Run to the Rock Half Marathon - Plymouth, MA

The 20th annual Run to the Rock allowed me to race in soaking wet conditions...and it didn't even rain a single drop! Autumn in New England is known for having unpredictable weather, but I did not expect to find 87-degree weather in September.

Despite the near-record heat, the race was well-organized and showed a lot of community spirit. There were 3 different distances (5k, 10k, and half-marathon), plus a BBQ afterwards for both spectators and runners. I opted to run the half-marathon, which started in the Myles Standish State Forest and ended at the Plymouth Rock. These point-to-point races are always more fun for me because I can say I actually ran somewhere (as opposed to the more-common "loop" courses, where racers literally finish in the same place they started). 

 The half-marathon field was small (only around 500 people), but as everyone assembled in the starting corral, I could tell that they were mostly "real runners".  They chatted with each other about past marathon experiences, their favorite gear for training, and what to expect from this course.

The first six miles were solitary and peaceful, as we ran along the deserted road and barely saw anything besides trees. I was a little surprised by the large number of hills, although they do help to break up the monotony as I pep-talk myself up to the top of each one. 

Candid photo from the race

Once we got into the residential area, we were running alongside some traffic and only saw occasional spectators to cheer on the runners. To be honest, I don't remember much other than working hard to maintain my pace behind the guy in front of me. I knew I would never pass him, but he was a good anchor to keep up my personal effort. 

The last mile of the race felt like it would never end. In retrospect, my slow finish time did make me wonder if we had run longer than 13.1 miles. Maybe it was just my body slowing down to compensate for the heat. Either way, I was proud of my effort and my placement. 

It was great to see my parents cheering me along at the finish line. Once the race ended, I grabbed some food and we sat around - mostly to enjoy the atmosphere, but also to await the age group results. When they were finally posted, I was happy to see that I had finished 2nd in my age group. I picked up my trophy and we celebrated with an ice cream before heading home.

2nd place in the 30-39 age group!

Despite having grown up so close to this historic town, I only remember coming down to Plymouth once before. "America's Hometown" is a popular place for school trips to learn about how the Pilgrims lived when they first arrived here in 1620. A replica of the Mayflower still sits in the water near Plymouth Rock, and I was amazed that the Pilgrims could have made it across the Atlantic ocean in this top-heavy, wooden structure. 

A replica of the Mayflower sits in Plymouth Harbor

One of the many reasons I love to race is because it gives me an excuse to visit places that I otherwise would not take the time to see. If anyone is considering a small race in a city with historic relevance, Run to the Rock is a great choice.

Dubai

Before I could start my next project, I had to make a quick stop in Dubai.  I flew on Emirates for the first time and can totally see how they won Airline of the Year.  The list of languages spoken by the flight crew was ridiculous, food was actually decent, and the in-flight entertainment had tons of variety.  They also offer mobile phone service, which is cool in theory but not when the guy next to you is talking on his phone (in Arabic) for half the flight.  He should have at least allowed me to eavesdrop!

Walking out the front door of my hotel this morning felt like I was stepping into an oven.  How do people manage to live here all summer?  I was literally sweating just standing still!   Riding in the taxi, I noticed very few people outside.  The ones brave enough to face the heat often used umbrellas or newspapers to block the direct sunlight.  Air conditioning is a basic necessity in this part of the world... Even the bus stops have air conditioning!

You know it's hot when the bus stops have aircon!

I decided to check out the Dubai Mall, which is the world's largest shopping mall.  It is like an indoor city: ice skating rinks, waterfalls, a "souk" area, cinema, and every store I could imagine.  In the Emirates, it's illegal to eat in public during fasting hours of ramadan, so all the restaurants had gates and curtains covering the food.  Another interesting sign I noticed at the entrance is that you can't wear anything that exposes your knees or shoulders.  Despite the ethnic diversity and the rapid growth of the city, Dubai remains very conservative.  

Water conservation isn't a concern at the Dubai mall

Adjacent to the mall is the tallest building in the world - Burj Khalifa.  I stopped outside to take a couple pictures and admire the grandeur of the building, but I didn't have enough time to venture to the top.  By the way, I couldn't even fit the entire building into my camera lens.  

Tallest building in the world!

Speaking of growth in Dubai, there are cranes everywhere you look.  The architecture is amazing and I could spend hours just admiring all the interesting buildings.  Dubai is really smart to invest in infrastructure while the oil boom is helping the economy so that they can retain relevance once the demand for oil starts to decline.

Some of the construction happening adjacent to Burj Khalifa

I decided to take the metro back to the hotel because I was so impressed that Dubai has such an advanced public transportation system.  My friends would all consider me crazy for taking the metro but I think it is a fun way to see how people in a city go about their normal lives.  Dubai's metro has only been operational for a few years, so I wasn't surprised to see that everything is still new and fresh.  

The trains don't require drivers (at least none that I could see).   I also noticed that the riders are mainly lower working-class people but that is probably just because riding public transportation is not as convenient as driving.  To be fair, I wouldn't want to walk in a suit from the metro station to any office (which is why I hopped in a taxi as soon as I got off at the stop nearest to my hotel).    

Here's the view of downtown Dubai from inside the metro train  

Once I got back to the hotel, I finally had the opportunity to check out the view and walk around a little outside.  Everything about Dubai is over-the-top, including my hotel.  

Here's my hotel, as seen from the pool. 

Here's the view from my room.  You can see the Burj Khalifa in the background 

I really wish I could have spent more time in the city - mostly because I have lots of friends from my MBA program working here that I wasn't able to see in my quick, 24-hour trip.  However, I am positive this won't be the last time I get to visit Dubai in my lifetime.  As the city continues its quest to be bigger, better, and more elaborate than anything else that exists in the world, I will be even more excited to see what they can offer.