What do you do if you have a 12 mile long run on schedule???? You find a half marathon because running with friends or others at a race is way more fun than running a long run alone. :>) Several of my Hattiesburg running peeps had told me they had done this race in the past and what a wonderful race it was because the money raised goes to military families. So I decided if any of them were doing the race that I would join them. A couple of us talked off and on for 2-3 weeks about going. We were all watching the weather because every weekend we've had rain. We didn't want to drive 2 1/2 hours to run in the rain. The week before the race a couple of them found out it was going to be opening weekend for softball and baseball. They have kids that play so that meant no going out of town for them. It ended up only being me and Candy that could go. We are 2 of the oldest... our kids are grown and gone. That's one good thing about being in this "season" of life..... I don't have to plan my runs around kids activities.
Candy warned me ahead of time ... she said... "this is going to be tough but fun"... She had done the race before with the PPRF group (peer pressure running friends). I kind of figured it was going to be tough because the whole 13.1 miles is on the BEACH. Just thinking about how tough it can be walking in the sand during the summer told me to get prepared. Candy and I were able to leave on Friday afternoon and stay at a friends condo that was 1/2 mile from start line. Thanks to that sweet Friend! It made it so much easier than getting up at 3am to drive down on race morning.
The weather turned out beautiful!! It was 62 degrees when we started. We did have a nice wind blowing too which made it feel cool coming off that water. Candy's dad flew P38s in WW11. So we had to get some pictures with the flags.
Just look at that beautiful beach!!!
Me waiting to start... talking to my legs about getting prepared for that sand.. hee hee
I didn't keep the arm sleeves long. I got warm within the first mile! Boy that sand was tough!!! By mile 3 I told Candy that I was going to have to start listening to my watch beeps and do my run/walk program or I was not going to survive 13.1 miles in the sand. She said that was good with her. :>) I tried to grab a selfie of us.. but only got her and my shadow.
Most of the runners tried to stay as close to the water as possible. We were all hoping for hard packed sand there.... however, due to the tide, it was so soft that your foot would sink deep in the sand and most of the time the wave would come crashing in and you were soaking wet. I went up on the dry sand several times hoping it would be easier up there, but it wasn't. It was just plain hard running on that beach no matter what.
Candy at the half way mark trying to get sand out of her shoes. She took her shoes off and put them back on. Our shoes were so full of sand and it all ended up right under your toes. I felt like I had 10 pounds of sand under each foot. I waited till mile 10 to take my shoes off and try to dump sand out and it didn't really help.
By the half way mark, Candy had started talking to a lady that we stayed neck and neck with. We would get ahead of her on the run segment and then when we walked she would catch us. She was doing a slow steady pace. Candy is like another friend of mine that will strike up a conversation very easily. I'm shy and quiet. LOL Anyway, Candy asked the lady how old she was and if she ran on the beach much. The lady said she was 51 and she didn't live far from the beach. We had both guessed she was older than 51.
So you know what happen next... that competitive side of me kicked in. :>) I told Candy that with her being 51 that meant she was in either our age group .. if they did 10 year awards.. or my age group if they did 5 year awards. Candy is 57 and I'm 51 currently. And that meant we needed to stay ahead of her... LOL Candy told me to go on and not let her hold me back. She said the sand was kicking her butt. I told her we'd both run our race and not let either one hold each other back. So when we made the turn at the half way mark, I picked up the pace. I turned up my music and told myself that running 5 minutes in the sand faster than I had been running wasn't going to kill me... I'd get a walk break here and there..
When I stopped at mile 10 to try to empty my shoes, I looked back and could not see Candy or the lady I was trying to stay ahead of. I don't know how I got so far ahead of Candy. She's STRONG. But I will say that running on the beach was so mental...... well it was physical also.. but I really had to talk to myself to continue. I had to keep saying.. this is going to suck... this is bad....... but I GOT THIS... I was so glad that I KT taped my ankle. I tend to have trouble with one of my ankles when I run on a trail or anywhere that my foot isn't on even ground. So far my ankle was holding up and I only had 3 miles left.
Boy I was so glad to see that finish line! Here's a few pictures the race guy captured.
As soon as I finished I walked back down to the water, took off my shoes and socks, tried to get the sand out by washing them in the waves.... while watching for Candy to come in. It was like 5 minutes or so till I saw the lady coming in that I had wanted to stay ahead of.. but no Candy. Then I thought I had missed her while washing my shoes... but all of a sudden I could make her out in the distance. With my eye sight I can usually make someone out by the way they run before I can see their facial features... hee hee I cheered her in and we grabbed a picture in the water.
We were both so glad it was over.. ha
Our medals. :>)
The race is not that big .. it's only their 5th year to host the race and there is also a big race called the Azalea Trail Run 10K that is the same day in Mobile, Alabama. I hope next year they won't be on the same day. Several of Team Run4TheKids did the Azalea run. I missed running with them and seeing their smiling faces. I saw several great pictures of them. I just didn't want to run a 10K and then have extra miles to run afterwards to get my 12 miles in. I'd rather get it all done at one time so I'd be ready for bike on Sunday.. however, the Azalea is always a fun 10K.
Flora-Bama host the warrior race so all registration fees goes to S.O.W.F. ... that's the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. They've raised $18,000 so far this year. It was so nice seeing so many military families. Really makes you appreciate what they do for our country! They had lots of food afterwards and we hung around for awards because we both knew we were probably placing in our age groups with it being a small race. I normally don't place in half marathons..:>) I only saw 2 females ahead of us during the half. It was more men that ran the half marathon than females. They also offered a 5K and the majority of people did that instead of the half.. guess they didn't want to do 13.1 miles in the sand.. ha
I got 1st place in my age group and the lady that I pushed so hard to stay ahead of got 2nd place. When we went up to get our awards she said to me... "boy sister.. you kicked it in gear that 2nd half and I lost sight of you." :>) The guy giving us the awards just laughed and hugged us big time. ... He said he was big on hugs. :>)
I love my glass!
Candy also got 1st place in her age group. The awards were in 5 year age groups.
We ended up staying on the beach a couple of hours and relaxing. It was so NICE.
Took my St. Jude Igloo cooler. I love this thing! and I love St. Jude! It was one of my hero gifts from last year.
So that's a wrap on my half marathon in the sand. I'm still shocked I pulled out a 2:33 time for a half in the sand! I also thought I'd be so sore on Sunday and worried about my 65 mile bike ride. I was so surprised that my legs were not really sore. Even when I was riding my legs were not hurting. It was my neck and shoulders that killed me on my long bike ride. It's a common complaint among bikers on long rides.. however, my neck is weak and I started last night doing some exercises to try to strengthen it so maybe it won't hurt so bad on my long bike rides. I have 75 coming up this weekend... :<>) I'm building for a 100 miler (century ride) coming up in May. :>) and also training for that first full ironman coming up in September. So this neck has got to improve. :>) I had planned to sew on Sunday night, but that didn't happen after that long bike. I had to rest my neck for my "power" swim this am. Yep, she titled it "Power" swim and boy it was... ha I had to talk to myself again... "this is going to suck!.. this is going to be hard! ... but I GOT THIS". I know in the end it will make me stronger.
Philippians 4:13
Hope you had a good running, biking or swimming weekend! I'm so glad tomorrow is REST day for me. :>)
Go for your dreams! LIFE IS SHORT!
D
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