This one I did on a whim. I happened to be in Georgia for a board review class. When I learned that I wasn’t going to have to take the boards this year (long story), I decided to skip the lectures on Saturday morning and run a 1/2 marathon. There happened to be a race 30 minutes outside of Atlanta, so the stars aligned…

The best part of the conference was spending time with current and former colleagues. There was a delicious, vegan-friendly restaurant across the street from our hotel which we ate at on 4 different occasions. I even tried my first Orange Theory class.

The race itself was fine. Small race, which I always really enjoy. The course was not scenic at all, but there were lots of volunteers at aid stations along the route and the vibe was really friendly. My favorite part was there was a speaker that announced the photographer was coming up so you could actually look up and try to get a decent photo. And even better – free downloads of your pictures.

So, not the most picturesque race, but super easy logistics and nice to have another state under my belt.

13 down, 37 to go…

Next up, a girls weekend in Florida with Tessa, my friend of over 35 years (yikes). We heard great things about the Key West Half Marathon so we decided to plan a long weekend that culminated in running the race. It’s a really long drive from Miami to Key West. When we got to Key Largo, I figured we were almost there, but really we weren’t even close. Luckily, Key Largo is an excellent place for a pit stop on the way to the southern most spot in the U.S.

We arrived in Key West 2 days before the race, which was perfect because it gave us some time to enjoy the island. We ended up renting bikes and tooling around the island, stopping at the “Little White House” and the Hemingway museum (he really liked cats).

Of course, we also managed to find time to eat and drink.

Race day was Sunday which turned out to be a little chilly and windy – although that was much preferable when compared to the humidity we had the days before. I would much prefer cold to humid. Easy starting corrals, although not a Port-a-Potty in sight which is really strange at the start of a half marathon. The course itself was great. Started by snaking around the very charming downtown area and then headed for the coastline. It was an out and back course, so the majority of the race was spent along the ocean. It was gorgeous to watch the sky change as the sun came up with all the fishing vessels off shore. There was good music, great aid stations with lots of volunteers and luckily several port-a-johns along the course. We ran past the southern most tip of the U.S. and took the opportunity to take a photo there.

Easy finish line with an over-the-top medal. Pricey marathon photos but I couldn’t resist since it actually looks like I’m running in the picture (why do I always have 2 feet on the ground in my marathon photos – how is it possible to run with 2 feet on the ground). Really great weekend with a great friend!  So happy we made the long trip to Key West.

12 down, 38 to go…