Myrtle Beach Half Marathon

On Valentine's Day, I was getting dressed for work when the husband came in to give me my present:  another purple coffee mug (he'd misplaced mine when he took it to work, although he found it a week later).  This led me to a new marriage theory:

"The difference between dating and marriage is that in dating, you usually wait until your partner is dressed before giving presents."

I usually reciprocate on this holiday (trying to combat the image that it's all on the boys) but this year I was distracted by getting ready to head to Myrtle Beach that evening.  On our way down, Cody forgot the lessons of living out west and ran the car down to fumes.  We found a gas station...and they couldn't turn on the pumps.  Then another mile down the road with fingers crossed to a gas station with thankfully working pumps.

Booth at the race expo where service dogs collected dollars for disabled veterans & put them in a bucket.  They would watch you like a hawk if it looked like you were about to get one out, too.

On Friday, we picked up our packets race expo and ran into a small contingent of the Vac & Dash racing team from our area.  This is one of the major travel races the local running club does, so it wasn't surprising to encounter some of them.

The race benefited the Rare Species Fund.  We saw tiger cubs, monkeys and an elephant.  These two-month-old tiger cubs were playing in a pen at the expo.

Although neither of us was running in it, we decided to head out and cheer on the 5K that evening.  We watched the start and then, on a whim, found an empty spot near the two mile mark to encourage runners.  Next time, I'm so bringing a sign the says "high-five station."  Seriously, as a runner, I can tell you high-fives during a race are awesome!  I still got plenty of them, saw quite a few paces pick up and several runners thanked us for being out on that empty stretch.

On race day, we got up at 4:45 to scarf breakfast (coffee & a bagel with peanut butter & chocolate...breakfast of champions) and catch the shuttle bus to the starting line.  We timed it about right.  Between the bag check and port-o-john lines, we were only at the start a couple of minutes before it was time to go.

The race was started by an elephant named Bubbles.  Just after the start line, the runners next to us almost tripped over the elephant (yes, a real elephant of four tons), which was laying in the median with her trunk and leg in the road.   It's not something you expect to be right next to you at the start of a half marathon.

Cody and I running together just past the halfway point in the race.  (Photo by Vac & Dash)

There was quite a bit of trash-talking between me and the husband prior to the race.  My goals were two-fold.  I wanted to break two hours and beat my husband.  For the first half of the race, we went back and forth for the lead.  He generally caught up with me at water stops (running & drinking is not a skill in my repertoire) and I'd pass him again after a little bit.  However, around mile eight he pulled away.

Outside of our battle, I played a game another runner taught me called "pick off the shirts."  I was running in the colors of the Vac & Dash Racing Team along with over 100 others, so I encountered them fairly frequently.  It was a pretty effective distraction and motivation for the first 2/3 of the race.  And as a part of "picking them off," I also got the chance to chit-chat with several of them.  I picked up a few strays outside of the colors, but this gave me an automatic "in."

One of the awesome race signs (finish line in the background).

One of my "pick offs" was a (quite fast) coworker running the full marathon.  He was with an acquantance from when he'd worked in Mexico.  We ran together for a couple of miles and he actually trash talked me about being an industrial engineer during the race (an offense worse even then talking about work at lunch!).  He'd been buttering me up only a week ago, so next time he wants something it won't be so easy as a couple compliments...

I lost a little steam the last few miles of the race and a few blue shirts passed me again.  I picked it up a little a mile from the finish and battled with another team member.  After passing back & forth, she crossed the line a little ahead of me (though when we compared chip times later my time was 8 seconds better...small victories).  Cody was waiting for me at the finish line.  Per his malfunctioning timing chip, he didn't officially run the race beyond the 10K mark, but he had on the GPS and the watch time was 1:51:21.  My chip time was 1:54:42.  I guess I'll have to settle for one out of two on this one.  I'll get to try again at beating him in our marathon this summer.

Finishers!  1:54:42 and 1:51:21!

In the chute, we actually ran into someone that had taken aerial classes with us a year ago (but since left).  Small world!  Vac & Dash had a trailer where the team could congregate post race to re-hydrate with beer & socialize with people as they made their way across the finish line and joined the group.

Rehydrating post-race.  (Photo by Vac & Dash)

Our refuel lunch was at a nice little seafood place called Sea Captain's House.  Cody swears they have the best she crab soup he's ever had.  It was pretty good.  Then we napped a couple of hours in the afternoon.  We went out for dinner with two other couples and five crazy children to a Brazilian steakhouse.  It was definitely an experience, although probably not one we'll be doing again without group influences.  The "salad bar" had selections of salmon, potatoes, sushi, meats & cheeses.  The main meal feature was skewers of many different types of meat brought to your table in a continuous rotation & all-you-can-eat.  I spent most of the night trying to get the pineapple guy to come over (the only non-meat skewered thing).

Taking advantage of the cold ocean water to soothe my sore muscles.  It wasn't too bad unless a wave splashed me in the back.

Cody wasn't quite such a fan of the cold water...

The weather was perfect for the race but that night it snowed.  There was still snow on the ground & the car the next morning, prompting Cody to ask again if we'd ever visit the beach in warm weather.  What would the fun be in that?

Snow under the palms trees Sunday morning.

Cody bundled up and showing off his medal on the beach the next day.