just me.: myrtle beach mini marathon.

2:12:50

that's my new half marathon personal record!

(35 minute improvement from disney!!)

getting to myrtle beach was an adventure. my mom got sick when we were in west virginia, so for the remainder of the trip (10 plus hours) it was mostly me and the garmin. some wrong turns here and there, but we finally made it. then we couldn't find the hotel....turns out we were in myrtle beach, and our hotel was in north myrtle beach, which i knew, but thought they were located closer than 20 miles apart! finally we got where we were going and got checked in, mom hit the bed, and i unloaded our gear from the car and got it in the room.

loved where we stayed, avista resort, in an oceanfront one bedroom. i enjoyed looking out at the ocean everyday, and night, and even saw dolphins in the distance one morning.

the race went well! i brought all my med's with me (antibiotic, cough medicine (which i bought more of b/c i ran out while there), mucinex, vicks rub, and cough drops), i could see improvement with the coughing, etc. just before we left home. thank goodness!my mantra was "trust your training", and i did! my other big fear was a coughing fit, but that held off til i was not running the half marathon!! only dealt with a runny nose while running, and my handy self made arm warmer was good for a nose wipe or 2! (mens tube socks. cut off toes, or not, but i did. makes an arm warmer that you can toss aside. i tossed one at mile 5, and kept the other on, shoved down to my wrist to serve as a tissue! i had plans to toss it, but kept it to use to wipe sweat away, and the nose issue! sorry for the tmi!!)

the weather was good running weather, especially at the start. it was in the mid to upper 50's. by the end of the race it was 80 and it wore me down a bit. around mile 9 my legs decided they had had enough. i had to do some very short (few steps) walk breaks in those last miles, which annoyed me to do (stubborn), but it felt like it was something to help. i am not sure how much that helps me, but it helped get me through. i thought the finish line would never be there! i saw my mom between miles 11 and 12, and wanted to cry when i saw her. emotions just flood you throughout the race, and seeing a familiar face at that moment was what i needed. the last mile, which seemed to go on forever to me, was along the beach, and made for a pretty view. anyway, another half marathon for the books! i was pleased with my finish time, it exceeded many expectations i had, esp. having been sick the week of the race. after the race, we spent the afternoon beach and poolside!

it was enjoyable to spend this time with my mom, and it made the trip extra special. and i am so thankful for her support during the race!

we had a great time in north myrtle beach, and hope to go back to visit someday!

here in pictures is our time there.