Road to Rehoboth

My last two races of 2011 were spurred on by co-workers, old and new. Sarah Schillaci inadvertently helped me run a fantastic 5K in November and it was photographer Kevin Wexler's idea to run the Rehoboth Half Marathon on Dec. 10.

It was just what I needed. Short race season was finished for me and I had tentative plans for a spring marathon. So to fill the time in between with a middle distance race was perfect.

We arrived at Rehoboth Beach on Dec. 9 in about three and a half hours. It is a Delaware shore town not unlike the Jersey shore towns, with a fun-looking downtown area surrounded by a residential area that seems to be for year-rounders and summer revelers alike. But as with the Jersey shore, it seemed empty and deserted in the December off-season. That gave it the same eerie vibe as the Seaside Heights Half Marathon, which I ran in 2008 - a town that looks like it is in hibernation, ready to burst with excitement in six months.

We attended the official pasta dinner where, for 15 bucks, we had unlimited pasta and salad, but the tent where it took place didn't feel very inviting. Still, we ate until we were content and headed to the Sea Esta (get it?) motel, only a few miles away. I am an earlier riser than Kevin and since I also have a lot of nervous energy on the mornings of races, I set my alarm for 5 a.m.