
I've been wanting to do the BFF Pink Ribbon Run at Barefoot Resorts and Marina in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina since my friend Dawn became race director for it. It just hasn't worked out until this year. The race creates awareness and raises funds for those fighting and surviving breast cancer and honors the memory of those who have passed on.
The race has a 5K, 10K, and Double Bling Challenge where you can run that 5K at 8am and the 10K at 9am. You get a finisher's medal for the 5K and 10K. If you opt for the Double Bling Challenge you'll get an additional medal for completing both races. The 5K course is a loop and out and back and finishes in the Marina where the boats are docked. The 10K is a loop course through the Barefoot Resort neighborhoods and also finishes in the Marina.
The race has a 5K, 10K, and Double Bling Challenge where you can run that 5K at 8am and the 10K at 9am. You get a finisher's medal for the 5K and 10K. If you opt for the Double Bling Challenge you'll get an additional medal for completing both races. The 5K course is a loop and out and back and finishes in the Marina where the boats are docked. The 10K is a loop course through the Barefoot Resort neighborhoods and also finishes in the Marina.
I started training under Philip Latter of The Running Syndicate again in August. Since last winter I have been training without a coach because I was having upper right hamstring/pirformis tightness and pain. I didn't see the need for a coach because I couldn't push it like I wanted. With the help of time off, physical therapy, massage therapy, and chiropractic adjustments I've gotten a lot better. After running a disappointing time at the Historic Beaufort Road Race in July I knew I needed to mix it up and get guidance so I turned to Philip Latter. The big goal is a winter marathon in December I planned on doing with my friend Jarrod before he started having some knee pain and has had to back off of training. I haven't done a marathon since my 2:49:52 PR at the Boston Marathon in 2014 so I'm eager to get back.
Training has been going well since starting with Philip. I like his philosophy and looking forward to getting stronger and faster under him. He knows what he's doing and I highly recommend him if you are looking to improve your times and/or feel stuck in a rut with your current training. Anyways, I wanted to test my fitness and see how I was progressing and was thankful I got the opportunity to finally do the BFF Pink Ribbon Run. I chose to do the 10K because it's still one of my favorite distances.
Training has been going well since starting with Philip. I like his philosophy and looking forward to getting stronger and faster under him. He knows what he's doing and I highly recommend him if you are looking to improve your times and/or feel stuck in a rut with your current training. Anyways, I wanted to test my fitness and see how I was progressing and was thankful I got the opportunity to finally do the BFF Pink Ribbon Run. I chose to do the 10K because it's still one of my favorite distances.

I arrived at Barefoot Resort just before the start of the 5K at 8am. The 10K didn't start until 9am so I had time to get my race packet, relax, and warm-up before racing. They had plenty of parking and it was paced because of a great turnout! There were plenty of volunteers assisting you with parking and where to go to get your packet and anything else you needed.
The weather was nice for a race. It was cloudy, breezy, and temperature in the mid 70s. I did a scoop of Generation UCAN about 40 minutes before the start of the race. I've been using UCAN in my training and I like it! No stomach issues with it and plenty of slow burning complex carbohydrates to fuel my runs and it has no added sugar. I've ran 17 miles on just two scoops of UCAN and water before my run and felt great with plenty of energy throughout the run. I headed out for an easy 2 miles warm-up run after doing my dynamic strething. I found my friend Molly Nunn and warmed up with her. She was doing the double bling challenge and won the 5K in 18:25. She's fast and awesome and I was glad she was able to come. We did an easy 2 miles before making our way over for the 10K start at 9am.
The weather was nice for a race. It was cloudy, breezy, and temperature in the mid 70s. I did a scoop of Generation UCAN about 40 minutes before the start of the race. I've been using UCAN in my training and I like it! No stomach issues with it and plenty of slow burning complex carbohydrates to fuel my runs and it has no added sugar. I've ran 17 miles on just two scoops of UCAN and water before my run and felt great with plenty of energy throughout the run. I headed out for an easy 2 miles warm-up run after doing my dynamic strething. I found my friend Molly Nunn and warmed up with her. She was doing the double bling challenge and won the 5K in 18:25. She's fast and awesome and I was glad she was able to come. We did an easy 2 miles before making our way over for the 10K start at 9am.

I thought the girl singing the Star Spangled Banner before the start of the race was a nice touch as was the moment of silence for those that have passed on from cancer. I noticed one guy that looked fast. He was decked out in Saucony gear and I assume he was a Pro runner. He said he was aiming for low 30s. The race started and he was out fast as was I just behind him. My plan was to go out around 6:00 min/mile pace and pick it up to sub 6 the final two miles. Just after half a mile we ran up the only hill on the course. It was a bridge over the Carolina Bays Parkway. It was a good hill but gradual. I like running hills and bridges. The leader was already pulling away from me so I just focused on running my race.
The road pavement was smooth and flat. No crown where it slopes down from the middle of the road to the sides. It was great to race on. I ran the first mile in 6:04. I kept my effort and pace even and kept clicking off the miles. The course went through the neighborhoods of Barefoot Resort and it was really nice and pretty. The first half of the course was pretty shady too and the clouds helped keep it a little cooler. I ran miles two through four in 6:03, 6:04, and 6:08. I was staying consistent but was also feeling a little tired. I did a couple looks over my shoulder around some of the gentle turns and noticed Molly was behind me. I know she has faster PRs than me but I wanted to hold her off since she was doing the 5K and 10K and I was only running the 10K.
The road pavement was smooth and flat. No crown where it slopes down from the middle of the road to the sides. It was great to race on. I ran the first mile in 6:04. I kept my effort and pace even and kept clicking off the miles. The course went through the neighborhoods of Barefoot Resort and it was really nice and pretty. The first half of the course was pretty shady too and the clouds helped keep it a little cooler. I ran miles two through four in 6:03, 6:04, and 6:08. I was staying consistent but was also feeling a little tired. I did a couple looks over my shoulder around some of the gentle turns and noticed Molly was behind me. I know she has faster PRs than me but I wanted to hold her off since she was doing the 5K and 10K and I was only running the 10K.

My plan was to pick up the pace the final two miles to under 6:00 but after mile four we were running into the wind. The headwind was tough and the sun had come out through the crowds making it feel warmer. My effort increased the final two miles but my pace did not. I ran miles five and six in 6:16 and 6:23. I was able to pick it up the final quarter for a kick to the finish with the help of a slight downhill into the Marina before it flattened out and we ran along the boat docks to the finish. I ran the final 0.2 miles at 5:46 pace to finish 2nd Overall in 38:28. Molly was right behind me finishing 3rd Overall and 1st Woman in 38:42. The winner was Brett Morley in 32:22 which set a new 10K course record.

It wasn't as fast as I wanted but I enjoyed the race and loved the course. It was 1:55 faster than my last race in July so that was good. Molly had a great day of racing! She won the 5K, 10K, and Double Bling Challenge. She set the women's 5K course record and the double bling records.
I opted to wear the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante for the race. That shoe has been growing on me. I've used it for a track workout and intervals on the greenway and I like it more than I used to. I had to wear my North Carolina flag singlet for a race in South Carolina!
This is a well organized and supported race. Everything was great. They even had free race photos they uploaded to their Facebook page. It is a beautiful loop course instead of your typical out and back. Dawn White and her volunteers put on a first class event. I highly recommend doing this race.
I opted to wear the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante for the race. That shoe has been growing on me. I've used it for a track workout and intervals on the greenway and I like it more than I used to. I had to wear my North Carolina flag singlet for a race in South Carolina!
This is a well organized and supported race. Everything was great. They even had free race photos they uploaded to their Facebook page. It is a beautiful loop course instead of your typical out and back. Dawn White and her volunteers put on a first class event. I highly recommend doing this race.