Myrtle Beach Half Marathon Race and Weekend Recap...

WARNING: This is long and some of the pics I took are crappy! Example one: see below...

So I finished my 3rd half in 2 hr and 52 minutes and 34 seconds per Garmin...the chip times got posted last night and it was the exact time! So go Garmin! So to start the weekend, I left Charlotte around 1:30 pm. I picked Norah up from school around 1 pm and took her to my neighbor's house so they watched her until Jeff got home. Thank you Sarah and Thomas for watching Norah! Ya'll are awesome!

I hit some traffic once I got close to the beach area so it took me a little longer to get there. Once I got to my room, I dropped my stuff off and then headed next door to pick up my packet. It was super easy packet pick up and I headed back to my room. I didn't even look at anything at the expo as I was tired and knew I wasn't going to by anything. I forgot to take my camera over there so no pics. Here is a room pic when I got back from the expo...

Is was already around 7pm at this point. So I unpacked my stuff that I would need in the morning and layed out my race stuff, pinned my bib on, etc. Then I literally went to bed around 9 pm. Of course I tossed and turned all night afraid I would miss my alarm so when 4:30 came...I just got up.

This is what we got at packet pick-up...a bag, technical t-shirt (women's cut!) and a beach towel.

I ate half a bagel and had some hot green tea and just relaxed until it was time to walk over. I loved that the hotel was only a half a mile to the start...it was perfect! I left around 6 am and started to walk over with a lot of other people from the hotel. It was still dark outside which was so strange! I hit the first porta potty I saw that only had 2 people waiting for one last stop. Then I got in the starting area. Once the race started, it took about 3 minutes to actually cross the start line.

The race started and the weather was perfect...in the 50s and dark! :) The first 6 miles, I found my groove and was feeling great. I knew I could keep the pace I was going the whole time and felt like I would beat my goal time of 2:49. (Side note: my first half...I just wanted to finish, 2nd half: I had been really sick prior so went in knowing I was going to walk/run it...so I never really made time goals.) For this half...I was the most prepared..never missed a run, did 12 mile run the week before with no incident and knew I was ready for it. So I carried a handheld for the race and in it was water with one Nuun tablet like I have been drinking on long runs. It was perfect. I noticed that I was sweating a lot once the sun had risen and my mile 6 I had finished my handheld. So I refilled the handheld at mile 6 with half water and half powerade (this was my mistake)...I don't know what I put any powerade in it...I never drink powerade. I guess because I have had gatorade before and it was fine...I just thought it would be the same.

By mile 8 I started to get really thirsty...it was like the powerade was making me more thirsty. I was hoping that I would make it to mile 10 to get a refill as by mile 9 my handheld was empty. By this time, the sun was in full effect and there is no shade at the beach. At mile 10, I refilled the handheld with powerade and water...shortly after mile 10 my stomach started to feel queasy. By mile 11.5 I was full on wanting to vomit (sorry....TMI) on anything and everything. I wasn't really sure what to do. I have never had stomach problems on a run before. At this point I knew it was the powerade and sun. So at mile 12 I drank nothing but water at the water stop but it was too late. I just couldn't mentally get over the nauseous feeling. I knew I wouldn't make my time and it sucked. I would have rather had leg cramps or something so I could stop and stretch then the nauseous feeling. Oh well...I finished and at first felt disappointed. I was mad that I couldn't push through the sick feeling and make the goal time. But then I realize how I should be proud as I still beat my other times.

I headed back to the hotel and tried to do an ice bath...I couldn't get the water cold enough even with a bucket of ice. So sat in the semi-cold water, took shower, and laid on the bed for a little bit. Then packed up and checked out, heading to Litchfield for the night. I still couldn't stomach any food at this point...I had nibbled on some pretzels after the race and did eat 2 orange slices but that was it. Got to my mom's house and just took it easy, around 4:30 pm I finally ate a grilled cheese and started to feel better within 30 minutes. I wasn't sore in any way, as my body felt good all day...it was just my stomach.

This is my view from my hotel room after the race! It was a beautiful day...it was in the 70s when I finished the race.

I met my friend Julie and some of her friends for dinner at Frank's Outback in Pawleys Island (Love the food...yum!)

Laura, Lynn and Julie

Mary Ellen, Allison, Catherine and me. (My face was red and shiny...it was not from alcohol I promise....but my face just stayed hot for some reason and I probably needed some powder! :)

Hung out at Julie's house a little after dinner for some talkin'...and then headed back to my mom's. Went to bed my midnight and woke up Sunday...with no voice!! I lost my voice...I have no idea why! I had a little soreness in my left hip but that is it.

My mom and Denny took me for brunch and it hit the spot! I was hungry at this point and it was a buffet so it was so good! Then my mom took her dog, Lulu, for a quick walk which so helped my hip. Then I headed back to Charlotte! I was so happy to get back to see Jeff and Norah...I had missed them so much!! Today I got up and still no voice! How weird! I feel fine except of the no voice thing...any ideas about this?! Today Norah does not have school so we are hanging out. I actually have a couple of school things to do but hope to knock that out this morning.

(sorry...another crappy pic! This is the medal...it is so cute...it is flip flops!)

Here is my times for the race from the Garmin...you can see that after I got the powerade at mile 6, it starts being a little weird....

Mile 1: 11:08

Mile 2: 12:04

Mile 3: 12:17

Mile 4: 12:36

Mile 5: 12:36

Mile 6: 12:24

Mile 7: 13:19

Mile 8: 12:56

Mile 9: 13:36

Mile 10: 14:26

Mile 11: 13:57

Mile 12: 15:05

Mile 13: 14:28

Last .14: 12.03

Took GU at 4.5 miles and around 9 miles (I remember taking this one around 9 thinking that maybe it would help with being so thirsty...)

1. Do not drink anything you have not had before during the race (I will never drink Powerade again!)

2. I missed not having anyone there...I wonder if I had someone at the end who could have cheered for me...could I had mentally gotten over the sick feeling and finished stronger?!

3. After training all winter in 30s and 40s...running in 70 degrees with the sun beating on you felt extra hot for some reason.

3. There was a marathon with this race too...and the first time in its 14 year history...a woman won the marathon!!

4. Sometimes things just don't go as planned...

I will definitely do this race next year as I really liked it (Besides wanting to throw up!) and staying at the hotel was great. It really took a lot of pressure off not having to drive to the start the morning of the race...especially since it started at 6:30 am! Well since this post is way too long...that is all for today. If I think of anything else about the race...I'll let you know! Now just 1 more month until the next one and I will break 2:49!

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Myrtle Beach Half Marathon Race and Weekend Recap...