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Fran Reynolds was a solitary figure while winning the Mangrove Marathon on Sunday but running alone is how the Cape Coral mother always goes about her daily distance training.
Reynolds won the 26.2-mile women's race that started and finished at Cape Harbour in 3 hours and 36 minutes, beating her time of 3:41 in the 2008 Gasparilla Marathon, her only previous marathon.
A constant figure at local 5 and 10K races, Reynolds trains by herself, using the road work time to clear her mind and reflect. A large portion of the recent reflection included thoughts about her mother, who passed away eight weeks ago.
"I think running can be such a mental sport and I take two hours a day alone to reflect," Reynolds said. "Before my first marathon, I had a close friend dying of lung cancer and recently I reflected on my mother as I trained.
"My running is all personal, me and me. I'm not elite like Perry Small (top local runner), but I love running and working hard."
Running alone Sunday had its challenges. "I tried to keep a male runner way ahead of me in sight so I would not go off course," she said.
Husband Fletcher Reynolds and Fran's three children - daughter Blake, 12; Fletcher, 10; and Beau, 7 - all participated in the mini marathon, a 2.6-mile race.
"I like to set an example about physical fitness with my kids, so it's good to see their mom out there running every day," Fran Reynolds said.
Reynolds will return to the 5K racing circuit starting with the Edison Festival of Light 5K in February.
Sunday's race was one of the first marathons staged in Southwest Florida.
"Rachael Lee has always been a great motivator for me. I've always looked up to her," Reynolds said.
Lee and her 3D Run Club provided the official timing of the race.
Josh Myers of Jacksonville Beach won the men's race in 2:53.17.
Sean Williams, 31, of LaGrande, Ore., won the men's half marathon in 1:10, while Cape Coral's Tony Burkett, 51, was the top local finisher, placing fifth in 1:34. Lisa Buohler of Lehigh Acres won the women's race in 1:31.40 .... |
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