Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon Review

I think I'm still coming down from my big PR! But would I run the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon again? Eh, that's a toss-up. The Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon (and Marathon) is a small, local race that features a flat, fast course. While I love the race because I ran it with my parents (who both ran it in 1:57 and change!!!), I think there are probably other races that could offer a better overall experience.

Can your parents run a 1/2 marathon?

Myrtle Beach (or the dirty Myrtle as we fondly referred to it during beach week in college) is a hot spot during the summer. Trust me- it's not the prettiest SC beach, but it's a popular one, packed with tourists from all over the world enjoying the beach and golf (apparently, it's a really good golf spot). The main industry is tourism.. hence the running of the race in the off-season- a way to bring in revenue during a low time! ;)

Below is a list of pros and cons from this race:

The good stuff:

1. The weather is nearly perfect. If the race was held in the summer, more than one person would pass out from heat exhaustion. It gets HOT in the summer in SC with temperatures steady in the 90s/100s, even in the early morning. The race started out in the high 30s and we finished in the mid 50s... which is even a little on the chilly side for this time of year in SC, but perfect for running. And wildly enough, it actually snowed later that night!

2. There are hotels galore. Because it's the off-season, hotels have tons of vacancies and prices are really cheap for a 'beach destination.' We stayed in one of the recommended race hotels, and the room was only $89/night!

3. No need to be at the race earlier than 30 minutes before the start. The race started ridiculously early for a winter race- 6:30! We didn't want to wake up and stand in the cold any longer than we had to, so we left the hotel at 5:45 and were parked and standing in the bag-drop line by 6:05. Because there are plenty of hotels, you can find one really close to the race start, which makes getting to the race by a car a really great option. The race was running shuttles, too, but when we left at 5:45, it still hadn't picked up at our hotel- and our hotel was 2nd on the route. Once at the start, we stood longer in the bag drop line (which was really disorganized, so there's a tiny downside) than in the porta-potty line. We missed the gun with the combo of waiting for the bag drop/bathroom, but we were still able to cross the start line just 2 minutes after the gun went off.

4. Flat, flat, flat course and sweet Southern hospitality along the way. Have I mentioned this course is flat? It's flatter than the West Side Highway. It's not the most scenic course, but if you're looking for a PR, you've got an excellent shot at Myrtle Beach. Especially since runners were so nice about looking out for each other! Seriously, I got so many 'excuse me' and 'I'm sorry' when runners cut over to the water tables- that never happens in NYC! Also, I wish I had taken a picture because it was quintessentially southern. The water cups at every station were Bojangles cups, and I just about died laughing every time I saw them.

5. Great Post-Race Atmosphere. For as small of a race it was, Myrtle Beach had a great post-race party. Beer tents (with more than just Michelob Ultra... blech!), a band, massage tents, and little extras like hot chicken noodle soup to warm you up.

The not so good stuff:

1. There are zero spectators on the course. Because it's the off-season, there are few, if any, spectators. The race largely runs down two highways, so there wasn't much of an opportunity for spectators to find a spot even if they had wanted to cheer. I also got the feeling that the city of Myrtle Beach wasn't really 'interested' in the race- the race runs down what would be the main tourist strips at the beach, so not exactly a place where a lot of locals live. It seemed like the few spectators were family members of runners, not locals supporting the race. Combined with the early race start, there would be zero reason for a local to 'stumble' on the race and stay and cheer.

2. Limited Expo, especially for the price. The race was shockingly pricey for such a small race! $124 big ones, and not even a technical tee at the expo! And just for reference, that's only $4 less than the NYC Half! Crazy! The expo only had a few little booths, but not much to see. Although there were baby tigers! (?!?!)

Did they spend my entry fee on the tigers?

3. Gun Timing vs. Chip Timing. Ok, here's my main problem with the race. Myrtle Beach uses gun timing vs. chip timing, so actual effort isn't necessarily rewarded. In my age group the difference in gun timing vs. chip timing resulted in 2 girls 'beating' me who actually ran slower than I did, and in overall results, dropped me down over 30 spots. When I emailed Precision Race, the group that handled timing, about the rankings, they sent me this rather nasty email:

Allie,

I understand your point about chip time vs gun time, but this race is USATF
Sanctioned and USATF rules require that official results be based on Gun
Time.  There are actually very good reasons for this.  Here is a bit of the
thinking behind this rule:

The first reason is that it is a race.   The first person across the finish
line should win a race.  We should not have to wait until everyone has
finished a race to see who the winner was.  Gun time shows actual finish
order.  It can be verified with finish line video - it is absolute and
uncontestable - unless someone cheats and cut the course.  Those who want to
win a race (or an age group) line up toward the front to minimize the delay
between gun and chip time.

Thank you very much for participating in the Myrtle Beach Marathon!

Bruce Bokish
bruce@precisionrace.com
Tel 919.349.1719
www.precisionrace.com

Um, I'm sorry you had to wait until everyone crossed the finish line, but it's kind of your job. And by your definition of a 'race,' we wouldn't even need chip timing! With 7,000+ runners, not everyone can stand on the starting line, so it's ridiculous to imply that people who weren't standing on the start line weren't there to 'race.' I know I'll probably never get on a medal stand, but I did show up to race my own race and this timing system/response really rubbed me the wrong way. Dammit, I put everything I had into the race-- and I want the results to reflect that!

Overall Assessment:
While the good outnumbered the not-so-good, I'd say Myrtle Beach is an overpriced race that is put on to help bring in a little money during the off-season. The flat course and the almost guaranteed mild temps are the draws for the race, but there are plenty of other Southern, winter races that offer more of a destination experience. My parents and I are already scheming for next year... we're thinking Disney World! :)

2013 vs. 2012

What a difference a year makes! My parents and I completed our 3rd annual family 1/2 marathon this past weekend, and nearly a year to the date from the 2012 race, the runs couldn't have been more different!

2012 Recap:

My sister, mom, dad, and I run the USA Rock 'N Roll 1/2 Marathon. I hadn't really 'trained' for the race, only running 1 or 2 times a week. I (stupidly) believe that since I had run a 1/2 marathon in 2009 I would be fully prepared (hah!) with or without strict training. I throw-up twice on the course and feel sick the rest of the day. And I run a 2:04:46, 10 minutes slower than my 1st 1/2 marathon (1:54:26).

And after seeing this picture, I realize how chubby I've gotten.

2013 Recap:

My parents and I run the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon. (My sister is currently living in Australia so she couldn't join us, but she's running Brisbane in March!) I've consistently trained for this race, logging at least 20 miles a week with a long run of at least 10 miles. I've started to incorporate speed work and I welcome hills and bad weather as an opportunity to push myself.

Perhaps I have lost weight from running. (see picture above)

The Myrtle Beach course is flat as a pancake, and the 40 degree 6:30am start feels practically balmy after morning runs in the frosty 20 degree NYC temps. Wonders of wonders, I don't have to stop and go to the bathroom (a rare occurrence with my anxious belly), and I feel absolutely GREAT the entire time.

And I run 16 minutes faster than the year before, clocking in at 1:48:35.

Hey, shiny new PR! That's a 6 minute PR from my 1st 1/2 in 2009 and more than a minute/mile faster than the awful race in 2012! I was really proud of my splits- outside of a slow first mile (course review coming soon), I was able to stay fairly consistent from mile to mile, even seeing a slight negative split!

How flat can a course be?

I placed 23rd in my age group (out of 201) based on gun time (really, what race uses gun time?!?), but based on chip time, I placed 21st! That's probably the first and last time I'll place in the top 10%... small town races can be really good for your psyche ;)

Now I'm excited to get to work for my new 'hometown' race... the NYC 1/2 Marathon on March 17th! The NYC course will be VERY different from Myrtle Beach (hello Harlem Hills!), so I'll really have to work to match my pace in Myrtle Beach. Plan of attack to come soon!

P.S. If you noticed... yes I caved and I bought those Lulu shorts. They were sold out in my size online as well as in stores... or so I thought. I was out shopping with my boyfriend and when I noticed a Lululemon across the street from J.Crew, I had to pop in and check! And guess what? They had only 2 pairs of shorts left in the store- and 1 of them was in my size!! And I couldn't leave the store without them after all that talking and searching, could I? ;)

Puppy Love

Tuesday night I may or may not have completely embarrassed myself with extreme excitement:

The feeling was not mutual.

Yep, totally did. We went to the Westminster Dog Show and I couldn't contain myself around all the pups, especially my beloved golden retriever.

A repeated reminder at the show: No, we're not getting one.

Did you know? The Westminster Dog Show is the longest running American sporting event outside of the Kentucky Derby. It was fascinating to watch- so much pomp and circumstance, and unlike most sporting events, very formal and refined! The women judges wore evening gowns and the men wore tuxes, and all of the handlers were in (mostly sparkly) suits. Now I really want to watch Best In Show- I've never seen it, but from what we saw at the show/what I've heard about the movie, I think it sounds spot on!

PSA Alert: how did we afford tickets to the show? They were free! We recently signed up for How About We, which I'd describe as a Living Social for dating. You pay a monthly membership for access to preplanned dates- anything from brewery tours to dinners to a private ice skating session in Central Park. Prices range from $5 to over $1000, but about half of the listed dates are free. Like the Westminster Dog Show! So if you book a few free dates each month, you'll easily recoup your membership fee (which is only $22 a month). And if nothing else, it's a great way to find new date ideas!

Now I'm headed home to see MY puppies and run the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon! 2 HOURS OR BUST!!

And oh, Happy Valentine's Day! ;)

January Recap, February Goals

Well I started 2013 with a great start... and didn't meet my goals. My goals were to run 20 miles a week and attend at least one Jack Rabbit group run. Jack Rabbit, check. 20 miles, not so much. I was doing great until I got sick, which resulted in a week of zero running. To which I say, Boo!

maybe next time, lulu.

I was just going to get those Lulu shorts after all, but wouldn't you know they were sold out everywhere? (unless you're a size 2. really, who wears a size 2?) Now I'll just save my pennies and make February's reward really great!

January by the numbers:

1: Weeks Sick and Jack Rabbit Runs

13: Hours Spent Running

16: Total Runs

23: Spam Comments. Lesson Learned: Don't Title A Post With 'Hungry.'

88.2: Total Miles for the Month

And now for February goals! Just to keep it interesting, one running related goal and one non-running goal:

1. Run a Sub-2 Hr Half Marathon! I'm running the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon on February 16th with my parents, which promises to be warm and flat. If I can run the race like I've been running my long runs lately, breaking 2 hours is very possible!!

2. No ordering from Seamless Web. If you don't live in NYC, I feel sorry for you. Seamless Web is just about the best invention ever-- anytime you're hungry or don't feel like cooking, you can order a delicious meal from thousands of NY restaurants. 10am, 6p, midnight... something will be open and the food will be at your door in approximately 30 minutes. And on busy nights when I don't have the energy to dump pasta in a pot, I find myself leaning on Seamless Web. I took a look at my orders for January, and I was SHOCKED. I ordered from Seamless 5 times during the month for a total of... drumroll please... $104.18!!! Granted, a few of the orders were split with my boyfriend, but still. That's the equivalent of 2 weeks worth of grocery shopping. Or a pair of shorts and short sleeve top (give or take a few bucks) from Lulu. Dang, Allie!

No Seamless February is in full effect! I'm going grocery shopping today, and I'm planning on picking up a few frozen items that I can pop in the microwave if I get desperate--- I also don't want to rely on frozen foods for February, because that's not healthy either, but just want to have 2 or 3 backup items for the nights when I really have no motivation.

February, here we come! And the groundhog didn't see his shadow yesterday, so hopefully we'll have some more warm temps to look forward to :) What are your February goals?