STATE 14: NEW JERSEY: Cape May Half Marathon 2023

 Date: 10/28/2023

Location: Cape May, NJ

Memories:

Thankfully I remember coming back from illness to run the Double Half ages ago, so I felt ok giving this a try 5 days after COVID!  I wasn't honestly even sure if I would be able to do it.  I figured: the hotel and race are both non-refundable so I might as well go out to Cape May since the weather was going to be SO gorgeous this late fall weekend.

I felt ok in the morning so I decided just to run and see how far I could go. I was super conservative, doing 15:30 intervals. Yeah, I was at the very back of the pack, literally dead last, for the first two miles. People were very kind!  I just kept doing my thing though, being very cautious, and the miles just kept ticking off. Around the halfway point I realized I could probably do this entire distance.  Somewhere around the turnaround near the WW2 tower, I realized I was probably going to get it done in the time limit provided.  Around the lighthouse, I realized I was going to be able to get done with time to shower!! Woo hoo!

I really treasure this medal and my inner strength/fortitude, getting over my pride, etc to get this state done!

STATE 13: KANSAS - Garmin Half Marathon 2022

 Date: 4/23/2022

Time: 2:53:52

Location: Olathe Kansas

Long break thanks to the pandemic!  This one was special because I knew my friend Tammy, who lived nearby and actually worked in Olathe along the course, had terminal cancer. She came out and cheered, cowbell and all! I treasure the memories of our time together, our BBQ dinner, seeing her world, etc.

The funniest thing was they mis-marked the course, so I had to run back down the course a bit and then turn around to get my entire 13.1 miles.  Gee, if only they had a Garmin or something...

Annoyance: losing my hair rubber band partway through the race and having wild hair in the wind for the end miles!

STATE 12: NORTH CAROLINA Southern Fried Half Marathon

 Race Date: 11/10/2019

Location: Nag's Head, NC (Outer Banks)

Time: 2:46:30

Velva and I went down there and I ran this. 

STATE 11: Maryland Baltimore Half Marathon 2016

 Race Date:

Time: 2:43:56

Part of Baltimoron-a-thon, where I ran a 5K and then the Half Marathon about an hour apart

Medals that opened were the rage this year

I stayed across the street from Camden Yards

STATE 10: NEW YORK Corning Half Marathon 2016

 Race Date: 10/2/2016

Location: Corning, New York

Time: 2:28:48

Memories:

Doing glass blowing/glass art at the corning factory the day before the race

Fellow Galloway runner asking me during dinner if I thought she should run the marathon the next day. I asked why she wouldn't.  Uh, she had just had an ablation the day before! Gaaaah!  She did it anyhow...

The course was very rural. Bus up to the start (Horsehead/Elmira?) and then we run back to Corning, past the hotel (cruel) and everything. I forget who I rode up with... someone who played Pokemon Go during the race to capture things for her kids.  My allergies really bugged me.

Glad to have another state out of the way. 

STATE 9: MONTANA - Missoula Half Marathon **Personal Best**

 Race Date: 7/10/2016

Location: Missoula Montana

Time: 2:21:21

Background:

This was heartbreaking. I ran this just a week after Somer's husband Brad died.  I can't believe she found the strength within to go out and do the full marathon.  It was a very special event to have my family all there.  I cried when Somer finished. 

The scenery was gorgeous and I really didn't seem to be too affected by the elevation.

Hugs from the kids at the end were pretty awesome.  

The medal was really cool.

Richmond Half Marathon 11/14/2015

 Race Date: 11/14/2015

Location: Richmond, VA

Who: Ran this with a bunch of ladies from church, including Lisa, her sister, and a whole lot more who I'm blanking on all these years later!

That downhill at the end is a killer!

I drove down with Floyd, I think, and then rode back with Nate and Lisa's cousin Hannah.  It was my first time trying Chipotle. (Spicy!)

Time: 2:33:02

Bird in Hand Half Marathon 9/12/15

Race Date: 9/12/15 

Time: 2:25:50

Location: Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania

This was a quick turnaround, flying back from California and then going up to do this one.  Melanie and I went for this one.  It was the only race I've done to date that included a mention about the height of the corn in the race briefing! 

The Amish put on a great dinner the night before, though their pasta could have used some more spice. The sheer amount of pies was impressive!  It was fun watching all the Amish, including the kids, run the 5K.  A lot ran it barefoot!

Church music isn't the best for running to...

STATE 8: CALIFORNIA. Disneyland Half Marathon 9/6/2015

Race Date: 9/6/2015

Ran this as part of the Dumbo Challenge with Gari Jo (10K Saturday, HM Sunday)

The highlight for me was having Mom there to cheer. She came down for her 65th birthday - a big trip for her!  Gari Jo's mom came out from Indiana as well.  Oh how we laughed!

The streets of Anaheim were a little lackluster for running.  I enjoyed running through the baseball stadium and I also really enjoyed the mariachi music along the way. That will put some pep in your step.  We also ran through an old car show.

Time: 2:59:01

STATE 7: WEST VIRGINIA. River Road Half Marathon 6/13/2015

 Part 2 of Hatfield/McCoy Double Half (aka marathon)

Time: 3:30:44. 

Temperature: This was during the hottest part of the day and a lot of walking was going on. Just finish in the upright position... that was the goal

Memories:

Ran with Floyd, Melanie, Gari Jo.

Shoes were my yellow kayanos and I lost a toenail after this one.

I still can't believe Floyd was able to drive us all the way back to DC after the race!

STATE 6: KENTUCKY. Blackberry Mountain Half Marathon 6/13/15

 Race Date: 6/13/2015

Time: 2:54:33

Temperature: HOT! Thankfully there was no time limit and I made good use of the ice on the course.

Memories:

This was part of the Hatfield/McCoy Double Half Marathon, where you run two half marathons back to back, one starting in KY, the next starting in West Virginia.  

 I was doing this race after being sick so I was being careful to keep my heart rate down and just to finish.  Highlights along the way include the spray painted start line, the double-barrel shotgun start, the hillbilly aid stations, and the couple that got married at the halfway point.

STATE 5: OHIO. Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati 2015

 Date of race: 5/3/2015

Time: 2:44:07

Memories:

I ran this one with Stacy M, plus there were several other girls from Galloway who ran it.

I mis-read the map and was thinking I still had the terrible hill left to do when I came around a corner and realized it was all downhill to the finish!

The expo was awesome, the post-race spread was awesome (Thanks to Proctor & Gamble), and the pig puns were a’flying! I loved the medal

True highlight was the running by the retirement home and seeing the hilarious signs the residents were holding up, such as “Run faster, I’m missing bingo”, “This sign is heavy”, and something about it almost being nap time.

STATE 4: PENNSYLVANIA. Love Run Half Marathon in Philadelphia 2015

 Date: 3/29/2015

Time: 2:26:58

Temperature: freezing cold! Too cold to even stop for the bathroom. That helped me run a little faster.

Memories:

Met up with Melanie. Had it not been for her I probably would have chickened out because it was SO cold. We agreed I kind of looked like the Unabomber with all my stuff on before the race, trying to keep warm.

It was fun running into Craig & Christine. You finish near the Philadelphia Art Museum, famous from the movie Rocky.

The medal was my first spinning medal.

Not another state but another Disney Princess Half Marathon 2/22/2015

 It was fun to run this again, especially now that I have marathons under my belt!

Time: 2:47:56. If I’m not mistaken, this is the year I did the Glass Slipper Challenge with Gari Jo, so we ran a 10K the day before.  I remember this being my first 10K race after the marathon distances and boy did that ever feel SHORT!