5k and I met Sheldon Cooper (sort of)...

My alarm was to go off at 5:30am, but instead I did not get much sleep and just decided to get out of bed at 4:30am.  The bed was too hard.  I was in and out of bed, and sitting on the balcony all throughout the night.  With the Coastal 5k at Marina Inn starting at 7:30, I had so much time to spare.  The bagels and peanut butter I packed for breakfast was not sounding too good at the moment, so I drove to a gas station on the way to the start.  I bought a Cliff Bar (which I used to eat everyday before tennis practice) and a blue gatorade.  Good choice for breakfast!  I arrived about thirty minutes before the start and to my surprise parking or driving in was not a problem (other than the horrific wreck on 17 that blocked all four lanes of traffic on the north and south sides of the highway).

Parking, which was right next to the start and finish line, was no more than a five minute walk from my car.  The race started right after the National Anthem was played through the speakers.  The whole course was out and back and inside the Marina Inn on a side street.  I made it 2.25 miles before I had to stop from pain in my left foot.  I was really hoping to run the whole way without stopping, but the pain just became unbearable.  I told my Mother to keep going, but she stopped and walked with me for a bit.  I started running again around 2.9 miles because there was no way I was walking through the finish line.  Immediately I was handed a beer opener surfboard medal.  This is the first 5k I have ever done where I have gotten a medal.  Awesome!  The post race party was packed with food and beverages.  There were these amazing oatmeal/coconut cookies that I am having a craving for right now.  There were also chocolate chip cookies, bananas, other cookies, coconut water, Cheerwine, Nesquick, water, and other things I may have missed.  I have never been to a 5k where there was this much food.

We did not stay around long because we wanted to get out and explore Myrtle Beach after heading back to the resort to change clothes.  The first place we went to was called Broadway at the Beach.  It is this huge place with restaurants, bars, shops, and amusement park rides.  Cool place that reminds me of Pier Park in Panama City Beach.  I checked out the website for Broadway and knew that the first place I had to go to was KISS Coffeehouse.  I ordered a chai latte and mom ordered a mocha.  Their chai and mochas are very good.  We then walked in some MB touristy-type store, where I saw Sheldon Cooper!  Had to have my photo taken with him.

Bazinga!

That afternoon, we took a walk on the 1.2 mile long boardwalk on the beach.  From the resort, down the boardwalk and back, it was about a four mile walk.  We began to notice that MB looks like one big carnival, with all the amusement park/fair rides, and fair food stand shops, where you can buy funnel cakes, hot dogs, etc.  Also, we noticed that it smells terrible in MB.  People smoke cigarettes everywhere.  Gross!  I really hate the smell.

For dinner, we decided to order a black olive and cheese pizza. Carbs for tomorrow's half marathon!  After dinner, I set my alarm for 4:00am just to be sure that I would have enough time to be ready with the cab driver arriving at 5:45am.