Pensacola Double Bridge Run 15K Race Recap

February 2, 2019

I've wanted to run this race for years. Finally it worked out with my schedule. 

My knee bothered me off and on since my last half marathon in December. I decided it was time to see the orthopedic doctor at the end of January. He did an x-ray which showed some wear on my cartilage and he injected me with PRP.

I knew that I wanted to run this race while I had the opportunity, but I debated whether to run the 5K or 15K. Against my better judgement I registered for the 15K because this was the last year running on the old Pensacola Bay Bridge. The race was less than two weeks after my injection. 

Michael and I drove to Pensacola Beach late Friday afternoon after we got off work. We didn't make it down in time for the expo and packet pick-up. Fortunately some local runners offered to pick up my packet for me. They do have race day packet pick-up, but I would highly recommend getting your packet the night before if you're able. 

Both the 5K and 15K are point to point courses, so the start line and finish line are in different locations. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Pensacola Beach which is directly across the street from the finish line at the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk. They have a shuttle that runs from the hotel to the start line. 

It was an early morning. The 15K started at 7:00 and I wanted to make sure I was at the start line in plenty of time. I caught the shuttle with some local runners who were also staying at the Hampton Inn. It felt like forever to the 15K start line at the Pensacola Wahoo's Stadium. The whole time I was second guessing signing for the 15K.

I was really concerned about how my knee would hold up. This would be my longest run in two months. One of the local runners offered me some of her KT tape. I've never tried KT tape before, but I figured it couldn't hurt. She helped me tape my knee before we loaded the bus. I also applied Bio Freeze and wore a knee brace. My only goal for this race was to have fun and finish.

Hanging out with local runners before the race

I found IG friends Rick, Jodi, Mindy, and her husband Andy in line for the restrooms

Finally the sun came up and it was time to make our way to the start line. There were over 2,500 finishers for the 15K. There were no pacers for this race. Runners positioned themselves at the start line in corrals based on pace. I lined up with other local runners in the 11:00 min/mile corral. They started promptly at 7:00 and let each corral go every minute or so. We crossed the start line at 7:08. 

                                                                   

Start line selfie

Even with the staggered start it was still really congested for the first two miles along the bay front. I ran the entire first mile and a half until the crowd spaced out some. We reached the Pensacola Bay Bridge around the third mile. This is a three mile long bridge. I was finally able to get into a rhythm with my walk/run intervals. I used them consistently for the remainder of the race. I really enjoyed the view of the bay on both sides of me.

Pensacola Bay Bridge

I love free race photos!

It was a little congested coming off the Pensacola Bay Bridge into Gulf Breeze. The roads were rough due to construction. A lady in front of me twisted her ankle in a pot hole and took a tumble. Some other runners and I stopped to help her up. She was really skinned up, but she was okay. She brushed herself off and kept running. 

There was good crowd support in Gulf Breeze. Several spectators were out in front of local businesses cheering on the runners. The Chick-fil-A and Subway mascots were out giving high fives . Just after Mile 6, we passed the 5K runners waiting to start. 

                                                 

We approached the Bob Sikes Bridge around Mile 8. This bridge isn't as long as the Pensacola Bay Bridge, but it is steeper. I got a kick out of this kid's sign just before the bridge.

                               

               

The Bob Sikes Bridge

Mile 8 was my slowest mile. I walked up most of the bridge until I reached the DJ near the top. He motivated me to run the rest of the way up.  At the bottom of the bridge I could see Pensacola Beach ahead. I didn't have much further to go. 

There was a high school drumline followed by this awesome cycling group at the final turn towards the finish line. They really motivated me to finish strong.

                                                     

            

I finished in 1:37:20. My time may reflect a PW (personal worst), but I PR'd in fun. My knee didn't bother me much during the race, but it was really hurting afterwards. I limped for several days following this race. It was worth it though. I loved everything about this race. I hope to run it again one day.

Mile 1- 9:57

Mile 2- 10:16

Mile 3- 10:24

Mile 4- 10:14

Mile 5- 10:20

Mile 6-10:24

Mile 7- 10:29

Mile 8- 11:02

Mile 9- 10:25

0.32- 9:54 pace

There was a big post race party at the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk. It was great to catch up with IG friends Katie and Mindy after the race. Free beer was offered in small souvenir cups. I love a souvenir cup! 😄 Red beans and rice was served at Hemingways. 

In addition to the post race party, the Sandshaker Bar across the street had half price drinks to race participants. I had so much fun hanging out with the local running group at the Sandshaker. I stuck with Shirley Temples.

It was great to see Katie at the finish line.

I saw Mindy again at the finish line. She ran a PR!

I love the finisher's medal!

                                  

It's double sided!

Flora-Bama Make it to the Line 4 Mile Run Race Recap

December 28, 2019

This was my fourth year running the Flora-Bama Make it to the Line 4 Mile Run. Michael and I go to Gulf Shores every year for our anniversary. This race usually takes place while we are in town. 

It is a flat, fast, down and back course along Perdido Beach Blvd. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Secret Santa program, helping local families in need with gifts at Christmas, clothing, food, and more. There were over 400 finishers between the 4 Mile Run and Walk divisions, and the 1 Mile Fun Run. 

It was a muggy 72 degrees with cloudy skies at the start of the race. I ran the first two miles. Then, I started using my walk/run intervals at the turn around. Every year there is a strong headwind on the back route. This year was no exception. My effort felt the same, but my pace was slowing tremendously. 

The whole way back I was neck and neck with this girl who looked to be in my age group. She'd pass me during my walk intervals. I'd pass her on my run intervals. She passed me when I stopped for water after the third mile. 

With half a mile left to go she was widening the gap in front of me. I was worried that if I didn't make a move soon it would be too late. I decided to run the remainder of the race. I passed her with almost a quarter of a mile left. I was worried that I had a target on my back. I was waiting on her to speed up and pass me again but she didn't thankfully. 

Within a few hundred yards of the finish line I noticed the girl in front of me was slowing down. She was ahead of me the entire time and I really hated to pass her so close to the finish. That's happened to me a few times and it's no fun. I was feeling strong though and I was also noticing the time on the clock creeping towards 35 minutes. I did it. I passed her. I'm glad I did too because it turned out she was in my age group. I sealed first place by only two seconds! I finished in 34:46.

Mile 1- 8:14

Mile 2- 8:29

Mile 3- 9:16

Mile 4- 9:11

Photo Credit: Pensacola News Journal

The local newspaper captured me near the finish line

They have a great post race party every year. Michael doesn't mind sticking around for this one because he loves the atmosphere at the Flora-Bama.

Michael hates pictures, but he agreed to a selfie on our anniversary

They had wraps, steamed veggies, rice, and free beer of course. They almost always have a live band playing. This year they had an acoustic guitarist with a woman playing the flute. As a former flute/ piccolo player I enjoyed her performance. She was really good! I failed to get their picture. They also had post-race massages but I didn't get one.

It takes some time for the official results to be tabulated, but there's plenty to do during the wait. They award three deep in each age category for both the run and walk divisions. I love the Tervis Tumblers with the race logo on it. The division place is on the back. Most of my awards are displayed in my running room, but I actually use this one. 

Shrimp Festival 5K Race Recap

October 12, 2019

The National Shrimp Festival is held each year in October on the white, sandy beaches of Gulf Shores, AL. The festival offers live music, seafood, arts and crafts exhibits, sand sculpture contests, a golf tournament, and a 5K/10K run. Everyone should attend the festival at least once in their lifetime. There's plenty to see and do, and it's great fun for all.

The Shrimp Festival 5K/10K starts at the Orange Beach Sports Complex. The course runs along the paved Backcountry Trails. The race attracts several hundred participants.

This was my fifth year participating in the Shrimp Festival race, but my first time running the 5K. After a two year hiatus from this race, I was ready to run it again. I left off on such a high note in the 10K that I decided I would run the 5K for a change. My PR performance in the 10K in 2016 will be hard to top. (Read about it here) 

The weather for this race has been the same every year: HOT! You can probably tell from my flat runner that I wasn't expecting anything different this year. I checked the forecast the night before like I always do. There were some showers expected over night and the early morning hours, but it appeared that they would be moved out by race time. 

It was pouring when I woke up. I immediately checked the Facebook page and there was no talk of cancelling. It was still pouring when we left the condo. Michael thought I was nuts. "It's going to be cancelled," he repeated the whole way there. 

When we arrived at the sports complex it was a ghost town. Usually it is packed full of runners for this race. I got out of the truck to investigate. There were a few runners under shelter by the bathrooms who said that the run was still a go. The closer to start time the harder it poured. The race directors announced a ten minute delay in the start time. They said as long as it was just rain and no thunder or lightning the race would go on as planned. I kept checking the radar obsessively, but it looked like we would be in the clear.

The 10K runners took off a 7:40, ten minutes behind schedule. There weren't many of them. I was so glad I chose to do the 5K. I think even if I had registered for the 10K I would have swapped to the 5K given the circumstances. The race directors gave the 10K runners that option and some chose it.

Runners came out the wood work when they announced for the 5K runners to line up at the start. There weren't this many runners under shelter by the bathrooms. Where did they all come from? Still, there were only about half the runners than usual for this race.

I was running more consistently while training for the Iron Horse Half Marathon in September. I hoped that with my improved endurance I could better my time from my last 5K in August. I quickly realized that it was not happening today.

The black top on the trails and the boardwalks throughout the course were really slick. I had to really watch my footing. There was no thunder or lightning before the race started. Just as I was nearing the first water station a big bolt of lightning struck ahead followed by a loud crashing "BOOM". It startled one of the ladies at the water station to the point that she dropped the cup right out of her hand.

I was scared. It wasn't long after the crash that Michael called me to see if I was okay. I was out of breath. I told him I was fine, just nervous, and ready to be done. I was halfway there. It was the same distance back as it was to keep going forward to the finish. The thunder rolled a time or two after that and it was done. The rain continued to pour as I crossed the finish line. I finished in 27:57. 

Mile 1- 8:42

Mile 2- 8:53

Mile 3- 9:06

0.14- 9:27 pace

Thank you Street Safari for braving the elements to provide these awesome, free race photos!

I waited for the results to be tabulated. I was hoping the competition was narrowed with only half of the runners. I was excited to see that I got 1st place in my age group. Yes, there was more than one runner in my age group. There were eight of us to be exact. I was 7th of 92 women, and 31st of 169 overall. Thank you to the fast runners for staying in bed! 😄

I never thought I'd say this about this race, but I was actually a little chilly while waiting for my award.  I warmed up with some red beans and rice. There was so much food left over I even got seconds. 

The rain was steadily coming down while I was standing under cover by the bathrooms

Bushwacker 5K Race Recap

August 3, 2019

Michael and I went to the beach for a quick weekend trip before I had to go back to school. We stayed in Gulf Shores which is about 45 mins to an hour from Pensacola Beach depending on traffic. When I saw the Bushwacker 5K was going on this weekend I immediately wanted to run it. Several of the local runners have run it in the past and it looked like a lot of fun.

This run starts and finishes at the Gulfside Pavilion in the Casino Beach parking lot. It is a fast out and back course down Via De Luna Drive. There were over 400 participants between the run and walk divisions. Proceeds benefitted Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida.

 

It was a hot race! It was 79 degree at the 7:30 start. There was very little shade on the course, but the Capt'n Fun Runners came to the rescue with hoses and water guns throughout the course. 

My first two miles were even paced, but I slowed down in the last mile without realizing it. My effort felt equally hard throughout. I sprinted after making the final turn into the parking lot. My finish time was 27:23. 

Mile 1- 8:42

Mile 2- 8:41

Mile 3- 8:55

0.14- 7:50 pace

The popsicles at the finish line were a cool treat! We didn't stick around for the post race party on the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk. It was a quick trip and we wanted to get back to go surf fishing.

Spring Fever Chase 10K Race Recap

March 16, 2019

I've always wanted to run the Spring Fever Chase in Fairhope, AL. This year it finally worked out with my schedule. Michael and I went down to the beach for the beginning of my Spring Break. Fairhope is about 45 mins to an hour drive from our condo in Gulf Shores. The race didn't start until 8:00, so we left the condo between 6-6:30. There was limited parking on the side of the road near the start line. There were a lot of locals running this race who just walked or rode their bikes from their houses.

It was a little chilly on race morning with temperatures in the low 50's, but the steady breeze made it feel even colder. This was a good size race with nearly 600 runners between the 10K and 2 Mile Fun Run. This is a point to point course starting on Bayview Street and ending on S Mobile Street by the bay. The start line is within walking distance from the finish line. 

I hadn't run beyond three miles since the Pensacola Double Bridge 15K in February. My knee was starting to feel better, but I was a worried about how it might hold up. I KT taped it and put Bio Freeze on it before the race. I didn't have a specific time goal for this race, but deep down I hoped I could finish under an hour.

I got a picture with the Azalea Trail Maids at the start line

I started out fast as usual, but I was feeling good so I tried my best to maintain my pace. I started to notice the hills during the third mile. I was warned that there are hills in Fairhope. I started to use my walk/run intervals at this point in the race. I walked all the hills even if it was during a run interval. 

I loved the tree lined streets

Most of the route was through residential streets, but we did run a stretch through downtown. There was a festival in town. We ran past the tents and food trucks. 

When we made it back through the residential streets I noticed a woman holding a little boy who was pointing and waving at the runners. The boy's bright red glasses caught my attention. Then I realized he had Down Syndrome which made me think of my brother Raymond. I waved and said hello, but I got a little teary eyed. 

My aunt and uncle recently built a new house in Fairhope. They said they were within a mile from the finish line. I knew it shouldn't be much farther. I tried to look out for them, but there were so many residents out cheering on the runners. Suddenly I heard people hollering "Look it's Debra Ann!" It was my aunt, uncle, cousin, and Michael.  It was so cool seeing my family cheering for me on the course. In hindsight I wish I had stopped for a picture. They gave me the boost I needed to finish strong. I ran the entire last mile. The final stretch by the bay was gorgeous! 

Beautiful view of the bay and azaleas in bloom on the final stretch 

The Azalea Trail Maids were at the finish line

My pace was all over the place, but I managed to finish under an hour in 58:45. Overall I was really pleased with my finish time considering I only ran a few three mile runs leading up this race. Me knee felt fine during the race, but it was a little sore afterwards.

Mile 1- 8:53

Mile 2- 9:00

Mile 3- 10:19

Mile 4- 9:24

Mile 5- 9:42

Mile 6- 8:57

0.28- 9:37

I stuck around at the finish line for a few minutes. It was really congested and I couldn't find Michael anywhere. It was starting to sprinkle, so I followed some other runners back to the start line where we were parked.  Fortunately Michael was there waiting for me. 

We drove a few blocks to my aunt and uncle's house. The rain was starting to become steady and I felt sorry for the runners we passed by on the course. We had lunch and visited with my family most of the afternoon before heading back to Gulf Shores.

Cool artwork by the bay made by local students

 

Cute t-shirt design, all finishers got participant ribbons

Montgomery Half-5K Race Recap

March 9, 2019

The Montgomery Half Marathon/5K has gotten bigger and better each year. They have improved their t-shirt design, medals, and overall race "swag". I love it when races offer additional "swag". This year all participants got a fleece blanket and half marathon finishers got a metal yeti style cup with the race logo on it.

I really wanted to run the half marathon, but I knew that I wasn't prepared for it. The last time I ran this half was in 2016. I was registered to run it in 2017, but I was unable to because of my knee injury/ surgery. I made a last minute decision to sign up for the 5K. The 5K runners got all the same perks minus the cup so I thought why not run it. 

It was another warm start, 64 degrees with mostly cloudy skies. I saw a lot of my friends at the start line. Unfortunately I neglected to get pictures with any of them. Most of them were running the half which started before the 5K, so they were focused on their pre-race routines. A part of me was a little bummed watching the half marathoners take off, but a part of me was thankful that I didn't have that far to run.

   Half Marathoners taking off

After the half marathoners took off, I made my way to the start line. There were still quite a few runners doing the 5K. I made my way to the middle of the pack where I saw other members of the River Region Runners group. We chatted before the start.

The first mile was mostly uphill which prevented me from going out too fast like I usually do. I ran as much as I could only stopping to walk through the water stations. I settled into a sub-9 pace once the hills leveled out after the first mile. I picked up the pace during the long downhill stretch on Dexter Ave in front of the Capitol building. That's my favorite part of this race. As I made the final turn into the Biscuit's Baseball stadium I could see the clock nearing 28 minutes, so I sprinted to the finish line. I finished in 27:47.

Mile 1- 9:03

Mile 2- 8:30

Mile 3- 8:38

0.18- 8:31 pace

I didn't have big expectations as far as my finish time. Downtown Montgomery is known for its hills, so I knew this race would be a challenge for me. Overall I was really pleased with my performance. Although my time wasn't much faster than the CCAP 5K a month earlier, my splits were more consistent. 

When I checked my official result I was really surprised that I placed third out of sixty women in my age group. I guess all the really fast runners ran the half marathon! 😄

I watched the half marathoners finish and visited with some of the River Region Runners while we waited for our awards. 

River Region Runners Me, Bridgett, Irene, and Patti with our awards