race report: rock ‘n’ roll savannah half marathon weekend part i {11.4-5.2017}

I am a member of the 2017 Rock ‘n’ Blog Team. In exchange for my promotion of Run Rock ‘n’ Roll events and sponsors, I received a complimentary entry to this series of events. All opinions are my own.

Ah, Savannah: one of my favorite getaway cities. Considering that we live in the oldest city in the country, it’s hard to find that “home away from home” feel, but Savannah brings it all to the table.

That being said, I am very lucky to be able to race and visit this beautiful and gracious city several times a year. Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Half Marathon weekends is one of those wonderful times, and I was lucky to be there again this past November.

Meghan, my running buddy extraordinaire, happened to be in town, so stayed at my house on Thursday night. We had dinner with my family and stayed up late chatting, but we were still ready for a 10:00AM departure from my driveway.

Friday; Pre-Race

The ride to Savannah was fairly uneventful. We arrived a little after lunch and headed straight to the Expo at the Convention Center. As has been the case in my experiences, packet pickup at Rock ‘n’ Roll events went beautifully, especially considering we each had to get three separate packages plus our remix wristbands. I was also a huge fan of the t-shirts this year: in 2016, the 5K and 1 mile had the same shirt, so I had two of the same design, while this year, each event had its own color and artwork. Score.

We browsed the vendors and made a few small purchases, while waiting for Amy to arrive. She was injured and would not be joining us on the course as she was on crutches and in a wheelchair. Sad face.

At any rate, with a little practice, Meghan and I were able to coordinate pushing duties and we made another loop of the expo before taking the ferry into the city for drinks and dinner with Briana and Anna Louise.

Of course we went to Treylor Park, because where else would we go?

By this time of the evening, we were total pros with the chair, too.

We had to make one more stop at the Expo to get our VIP Experience wristbands and parking pass, and then we were off to our hotel. We have been staying a little bit out of town on Rock ‘n’ Roll Weekend, so our drive was about 15-20 minutes.

With the promise of an early morning alarm, we got our race things organized and headed to bed.

Saturday; Half Marathon Day

Meghan and I popped up out of bed and got ourselves out the door. We had the drive into downtown, and had to be in our garage parking spot by 6:00 AM. Done and done.

It was cold outside, but I knew it would warm up fast, so I was ready for that. It was nice to get inside into a private area for a bagel and some water and electrolytes. It was even more nice to meet up with Brandi and Cecilia!

Soon enough, it was time to check our gear. Since we had VIP privileges for the race, our gear bags would be transported to the VIP tent at the end of the race. Yay.

We handled our last potty trips and found our way to our corral.

Meghan, Anna Louise and I decided to stay together for the race. We didn’t have a pace goal and just wanted to listen to our bodies and enjoy the morning.

To be honest, I barely remember running. We were having such a blast with good conversation and taking in all the sights and sounds that it didn’t even feel like we were working. The miles absolutely flew by, part through the historical downtown and part through some of the stunning residential neighborhoods. It’s such a great course, full of things to see and keep your mind occupied during the distance.

We saw the beautiful moon in the first mile as the sun rose.

And we were quick to rock out with the music from the performers at the stages along the way.

We partied with pirates.

I had to send Mr PugRunner a heart from Mile 11, to celebrate our 11th anniversary.

We stopped draggin’ for the dragon

And of course, we had Mile 11.5 Beer, graciously provided by some amazing residents.

(In the interest of full disclosure, there might have been some Mile 12 beer, too).

As we rounded into those last few miles, I felt amazing. It showed in one of my favorite race photos ever taken.

Our trio finished within seconds of each other. I needed a moment to collect myself at the finish line, but quickly moved on to get my medal and a chocolate milk. THe weather had gotten pretty warm and humid, and I was glad we were able to go to the VIP tent to get our gear, wipe down, enjoy a snack and drink and high five each other over our awesome accomplishments.

We took our time enjoying the morning, but we had brunch reservations and Amy to find, so we said our goodbyes and began the trek through Forsyth Park to The Ordinary Pub.

Brunch with bottomless mimosas is always a good idea. Especially when those mimosas can be taken to go. We shopped a little so we could make room for our traditional cone at Leopold’s.

After returning to the hotel, we cleaned up, watched a little football and decided to treat ourselves to a showing of Thor: Ragnorak. In the fancy seats.

The only thing that would have made it a perfect race day would have been if Amy could have joined us out there (she’ll be with us next time, for sure!).

We were all pretty tired, so we didn’t hang out too late even though we didn’t have to set our alarm for the morning. Sunday’s 5K and 1 Mile races didn’t start until 1:00 PM, and we were in no rush tod much of anything.

And so ended another fabulous half marathon and Run Rock ‘n’ Roll event. I can’t wait for my next one!

Do you resist the same races year after year?

What’s your favorite post race tradition while on racecation?