I am an Ambassador for Best Damn Race. Through my promotion of the event, I earned a complimentary entry to this race. All opinions are my own.
While there are currently four Best Damn Race events, it’ been my habit to run two of them – Jacksonville which is local to home, and Orlando, which is where Meghan lives.
Orlando is fun because Best Damn Race offers a 10K + 5K Challenge: not quite committing to a half marathon, but definitely getting in some miles. With a beer-and-potty break in between.
I like to keep things challenging.
I arrived in Orlando on Friday afternoon, and went to Lake Eola Park to pick up packets for myself and Meghan. I also signed up C for the 5K (only the half and the 5k were open for onsite registration).
I headed out of downtown to Meghan’s house, so I could drop off my stuff and we could get dinner. She always takes me for the best food, and these tacos were no exception.
That’s a Fried Green Tomato taco on the left and a KFC (with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and slaw) on the right. And yes, they were divine.
We chatted on the couch for a bit and then admitted defeat and headed off to bed. It would be fabulous to chat all night, but race mornings come early and we would have 9.3 miles over which to talk.
Saturday morning was fairly chilly, although we knew it would warm up quickly and dressed accordingly. Our first order of business was to get coffee and take a bathroom break, and then we went to check our gear and say hi to our fellow BDR ambassadors.
Every year, we have such a great team. I’m always so proud to be a part of it.
Then we split up for our various race starts. The 10K and half marathon started somewhat earlier, while the 5K began a bit later in the morning.
After the National Anthem, we began our run. I really love this 10K. With the exception of some stretches of brick, it’s a really nice combination of beautiful residential, lovely parks, main road and downtown urban scenery. I love the combination – it keeps things interesting for me.
The humidity was kind of nasty, but it wasn’t a huge detriment to the run at all. Meghan and I just plugged away at the miles. She was having some foot pain, so we slowed down when she needed a break, and otherwise just enjoyed the first race of our challenge.
We crossed the finish line with huge smiles, collected our 10K medals, and went to find C, who had arrived and was waiting for us.
There were maybe 30 minutes until the 5K, so we had to drop off our medals with our gear, go to the bathroom, and grab a beer. And then we hopped right back in the corrals.
Ready to go again!
Granted, it was a little rough the second time around, but we finished strong! And did I mention that there were free race photos? Huge score! We got lots of great shots of both races.
And then it was time to celebrate!
We took advantage of the Best Damn Race BeerGarden, for both beer and cocktails.
And proudly showed off all our bling.
I absolutely loved these medals.
Even though there was a food tent for runners, with lots of delicious treats, we opted to skip out and head to 7 Bites for brunch.
Another fabulous Best Damn Race in the books! I am hoping to add on New Orleans or Safety Harbor next year to change things up!
Have you ever run Best Damn Race?
What’s your favorite race terrain?
Ok while the race looks awesome, you had me at tacos… YUMM!!!!
Rachel recently posted…Make the Most of Your Impromptu Beach Vacation
They were every bit as delicious as they looked.
You have so many races around you! This looks like another fun one and I always love a 10K
Deborah @ Confessions of mother runner recently posted…How To Ramp Up For Spring Races Without Getting Injured
The weather is great for them, year round. Even in the summer, although we have to step it down to shorter distances, you can still find an event almost every weekend.
I’d love to do a race in Florida, especially Orlando! This race looked like it was super fun!
Every time I hear about any Best Damn Race event the reviews are always overwhelmingly positive. I might look into doing one in the future.
Kim G recently posted…April 2018 Goals
Florida has some great racing. I’m partial to the Northeast, but Orlando has some great events. Next, I want to try racing in Tampa and Miami. It will be warmer there for sure, but it would be nice to check out other parts of my home state.
I wish we had BDR’s in my area, they look fun and the hardware is great! Even the race bibs are neat!
Kimberly Hatting recently posted…Well, hello April! What’s Happening?
I hope they expand to other regions one day! It would be great for those who live farther away to get to experience what we do!
I like the idea of having a break in between, though getting started on the second race would be hard. Having your running friend to share the experience with would be the best part. The two of you are cute together!
Mary recently posted…Six days to my Juvenile Moves test
LOL It was a little tough, but it was ok.
I have some of the most awesome running friends – I am so grateful that we all found each other.
Love the medal and the free photos.
Wish they had their races near me.
Hope to do one.
The free photos are a huge plus – I always get a nice collection and the quality is great. Plus, they are usually posted within a few days of the race, which is great.
Congratulations! The race loos like it was awesome and the food looks AMAZING đ 10k is my favorite distance!
Mine, too. It’s enough to justify a really yummy lunch, but not too much that you are wrecked by training.
how FUN!! we don’t have BDR here but I would totally love something like this. And definitely with friends! I can totally understand why you would also want to rep this race đ
I once did a 10 mile distance of a local event where there was a 3, 6 and 10 mile option. I had signed up my stepdaughter for the 3 mile but she ended up not feeling well and didn’t want to run it. I decided that there was at least 45 min in between so I could easily rest a bit, have a beer and use the loo and I’d be good to go! ha! that was one of the hardest 3 milers I’ve ever run (after 10!!!). Wasn’t really planning on running a half that day but… what a waste of a good medal if I hadn’t right? đ
I’m definitely a road race type of gal.
RenĂ©e recently posted…Lucky Week 13
Haha! Yes, sometimes it is hard to get back out there, but…. if there are medals to be had, well I am making every effort to get them.
These races sound so fun! I love the challenge. I always can find a few more miles in me if I get a break in between. I wish there were more of these types of events in my area. Maybe someday!
Stacie Seidman recently posted…Thursday’s Threads
Me, too. All races should have an intermission, right?
The BDR races sound so fun! The medals are amazing. Congrats!
They are so fun and the medals are always great. One of our ambassadors actually designed them this year and they are absolutely on point!
What a fun race challenge! Way to do both of the races!
That food looks good- Send some of those tacos my way!
I am a fan of pretty race bling!
The tacos were amazing. At first, I thought they would be “too much” but nope. They were just right.