We (Mimi, Matt, Sam, Amy, Rob, and I) traveled to Myrtle Beach and stayed at a cheap motel (about $6 per person per night). There had been a huge snow storm that was heading our way. It had dumped a foot or so of snow on Dallas on Thursday before the race, and was coming our direction. By 10pm Friday night, the race organizers and director were unsure if the race would go on. Flurries had started to fall by that time. It was the first time it had snowed in Myrtle Beach in 10 years.
We woke up Saturday morning to see if the race would go on. Looking out the window, we could see snow covered trees. The grass was covered, but the roads were clear. There was still hope. We turned on the TV to the news, and much to our dismay, they were announcing that the race was cancelled. No doubt that, after training for several months and traveling the eight hour drive to Myrtle Beach, we were disappointed.
But we wouldn't let that stop us completely. Since our hotel was right on the course, we went out anyway and ran the last nine miles of the course. We met some runners who were doing the same thing. They were from Ontario, and traveled down just for the marathon. I felt so sorry for them!!
After the disappointment of the cancelled race and with my growing baby, I had to take some time off from running marathons. I still ran, though, throughout my entire pregnancy. My last long run was 12 miles when I was eight months pregnant. After that, I limited my runs to about 5-8 miles. I even ran three miles on the treadmill the day before Alan was born.
After Alan was born in August 2010, it took me another year before I was ready to jump back into things. I had actually planned on training for the Myrtle Beach marathon the following year, since they offered us $25 registration the year after the cancellation. But trying to fit training around nursing and raising a newborn, post-partum depression, and sleep deprivation turned out to be harder than I could handle. I was definitely not ready by February 2011 to try again. So I set my sights on the Outer Banks Marathon in November of 2011.
The Race: Outer Banks Marathon, Kitty Hawk, NC, November 2011. I posted a blog right after finishing this race. It's not nearly as comprehensive, but you can view it HERE.
My Training Plan: Since the Runner's World Challenge training plan had worked so well for me in Richmond, I used it again for the Outer Banks Marathon to try to get back to breaking the 4-hour mark. I did two 20 miler training runs and one 22 miler training run as my longest runs. I also did some speed work and marathon pace runs during the week.
Weather: The weather was partly cloudy all weekend in the Outer Banks for the marathon. The temperature started out in the low-40s and got up to around 60 degrees toward the end. By the middle of the race, most of the clouds were gone, and the sun was shining, making me feel warm. It really was the perfect weather for me.
Running Attire: Pink short-sleeved technical shirt and white long-sleeved throw-away shirt, black running tights, pink Nike visor, and OBX running belt. Toward the end of the race, I wished I had worn shorts. But running tights are pretty breathable in warmer weather, so it wasn't too bad. I'm used to training in the heat and humidity of ATL, so I like being a little warm when running.
Who I ran with: Both Amy and Sam came with Rob, Alan, and me on this trip, along with Amy's friend Sara and her husband Ryan. Amy and Sara ran the half marathon, while I ran the full marathon by myself. Along the course, I met a guy who had run the inaugural OBX marathon in 2006 and was back to run the fifth anniversary race in 2011. He was telling me about how cold and rainy the 2006 race was. He also gave me some insight about the course. I ran with him for awhile, but ended up losing him in the trail part of the race when I slowed down (I am SO SLOW when running trails).
The Course: This course is a point-to-point, mostly flat course along the sound, through some neighborhoods, past some monuments, on a trail (the hilly part), over a bridge, and to the finish. There were some beautiful views of the sound throughout the race. Overall, it is a pretty good course, but it did have some areas that made it interesting.
There is a couple miles on a trail through the woods right in the middle of the race. The trail was tough. From miles 10-13 it was pretty hilly for a 'flat course,' and zapped my energy, which was hard to regain afterwards. Mile 22-23 was a monster hill on a bridge over the sound, which sucked the last bit of energy from me.
Organization: The race isn't too big, so you don't get lost in the crowd. The emails ahead of time and the information in the race packet kept you informed about how to get to the start and what to do. The EXPO was excellent for a small race. Being an ECU grad, I loved the pirate theme.
The water stops weren't right at the mile markers toward the end of the race, which was disappointing. I remember reading in the race packet that there would be water and Gatorade at almost every mile from 20 on (with the exception of mile 24, which was strange), but when I got to the mile marker, it was still another quarter of a mile before actually getting to the aid station. By that point, I was living mile to mile, and it would have been better to at least know that the water/Gatorade wasn't going to be there until a little ways after the mile marker.
The volunteers were excellent! There wasn't an aid station I didn't easily get water/Gatorade, and there wasn't a place on the race where I was confused as to where to go.
Swag: This was the first race I did that had some really good swag. In addition to the technical shirt and medal, each participant also got an OBX running belt and a necklace with a 26.2 charm.
Starting Line: The starting line was easy to get to. I had Sam drop me off at the start after he dropped Amy and Sara off at their start. The half marathon started at the same time as the marathon, but their starting line was around the 13 mile marker of the marathon. Because of that, there wasn't a huge crowd at the marathon start. I really liked that! There was plenty of space to warm up, stretch, etc. around the start.
Fans: The fans were great when they were there. Being a smaller race, there weren't a lot of fans. There were many times toward the end where I was the only one around.
Finish Line: The thing I disliked the most about the course was the finish line - and more about the location of the finish line than the goodies and finish line party itself. You couldn't see the end of the race from a distance. There were fans telling me that I was half a mile from the finish, but I still had to make three or four turns before even saw the finish line. It is a little demotivating to think it's right around the corner, and at every turn not see the finish. They make shirts that say WTF?!? Where's The Finish. Those shirts definitely would have been appropriate for this race.
As far as the race party and goodies at the end, it was pretty good. They did have beer for those that wanted it. They also had the normal bagels and bananas. I think they had a barbecue sandwich for the runners also. There was a band playing and lots of activity.
Parking at the finish line was not convenient. Rob had to park at a local school and take the shuttle with Alan to the finish to get me. The shuttles were running pretty constantly, but it isn't an easy trip to make with a stroller and a one-year old. There were also multiple shuttles, since the race was a point-to-point race, so you had to make sure you were getting on the right shuttle for where you wanted to go.
How I felt: I felt pretty good going into the race. My plan was to keep running the entire way, grabbing Gatorade and/or water from each station and eating a bite of my Snickers Marathon bar every five miles.
I left my Garmin in the car, and there were no pace teams, so I couldn't pace myself well. I went out too fast, feeling really good. I was cheering the crowds on, because they weren't being much help, which used a lot more energy that I should have used in the beginning. I burned out toward the end. I think part of the reason for the burnout was the hilly trail in the middle of the race. I hardly ever run on trails, other than the wide, packed gravel trail at Cochran Shoals. The trail in this race was a narrow (barely enough room to pass anyone), dark, wooded trail with lots of pine straw, leaves, and roots. I probably went from 9 minute miles to 10 and a half minute miles during this part of the race.
I also had to stop and wait in line at a porta-potty near mile 18. I was on pace to hit four hours, but my stomach started hurting around mile 17, so I kept an eye out for the next porta-potty. As I was approaching the ones at mile 18, there was no one in line. I thought, Perfect! But as I got closer, some woman who had already passed the porta-potty backtracked and got in right before I could get there. I thought about trying to make it to the next one, but didn't want to take any chances. So I had to wait for her to finish.
I hit the wall around mile 21.5, right before the monster bridge hill. So it took all my effort to keep running up the hill and through the rest of the race. I did stop to walk through each water station after that, but ran the entire rest of the way.
Travel/Tourism: As far as a destination goes, it was very nice. There is a lot to do in the Outer Banks, so it is a great destination race. While there we visited the Orville and Wilbert Wright monument and museum and saw where the first successful airplane flight happened. We went to Cape Hatteras and saw the Hatteras lighthouse. Unfortunately, the lighthouse was closed for the season, so we didn't get to go to the top. It would be better if they could get the lighthouse opened for the weekend so people from out of town could get the full experience while visiting this great area.
My favorite thing about the Outer Banks was a breakfast place that we went to for lunch after the race. It was called Stack 'em High. This was, hands down, the best breakfast place I have ever been to! It had every possible type of pancake and waffle imaginable. I had the Chunky Monkey waffle (chocolate chip waffle with bananas on top) and Alan had the blueberry pancakes with strawberries, bananas, and blueberries on top. It was delicious!!
No comments:
Post a Comment