Myrtle Beach marathon, SC: 10th run in 10 weeks for David Redor, a.k.a. “Crazy Dave”

Par Rédaction 7 Mar 2016 10:22

“This marathon was cool but nice, and I enjoyed it very much…” Those are David Redor’s own words after he finished the Myrtle Beach marathon, his 10^th marathon in 10 weeks!

After nine marathons – one each week since January 4^th, 2016 – David Redor has shown how well he was able to prepare for a run, monitor his efforts during the race and recover from the stress and fatigue after it.

Our teams at OSATO/Immun’Âge® and SXMINFO have been so excited by David’s incredible challenge that we decided to join him next week for his 11^th marathon, the famous Rock’n’Roll DC marathon in Washington DC.

When he first started “Crazy Dave” had convinced us that he was well-suited for such an extraordinary challenge: 52 marathons in 52 weeks. After nine runs, his performance has showed us that he indeed has what it take to manage these 52 runs and validate his completely crazy challenge.

“A really enjoyable marathon”

The alarm clock goes off at 5 am. It’s early but I slept well and do not feel tired at all. I look outside: yesterday’s ice-cold wind is gone – a good thing as it’s cold enough as it is.

I eat breakfast and get ready. I decide to wear only one legging with two layers on top. I am not taking any gloves or ear muffs: the cold air is dry here so this outfit should be enough (It will turn out to be the right decision one more time).

At 5:45, I decide to walk to the start one mile away from my hotel, but underway I see the shuttle bus that takes the runners to the start area. I get lazy, indulge myself and board the bus. It will help me to stay warmer longer: it’s around 41° F out there.

We arrive at 6:20 in the start area where the runners crowded up together keep us warm. At 6:25 a singer performs the American anthem very well – there will be extremely talented singers and musicians along the entire course.

6:30: The marathon and half marathon runners start. They wind their way first on an eight-kilometer long straight stretch that runs parallel to Ocean Boulevard. The course is a mix of flat stretches, light up hills and smooth descents. A runner calls “Dave is crazy!” I’ll get more cheers and encouragements later during the run.

I started at 9 min/mile. I reach 5 km in 28 minutes. At km 8, we run into a park in a residential area for a 4-km long loop. Everything there is well-tended. Palm trees line the avenue. There are stone houses, and other residences that are painted in different colors. The scenery is very nice.

I reach the 10th km in 56 minutes. We leave the park at km 12 and run toward the famous Ocean Boulevard. The 14-km long stretch there is similar to the stretch we started on. The course is a mix of flat stretches, smooth up and downhills, but it is slower. In some places, we feel the ice-cold gusty wind from the sea. I stay focused and lucid as I don’t want to stop running – even to get food – to prevent getting cold. I reach km 15 in 01:28. The boulevard appears long, very long. On my right hand side, I can see hotels, bars, restaurants and souvenir shops lining the sea shore. I can only imagine the number of people visiting this resort in summer. Good live bands play along the course and are greatly appreciated as they are really excellent. I reach km 20 in 01:58 and the half marathon in 02:05.

Everything is going well at this point and the pace suits me well. After the half marathon we are running along the sea shore. The scenery is beautiful, but we all pick up the speed a bit because of the gusty ice-cold wind.

I reach km 25 in 02:31 but from there on my knees start to feel very stiff. However, I know that I should be able to finish in less than five hours.

We only leave this endless boulevard at km 27 and get into another park that has a residential area similar to the one we saw in the first park: everything here is impeccable, well-tended and full of flowers. We run a 3-km loop and leave the park at km 30 that I reach in 03:15. My average pace has slowed down and I run at 12 min/mile now, but it’s normal for me. We run a 3-km long avenue before taking a curve into a quiet neighborhood. Then we run on a bike path into another beautiful park. The course is not monotonous, a good thing for us runners as it keeps us in good spirits.

I get to km 35 in 03:53. We wind our way toward the finish line located at the local baseball stadium (Pelican). Before reaching the finish line, we first have to run through another quiet neighborhood and end the course with two long straight stretches. I cross the finish line in 04:56:35.

I’m really happy with my time as I was able to stay focused and clear-headed in order to well manage my run in the cold, and above all to not stop. The sky is blue and beautiful now but the cold wind starts again to blow. I will not linger here too long. I drink two refreshing beers, eat a bite, and go to the shuttle bus that will take me back close to my hotel!

It was a very enjoyable marathon, with a flat and fast course, diverse scenery, a great atmosphere and in particular, great music.

The organization was excellent. I really want to thank the organizers of the marathon and kudos to all the volunteers that were so friendly along the course.

I also want to thank the police officers who have kept us safe at the intersections and for their good spirit and encouragement. They are really great. Thank you, police officers!

I’ll definitely go tonight to the party – with buffet and live music – planned by the Organization.

Next week-end I’ll run the Rock’ n’ Roll DC marathon in the nation’s capital, where I’ll have the pleasure to meet with two of my sponsors, SXMINFO and the OSATO/Immun’Âge® team. This was a great surprise for me when they decided to come to Washington DC not only to support me but also to introduce to American runners their great product, Immun’Âge®.

I am really happy and touched that I will see them. Sponsors that fly 2,000 miles to support their athletes are rare, and that never happened to me before in my entire athletic career. Many thanks to them; they are really great! We’ll be together at the Marathon Expo in DC several days before the run.

Have a good week!

David