked my bag then headed off for a true warm up run:  Easy kilometre or so to get the blood flowing and as I always do, a short sprint back to the start line.

By this time it was about 5 am and the butterflies were churning in my stomach.  No matter how many times I line up at a race, the feeling is always the same…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Then I tuned out all the sounds around me and spent a few minutes visualizing the race itself:  The first aid station, the turn at the round-a-bout, the Steel band about 500 metres from the start/finish area.  And all too soon that was pleasantly interrupted by Race Director Frano counting down to the start promptly at 5:15 am.  And then it began…itwas a great day for a run!

Reggae Marathon RunninGuy (aka Sugar ‘Tuff Gong’ Bong)

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