RocknRoll recap

Our trip to Savannah started with a little excitement! ME had been fighting a cold all week and Friday morning it attacked. Just as we got ready to get in the car she threw up! Since there was no plan B she had to go with us, sick or not. I dosed her up with medicine and Mike grabbed a small garbage can and off we went! After she had a biscuit and a short nap, she woke up feeling much better and I breathed a little sigh of relief :) The trip was uneventful after that and we arrived in Savannah about 6 1/2 hours later.

We had a great place to stay on Hutchinson Island about 1 mile from the convention center and water ferry. We shared a house with Mike's running buddy Chris and his family, which worked really well for us. Chris's wife and daughter kept ME Sat. morning during the race and then met us in town. After settling in to our house we walked over to check in at the expo. None of us had ever run in such a large race so we were somewhat overwhelmed by the crowds, but being surrounded by so many runners was awesome! We picked up our packets then cruised the expo booths for a little while. I know when we go to Disney in January I want to allow more time at the expo!  I am sure there will be things I need :) Once we got back to the house the boys went grocery shopping and we had a standard chicken and pasta pre-race meal before getting organized for the race and heading to bed. 

I was so excited to wear my new chevron running skirt in the race. I had not done a long distance run in it, but it was too cute not to wear! I actually got quite a few compliments from spectators and racers. I did not get a good night's sleep due to a variety of things. ME couldn't settle down, then when we both finally went to sleep I had crazy dreams about running late the next morning. In all I got about 5 1/2 hours of sleep which is not enough for me! The next morning we were up at 4:30 am and headed to the ferry at 5:30. I had my typical protein bar and water before heading out the door with the boys. The ferry ride over was quick then we needed to find bag drop and the bathrooms! I was so impressed with the organization of the bag drop. A string of UPS brown trucks awaited us organized alphabetically. The largest race I have ever run was about 1/3 of the size of this race, so the size of the start was all new to me! 

I started in corral 15 and there were people as far as I could see in both directions. I started in the 2:30 time corral but I was actually hoping for a 2:10-2:15 finish. Our corral started about 20 minutes after the first corral, so it felt like a lot of hurry up and wait.

I couldn't even see the start from my corral! It was a chilly morning, but my excitement and the body heat of all the runners kept me warm (for the most part) until the start. 

The crowds of runners were overwhelming at times. I'm used to crowds the first few miles but in smaller races by mile 2 or 3 the area usually opens up. That was not the case in this race! I ran into or was bumped by other runners on several occasions.  However with all of that being said the crowd did make for an interesting and exciting run! People watching made the time go by. The spectator crowds were amazing! During miles 5-7 the number of spectators made me feel like we were in the last few miles of the race. It was perfect motivation to get over the halfway point of the race. Cardio-wise for me the race went very well. I did not feel like I struggled at all, but my thighs began to feel fatigued around mile 8 which was still a long way from the finish. I definitely need to work on my strength there before the Disney half in January. 

After the race I met up with Mike in the family reunion area. The post race snacks were perfect! I downed my water, gatorade, chocolate milk and power bar ASAP, then enjoyed an "adult beverage" :) I am not a huge fan of milk but I was pleasantly surprised by how refreshing it was! Our running buddy Chris was not too far behind then we met up with our families at the playground by Forsythe Park. I loved running in my new chevron running skirt from Running Skirts! It was so comfy and the pockets were very useful. I also enjoyed my Spi-belt. It is perfect for my phone. Now I just have to work on stopping to take more photos! It was the last race for my Brooks Glycerins. They have been awesome shoes, but the miles have taken a toll and it is time for new running shoes, Brooks of course! We had a great lunch at Moon River brewing and watched the Auburn game before heading to the water ferry and home. I wasn't sore after the race but the level of fatigue my legs felt was awful. I also got a strange headache that lasted most of the night. I'm not sure what that was about? Anyone have any ideas? 

Sunday we all got up and went to tour Savannah. The easiest thing to do was taking a trolley tour and we just got off and visited the spots along the way. Favorite stops included the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the DAR cemetery, another stop in Forsythe Park and River Street. ME ran the KidsRock race at Daffin Park and had a blast. The kindergarten race was only 1/2 mile along a tree lined track. The races were very well organized and fun! ME had a great time before and after the race, but she got nervous on the course with all of the people cheering. To be such an outgoing kid, she sure is shy in big crowds. She was all about the bling at the end of the race though :)  

All in all it was a great family adventure! Mike ran a 1:53:09, I ran a 2:11:28 and ME enjoyed her first big race!