Coastal Finish & State #49 at the Amica Newport Half

Tonisia Billups (HF10011, DA1998, MM12110)–#MedalMonday… Amica Newport Half Marathon (10/11)

Rhode Island

𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁/𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: American IAH /PVD

Breeze PVD/JAX

Again, had to squeeze this race weekend in between work travel, ie. multi city flights

Flew into PVD (Rhode Island) and then drove to Massachusetts for Saturday’s race. Then drove back to Rhode Island for Sunday’s race in Newport before flying back out to Florida!

If seemed to make the most logistical sense.

𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥: Hertz (PVD airport)

𝗛𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹/𝗹𝗼𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴: Springhill Suites (Marriott) Providence West Warwick

𝗣𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼: race morning pick up (loved that both races this weekend offered free race morning pick up) It helped tremendously with the travel logistics.

𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲: 7:30AM Start… WHYYYY do you start going UPHILL! I was sooo winded! lol I couldn’t tell if my camel back was too tight or my heart was just having a hard time pumping blood! lol Cause my lungs were STRUGGLING! Lol

It didn’t help that I was TRYING to keep pace with THEE Marathoner Jae Andy Bee going out! Then I realized! You need to slow down, cause her slow and steady, AFTER running a FULL the day before, was STILL faster than my steady pace coming off of only a Half the day before lol

Don’t know what I was thinking, BUT I got some GOOD rear footage of her to start .

Anywho… after I got past that brutal 1st mile I settled down some and found my rhythm!

This was ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL coastal run! I didn’t think it could/would top Cape Cod, but I think it did! Especially the finish running down towards the beach.

Now let me speak on runners etiquette for a minute! It’s sooo important to be courteous on a crowded course! Especially, if you cut someone off! Somehow, I kept a yoyo pace with a couple of ladies! It was soooo annoying because the one lady kept cutting me off when she stopped to walk, just so she could get back side-by-side with her runner. I kept quiet until she literally almost bumped and tripped me the way she abruptly stopped (while people are moving forward) and crosses in front of me.

LADY!!!! REALLY!!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!

I started to believe it was intentional the way she started just trying to keep pace with me, leaving the friend behind! it’s like she just didn’t want me ahead of her!

That didn’t end well for her lol

I decided to turn up a notch and let’s just say, I was collecting my medal, taking pictures and sipping on water by the time she made if across the finish

𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞: I was able to get some really beautiful pictures at the beach finish area AND to top things off, a colleague just happened to be in Newport for a wedding!!! What are the odds! So she met me at the finishline with a cinnamon roll treat! How AWESOME was that