Merry Christmas

Reindeer Run 5k Race Recap

This post is a little late. Waaaaay back on December 12, I ran the Reindeer Run 5k for the 5th year in a row! The race actually starts where my husband and I got married. We got married on the beach, but the race takes place on the road. And it just happens to be about 2 miles from where we live now! Anyway.....

This race was race 3 in the Holiday Beach Series. This will be the third time I participated in the Holiday Beach Series.

This recap will be brief. It of course was a great race. It was put on by the Running Zone. They do a fabulous job at timing. It wasn't a PR for me, but it was one of my fastest 5k's in a very long time.

That's it! I know it's brief, but there's not much to say. I pushed as hard as I could. I still haven't been running much lately, so I knew I wouldn't PR. And of course I'll be back next year!!

Diva St Augustine Beach Half Marathon Recap

For the second year in a row I ran the St Augustine Beach Diva Half Marathon. Yes just seven days after I completed the Space Coast Half Marathon I did the St Augustine Diva Half. I knew it was going to be a tough race, but whoa I was not expecting that.

My mom and I stayed just a couple blocks from the start/finish line. When we were getting out of the elevator, race morning, a woman came up and said it was raining. CRAP! I hate running in the rain. Luckily it was a small rain cell and it passed quickly. When we did leave the hotel it was misting. I got a lovely trash bag from the front desk.

Due to my lack of training, I knew it would be tough. My plan was to go slow. I always start a race too fast. They said go and I went, very slow. First two miles were tough. I thought I would walk .1 and run .9. At mile 3 I was toast. I actually thought about not finishing. I NEVER do that, but I'm too damn stubborn to quit. Mile 5 I was really done. I ended up walking almost all of mile 5. While I was walking and getting mad at myself for not training, I walked right past my hotel. Hell I even saw my car. That's when I knew I wasn't quitting. I had the perfect chance to quit and I didn't take it.

So you can guess how the rest of this race went. I walked, I ran, I wanted to cry. I did all of this until mile 12.1. Yup I had one mile left and I was DONE. It took all of my mental power to get me through that last mile. Knowing that it's just one mile should have been enough to hurry up and finish, but it wasn't. At mile 12.6 I finally just said screw it and started to run. I kept repeating over and over and over again, it's just a half mile, half mile, half mile. I probably drove everyone around me nuts, but it was the only way I could finish. Just before the 13 mile marker they give you a tiara and a boa. I grabbed mine and kept going. Spectators kept cheering me on saying go go go, it was all I could do to keep my legs moving. Everything from the waist down hurt. Some how I crossed finished line.

It's amazing how a shirtless fireman at the finish line can make you smile!!

This was the toughest half I've done in a very long time. I have a 5k this weekend and another half in two weeks. Hopefully it goes better than this one. AND hopefully my knee feels better again.

I love running the Diva races. They are so much fun, but running back to back half marathons is too much for me. I probably won't run it again next year. I say probably, cause if the medal next year is awesome, WELL.....

Space Coast Half Marathon Recap

The Space Coast Half Marathon has become my favorite half marathon. I've run it four times! The best part about this race is that it is a local race for me.

This year was year three of the Big Bang Series. For more info on the Big Bang Series, read here. 

When I signed up for this race in February, the idea was this was going to be PR race. When we said good-bye to our dog in August and I stopped running, all of that went out the window. New goal just finish the race.

My husband and I decided to walk the 13.1 miles. Neither one of us had trained so we walked.

Packet pickup!

Pre race photo in Cocoa Village.

Stopped and took a photo with my mom. She is a volunteer on the course

The course runs along the Indian River. The views on this course are beautiful.

Stopped at the 5k mark to take a selfie with Erin!

Selfie with Dave!!

Ok let's talk about this house for a minute. I always knew there was a creepy house on the course that had a mannequin in the attic. I just always thought it was on the marathon course which starts out north, then finishes on the half marathon course. WELL I was wrong. While we were walking along I heard someone point it out. Damn that house is going to freak me out every year now. 

At the half way point, for the half marathon, the Parrot Head group is the course marshalers, water stop and course entertainment. They are one of the best sites on the course. One cause they are at the halfway point and two cause they are awesome!!

Found Dave again!!! 

Had to stop one more time and say hi to mom!

YEAH MEDALS!!

Post race tradition! Order Papa Vito's.

This years medals!!

The Big Bang Series Medals!! Just have three more medals to collect!!

Of course I'll be back next year. My plan is to run this race every year that I live here. Hopefully next year I'll be able to run it in under 2 hours. I'm getting a new running partner soon, so hopefully he/she will help me get faster!!

Did you run the Space Coast Half Marathon?

Cocoa Beach Turkey Trot 5k recap

It's become a tradition for me to get up early Thanksgiving morning and run the Cocoa Beach Turkey Trot 5k.

Every year I always take it easy during this 5k, since 3 days later is the Space Coast Half. It's always fun to just go out and run. The locals sit at the end of their driveways to support us. I always try to wave at them and thank them for coming out. One house around mile 3 has there own "water" station. The do serve water, but the do have beer and jell-o shots.

                                

This year I was Super Turkey. Just add a cape and you too can become Super anything :)

                               

This recap is going to be short. It's a great local race. I think it's a great idea to go run before you stuff yourself with Thanksgiving dinner. 

I of course will be there next year running. The only difference is I'll be running with our new dog. He/She will be old enough to run!!

Do you run a Thanksgiving day race?