I got my running year started off wonderfully in Jacksonville with the Best Damn Race 10k. Each year I head up to St. Augustine the night before to stay with my running bestie Jenn and then on Saturday morning we head up to Jacksonville for the race. It is always an early morning, but at least this year the weather was pretty wonderful (especially compared to last year).
They changed the set up a bit this year and it was great! Everything was set up on the side of the landing closest to the start and finish lines. You could walk right into the landing to pick up your packet and check out all the super cool BDR before the race and then after the race the post-race food and the alcohol (super important) were right there as well. I think this change was needed and a great decision.
I wasn’t really trained for this race, but the runs I did during the week prior actually went really well. Thankfully I had Jenn and Sheri to keep me on track. I made it through the first 4 miles before I started needing a little extra time on our walk breaks. This was AWESOME considering that last year I hit that point at mile 2. Unfortunately between miles 4 and 5 my hip decided it was DONE and I was in a lot of pain, so there was a good amount of walking. But it seemed like once I hit mile 5 my hip was fine and ready to go again. Plus the amazing views along the river definitely didn’t hurt.
Sheri was feeling awesome and took of on her own to finish out the race (Go Sheri!). Jenn was the wonderful friend she always is and stuck with me until the end. We played our “let’s run to (insert random object up ahead here)” game to get me through the last mile or so. It worked because I finished feeling great and within in a couple of minutes of my 10k PR from a couple years back.
Thanks Jenn and Sheri for making this first race a great one for me! It reminded me that I CAN do this and when everything is working well I really enjoy running.
After the race we headed for the post race food and of course some beer and cider. So Fruity had some amazing fruit ice pops for everyone, so even though I couldn’t really feel my fingers I had to grab one. It was a great way to get some sugar in without having to eat anything heavy. I don’t always do great eating right after a race, even when I’m super hungry, so this was a great alternative. Add in some tasty local cider and I was a very happy Meghan post race.
I left the race feeling pretty great about myself which was a great way to start the year. Over the next 6 weeks I’m heading to Best Damn Race in Safety Harbor and here in Orlando to take on their 10k + 5k challenges. It is probably a few more miles than I’m prepared for, but after this race I’m definitely feeling better about it all.
If you are thinking about doing either one, you can still use code MEGROTH to save $5 on your registration. I love all the BDR races, but I have to say that Safety Harbor and Orlando are my favorites so far. Great races, great atmosphere, and great people. Definitely not a bad way to spend a Saturday morning.
