Fall Creek Falls Half Marathon, TN 2024

 PPRF suckered me into another summer race...... or actually ... Candy suckered us all into the race. 😂  Several months ago she sent us a link and said let's do this race.  It's just a half marathon and we will get to see this amazing waterfall.  Everyone signed up and I held off until like a month prior and finally caved. 😁  I was like I'll be training anyway, why not go do this half with the girls.  I did not look at the map as to where this race was at because they had said it will be a weekend and no one was taking off work.  I assumed that meant close race.... Well...... I assumed wrong.  It was a 6 1/2 hour drive with no stops so by the time we stopped and had food and bathroom breaks... took us more like 7 1/2 hours. 😏  We took 2 vehicles because there were 8 of us coming from Mississippi to Tennessee.  Michelle had booked us a room at a bed & breakfast what would sleep 7.  Ronnie and Be stayed at the lodge in Fall Creek State park where the race was held.  

My driving peeps... Penny, Felicia, & Michelle

We stopped at Cracker Barrel and met the Freemans, Ann & Penny in Meridian to eat and travel on together following each other to TN

It was a long drive Saturday morning to get there.  Once we arrived we decided to hike to see the waterfall and stretch our legs.  We had hoped it would be cooler weather in TN, but it was HOT!  We didn't have to go far to reach the overlook to see the waterfall and we all stood there wondering what the heck...  Hardly any water was flowing! All the info we had read said it was one of the largest free flowing waterfalls in the south! As candy said, someone forgot to turn on the faucet!  Who knew we'd be having a drought in August. 😔  It was a disappoint for sure.  Susan who came from TN to meet us told us there was also a swinging bridge so we decided to hike to it.  It was supposed to be like less than a mile, but it seemed like forever hiking up and down in the woods and did I mention it was so HOT!  We were all soaked!  And I did not bring extra clothes since we were only going to be gone one night.  

The waterfall

Penny & I on the porch before we went on hike.

When we arrived.. checking out the bed & breakfast

We finally reached the LONG swinging bridge. 

The swinging bridge!

Ann is down at the bottom looking up taking pic of swinging bridge

Goofing off on our hike.

Ronnie telling everyone to come on across 

Looking down at the waterfall and wondering what the heck... 

Ms Ann says I can do it! 

 Let's just say it wasn't too bad when only one person was crossing, but when you got 4-5 on there at the same time and not walking in sync it was a SWINGING!  Candy and Susan refused to go across.  There was no way we were getting them to go across.  We even watched a man with a German Shepherd dog that laid down and refused to cross.  A few of us crossed the bridge and Felicia and I even went on down to where people were in the water enjoying the small stream.  I so wanted to take my shoes off and stay awhile, but the ones that would not cross were sitting at the top waiting on us.  Ann made it down also and snapped a picture of 3 of us on the bridge.  

By the time we got back to our vehicles it was time for packet pickup and supper!  Many of us did not have change of clothes so we went to a small pizza place and had a quick dinner in our sweaty clothes.  Which the town was VERY SMALL.  There was hardly any eating places unless you drove like 45 minutes... so the small pizza place was basically our only option.  By the time we got back to the bed & breakfast we were all ready for a hot shower.... but we had one bathroom to 7 of us women.... We had one queen bed, a couch bed, an air mattress and one double bed.   As Feleica and I said...we can do anything for one night. 😁😂😁   We took turns taking our showers and hit the hay.  

Ann & I in one bed

Candy & Feleica on couch bed 

Michelle on air mattress, Susan and Penny in bed 

Race morning... let's get this party started! 

4:45 am came early the next morning to get ready for the race and head over to the state park.  Race started at 7am.  Our Bed & Breakfast was only a couple of miles so that worked out good because we were able to come back after the half marathon and take a shower before driving that long drive home.  I'm so glad for that because we would not have wanted to smell each other on the ride home! 😂😁

The race....  Let's just say it's one of those one and done races.  I doubt we will go back to do it again.  The State park is really nice, but the run was tough and HOT.   It was basically a trail run, but on a paved trail through the woods.  Only a couple of miles were on the park road.  The trail had LOTS of bumps where tree roots had busted up the concrete so you had to watch your FOOTING at all times!  I am still shocked none of us face planted! and I'm so thankful we did not!  🙏  It was a 2 loop course so we had to do it 2X and there was only 1 porta potty on the whole course!  AND>>>>  when Penny, Micelle and Felicia finished they had run out of half marathon medals and gave them a left over medal from the Triathlon they had the day before!  They only had waters at the finish line.  No food!  AND when they called me and Ms Be up for awards, the mug we were given had "triathlon" on it!  Someone asked the guy and all he said was he didn't realize all the awards he ordered had Triathlon on them!  Now how do you not see that when the awards come in??!  So.... we probably won't be doing that race again....  Just saying.. 😏😑

The start of the half marathon

coming across the dam before heading into the woods on the trail... (race photo)

The whole gang!

I got 2nd place in my age group.  A girl from TN beat me.  I guess she had run them hills before. 😁  I was just thankful to finish with no injuries. 🙏

I did have a fabulous time with my friends.  We even enjoyed several minutes sitting on the front porch of the Bed & Breakfast before heading home.  We all sat there wishing we were all back in Mississippi sitting on one of our own front porches visiting with each other instead of about to tackle a long drive home.   I was so glad when I got home around 9pm!  Too bad the weekend was over and off to bed and back to work.   It was a quick weekend for sure! 

Porch sitting before traveling home. 

Did I mention some of the signs said strenuous hikes?  Well, after we got home we heard a father and son had fallen Sunday afternoon on one of the trails and it took rescue workers 2 1/2 hours to rescue them.  I'm so happy they were not hurt badly and that we didn't have any accidents while we were there.  Oh and someone I go to church with said he was there at the park earlier in the year and that the waterfall was amazing!  I guess we were just there at the wrong time of year.  

I thank God for another run finished and for watching over us as we traveled. 🙏  Looking forward to Detroit in October! 

July, 2024 ... Turning 58 .... making decisions.... training..... and life in general!

 

July is my birthday month!  On July 8, I turned 58 years old this year.  😎  Somedays I feel 58, but most days I wonder how I got so old because I don't feel that old nor see myself as that old. 😂😁  I'm thankful to still be here enjoying life with my family. 

Started the month off with a 4th of July Freedom Run down at Gulf Shores with my girlfriends.  Man it was HOT! Thankfully it's just a short 4 mile fun run.  We enjoyed visiting with each other and enjoyed the beach for a couple of hours before heading our separate ways.  Here are a few pictures:

Fab! Love her!

Me and Michelle with our cups we got for placing in our age groups

We hung out on the beach for a bit after the race... no one went far in the water! It's been shark city lately at the beaches this year! GRRRRRR

My kids drove down to met me to stay the rest of the weekend for my birthday.  We had a blast at The Lodge at Gulf State Park.  It was Lydia's first time on the beach.  She LOVED it.  I love watching her and Neely play in the pool, the sand, and just anywhere basically.  They are both a joy! Some times they do fuss like sisters and try to grab toys from each other, etc.  But overall they LOVE each other.  It was a fun weekend... and a HOT one.  We had to wait like 2 hours for a table one night to eat and the only  place to wait was outside around their outside dining and I was soaked with sweat by the time we sat down to eat and didn't really feel like eating.  I'm OVER summer. 😃  It was kind of tough trying to get 2 kids under the age of 2 to sleep at night with us all being in one hotel room, but we made it work.  It was like kind of like a camp out.  😁😂 here are a few pictures:

Brett, Me, Lydia and Neely chilling...  both girls in my lap! Whitney went and got me a Miami Vice drink at the bar.  YUM! 

Girls being silly...   looks like Lydia is saying... oh no Neely.. what now.. 😂

girl loves her FRUIT!  Check out them curls!  Erin had curls just like that has a child! 

Mommas with their babies!  

Lydia's first time at the beach! she LOVED IT

me and Lydia watching waves...she was so fascinated by them.  

Brett, Whitney & Neely at Colbalt

Neely had just woke up and was not ready for pics.  

girl loves to swim!

Ice cream so good!

my two grown kids chilling at the pool ... LOVE THEM

So I made a decision recently.  I have pulled my registration for the Ironman race in September in Chattanooga.  Way back in December 2023 when I registered, I told myself that I'd see how my base training went for the first part of the year and since I registered early with the Flex benefits I had options.  When you register with Flex benefits you have deadlines in which you could transfer your registration to the next year, totally cancel your registration, or even transfer to another race.  I've had a lot going on recently at work with more layoffs due to the merger and some family stuff going on that I went ahead a few weeks ago and pulled my registration.  Now (June, July, August & September) is the time that I need to be really dedicated to training if I was going to do the race in September.  I would basically need to give up every weekend for long bikes and long runs until race day.  Not to mention the swimming, biking, and running during the week that would need to be done.  I kept thinking about all the time I needed to commit to training and knew deep in my heart I did not have it in me this year.  I stressed over this for weeks.  Finally one of my friends said to me.... "D, why do you want to do the race so badly".   and my first thought was I want to prove I can do it.  She reminded me I had already done it at Ironman Florida.  I told her I still had this sense of failure because I didn't finish the full at Chattanooga.  She was like look at it this way....  ~~ Most consider Florida the harder race.  Everyone says Chattanooga is the easy race with the downstream swim and fast bike.  Most fear Florida due to the ocean swim and the long flat bike with no downhills for speed.  😁  You've proven you can do a full ironman because you have finished Florida!  ~~  After that conversation, and reading about all the congestion on the bike course at the half ironman race in Chatty back in May this year where several bike wrecks happened.  I did a lot of  praying and one day I was driving to work and it was like the good Lord said to me.. D, pull your registration.  So as soon as I got to work I sent an email to Ironman asking what my options were... I had not looked at deadline dates...but knew there were some.   It was the last day to get a refund!  Talk about God showing up!  So I took it and got my refund and pulled my name from registration for the race in September.  

I feel as if a heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders since I made the decision.  I don't have to worry about having a bike wreck and missing my marathons later this year.  Lordy knows I'm clumsy and even some very experienced riders had bike wrecks at the half ironman in May due to the congestion on the course.  Chatty has become one of the most popular Ironman races because of the fast course.  AND I've had to work a few weekends lately due to changes at work AND my family needs me to be around so I just don't have the time to commit to the training.  Training for a full ironman race is very TIMELY.   I remember last time I trained for the full, I barely had time to clean my house I was so worn out and tired all the time.  Maybe one day I'll do another full.  I would like to.  Penny tells me now that she's retired she would train with me and do one... so who knows.. maybe in the future! Or maybe I'll stick with half ironman races.  They are much more fun. 😃😍   I do know if I do attempt another full, I've got to cut down on all the marathons.  You can't do it all.  Or I can't.  This body of mine has a limit.   To be able to do a full Ironman properly, you really need to commit to the training and gear your mind up for it.  You don't need a lot of other things going on in your life... like going to work everyday wondering if it's your last day because they keep saying they done with cuts and a few months pass and they come in and cut again.  It's been a very difficult 2 years in my career.  Your mind needs to be able to focus on those 140.6 miles that you must cover to complete a full ironman.  And right now my mind is all over the place.  

So for now.... I am looking forward to our Detroit marathon in October where we will cross over into Canada briefly.  And then in November me and Penny are going to Athens for the Athens Marathon (talk about a dream!). 💓 

AND>>> we just both found out we got into Tokyo for March of 2025 where I can hopefully finish my 6 star races.  🙏  Exciting travel days coming up and I'm so looking forward to them! 

So I'll keep training... keeping a base in swim, bike & run.  Try to survive all these work changes since the merger and spend as much time with my family as possible.  Life is short and grandkids are the BEST!  Having a grand child run to you and give you a hug is the most wonderful thing in the world! 😍💓💓