Kim and I were heading back to run the Miami Marathon again, but this year, our friend Angie joined us.
We met her in Miami and made our way to the expo, where she was amazed at how many freebies were available at such a large event. After picking up our bibs, we headed back to our hotel.
For our pre-race meal, we went to an amazing, authentic Italian restaurant. I had made a reservation earlier that day, but when we arrived, they told us, “We don’t have your reservation.” I quickly showed them the confirmation on my phone, and they seemed surprised that I had managed to get a table, especially since they had people on a waitlist for a month.
They accommodated us, and after we sat down, I checked the reservation again—only to realize I had booked it for the wrong month! I never told the owner, though.
Race morning was different from our previous Miami marathons—there was a cold snap, and we were freezing! We had showed up in our usual shorts and tank tops, while the locals were bundled up in full winter gear, giving us strange looks. Once the race started, I was with Angie. Kim had told us, “If you lose me, I’ll be wearing my orange shirt.”
As the race began, other runners started shedding their outer layers, revealing that they were all wearing the same orange Miami Marathon shirt. Suddenly, Kim blended in with the crowd, and I lost sight of him. Then I lost Angie too. I slowed down, hoping to find her, but soon I was passed by a juggler and then a man running with a giant cat box strapped to his back. That’s when I decided to take off on my own.
In the later miles, I finally found Kim and eventually caught up with Angie at the finish. Despite the twists and turns, it ended up being my fastest Miami Marathon, thanks to the cooler temperatures. The next day, Miami returned to its usual 80-degree weather, and I was relieved we didn’t have to race in that heat!
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