Half Marathon #50 for me! Run the Rainbow for the Children's Hospital in Jackson, Ms

 

Saturday, March 16, 2024 I ran my 50th half marathon.  WOW!  never in a million years when I was younger would I have thought I would or even could run 50 half marathons!  I didn't even start running until I was 40.  And I started with short distances like 5Ks.... but soon my sweet friend, Serina Williamson had talked me into running a half marathon.  On November 27, 2010 (14 years ago), I ran my first half at Stennis Space center.  I finished in like 2 hours 3 minutes and Frank was under 2 hours!  I'll never forget that run.  I tried to stay up with Frank Barrett!  He was pretty fast back in the day.  I sure hate that he is unable to run.  DANG COVID! I sure miss seeing him at the races.  Anyway, after that race, I was hooked.  Serina and I ran several half marathons together.  Her whole family always did the races together, which I thought was so COOL! 💗

So fast forward 14 years and finally on March 16, 2024, I ran my 50th half marathon.  At the beginning of the year, I had planned for St. Jude in Memphis in December to be my 50th.... but you know how peer pressure is.... my good old friends, the PPRF group! talked me into a couple half marathons in the beginning of the year.  And I decided why not... especially since I'm training for Boston.  Might as well, get some good training runs in by doing some half marathons.  AND I knew this one would be HILLY, which would be even better for my Boston training.  💛  

The race did not disappoint in hills! Lots and Lots of hills.  You'd finish one and then look up and there was another.  There was only one small section of like 1 1/2 miles that was flat! I felt really good!  So much better than 2 weeks prior at the half on the beach where I felt like crap and had stomach issues.  I was full of energy and my body felt really good.  I was surprised with the hills as the miles clicked off on my watch and my pace was staying between 9:30 - 10:15.  I was super pumped.  From our group only me and Wanda were doing the half and the others were doing the full.  Wanda is serious about her running so it wasn't a social race.  We didn't talk.  Maybe that's why I ran faster. 😂  I stayed focused on running. 😀  The only downfall of the race is I only found 1 porta potty at mile 7.5! Just one! and there was a line, but I had to go so I lost several minutes stopping there.  The volunteers were great! The road signs were awesome because there were many turns in the race, but I never felt lost.  They did a good job with all of that stuff... just need more bathroom stops.  Penny told me she saw 3-4 on the full course.  I'm glad they had more than 1 like we did!  Overall it was a really good race.  Lots of food afterwards.  They never ran out!  Even had more hot pizza delivered for the late marathoners.  💓 The rain went away Friday night and it stayed cloudy during our run so the weather turned out pretty good for us.  The sun did not come out until we were on our way home. 🙌 Our hotel gave is a late check out so all of us were able to shower before driving home. 💓  AND the race was for a great cause.. THE CHILDREN! 💗  We could not hear awards.  She had no mic.  We were right at the finish line where the timing guy was announcing stuff, people were ringing cowbells for people still coming in to finish.  Everyone was standing around saying.. "what did she say"...  I knew I wasn't getting an award, but Wanda got Sr Grand Master in the half and all the others places in the full marathon .. whoop.. Whoop...   I did finish 5th in my age group, which I consider pretty decent for a challenging run with LOTs of HILLS.  plus a bathroom stop. 😀

Here are a few pics:  

Friends bringing each other in to the finish line! I LOVE this group! 

Hey Rod! I'm coming in to the finish. 

My friends.. Felicia, Michelle, Candy

My medal

Penny & Felicia before they left hotel to go to start line.. the full started at 6:30 and the half at 7:30... crazy.. one hour difference! 

Finish line pics with Nestor & Lillian

Me and Wanda with our half medal

Wanda was prepared for St. Paddy's day! 💗

Half marathon elevation chart! Up down..up down.. ha

Awesome cup Virginia gave us after the race.. I love how the hearts are see through.. so neat! 

Can't believe I'm one month out from BOSTON! 😍  Praying for continued strength, endurance and safe training leading me to that start and finish line in Boston. 🙏💗

Perdido Beach Half Marathon - 3-2-2024 Half Marathon #49 for me.

 What better way to get in a training run than at a race. 😁 Or that's what we tell ourselves... 😎

Penny found this race several weeks ago and sent the group a text asking who all was interested.  It turned out that March, 2 was a busy weekend for several in the group so it ended up only being me and Penny that were able to travel.  We decided to make it a short trip.  Just one night away from home.   We left on Friday afternoon after working, and headed on down to the beach.  It RAINED all day on Friday! Lots and lots of rain.  The road conditions were terrible.  The forecast was calling for slight rain on Saturday also.  We were not thrilled about that and prayed it would change.  

We made it just in time to get to packet pickup before 6pm.  There was no expo.  Just pick up your packet.  We stayed at the host location which was Perdido Beach Resort.  If you've never stayed there, well let me just say.. it's NICE.  Rooms were only $150 a night.. which that was race rate in March...  Penny  has stayed there in the summer with her hubby and she said the rooms are no where near that cheap. 😁😑  We decided to just eat at the restaurant there and not venture out due to the rain.  We were in bed early.. like 8pm 😂

Saturday morning we woke up and no rain, but the visibility was so bad you could not even see the ocean water from our room.  It was so HUMID.  My stomach had bothered me off and on during the night so I went ahead and popped 2 imodium tablets first thing.  The race started right out the main entrance of the resort.  It was so nice that we had stayed right there.  We chatted with my coworker, David for a few minutes and then it was time for the race to start.  

waiting to start... notice the FOG

waiting to start .. man it's FOGGY

They counted us down till 7am and off we went.  The Perdido Beach pass was directly down from our resort and start line.  We knew we had to cross that bridge like 4 times! Yes, you read that right... 4 times!  David and I had looked at the map at work and tried to figure out what all the looping meant, but we were not real sure.  Well, they had excellence volunteers with signs that kept you straight.  Across the bridge you went, then down under and across the road to the other side, down to Flora Bama, Cross over at redlight, back to Bridge, down under and over and back to Flora Bama and then back to cross bridge one last time..  I think if I would  of had to cross that bridge one more time... I might of cried.. 😂😁  

With the visibility being so bad due to fog, there was nothing pretty to look at! No ocean view while crossing the bridge, etc.  You could barely see 50 feet in front of you.  Not to mention it was HOT and HUMID.  OH and guess what???   I got sick!  I knew something wasn't right with my stomach.  I blame it on that dang fudge I got at Buccees!  I should not have eaten 2 pieces Friday night before bed!  Penny stopped with me the first time and waited.  The next time,  I told her to go on so she finally did and we got separated.  I ended up stopping 3X for the bathroom and felt so sick to my stomach the whole race.  I was so sad and mad!  I kept thinking if I feel like this in Boston, how will I run 26.2 miles when I'm about to die just trying to finish 13.1 miles!  It was not a good feeling!  It's weird how some races, you'll feel awesome and some you'll feel like total crap!  It just wasn't my day!!  Penny on the other hand that had been battling PF and not running much for 2 weeks was on FIRE.  I could barely keep up with her that first few miles we were together.  Usually she'll say she's chasing me and she's telling the group to pull back and hang around the 11 min pace... well NOT this time.. She was full force on GO! 😍  I'm so proud that she had a good race.  Yep, her foot hurt some, but otherwise she ran really well with no breathing issues, etc.  She had a good day.  

She was waiting for me at the finish line. 💓 

Penny with her medal.. and that pink blur in background is me finishing

That's me in pink coming in

Boy was I glad to be done!  I had to head straight to the bathroom.  It was just one of those days!  After I walked around and cooled down a bit, I felt better.  We decided to sit and listen to the awards to relax before heading back home.  I'm glad we did because guess what?  Penny placed 3rd in her age group and I placed 2nd in my age group!  I tell you that was all GOD.  I ran like crap, felt like crap and somehow placed!  I think all the fast 5-59 year olds stayed home that day. 😀😍  So what felt like a really awful day, turned into a better day.  I rarely ever place at half marathons or marathons.. so it just made me feel better on a really bad day.  I give GOD all the glory for allowing me to finish that race.  I could have easily quit and said I'm not running anymore because I feel so sick, but I didn't... sometimes you  just have to push through it.  🙏😀  I was glad we had just stayed one night and came on back home so I had a chance to rest on Sunday before back to work. 

me on 2nd place for 55-59 age group

David on 2nd and Penny on 3rd 

with our cups we got for placing... pretty cool.

The bridge hills! 

my coworker, David.. we rarely take pics at races.. he's FAST and usually long gone by the time we finish.  Glad we got this one.  

So that's a wrap on half marathon #49 ...  Up next in 2 weeks is #50... Run the Rainbow for the Children in Jackson.  Another training run to get me ready for Boston... just 42 days away! 

We also ran in honor of 22 year old Laken Hope Riley, who was a nursing student brutally murdered last Thursday after running near a lake on her campus in Georgia. We wore pink to bring awareness of this tragedy. #LakenRiley #thepowerofpray