I did a half marathon! I am pretty excited about the whole experience because for the first time in a long time, I raced with a time goal in mind. When I race an IRONMAN, the goal is simply to keep moving forward and finish before the cutoff. And, because I race IRONMAN, my endurance is strong but my speed is not. Even when I race shorter triathlons, I use a run:walk strategy and the goal is just to finish. It’s been a long time since I raced anything with a specific outcome. I set a happy goal of 2:30. I set a pie-in-the-sky goal of 2:15.
I have been secretly training for this race - joining a friend of mine who is doing a half marathon this weekend. A few weeks ago, we did an 11-miler and I when I got home I signed up for Myrtle Beach 13.1. This event was one of the first run races I’d been a part of way back when I was first running. I’ve done the 5k (which used to be held the night before the marathon and half), the half (in less than two hours!) and the marathon relay. I had planned to do the half another year - but it snowed and they cancelled it.
Ace and I decided to make a quick trip out of it. We went down on Friday morning and I dropped him off at the golf course. I headed to the outlets (I have to stop at White House Black Market and LuLuLemon outlets) and then to packet pick-up. Tee shirt and bib pick up was at a restaurant called The Hang-Out out Broadway at the Beach. And true to its name, I could hang out there all day. I decided to get off my feet and eat lunch there. I had no idea what I was in for. I mean, you can’t go wrong with a place with a giant shaka outside. There was a stage in the middle of the room, an emcee, birthday dancing on the table, the Footloose dance, a race on plasma scooters and the Cha Cha Slide. Myrtle Vegas lived up to her name!
After an early check-in at the Sheraton and fetching Ace from the golf course, we headed to Hook & Barrel and I highly recommend it! I had a really good salmon + rice + asparagus dish. Plus, we headed over to Croissants the bakery/coffee shop next door. Is there anything you make that is gluten-free? I asked with a lot of doubt in my voice. Yes! The girl behind the counter exclaimed. Everything in this cooler is gluten-free! I think I squealed. There was a triple chocolate mousse cake by the slice OR a mini one made for two, an almond joy brownie bar and macaroons. OH, YES! I will be coming back for these tomorrow after my half marathon, I announced. Neal couldn’t wait. He ordered the mini mousse cake and had it for dessert and breakfast.
After dinner we headed back to the hotel. I’m pretty sure it was only 6:30PM, but felt like midnight. It had started to rain earlier and now the drops were falling in buckets. We were in bed and asleep by 8:30 - but sleep was fitful. I hate hotel sleep. Especially on night one of any trip. We could hear our neighbors - especially the child - and there was so much light! And, as with any race there is the worry that you will oversleep your alarm. So, when I woke up at 1:00PM and tossed and turned for a good 45 minutes, I knew that I was going to be tired in the morning.
I did not oversleep my alarm and the morning went smoothly. I had gone to FIVE BELOW and Dick’s Sporting Goods before the trip and had picked up cheap socks for gloves and a poncho. I borrowed a throwaway hoodie from Jen and a throwaway beanie from Ace. The morning went so smoothly that the rain stopped on our walk from the hotel to the start line. I warmed up on the dark and rainy walk over with dynamics and a little running. I said ta ta to Neal and then headed into my corral. I loved that there were only two corrals for this race. In Disney or in other major races, there are often 5-10 corrals. I was in corral B and was able to find the 2:15 pacers for the half.
The announcer played Lose Yourself by Eminem and then a Van Halen song and then…..Myrtle Beach Days by the Fantastic Shakers. Such a fun juxtaposition. I shagged a little and may have stepped on the toes of a girl who was crowding me. The first group was off. We waited five minutes and the announcer played the same three songs for our group. I was off! I promptly lost the 2:15 pacers in the sea of people and easily made my way through mile one and two. It was a lot of fun - there is so much energy in a run race: the guy to my right was carrying a giant American flag, the girls in front of me had big pink index cards pinned to their backs that read: JOANNA Seafarers 2024 (or something like that), a young guy to my left was singing out loud to the music on his phone (no headphones).
The sea parted at mile two. The crowd began to spread out and I finally could see the pacers ahead of me. Their bright yellow shirts and sign were a beacon a few hundred yards ahead. I tucked in behind a woman who had my same cadence and pace. I caught up with my pace group and then set my sights set on a woman with a Tarheel 10-Miler tee. I set my sight on a couple with matching ON Cloud shoes. Then the pacers for the 4:30 in the marathon. I moved steadily up through the crowd.
It rained a bit on the way out of town and near the airport. Just enough to soak me and cause chafing on my right underarm. That first few miles is full of false flats: undulating rises that can spike heart rate but not really spike effort. I made it to the Market Commons area and looked for Kristin on the other side of the median. I looked ahead for the turn around and it seemed sooooo faaaaar awaaaay. It came sooner than I thought and I was pleased that my 6.2 mile time was right on target. I was tucked between the 4:30 marathon pacer and the 2:15 half pacers.
The next two miles seemed like a net downhill and were punctuated by lots of fun chatter with the people around me and the country music singer performing Wagon Wheel as we headed down towards the main strip and the ocean. A heavy fog settled in - physically, mentally and environmentally. I stopped for water and mixed up some of my Skratch - and lost my pace group. I added a few walk breaks into the mix.
For a few miles, I followed a kid who was probably in his 20s. He would run 800 yards and then stop and stretch and run some more. I also paced for a while with a woman in a neon pink top who was steady and strong. I lost a little gumption as we turned onto the boardwalk area. It was the first time we were able to see the ocean - and in the fog it looked choppy and gray and still foggy. I was happy to see the split between the marathon (going straight) and the half (turning left). I knew I had only 1.5 miles left - but it seemed to take forever to get to the main road and then into the finish at the Pelican’s stadium. I knew this was a net uphill - but I was determined to make it without walking.
I was proud that I did not walk in the slight uphill to that finish. I was trying to reach my goal time of 2:15. I was even prouder that I did not walk when I hit 2:15 and still hadn’t reached the turn into the stadium. The finish area was full and I looked and listened for ACE somewhere in the crowd. As I made the last turn into the finish chute, I heard him yell: kick it to the finish! I hammed it up for the cameras and slowed to a walk as I crossed the line. My watch read: 2:18 and I am thrilled! I gathered my medal, some water, a lot of snacks (two bags of chips!) and a mylar blanket and then headed out of the main finish chute. I had to keep moving because my calves felt crampy so we headed over to the celebration area where I received a finisher gift - a tank top - and my virtual 10k medal.
I wanted to wait for Kristin, but I also wanted to get out of my cold run outfit. So, we headed back to the hotel. All in all, I covered 15 miles that day! That shower and the cold Coke that I had were AMAZING!! We went to Blueberry's Grill for lunch and had mimosas and burgers and then yes, I went back to Croissant and ordered the triple chocolate mousse cake for two, the almond joy brownie and two salted caramel macaroons. Cheers to a successful start to the race season.
The day before, Zoe and I were talking about the possibility of rain. She said: I hope your day is full of rainbows. I didn’t see any in the sky, but I saw a rainbow tattoo, a rainbow towel in the window of a shop and rainbow socks during the race. That counts.
Lunch at Blueberry's!
Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake for Two. I did indeed share.