A rainy, but uneventful drive got us to Augusta and packet pick up. It was cold, but the organizers were friendly. They made sure I knew where to park the following day and how to get there with street closings. Goody bags? Oh yes! Long sleeve gray (I LOVE gray!) tech shirt, reusable bag, hot/cold gel packs, hand sanitizer, Starbucks coffee, sunglasses, and a collapsible water bottle were included. Way to welcome your runners!
Course set up room...no one sees this part of the crazy.
Kiwi and I navigated through the expo then headed to Erin's house. We spent the evening catching up, watching tv, and making sure her dog's bones smelled like us for when he was scheduled to return on Wednesday.
Early Sunday (6 am) I got up and headed for the race start. No problem finding it. But I didn't realize until then what a toll the cold had taken on me from Daytona. I was tired. I was stiff. And I was in awe that this month had flown by.
...but that's another post....
I headed to the start line, hoping for a short bathroom line. No luck there, but next to the lines were a group of way-too-cheerful-for-the-weather men asking, "hot cocoa or coffee?" American Family Insurance sent its friendliest faces out with a coffee truck! Wow! Free coffee while in porta potty line? ...what a huge happy runner thing!
After that I headed to the corral. I knew there was a wheelchair division, but only one racer entered. I found him and walked up. I have plans to race with a friend who uses a chair soon, and this young man and his mother were more than happy to offer suggestions and information on doing just that.
Brain and tummy full, we started the race. 2 miles into downtown Augusta the chalk scribbles and kids with signs began;
"If it was easy, it would be called your mom."
"You've trained for this longer than Kim Kardashian was married."
"Worst. Parade. Ever."
"Just Keep Swimming!"
"Run like you stole something!"
...the just keep swimming sign was accompanied by kids blowing bubbles.
I love this stuff!
Onward!!!
Walton... one of the l-o-n-g streets we ran down, we ran up, we whined about. Walton had hills that went straight up, curved around corners and kept going. I'm not making this up. It felt like mountains. I was simultaneously glad to have a 3 week break before the Georgia Marathon and to have a refresher on hills. Up and down we went, then out to the river. It was beautiful and the volunteers were in great moods. That always helps.
At mile 11 I was a little sad. This was the end of the race and the end of The Month of Many Mini Marathons. There wouldn't be a PR today, but no reason to quit. I ran with what I had left and made it across the finish line.
2:18:39
Back to Erin's house! I slept for a bit before we headed out to lunch to catch up some more and plan some future races. She has finished a 5k, is up to 6 miles, and looking toward a half in April. It is just a matter of picking the one to do...
Then we headed home.
Are you sure?
Um, yes. We've been home since Sunday night, Kiwi. We're in Savannah. That's home last I checked.
Is not.
You're gonna have to explain. I don't understand.
Savannah's where we keep our stuff. Start lines are home. Finish lines are home. And you're not racing for 3 weeks. So you're by your stuff. But you raced all the weekends of a month and now you aren't gonna race for almost a month. That doesn't sound like home to me. That sounds like bad.
So not racing after lots of racing is like not being at home?
Yeah. But you'll figure it out. You will find little bitty baby race homes before the next big race. Or...
Or what?
Or we just put you in a crazy home. Cause that would happen.
....so then we headed home.
Love the kiwi comments. Start and finish lines are your home it sounds like!
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