Even though Safety Harbor is my favorite Best Damn Race, Orlando holds a special place in my heart. I love that it takes place where I live and I always get to see so many friends. Even if you don’t get a PR or have the perfect race, it is always a lot of fun. Throw in some cooler temps and lots of beer, and you have a pretty great day.
It has been a CRAZY week for me. It was the 1st of my last two weeks at my job (so it was BUSY), I had three dinner dates with friends, and I had lots of work to do for my other jobs. So when it came time to run BDR Orlando this past weekend I was NOT feeling. My BRF Jenn usually comes down for the race and we have a fabulous time. Unfortunately this year she was sidelined by her injury and not able to attend. I talked to my mom the night before and she said with everything going on that it was totally okay for me not to run. But I set my alarm for race wake up and figured I would make the decision in the morning.
When my alarm went off at 5:30 am I decided that I wasn’t going to run (I was signed up for 10k + 5k challenge), but I was still going to go and cheer on my friends and enjoy the day. After I picked up my race packet I ran into my friend Melissa who had decided that she was going to walk the 10k. After a bit of back and forth I decided to walk it with her. Walking 6.2 miles is better than nothing right?
I’m really glad I made the decision to walk with her. It was a beautiful morning (a little chilly at times) and they changed up the course so it was a new adventure. We had plenty of time to chat and catch up, and we even finished under the time we thought we would. I call that a win!
Afterward was the normal BDR post-race party, but with one BIG change – you could walk around with your beer! I know this might sound silly to some people, but hear me out. Due to open container laws they have to make sure to keep people and their beer in a certain area, so for the past few years there was a “beer garden” where you had to stay to drink your beer. Once they added TIto’s Vodka to the mix it became a little crazy. It was hard to figure out where the lines were and finding a place to stand and relax (definitely no sitting) was close to impossible. But this year they were able to make a change where the WHOLE post-race area was fenced off, so you could get your drink and wander around the whole area – it was great! The drink lines were shorter, you could actually sit down, wander over to get some food, and even check out the vendors. It was a fabulous change!
This will be my last Best Damn Race of the season since I’m not heading to the race in NOLA, but I’m already looking forward to next season! If you are interested in joining us next year, keep an eye out for early registration later this fall.
*Disclosure: I am an ambassador for BDR and receive some goodies in return. But all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
