Charleston Marathon recap

I know it's been awhile since I last posted, but the holidays were crazy. My sister and sister-in-law came to visit, then shortly after my mom came for the Charleston Marathon. I didn't spend much time with social media (not wanting to be rude, after all) so, I'll try to get you caught up now.

I didn't run much over the holidays, mostly 1-2 miles a day and my sister started the 30-day squat challenge that I've been doing with her. I guess it's paid off because I didn't gain too much weight, even though we ate like hungry, hungry hippos! My mom just left yesterday, so I'm going to get my eating habits back under control, but I will say that if you find yourself in the Charleston area, make sure you check out: Black Bean Co., Hominy Grill, The Glass Onion, La Fontana (for brunch), Kaminsky's (for coffee and dessert), or any and all food trucks. Just to name a few.

Here's the squat challenge if you want to check it out

I did fit in a couple slightly longer runs through my running store:

Glow run

Glow Run, on the bridge

Half marathon training group run

Monday Runday group run. That pink jacket is obviously my favorite thing to run in

So, overall, I stayed fairly active over the holidays. How did you do?

Now, let's talk about the Charleston Marathon!

"That's the thing about running: your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful your life is," Kara Goucher.

This quote describes the Charleston Marathon perfectly, because since I stayed with my momma the whole time, I didn't PR, but it was my favorite race I've ever done. It was absolutely beautiful and there was so much to look at - the sailboats on the water, colorful houses, shop-lined streets, mostly flat, scenic parks. It was such a great time and the people were so friendly. We chatted a couple people up at the porta-potty stops (there were a lot of them) and me and the momma got to spend some quality time together. HOWEVER, it was freezing!!! I typically run long races in short sleeves or a tank top, but we wore long sleeved shirts over the top so we could toss them when we got warm. We never got warm. It was so cold and there was a severe headwind (what seemed like) the entire time! The scenic views and wonderful people kept us going, but all I really wanted was a nice warm bed. We came in too late to get any of the boiled peanuts or shrimp and grits at the finish line, but they had great shuttle support to get you back to your car.

Just like the past three years, we started the year off with a marathon that we don't train for. This was that marathon, but my momma still PR'd by 7 minutes! It was a great race (even with the weather) and I would highly recommend anyone to do it next year. 

Next up, the St. Louis Go! Marathon and I can't wait! I'm going to start training tomorrow. Training...what a novel idea...

Me and the momma at mile 5, lookin' fresh

Just a quick recap on my marathon times:

Rockin' K Trail - 9:47:08
Marine Corps - 4:51:06
Rockin' K Trail - 9:50:59
Marine Corps - 4:49:27
Rockin' K Trail - 9:56:11
Air Force - 4:45:07
Charleston - 6:22:27
St. Louis - ?????