The Miami Beach Halloween Freaky Four Miler was my most recent 5K, and I cut my time from my last…read moreevent by 2 minutes. #yeahme! As the name implies, it was a Halloween themed event and I went dressed up as #thatguy who didn't rock a costume. The race had both a 5K and Half Marathon component; I did the 5K and will comment on that. Originally - up to two weeks before - the race was supposed to start from Parrot Jungle and run across the causeway ending up at Nikki Beach. However, about 3 days after registering I was advised it was changing , supposedly over construction on the causeways (which I didn't notice any on this particular day). Still and all, the race organizers did a pretty good job with keeping me informed. Unlike the previous 5k, they required packet pick up in advance (most likely to get you to spend money at one of the sponsor stores #tinfoil). The course wasn't too bad; we started running along South Pointe Park to the access walkway of the marina, eventually thru Ocean Drive and back through the park. Signage was actually pretty clear and there were water & Gatorade stations at about third points of the course. The food spread after the run wasn't too bad. Besides the usual bananas and orange slices, they had blueberry pancakes and a tasty scrambled eggs with onions and red peppers. I wish they would have also had chair massage stations to help runners stretch like they used to have back in the earlier editions of the run.

The 2011 Miami Beach Halloween Half Marathon was my first road race ever. I had a really great time…read moreand it was a blast to run in a costume. People seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves and the organizers and volunteers did a wonderful job of making sure that everything went smoothly. The route was fun and offered many beautiful views of Miami along the way. The finisher medal is super cute and makes me smile every time I look at it. Really, I have no complaints at all and recommend it to serious and novice runners alike. This was a laid-back race experience in a beautiful setting and I can't wait to run it again next year. Five stars all around.

4th full Tough Mudder and am just so disappointed. Loved my first couple TMs, but this one was just…read morea total letdown. - One, totally not a fan of the 2-loop course. What in the world. It seemed like a way to "cop out" of putting up the 20+ unique obstacles. Instead, we had 16 or so obstacles and had to re-do a few of them. - Missed obstacles like Arctic Enema. It felt like we had all the janky obstacles for the first 90% of the run. All of the fun ones were saved for the 2nd loop and stuffed into the last 1-2 miles (i.e., blockness monster, happy ending, funky monkey, etc.). Really disappointed in the layout. - Like the other reviewer mentioned, there was... No. Mud. Perhaps that's a fault of SoFlo since our dirt at this park was more like sand... but it felt like I was at a beach moreso than going through an actual mud run. Absolutely no mud. - No premium parking. In the past, I've always been happy to pay the $25 or whatever to park closer to the venue. In this instance, it was $20/vehicle, and premium parking didn't exist. Not only that, but it took over 30 minutes to park... This isn't Disney, folks! - Photographers... were placed SO badly! There was one that was just randomly placed in a field. WHY? Put him by an obstacle! There was no one by Berlin Walls; no one by Hero Carry; no one by Funky Monkey... It's fun getting to see the photo documentation of you championing the obstacles, but not this time. - Ran out of Small tech t-shirts... followed quickly by the Mediums. I have no idea what's going on with TM this year. :/ First time I've been to an event that ran out of Ts. + Only pro is the community. Still great camaraderie; everyone is always willing to help out others up and over obstacles, etc. Overall, just super disappointed. I think this will be my last Tough Mudder. In the future, I'll probably be looking for other mud runs. :(

This was my 3rd Tough Mudder and the worst one I've done. There was almost no mud or water courses…read more We also had to repeat several courses twice for the for the "full race". Not going to do it again in Miami.

Sadly as someone who knows Raven for decades I have no sympathy for someone who is so compulsive…read morethat they forsake friendships over running. His running style has ruined his body and he was and is so compulsive that he could not visit a person on a significant day because he had to run at 4:00. I can't honor someone who never worked, run his body into the ground and is now doing a fund me. Others go out and work. He lives in the apartment that his mother worked hard to buy.

Robert Kraft aka the Raven has run 8 miles every day for the last 35 years on South Beach since…read more1975 for a total of over 100,000 miles. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4169717 He invites anyone and everyone to run along with him. I decided to try and do it myself a week ago in efforts to start training for upcoming Boston Marathon and St. Anthony's Triathlon. He is really fun to run with and everyone gets a nickname and he has a photographic memory. He remembers everyone's name and birthday !!! I heard some walk up that ran 8 years ago from Germany - ask Raven " Do you remember me ? " He did after he told him his name, Raven told him his nickname and birthday !! Incredible !! If you are a first time runner he waits for you to finish no matter how long it takes and gives you your nickname - if you run with him he full of fun stories and history of Miami Beach. Two people who have met on the run even go married on the run !!! Running in the sand was no joke and but I did finish and there in the dark was the Raven waiting. By the way my nickname is Stair Climber why ? because I do this : http://skyrisechicago.com/

I have developed a love hate relationship with this event. On the one hand, it pushes my boundaries…read moreand in the end makes me better. All three legs are pretty cool on their own - The swim is perfect, very little current in the water, plenty of space to accommodate a large field of swimmers, clear, quiet waters. The 2010 winter in Miami has been awesome, nice and cool. So in a March Sunday morning of the waters of Miami, the water was a balmy 69 degrees, the temperature was in the high 50s, which made it for a very cold swim. One can argue that it was my fault because despite the fact that it was wetsuit legal because of the water temperature, I decided against the hassle of trying to peel off the wetsuit during the swim to bike transition. So I froze my ass in the swim. In hindsight it may not have been the best strategy since I had to burn so many calories just to avoid hypothermia, I guess I paid for it in the bike and the run. The bike leg, as usual is probably the best part of this event, to see the Miami Skyline while going over the Rickenbacker causeway is pretty energizing, never mind that your legs are screaming in pain while climbing the bridge, and because you have to do two loops, you have to climb those bridges twice. The wind was either awesome or a killer, depending on which direction you were going, it was nice to have the tailwind to push you but when you turned into it, it stopped you in your tracks. Finally the run. It stands alone as a very unique running course, nestled under the shade of pine trees, it certainly is easier to log in the last 6 miles of the event without having to bake in the sun. Mind you by this time, I was all salty from the electrolyte depletion on the bike so the shade is certainly welcome. Great event from a participant's standpoint, it really forces you to push yourself which in the end leads to a wonderful achievement. But an event is not just for the accomplishments, there are also logistics, organization, and other considerations. First and foremost, safety for the participants is paramount. In the Miami International Tri you always feel safe, your equipment is secure and all efforts are made to ensure the athletes are well taken care of. However, it is imperative to consider the spectators as well, who wake up with us and support us throughout the race. From this standpoint, MIT gets a failing grade and here's why : The music sucks !!! it is everything that is wrong with Miami. This DJ makes no effort to be original, it's the same crap that you hear in the crappy events. The food, after dishing out a pretty penny to participate in this race I must wait in line for 20 minutes to grab a plate an be served like an inmate, white rice, black beans, some sinewy chicken and fried plantains, served in very controlled portions, screw that ! I may be a bit spoiled coming out of events such as the Miami Marathon or the Miami Beach 13.1 where the food was plentiful and varied and nobody to control my portions. Mind you, we pay a good amount of money to participate in these events and granted as long as I am safe throughout the course, everything is secondary. But come on ! Make it a bit more spectator friendly and make sure the after events are up to par. After all this is considered one of the 100 best races as rated by triathlete magazine. Last but not least, a huge shout out to all the volunteers who are out there making sure we are well taken care of during the race, you guys all rock !!! Thank you !! So MIT, step it up !! Greatness comes with responsibility and it is a shame to miss out on the details. This is a premiere race now, it is hard to stay on top !! Don't let it slide.

As for many of the race reviews I write are from the spectator, cheerleader and equipment manager…read morepoint of view, this one is as well. I have been to a myriad of races as such and for us who are seeing the race from the backstage perspective. Commentary as always top notch! Great job. I watched the life guards accompany the very last swimmers in, encouraging them patiently as they struggled to finish. Kudos you rock! The Expo had some great vendors but like I said.. some.. all in all it would be nice to have some more vendors there were too few. Most vendors are selling triathlon related gear (excellent! I got a great bike stand for a great price) or handing out samples of some really neat new products (loved the coconut milk samples, and the acai frozen treat and will be looking for both at Whole Foods), and a huge BOO to 100% Natural who were selling water and beverages by way of young volunteers wandering around asking attendees "Would you like some water?" and then proceeding to tell them they have to pay for it and therefore guilting them into it. They also were selling food items you get at the grocery store. What were they even doing there? No added value to the event. The parking was atrocious. JUST atrocious. We arrived at the event more than an hour early and it took us 40 minutes in line to get into the parking lot at MAST, then trek to the race site. The port o potties were disgusting since the day of package pickup, on the day of the race they weren't even an option. I consumed NOTHING besides my coffee in the morning so I wouldn't have to go to them, I left the house at 5:20AM and left the race site after 11:30AM. Put that into perspective - I didn't consume water so I wouldn't have to go to the port o potties (which also ran out of paper on Saturday as well). The 'sinks' to wash hands had no water either so you would see many people walking away with soapy hands. . The whole site is not friendly for any spectator to move around, and although I must say my encounters with all of the volunteers for the most part was great, there was one specific one who shut me in the race path by moving a barrier and then proceeded to scream at me because I needed to get out. It was like 'hon, i was TELLING you I was trying NOT to get trapped on the beach when you did that and you shut me right into the runners path". She was obnoxious. I know you are a volunteer, I have done it before, its not the most fun thing to be there at 4AM, I get it, but you and I know you are doing it to get SOMETHING in return and it was obvious in her attitude she did NOT want to be there. Sigh... the DJ. Seriously? Reggaeton? Pitbull? So loud that you cant talk without screaming? Why is it that DJ's think that if people can actually talk in the vicinity they aren't loud enough. Plus, its a race with families, and really that type of music save it for the Tools that party on SoBe, keep the events more generic. You have at least 30 years of music that everyone can listen to without the intense desire to poke their eardrums out with a blunt object. K? The food line for the racers was difficult and confusing. It just seemed that this year the whole event was highly disorganized, last year it ran so much more smoothly. For every racer you have 1 - 3 spectators please don't forget that we have to hang out for hours, please don't forget us. Let me give my thanks however, because even with those cons the event itself is a great opportunity for local and out of town racers to participate in an event that is challenging and fulfilling.

This race was fun and definitely not boring…read more The course is tough. It's not impossible but I don't see it as a PR sort of course. You cross I beliee 4-5 bridges with one or two being pretty long. The volunteers we good. The medal is nice. And obviously the location is awesome. This year, 2011, it rained at like mile 9 and stopped by mile 10 so it was kind of refreshing but definitely slowed you down.

The Rock 'n Roll series of races is always a good time, and I am so happy we have one here in Miami…read morenow! Everything about the race was top-notch, from the fitness expo right on the beach, to the course support and the music! The course layout itself was similar to pretty much every other half marathon run on Mimai beach. I did like going over I-I95 instead of the venetian like you do on the ING. Pit Bull was the performer for the end of race concert. How can a race not be good if it ends with Pitt Bull?

The inaugural 2012 Key Biscayne Half Marathon took place under pretty awful running…read moreconditions--high winds and blowing rain--but the organizers managed to keep it together. The aid station volunteers were encouraging and on top of things and the aid stations themselves were well maintained and spaced out nicely along the course. Despite the discouraging weather, there was a good turnout and I was pleased to see so many spectators stoically waiting and cheering under umbrellas and ponchos along the way and at the finish line. The decision to add the Powell bridge to the middle of the course was an interesting one, to me--I found it manageable because I run that bridge almost every day, but I'm sure people who are unused to it might have been a little overwhelmed. Unlike the Miami Beach Halloween Half Marathon, I doubt this will ever be a PR-setting course for many runners simply because of the vertical challenge, but the views are great and meandering through Crandon was fun. Four stars because the tech shirt was a little bare (they didn't even print the year on it!) and the medal was cool, but the ribbon was generic and chintzy. It's not a huge deal but I have to withhold that elusive fifth star because it seems like they kind of cheaped out there. Still, I'll definitely be running this race next year if it's on.

I really enjoyed this race, despite the truly atrocious weather! The one positive to all that rain…read moreand wind was that it kept the heat at bay! The positives: It's great to have a half marathon so late in the "season"! Many races in South Florida are all bunched up in November - February, so it's really nice to have one last one before the summer sets in. The course was fantastic! We don't have enough hills in South Florida, so being able to hit the bridge twice was a GREAT workout! It was definitely NOT too crowded. At every other race I've done this year, the crowding at the start was bordering on dangerous, but not at this one. Perfect amount of people Race day packet pickup! I did not avail myself of it, but it's really nice to have that option Friendly organizers. I finished 3rd in my age group and since they skipped the awards ceremony due to the weather, they mailed me my award promptly and followed up with an email to make sure I got it! The negatives: There was conflicting information about packet pickup times and locations. The emails all mentioned purchasing a parking pass ahead of time, but didn't give a lot of information about it. It turns out that Crandon was charging for parking and if you pre-paid, you could skip the line. I waited in that line for close to 30 minutes! Had I known, I would have just purchased the parking pass. SUGGESTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR - just add the parking onto the race entry as probably 99% of participants are going to drive there. Food area - I finished pretty early and had no problem zipping through and getting something to eat; however, I saw that it was VERY crowded as more people were finishing the race. Leaving the parking lot took almost as long as entering it. I do think that all of the negatives were due to it being an inaugural race and that the organizers will work out the kinks for next year. All things considered, it went off EXTREMELY well given the weather and the big turnout. I will definitely be running it next year!

This years Life Time Miami Marathon and Half was my first Half Marathon, and will definitely not be…read moremy last(already signed up for next year through their past participant early registration). Packet/shirt pickup was Friday/Saturday at the Miami Beach Convention Center before the race on Sunday. I thought it was a pretty big inconvenience to make a whole extra trip down to Miami (I live in Broward), but after experiencing the hectic-ness of the morning of the race, I understand and greatly appreciate the early pickup. Packet pickup was super easy, and there were tons of vendors there and walking around was a fun time. Race day: Bayside was PACKED(and this year they capped it at 15,000 runners). We took the metro straight to Bayside after parking at Dadeland. We got there around 5:30 and the first wave was at 6ish. I will say that the only negative about the day was the almost total lack of signs/directions (and staff with identifying shirts) as to where to go. I wandered around looking for the bag drop for a while, but once I found it it was quick. Port-a-pots: NO EVENT EVER HAS ENOUGH. I waited in line for about 25 minutes which isn't too bad really, but next year they need to at least double what they had. Made it to my bay and my run started around 6:35. The course was awesome, with plenty of water/Gatorade stations, and cheering stations to keep the morale up. After finishing there were tons fo free drinks, snacks, and a lunch provided. There were tons of vendor tents set up and the option to hang out and party the whole day, but I was beat and ready to go straight home. It was such a fun event and I can't wait until next year!