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…