Marathon #24 - Extra Miles & Norwegian Foot March 3/5/22

 

We thought we were ready! Little did we know what we were getting into when we accepted the invitation to run this marathon.  Extra Table that feeds the hungry partnered with the Norwegian Foot March at Camp Shelby for the first ever marathon in Hattiesburg.  100 civilian runners were invited to come run along side the military as they did their Ruck march.  

 600 soldiers from 34 different states coming together to earn their ruck badge.  Considered by many to be the most challenging foreign military badge.  To earn this badge, you must complete the ruck in 4 hours 30 minutes for men, for four hours and fifty minutes for women, with varying times for different age groups.   Participants must complete 18.6 miles while carrying a 25-pound rucksack within their time period.  And they can earn bronze, silver or Gold badges depending on the number of times they have earned the badge.. Gold = 6+ times!  To say this is impressive to watch is an understatement!  I was amazed!  I witnessed sheer determination, discipline, and just plain guts as the military marched in full gear, including BOOTS, and carrying a 25 pound rucksack!  

Several local Pine Belt Pacers that ran in the marathon.. Lots of friendships in this group!

We were all smiles BEFORE the race....

All of the marathoners....Have I mentioned it turned out to be HOT?????? The last couple of weekends we've had great running weather... lows 50s...  Well on March 5 the weather lady decided to throw us a curve ball!  High between 75 - 80!  I was so thankful for cloudy skies most of the race.  However, I was in shorts ... not full gear like the military and I was SOAKED!  Not a dry thread on me!  I can't imagine how they felt!  

The military started at 7am and we started at 7:10am.   We ran the same route with them up until around mile 9.   

At this point we split for our extra 7.6 miles to complete our 26.2 miles for our marathon.   Now up until this point we had nice paved roads with rolling hills.  Penny and I were trucking along feeling great.  She was actually telling me to slow my roll. 😂😁  She tends to keep me in line. 😎 Well, we had no idea what was ahead of us when we split off from the military.......  Neither of us had read the long email with the "details" on the course.... and actually I'm glad we didn't.. 😉

I'm not sure dirt/gravel really is a good description of what we ran on.... there were ROCKS.. Lots of ROCKS... not tiny little rocks.. .but the size rocks that will make you roll your ankle in a heartbeat and going down hill on those rocks make you feel like you were going to slide and bust your butt.  Let's just say it was CHALLENGING!!  The first aid station we came to we asked the guys how much longer the gravel was going to last... one guy said "a minute'! and another one said oh like 2 miles.... BOTH LIED. 😏  Probably so they could keep us pumped and running.   Our friends, Michelle, Felicia and Anna that were behind us running kept texting asking us how much longer on the gravel.  We  kept replying .... we STILL on it!  It seemed to last forever!  😕 And basically it did last like the full 12 miles that our email had said it would.  By mile 17 my body was feeling the heat.  I felt like I was on fire.  I told Penny my legs wanted to start tightening up.  I quickly used a LMNT pack in my water bottle and man I could tell a difference within a few minutes.  

These things are LOADED with sodium.  My doc had recommended that I try them when exercising in extreme heat.  This was my first time trying them and I believe I'll be trying them again during extreme heat races!  

Soon after mile 20 we found pavement again... 😍 

We were also meeting back up with the military that were still trying to complete their foot march.   AND boy was it Hot by that time of day!  

Mile 22 sign!  

The elevation for the course.

Penny & I finished a tad before Felicia and then Penny, Felicia and I stayed and waited for Michelle and Anna to finish.  It was amazing seeing Anna finish her first in person marathon!   We all received medals and a pretty cool finisher towel. 💗

I will say that I have some marathons that I consider HARD and I would probably put this one as #1 on that list.   I just thought Kona was hard! Maybe if we would of had cooler temps it might make a difference.... MAYBE.... but I'm not so sure... the terrain was hard.  I felt like maybe it was just me being older... but after reading many race reports on social media, I feel differently.  EVERYONE no matter their age has comment on how HARD of a marathon it was for them.  It was very CHALLENGING.  Maybe they made it that way for us marathoners since the military were doing their very HARD foot march ???  😉😀  I was super honored to be among them!  and this will always be a memory that I'll treasure.  I have a lot of respect for our Military and man seeing them complete this task just deepens that respect!  

So here's my time.... not what me and Penny expected when we first started the race.  We were right on pace to sub 5 or be real close to 5 hours.... UNTIL the off road started.   I was 4th in my age group also.  Let me just say a 58 year old ran it in 4:15! Man she must of been in awesome shape!  I want to be her in 2 years.. 😍  for this 56 year old... I feel pretty good about my time for such a hard course.  

And I have to say Rhonda and Martha from Extra Table did an amazing job organizing the runners, aid stations, course, etc.  It truly was so well organized and that means so much to runners doing long distance!  I can't thank them enough and I loved raising money to help Extra Table feed the HUNGRY. 💓

So that's a wrap on marathon #24 for me.  Marathon #25 coming up in 7 weeks ... Penny and I heading to Big Sur... FINALLY!  I've waited since 2020 for this race!!! 

Hebrews 12:1

Miss Blues Half Marathon - Half Marathon #45

 

The Blues...... first time back since 2018! This race was never one of my favorites and since I've done so many in Mississippi, I had just been skipping this race.   My half marathon count by state:

Alabama - 4, Florida - 7, Georgia - 1, Louisiana - 5, Mississippi - 23, Nevada - 1, Tennessee - 3, Montana - 1 for a total of 45 half marathons!   I wish I had known about this 50 state thing when I started running half marathons... I could have tried to spread these out to more states and I'd be so close to having 50.. Oh well....   Guess I could start now and maybe by the time I get to 100 halfs ... I'll have 50 states covered. 😂😃

So my PPRF (Peer Pressure Running Friends) talked me into this back in 2021.  Then the race was postponed in February, 2021 to November, 2021... on my daughter's wedding day!  So I deferred to 2022 thinking that I could at least talk a few of my friends in going with me.... well that did NOT happen.  😏  They ran it in November and said NEVER again. 😑 So I was the lone ranger.  

I did have a long run anyways building to my marathon coming up on March 5 so I decided why not plus we could see the grands in Jackson for the weekend.  Well, it turned out the grands already had plans so I ended up just staying in a hotel and running alone.  The weather was perfect.  Cool, but sunny.  The race starts and ends by the state Capital.  

I had purchased a $4 jacket at the thrift store to throw away after we got to running, however I ended up just wrapping it around my waist and keeping it.  I asked a lady with the Miss Coffee runners to grab my picture before the start.

Very small group of Miss Coffee runners!  Usually they are like 30-40 of us.  I hate to say it but since the race was taken over by a new race organization many people have stopped doing the race.  It's not near as well organized as it use to be!  

We started the race with a guy playing the guitar for the National Anthem. 

Ran into my friend Jennifer at mile 10!  She's a hoot and always running somewhere all over the world!  She's probably close to getting her 50 states, but today she was cheering us on.  💓

I had forgotten how many HILLS the race has along the course!  Which I needed them to get ready for the March and April marathons I'm signed up to do.  But man did my body want to shout at me... what the heck ... 😂   Plus there was a sharp grade on several of the roads and my hip was killing me.  

I was so glad when it was over. LOL

I was mistaken when I typed 42! it's my 45... 😀

However, to my surprise when I looked up the results later that night when I got home... they had me in the 10K and that's not even my finish time!  So I emailed them.... and guess what??  If they had put me in the right place, I would have placed 3rd in my age group!  I don't think I've ever placed in a half or full marathon.  Heck I never hang around for awards.  On average I'm usually in the top 10 of my age group, but I  never make the podium.... This time I did and they don't have the results right.  So aggravating!  However, I'm not alone... many people had their results wrong also... something about a timing mat not working properly.... Again.. this new organization needs to work on a couple of things to draw back the Mississippi crowd of runners they have lost. 

After I had emailed them about timing results they asked me to email them my watch times to show that I did run the half.   In doing so I took a look at what the bathroom stops cost me.   See highlights.  I will say that my two stops were not a full blown blow out like the past so maybe this new medicine is working and my stomach didn't seem to literally bother me all day after running... so their is hope... Or at least I'm praying their is for me.   I felt pretty good about my times considering the HILLS.  😀

Monday.... 2 days after... well I'm TIRED... I biked 30 miles yesterday and my legs felt like they had 20 lb weights on them!  Today I'm just plain TIRED and so glad it's REST DAY!

Happy Running! 

UPDATE:  The timing company for the Blues has now got me in their system in the correct place and I am 3rd in my age group.   Which in honesty the race only had like 309 people in the half marathon.  It wasn't a big race at all and many local fast people did not attend.  So I know my time is not really a "placing" time, but heck.... it is what it is for those of us that did show up and race that day as my friends say. 😍 

The Lighthouse Dash - Petal Children's Task Force 5K - 2/12/2022

 

I love doing this 5K.   It's for an awesome cause... the CHILDREN!  You don't realize how many children locally are going without food, etc.    The Petal Children's Task Force is there to help!  I think they said they raised like $26,000 with the event.  They have some pretty nice sponsors.   I love being able to run the race and contribute a small portion of that $26,000.   I met up with my PPRF friends.  Not all of us were there this year... we missed Felicia, Penny, Be, Ann, ... Hope I didn't leave anyone else out. 😄   Waffle house always serves breakfast after the race which is a nice treat!  

Candy's grandson coming in.  He was running / walking with Candy and her daughter and we encouraged him to run on in to the finish line to his teacher.. Michelle.  💓

I actually got 2nd in my age group.  I haven't ran many 5Ks at all in a long time so speed work to place in a 5K ... well is kind of hard for this long distance runner. 😂  I'm just thankful at 55 that God still allows me to run with my friends.   It was a great morning in fellowship with them. 

Happy Running Peeps!

Marathon #1 of 2022 --- Big Beach Marathon (marathon #23) 1-30-2022

My PPRF friends talked me into another one! 😀  It will be fun they say.... We'll have a girls weekend at the beach and enjoy the beach..... come on... we all doing it....   

Isn't that what your friends tell you????? 😂  I'm a sucker for punishment so I signed up.  I do love the beach and looked forward to a weekend get away with the girls.  We had planned on arriving early Saturday so we could enjoy the beach and relax before the race on Sunday.   WELL.... Mother nature decided she had different plans for us!!  Saturday turned out to only be a high of like 48 with terrible winds!  We tried to walk on the beach... check out our picture... and my ear hurt afterwards thanks to the dang wind! 

We were glad the expo was inside when we went to get our bibs.  They also had some cool zoo animals there.  I took a picture of the one eye owl.  She was hit by a car and lost her eye and the zoo rescued her. 💗

Saturday  night we celebrated January & December birthdays since we had not done that yet... thanks to a couple of the girls having COVID during that time! 

Seven women in a condo.... interesting.. let's just say there were a couple of air mattress blown up. 😂  I was a tad concerned about the bathroom situation..but it all worked out fine.  💓  It was a tad warm in the condo... some like it HOT... So I didn't sleep real well.  I'm use to 66 degrees at home when we go to bed and only up to 68 during the day.  They had it on 72! 👎  However, I don't usually sleep well the night before a race anyway.   

We were all up early and ready to rock and roll on Sunday.  The forecast called for about 10 degrees warmer on Sunday.  I was happy about that.  It really wasn't bad starting.  I had been feeling really good  lately and decided I would join Joe & Richard who were pacing the 4:40 group.  I had ran a 4:39 in Memphis for St. Jude and figured since Big Beach was basically flat (or so I thought).. that maybe I could hang with Joe and Richard and then push it faster the 2nd half of the race and maybe get back to my 4:30 average.  

Joe, Richard and me at the start line.. Felicia is right behind me... the sun was in the wrong direction for the pic.. or we should have turned around.. 😂

We were all smiles to start.  The rest of the girls had gotten further behind us.  They planned to have more of a "social" run.  I do love to hang with them sometimes because they are a lot of fun.  Michelle had her pockets loaded down with fire balls! 😁  Today, however, I wanted to focus on time and I had encouraged Feleica to try to stay with us.  I'm bad about putting in my ear buds and getting in my own little zone so soon Felicia and I were separated.  I felt bad she ended up running the whole race basically by herself.  

I ran with Joe & Richard for almost half the race.  I felt really good.  I wasn't out of breath or anything.  Felt like I was running a comfortable pace............ Then the dreaded stomach issues reared up! 😢  I honestly don't know what to do about this issue! I've been taking Imodium on my long runs and races, which help some.  I went to the GI doctor last week and basically she said it was age most likely... (I'm not happy about this!! I see many older than me still running and they don't have to stop multi times during a race!), however she started me on some new medicine she wanted me to try on race day instead of my Imodium.  Well, let's just say IT DID NOT WORK!  The first time I had to stop at the bathroom, Joe told me not to push hard catching back up because I'd wear myself out.  So I didn't and it took me a mile before I caught back up.  I thought things would be ok .... until the next 3 miles and it hit me again!! and then it hit again... and then again!!!!!!!!! After 4 stops at the bathroom... I didn't have the energy to catch back up to them.  The wind had started to pick up and my whole body just felt bad by then.  I was so aggravated and SAD.  I honestly don't know what I could run if I didn't have to stop for the bathroom.. and I ain't pooping in my pants!! especially 4X!!  I only have this issue when running and it only started like 1-2 years ago and keeps getting worse! 😕 I have follow up in 6 weeks with the GI doc..  can't wait to see what we try next 😞

I figured Feleica would catch up to me after all my stops and we would finish together, but that never happen.  I have really enjoyed getting to know her better.  We traveled together to the beach.  She's a super sweet lady! and she also LOVES Peloton 💓  The wind was so bad coming in the last couple of miles that everyone was walking.  It was a massive headwind that was brutally cold!  I asked myself over and over... why did I sign up for this... 😞

Once I crossed that finish line, I almost forgot all that wind and cold and stomach issues..... I did have that high of finishing yet another marathon... maybe that's why I keep doing these....😏😀  

I waited on the others to finish and we took some quick pictures before heading back to take turns to shower.  I do LOVE these girls.  Michelle had her fireballs and she was as happy as a kid.  We laughed at all her crazy pictures at the finish banner. 

Virginia and Susan were our cheerleaders so they are not in this picture.  

We were so tired and over the cold weather that we didn't even get dressed and go out to eat Sunday night... we brought in Pizza and just chilled in the condo.  It actually felt good to not have to get dressed and do anything.  

My take on this marathon.... be prepared for any kind of weather!  the previous year Penny & Michelle were in tanks and shorts!  It's not totally flat.  The trails have some incline.  There is not much crowd support at all because the marathon is 90% on the trails.   Would I do it again??  Probably not unless these crazy girls talked me into it again! 😉  To me St. Jude was much harder due to hills and I had a much better time there.... however, I didn't have the stomach issues so bad at St. Jude either.   

As I told Feleica, she said she wasn't doing another marathon after that Big Beach.... You really can't judge one bad one... every race is different.   It's all a combination of weather, course, and how you feel on race day.   So many factors go into a race.  That's one reason I try not to look at past race results or judge friends results... you never know what they faced that day.   You really just have to make the decision that whatever you face on race day... you will not quit! Just continue on one step at a time and FINISH the dang thing. 😎  It's called GRIT

AND most important... a STRONG FAITH

Until next time.. Happy Running

Marathon #2 of 2022 for me coming up on 3-5-22

 

Welcome 2022! new Year... New adventures

 

As we welcome in the new year, let's now forget that in 2021 we still lived in a time with mask, fear, suffering, anxiety, job loss, businesses closing and yet still some grit and determination to not let this pandemic define us!  Yes, we are still surrounded by the virus and more and more strains are popping up, but let's not coward down.   Let's begin 2022 with hope and a mind set to stand up and push back. 

I finished 2021 with a total of 2,319.2 miles.  That was a mixture of run, bike & swim.  I had hoped to get 1,000 on run this year but didn't really pay attention to total mileage until it was too late to cram the miles in to reach that goal.  I have to remind myself that I'm not just running... 😃😁

Run = 984.4

Bike = 1258.2

Swim = 76.6

My devotion on January 1 was perfect...  "Turn North".   in Deuteronomy 2:2-3 God said, "you have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north.".   He was speaking to his people who had been wondering for 40 years.  It was time to quit going in circle and turn north.   I think we all need to turn north towards GOD.  He is the only one that is going to get us through this pandemic.  💓🙏🙏

I started my 1st day of the year as I always like to start off... with a run!  I met my friends at the trace and ran the Steam Whistle 12k.  It was a terrible HOT and HUMID morning!  75 degrees and the dew point was 69% with Humidity at 77%....  for those of you that don't know about the dew point... well, if it's high.. it makes it HARD for us runners.   Humidity can be high like this morning when I ran it was 69% ... but the dew point was 25% .. BIG difference!  Just go google it. 😁

Here is our picture before we started our run.  We were all smiles and happy to see each other on New Years Day! 

Due to the rona and our work rules, I stayed away from groups of people.  I did my social distancing.  Once the race started, soon I was running alone.  I felt pretty dang good and my friends were going to do more of the social run visiting so I pushed on.  However, by mile 3.5, I was not feeling good at all.  I felt like I was going to puke everywhere and the bathroom hit me big time.  So I took a detour off the trace and hit the bathroom.  I didn't know if it was the  heat or the dang sinus mess I've been fighting... all I knew was I was not going to be able to run that fast the rest of the race.   So I hopped back on the trace and walked hoping one of my friends would catch up soon.  I figured it would be Felicia and I was right.  I was so glad.  I told her I was going to try to jog / walk the rest with her.  We had a good visit.  Her mom recently passed and it was her 1st Christmas without her so I was glad to visit with Felicia and maybe help her not be so sad.  Here we are coming in to the finish finally! oh and when I got home and looked at my Zithromax pack, it said stomach issues were one of the side effects!  So I guess with the humidity and the meds I had been on for a few days did not mix for fast running. 😏😒

My time was no where near my normal time, but you know what... it's not about winning or placing in your age group always...  Life if about showing up.  Showing up is WINNING.  Showing up is GOLD as one of the awesome peloton instructors says.  That's another take on 2022... let's SHOW UP for each other. 😍🙏💗

Since I did a bike ride on New Years Eve and a run on New Years Day I finished the year strong and started the year strong according to my Garmin 💗

This morning my run was different.  We went from 75-80 degrees the last few days to a low last night of 28! real feel this am was 23 degrees.  I had to pull out my gloves.  I love my thicker gloves I got years ago from the NYC marathon.

Cold weather can't stop us....  some of us have another marathon in 4 weeks! 😀  I know several of my friends are hoping for warm weather so they can lay on the beach.  I'd rather cooler weather for running 26.2 miles, but I'm ok with warmer weather as long as the dew point is LOW> 🙏🙏😀

So I challenge you as we head into 2022, let's keep our hearts focused on God and not be defeated by this pandemic.   I'm looking forward to doing some races I haven't done like this Big Beach marathon in January. 💙💚💛💜💓

Happy Running!

D