After I ran my second half marathon in Washington that I decided I would like to travel more and see if I could complete a half marathon in each of the fifty states. Traveling to run can be expensive, so in order to cut down on some of the costs, it was imperative that I find races that were in driving distance, which led me to find the Daufuskie Island Half Marathon in South Carolina.
The island is small, only about 5 miles long by 2.5 miles across. They have a small community of people living there and is considered a golf cart community. The only way to get to the island is by ferry. Taking a ferry to the island sounded like an adventure. The race was relatively new but was well organized and the course was flat. It had a mix of paved and packed dirt roads, but mostly paved. The cost of signing up for the race covered the ferry trip from Haig Point and there were refreshments after the race was finished along with free engraving in your finishing metal with your name and finish time.
This was the first race I traveled to and completed without anyone traveling with me. I drove to the coast the day before and decided to stay in Hilton Head, S.C. This time, I stayed in a hotel room along the beach. Although it was January, I went for a walk along the coast and made sure to dip my feet in the cold water. I can’t miss an opportunity to listen to the ocean or smell the salt water when I’m near it. Packet pick up was located at Haig Point where we would be meeting the next morning to ride the ferry over to the island.
I attempted to eat some pasta the night before but didn’t feel like eating at a restaurant by myself, so I brought the food back to the hotel. One of the reasons I don’t particularly like hotels is that they have no utensils or other basic necessities for someone who doesn’t want to eat out every meal, therefore I usually stick with Airbnb when I travel. Utensils were eventually found though, along with a sweet little kitten outside near the hotel entrance. I saved him some chicken from my meal and brought it down to him. I thought, if he is still around when I leave, I am bringing him home with me.
This was one of the earliest wake ups I have had for a race. We had to be on the ferry very early that morning. I had my coffee and attempted looking outside to enjoy the view but it was too dark to see anything. When we arrived on the island, the sun was just coming up. I met a couple there, who I learned were part of the same running group as me. I took a picture of them and many more of the sunrise views on the island and got ready for the race.
This race was interesting for many reasons. Early on I was passed by a young boy and his father. I learned later through the race’s Facebook page that the boy had set a record during that race. This was my first race running down packed dirt, apart from the runs we did in the military for PT. There weren’t many runners in this race, so I didn’t always have many people around me. I also didn’t have anyone to meet me at the end to congratulate me, other than the people working the race. It did feel a little lonely.
The weather was cool, but not cold. There was no wind and it was overcast outside. Some of the race was pretty, but the middle was not very scenic. We were on a small Island that had to utilize many roads to accommodate a half marathon. The last couple miles were along the coast on a trail. This part was lovely, however my right calf was trying to cramp up on me. Water wasn’t helping. This was the race where I really learned that I required more than just water during a race and drinking the fluids with electrolytes was a good idea. I think the last two miles slowed my time down.
When I finished the race, I asked someone to take my picture with my medal. I had improved my race times and was able to get my medal engraved with my name, date, and time. I saw the couple I met that morning and they offered to have me come along with them as they explored the island. This was something I hadn’t planned for, so I declined. After a race, I prefer to shower and change clothes as soon as I am able. No one should have to endure smelling me after a race, or anyone else for that matter.
Initially I planned on leaving for home right after the race, but was nervous about driving that distance the same day. My legs recovered quickly and really didn’t hurt at all. The next morning after checking out, I looked for the kitten. To my disappointment, he wasn’t around. The trip was a learning experience for me about racing alone, taking care of myself properly, and not taking home stray cats.
