Last weekend I completed the
Philly Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon! It was a fun race that gave me a great tour of the City of Brotherly Love.
The night before the race I met up with some awesome local bloggers for dinner at
Cantina Dos Segundos.
After demolishing the chips basket I ordered a side of vegan beef with the Papaya Sald- green papaya, papaya escabeche, avocado, red onion,cilantro and papaya seed vinaigrette. The meal was so salty but so good!
Obviously the company was my favorite part :-)
Race morning came too soon! I woke up extra early so I could run the two miles to the race to get in extra milage. Training for ultra distances changes the way I think about races and race distances. Just a year and a half ago I was completing my first half marathon and it was a BEAST! It was the hardest thing I had ever attempted and it was by far my biggest focus at that time.
Fast forward to now and I'm weeks to a full Ironman and 13.1 seems like a warm-up. Funny how things naturally progress :)
The race start was packed but I managed to find
Olivia and
Vee!
The girls and I ran a comfortable pace the first several miles. I loved having two fun locals pointing out Phily facts along the course!
Like I always say, I think running is the best was to explore a city!
Hey lululemon cheer team!
Around mile 6 I broke away to push myself harder for the rest of the race. I hated saying goodbye, but I knew I needed to really get my heart rate up for a good training workout.
Since this race was part of the Rock'n'Roll series, there were several bands set up along the way. I was actually disappointed in the quality and quantity of the bands. Most of the bands were inbetween sets when I ran past, and there weren't any more bands than what would randomly set up for any other local marathon. Basically, if it "Rock'n'Roll" wasn't posted over all merchandise, I wouldn't have even known it had anything to do with music.
I felt really strong and consistent throughout the race. I had fun taking in the sights and snapping photos!
The course was beautiful! I loved running through the city, along the river and past characteristic homes. Quite the change of scenery!
The crowd at the finish line was amazing! The last .2 miles of the course was lined with cheering fans. It was a fun finish!
I ended up finishing in 2:26:40. For taking the first half slow and never checking my pace, I'll take it!
I wandered around the finisher's area where they had lots of food and a live cover band and met and chatted with a few more awesome bloggers. I feel so grateful to be able to go into a new city and hang out with so many awesome people. Trust me, it is exciting each time!
After running another two miles back to the hotel (brining the daily total to 17 miles), I headed out for last-minute stops at
Duross & Langel and
Sweet Freedom Bakery. Two friends recommended these shops and I'm so happy I listened!
If you're in Philly, be sure to check out
Sweet Freedom Bakery for a gluten-free, vegan and allergy-friendly sweet treat. I wasn't a fan of the customer service, but the chocolate chip cookie sandwich won me over!
Have you ever competed in a race outside your hometown?