(This post is about a month late. I've had it sitting as a draft far too long.)
I had this race circled on my running calendar. It marked the last distance race of my running season. I first discovered it after reading about it last year in a Runner's World article. Once I saw a few pictures, I was completely sold. It is often advertised as the most beautiful road race in the US. You'd think with all that hype being letdown was a real risk, but I can assure you that I was not. It's actually hard to picture a more scenic place to run. Majestic mountain views, clear blue water and lush green fields and towering trees. This course had it all. I didn't want to miss out on all the natural beauty so I brought my phone along so I could snap a few pictures. I wanted to allow myself to really soak it in so I decided not to push for a time. I also had the opportunity to run with several friends on the course which is always a great thing. I even made a couple of new ones on the ascent up to Hurricane Point, where gale force winds were waiting for us.
Before the race on Sunday, we got a chance to do a lot of hiking in the state parks. I have to say, I was so proud of my wife for all the hiking she did. She was a total trooper. Maybe it was all the natural beauty around us that inspired her, but she was an unstoppable hiking machine!
It was a great weekend all around. Great outdoors. Great friends. Great race. Life is great.
Chip Time: 4:38:52
