I've done it 8 times

I've done it 8 times.  And the 'it'?  Reggae Marathon.  This December 2 will be my 9th consecutive time actually.  I was a whole lot thinner and had a lot less grey hair when I did my first Reggae Marathon in 2009.  That year I ran the full Marathon which was my first ever full marathon finish and up until now my only full marathon finish.  I never thought then that I'd be back...there were so many emotions surrounding that year.  But after getting back home and recovering fully from the effort, I decided I wanted to get a complete set of Finisher Medals, one for each Reggae Marathon event, Full Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K.

Each year at Reggae Marathon has been unique and special but some highlights really stand out:

• Sally sat melting in the blazing hot sun waiting for me to finish at Reggae Marathon 2009. She's not a fan of the heat...it sure adds dimension to 'for better or worse'.  True Love!
• I met Navin in person at Reggae Marathon 2009 and we've been friends ever since.  
  
• My son Courtney paced me at Reggae Marathon 2010 in the Half Marathon.  That was a tough race and through the struggle he stuck with me.  Note:  He's a really great athlete so it must have been agonizing for him to stick with his Old Man.  Lesson: It's not the finish, it's the journey!
  
• I walked the 10K at Reggae Marathon in 2012.  I'd broken some bones in my right foot a few months before Reggae Marathon and came close to cancelling that year.  Instead I decided to walk and took some of my favourite photos that year.
• Dan Cumming posted a photo of him and his wife standing in the surf on the beach in Negril waaaay back.  I stared at it for a long while before finally deciding that was the exact spot where we'd picnicked as kids.  OK, maybe not the exact spot but close enough...Dan's been a friend since.
  
• Along the way I ran into Larry Savitch and his wife Karen.  We've been coming to Negril every year for the past...oh heck, I forgot!  Larry's sure to have fun with that! This December will be our umpteenth Reggae Marathon together...who would ever have guessed!  Larry is also the ringmaster of the Sunday afternoon Beer Bus event. It's actually a tour of a number of hole-in-the wall drinking establishments along the cliffs of Negril's West End.  There's a bus...there's beer...Beer Bus!
  

There are many other moments.  Like the time at my second Reggae Marathon when I had a wee too much to drink on the beach and needed 'assistance' walking out of the water. Thanks Court and Sally!

Navin, Larry, ThatRunninGuy, Dan

When asked to describe what makes Reggae Marathon so special, Jimi Hendrix said it best, "Are you Experienced?"

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy