Myrtle Beach Half-Marathon & Bike ride summary

Well, to be blunt, it was a complete disaster. Due to (Yes, I'm making excuses) the 3 weeks leading up to the Half being sick the entire time, that led to absolutely NO working out. Not just no running, but nothing else. I had no energy. After going to the DR just the other day, I got meds and started getting better. I didn't think at all about not running it - but maybe I should have.

The gun started the 13.1 sucker at 0630 am. We got up at 0430 and had gotten into bed later than planned due to the traffic getting to the beach, cause in S.C. Myrtle Beach is the beach. I set off into what I'd hoped would be a steady slow pace. I did know that I wasn't where I should have been physically ready for the event and to top it off, I had a 32 mile bike ride the day after. Yeah, that's a whole other story.

Miles 1 - 3.99
The first 4 miles are several turns to get down to Ocean blvd. It's okay, and really the sun was coming up fairly quick. I was enjoying it, not even phased that everyone and their momma seemed to be passing me at the speed of light. There is no corral start for this small race. I felt like I was doing well. I think I passed the 5K clock at 31 something, not sure. Of course, not my best but at this point - I was thinking probably a 2:30 race. Not bad considering all things.

Miles 4 - 8.99
We turn onto Ocean blvd and I smile knowing the next few miles are a straight, flat course. You can see the ocean on the left and all the millions of pancake houses, crappy motels on the right, and high rises on the left. Not a bad sight, really. Unfortunately, no more port-o-potties in sight and I needed one. At about mile 6, I see 3 off to the left and a long line for them. I join in. With waiting and going potty, I probably wasted about 5 min. Then again, at about mile 8.5 I needed to go again. This time some owners of a motel were standing outside smoking and watching all the runners, I asked if they would oh so kindly let me use their restroom. I go in, get the bathroom, she tells me I need a key. Crap. So, I grab the key off the nail in the wall, and drop it on their desk, which is behind the counter, so I had to lean over and find it before heading back again to the restroom. My motivation was going downhill at this point. I knew I'd wasted so much time with the pit stops that I wasn't going to do what I wanted. At least, I'd come in in 2:40, possibly...

Miles 9-13.1

Sucked.

We turned the right off Ocean blvd, took a couple of small turns and ended up on Kings hwy. I lost it. I pretty much just gave up. I walked, I ran a little, I walked, ran a little. I almost teared up at the sense of disappointment I was feeling. I was (no offense) with the walkers and I thought I was a runner. My disappointment led to heartache, and just plain self-pity. This time last year, I did a 2:19:19, a slow half for most of you, but created a record for me, one that I think I can't PR now. Just 3 wks ago on a Sunday, I did a 10-miler. After it was over, I got to thinking that if I continued to run good the next few wks until the race, then I could possibly PR. Then I got sick.

My legs were just very heavy, sore, and I was getting some spasms in them. Probably from killing them with no cardio level workout in such a long time, then all of sudden - this. But, I just didn't have then energy, nor the determination. It had all left me.

For the last half mile, I had my eye on my garmin watching, waiting to see the chute. I finally got to where we (halfers) cut off while the marathoners keep going and it took everything I had to run through the chute. I crossed and David was of course waiting for me. He had been there over an hr, already and all my other friends were there too. They all finished in times like 1:35, 1:50, 1:58, 1:59, and 2:33. Then there was me - 2:49.

So, there you go. I have no splits because I still forgot to set up the new Garmin to do splits. I felt a lot like Lisa after she finished the RnR Half. I told all my friends that I probably wasn't ever running again. They were all very supportive (from the outside) telling me, that I "had been sick", blah, blah, blah... "I ran it anyway", blah, blah, blah... but it doesn't (in my eyes) take away what happened Saturday on the course. Regardless of all the facts, I gave up during miles 10-13 and that's what's disappointing. But, I need to leave it all on Kings Hwy in Myrtle Beach.

It's hard to come on and let the world (so to speak - well anyone that wants to read my blog) and lay it all out. But, I'm doing it, because it's what I need to do, to get past this. My fitness level has dropped dramatically. I am over-weight, under-trained, and just not in shape. Now, I just have to do something about it.

David's right - "stupid running".



Yesterday was another early morning. We all got up so sore we could barely walk, or bend our knees. I swore someone beat us all with a baseball bat during the middle of the night. I couldn't believe we were about to ride for over 30 miles. The bicycle ride started an hr later than the run at 7:30. We all got our bikes ready and got to the stadium where the ride began. Online, the MB site said this ride was 30 miles. We get there on Friday night, pick up our chip and shirt, etc and the course map said 32 miles. Okay, so it's more than 30.... blah. I kept thinking I have not ever done a ride over 20 miles. How am I going to handle this? and the day after the half, that I didn't finish training for. We started off, David up front, of course. Larry, Shelley and I rode together. Larry leading us and offering for us to draft behind him. It's a nice flat course, sort of an out and back but some cut off the end, to make it (supposedly) 32 miles, not longer. Towards the end of the course, we hit some wind that made us go even slower. We were at the 16 mile SAG stop, munching and taking in some fluids, and the volunteers saw the leaders of the 32 mile ride pass us. They were already on their way back. We still had another 5-6 miles to go before our turn around. Then we see David pass. So close to the leaders. Yay! David. and we were off again.

20 miles into the ride, Shelley and I were counting down the miles. Her computer had us further than mine, so we were hoping hers was right. At mile 25, the both of us just wanted so badly to be off that bike, so much so, we were blaming the guys for pushing us to do this ride. At about mile 28'ish, we thought we were close. We were back on Ocean blvd, and David come flying up behind us. He had already finished and came back to ride with us in. He got beside Larry, and Larry quietly said to him "the girls are mad, and I know we have more than a 32 mile course here". They just didn't tell us that. And, I knew David knew how much further we had but wouldn't tell me. Probably a good thing.

We all rode through the chute together, side by side. In the end, David's bike computer said 36.16, and mine was around 36 also. Shelley and Larry had about 36.8 miles. So, who knows? But, I do know it wasn't a 32 mile ride. I just know it was slow and much of a joy ride... well, until we hit 32 miles....It was just a ride then.

~36 mile ride (2:47:25)



We didn't get into the house to settle down until 9:30 pm, after getting back, going back out in the rainstorm and getting the munchkin. I didn't even open my laptop. If you all want to see a good report, check out David's. His is much more positive. I hope to finally catch up on your blogs today. I'm missing ya'll....

I'm very sore, taking the elevator to my 2nd floor cubie. I can barely walk straight. My glutes on down to my calves are giving me hell. And, everyone is looking at me weird. On to finish off my sore rest day. Tomorrow, it's back to the workout grind. :-)

Since Wes hasn't got to see a picture of Grace lately, I thought I'd show her off again. Here she is at the end of Jan in her Jamaica getup Daddy got her.

Sorry report is so long. It's actually 2 reports... :-)