Athlete Name: Valerie Fristachi 

Race Name: Gasparilla Half Marathon
Year: 2024

The Good:

Well-organized race, decent swag (nice t-shirt, hat, reusable shopping bag, good food samples at Expo, finisher medal and towel)

Start is near the Convention Center so bathrooms are available, no need for port-a-johns

Warmer than the northeast US, but not too hot nor humid

Flat course mostly along Bayshore Blvd, great view of Tampa Bay

Great splits early on.

The Bad:

I normally get a hotel or AirBNB within walking distance of the start/finish, but we saved money by staying with a friend who is a 40 minute drive away -> less sleep, $15 parking

6am start, ran half the race before sunrise. Not for night owls

Post-race goodies are meh

The Ugly:

Felt nauseous/queasy Friday night, not sure if it was overhunger, motion sickness from the car ride, or something that didn’t agree with me. Dialed in my nutrition on Saturday and got lots of sleep and rest.

Started out too fast, got ambitious and followed the 1:45 pacer.

Stomach cramps arrived around mile 7 (maybe tail end of whatever from Friday night), subsided, then came back. Held off using the bathroom until after the finish, but the discomfort slowed me down a bit.  1:50 pacer went past. Probably should have started with her and sped up later.

Second fastest time for me, I’ll take it! I’ll aim for some runs at goal pace a few weeks out so that I can hang in longer for a PR.