After six running the first 6 miles of the Fitness Half Marathon in Central Park, NYC it hit me. I was bored. Mind numbingly bored. I had seven point one miles left and I was ready to give up. Not because my body couldn’t do it but simply because my mind was flat-lining. I dug deep and found the will to finish the race but vowed that this would be my last half marathon for a while. I was determined to find new challenges for the 2018 season.
This was the birth of my self-created Run the Cape Challenge. I love Cape Cod and have been blessed to have lived here for 19 years. It was while living here that I decided to change my lifestyle and become a runner and triathlete. Over the past five years I have run or biked all around the Cape. Each town offers different scenery and different challenges. I decided that a great way to really honor the Cape was to commit to running a race in every town before the end of 2018; hence the Run the Cape Challenge.
After mapping and scheduling races in all 15 towns (which was a challenge in its own right) I have created an ambitious but doable schedule. I still had to include a few off Cape races including one precious half marathon (Hartford) and three triathlons. I have included this schedule in my calendar so you can check out my ambitions and maybe be inspired yourself. I invite you to follow me on this journey through this website or my Instagram page @lizrabs
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Race 1 – May 6, 2018 @ 9am
Mashpee – Lovn’ LIFE 5k
Weather: A cloudy morning with a light breeze and 50 degrees. Ideal conditions and a nice flat course.
Time: 30:02
The race was a fundraiser for a local organization that cares for persons with disabilities (www.lifecapecod.org) There were many participants from the LIFE program which gave the race a real family feel. There were about 270 participants in this race that included many runners with disabilities. The Cape is a small place so I usually know someone else running but today I ran amongst strangers. But the smiles and waves from my fellow runners and fans made me feel very welcome. The course was flat and we ran around a small industrial park and then out into a neighborhood. I started as close to the front as possible as the timing chip only registered the end time. I pushed myself because this year I have vowed to get faster! When I crossed the finish line I was thrilled with what I saw! A 5k time I had not achieved in almost 4 years! Today I was certainly Lovn’ LIFE!
To learn more about the town of Mashpee click here
Up next is the Feet, Fins, and Flippers 5k in Bourne on May 12