Cooper River Bridge Run - Charleston, SC

http://www.bridgerun.com

4/7/2002

The Course:

• Uniquely varied - The course begins in Mt. Pleasant, SC, continues on flat ground down one of the town's major roads (closed off to traffic, of course, given the thousands of race participants), and after just over two miles, the race continues over the Cooper River Bridge, fairly steep incline at first. For over two miles the bridges slope upwards, and then downwards, and the up again, and down again. Finally, at the base of the bridge, the race finishes in downtown Charleston near the South Carolina Aquarium with a celebration at a nearby park.
• Beautifully scenic - While on the bridge, runners can take in the gorgeous surroundings - the rivers (over the Cooper River, but the Ashley River is also visible), the historic tall church steeples from Charleston (it is definitely "The Holy City"), and the boats crossing beneath the bridge. Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the American Civil War were fired, is also visible.
• Weather - During the 2002 run, the weather was perfect - in the 50s at the start, warmer during the race, although a coastal breeze provided relief while on the bridge.

Unfortunately, I do not have pictures from this race, although what an experience it was! I met my classmates and fellow members of the Jimmy Green Running Club early so that we could condense down to two cars for the journey to Mt. Pleasant. We parked the cars, warmed up, and joined the massive crowd of people at the starting line. This was my first race where I had to wear a chip on my shoe due to the huge number of people, and it did take me more than two minutes to cross the starting line.

Given the combination of great weather and two months of marathon training, this race was an enjoyable time. The inclines on the Cooper River Bridge were not nearly as steep to us Jimmy Green Club members because we had been running the James Island Connector weekly in much worse conditions. On the bridge, some were complaining about the two-to-three-feet-tall lane dividers, which were difficult to avoid given how packed we were. The breeze up there felt great, and I just jogged along at a brisk but tolerable pace, chatting with people around me.

The race's conclusion at the finish line startled me - my chip time was more than two minutes faster than my fastest 10k time as a high school runner! I met up with the other Jimmy Green Club runners, and we celebrated at the park. Many local businesses had set up booths, giving away free food, sports drinks, Power Bars, even bratwurst and massages! Live music boomed from a front stage, and everyone just seemed to be having a really great time - celebrating the town's largest sporting event, as well as the coming of spring.

04/05/2003

The Course:

• The course layout was the same as the previous year.
• Weather - HOT! By the start of the race the temperature was 80 degrees without a breeze and that infamous Southern humidity. I knew I was in trouble before the gun was ever fired.

Unfortunately I do not have any pictures from the 2003 race either. I guess it's difficult to obtain photographs when Evan cannot be present to take them. :-) He is my official race photographer. In any case, the most significant memory I possess of this race was the heat. Plus, since it had not seemed too difficult the previous year, I decided that it did not matter that I had not run much since Grandma's Marathon the previous June - how hard could it be?

Once I reached the bridge, I started, literally, hallucinating. I was seeing purple spots growing legs and darting in between runners in front of me. The sun was beating on us, and the breeze had vanished. I felt absolutely ill and thought I was going to faint. I walked for at least one half of a mile, trying to regain my composure, but relief came very slowly. I still am not sure how I arrived at the finish line, but somehow I made it. The next thing I remember, a race volunteer was feeding me Gatorade and placing a wet towel on my forehead. Another race volunteer was assisting with removing my chip from my shoe. After about thirty minutes or so, I was feeling better, although still weak. I left without enjoying much of the party afterwards, got home, took a shower, and ate a huge lunch with Josh and Lysa (who ran the race as well - her first official race, and what a tough one to tackle first). Still weak, I spent the remainder of the afternoon sleeping.

I wish I had more to share about this race experience, but it was a tough day and I don't recall too much more. I do remember feeling like I was about to ROAST in the sun, though!

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