RnS Half Marthon #36

A half marathon that I didn't have to travel out of town to get to.... no added expense.. YIPPIE

  I love seeing this race grow.  This was the 8th year for the race and my 5th time to run the half.  I had to look it up because someone asked me how many times I had ran the race since it was a local race and I wasn't sure.  This was my 36th half marathon so it's beginning to get hard to remember how many times I may have run some of them.  LOL  Yep, I'm getting old.... I need a post it note for everything! :>) 

So I had to look up my past results... you know us crazy runners... we like to compare results..... I first ran the race in 2012 with a time of 2:11.  I had just ran my very fist half marathon in 2010 with a time of 2:06 in November and then this race in April.  I skipped 2013 due to neck surgery and then was back in 2014 for an even better time of 2:04.  Looks like I was trying to get to that 2 hour mark. :>)  Then in 2015 I sat out on the sidelines.  I had ran several races in a row and developed bad shin splints so I decided to stand on the side and take pictures of all my friends racing.  I'll never forget that day.  It was an odd feeling being on the sideline.  Then in 2016 I was back, but this time I had been asked to run with the Freedom Riders and help push an ARC child.  We finished in 2:11.  I was thrilled with that time because it's tough pushing a stroller for 13 miles.  But guess what? I did it again in 2017!  I missed the race in 2018 because I choose another half marathon on the beach that was to benefit soldiers.  But then here it is 2019 and I'm back at the RnS and running AGAIN with the Freedom Riders. :>)   

When Terri first asked me to push I was a tad down about it.  My running has been getting back on track and with it being a local race I kind of wanted to run it to see how good I could do.  But then I was reminded of one of my favorite Bible verses.  

Acts 20:35 "By all these things, I have shown you that by working in this way we must help the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

I really do love helping with the kids and it's a wonderful thing to watch them enjoy the race.  So I told Terri to count me in!  I would be team up with Matt & Amanda to push Korbin.  Some races you just do for others... time don't matter. 

I was also thrilled when the race director told me I could have a table at the EXPO on Friday to spread the word about Team Run4TheKids and our upcoming race in May.  Here's a picture of our table.

We passed out over 300 flyers on our race.  I hope that helps us get more participation.  I learned last week that there is now another race the same day in Hattiesburg.  The Blue Line Challenge.  GRRRRR   

Now on to the race...... 

Now Korbin is a character!  I had just helped push him at the 10K Children's Classic back in February.  He is smart as a whip and will quiz you on movies and stuff.  Saturday he was in rare form talking smack to all the runners that passed us. :>)  We laughed and had a great time with him.  It was extremely MUGGY.  The temperature at the start of the race was 69 degrees with 100% humidity.  The Humidity was so thick it looked like you needed a knife to cut it.  

Frank & I at the start line.  He had on his ham radio.  He planned to listen to all of them during the race.  

Freedom riders lining up to start

Bikers from Jed's Perfect Endurance bike shop planned to ride along the course to help. 

The race was under new direction this year with a new course.  They had said the course was flat but I disagree with them.  LOL  Actually one of my running friends described it well.  He said it was a technical course with hills and flats.  Now that's the truth!  It had several turns which I'm so thankful they were all marked with either a sign or a person standing there to tell you to turn or I would have been lost.  And yes, there were hills and flats.  The hills seemed bigger when it was my turn to push. LOL  We attempted to change who was pushing each mile so that no one would get too worn out.  Sometimes we'd let Matt keep pushing when he'd offer to.  He was pretty good about that.  Guess he felt sorry for us girls. :>)  But don't worry, I got my share of pushing and my shoulders and arms knew it after the race.  Our time was 2:19 according to the results.  My watch had a moving time of 2:16.  Around mile 7-8 I noticed Korbin got very quiet.  He wasn't talking as much smack and he wasn't smiling anymore.  I thought he had said something about the bathroom but wasn't sure.  As we kept running I asked him if he was ok and he'd just said yes.  However, I could tell the way he was squirming and not smiling at all that something was up.  So I told Matt that I thought he needed to go to the bathroom.  We weren't sure where he was going to go or if  he'd even go for us.  The only big compliant that I have on the race is that there were no porta potties!  I only saw one along the course and that was way back around mile 6.  

By mile 8 we were getting back on the Long Leaf Trace to run the last 3 miles to downtown to finish.  There are trees along the side of the trace so me and Matt both started looking for options.  Matt spotted a place that looked easy for Korbin to get to that had a small fence and trees so we asked Korbin if he wanted to stop and go to the bathroom in the bushes.  He immediately said yes.  We got him out of the stroller and Matt & Amanda walked him down to the site.  Korbin's walking is a tad off due to his legs and his disability.  I stayed with the stroller.  Several people came by as we waited.....and waited... and waited...I decided to stretch while waiting.   Finally Korbin is ready to come back to the stroller.  When we finally got him back in and all strapped up, he said, "I've been holding that a LONG time".  I felt so bad for him!  I know what it feels like to go to the bathroom bad and it's no fun.  Poor kid!  But now he was back smiling and talking his smack.  We had also stopped several times at the aid stations to let Korbin drink water before we started running and pushing him so he wouldn't spill it on himself.  So that's why my watch had a total time of 2:19 like the timer, but an actual moving time of 2:16.   :>)  Due to the heat and humidity I was pleased with our time.  I was drenched.  It took me all day to cool off.  Even after I got home and had a shower I was still hot.  My cheeks were so red and my whole body just felt like a heating pad until very late Saturday night.  I was also very tired.  Races that include heat & humidity just seem to take it all out of me.  I was useless the rest of the day. :>)  My husband even asked me what I was cooking HIM for supper.  I just laughed and told him he was on his OWN!  He should have been cooking for ME, right?? 

I didn't take any pictures along the course! I should have but never thought about it. I hope when the race pictures are posted that I'll find some decent ones of us on the course to update this blog.  AND here's the Pictures from the photographer at the race:

Here is a picture of us at the finish line and some from the post race party. 

Me, Matt, Amanda, & Korbin

The official beer of the Boston Marathon was at our race.  I had to get a picture because I just love the Boston logo! The beer has been exclusive to Boston in the past and is just now being released to other races.   

Frank and I went to waffle house afterwards.  That little bowl of food we got at the race was not enough.  You could buy more if you wanted, but the runners only got 1 small bowl free.  That's the only other thing I can think of about the race that needs improving.  You could get plenty of chips & bananas, but not real food.  If they add the Full marathon as planned next year, they will need more FOOD for the runners.  So proud of Frank! He's battled a few injuries and hasn't been running long distance in awhile and he ran the half.  He ran with Julie and they both did awesome and encouraged each other. I LOVE team Run4TheKids team members!

Well that's a wrap on half marathon #36.  I still can't believe I'm getting close to 40 half marathons since I didn't do my first till 2010! I've only been running around 10 years.  Yep, I started late in life. :>)  That's an average of 4-5 half marathons a year!