I must say, it was really weird watching everyone lining up at the start line in shorts and tank tops at the end of December. Typically we are bundled up and even have throw aways. Not the case today.
Most of the first mile was grueling uphill followed by mild-to-moderate rolling hills the remaining two miles of the loop. I was slightly annoyed as the race advertised this as "flat to slight rolling hills" which was not accurate (and was a general and vocalized opinion as Becky heard finishers crossing the finish line). The course took you mostly through residential areas and office parks with a water station at mile 2. Yes, the hilly course was tough (and the heat/humidity didn't help), but my biggest gripe of the race was that there was only a water station at mile 2. While this wasn't a big deal for the 5Kers particularly, it did leave the 10Kers without a water station from mile 2 until 5 (3 miles without a station). It would have been nice to see a small table set up at the point were the 10K started their 2nd loop (the finish line of the 5K).
The second loop around was an emotional beating for me - I won't lie. I struggled. Period. Not every run/race goes the way you want them to, but each run does make you stronger. Sometimes the challenging races/runs are the ones that you learn the most from.
No, it was never my 'goal' to run this many races this year. To be honest, I didn't even know that I was going to reach 70 races until late October. Stay tuned to my blog later this week for a recap of my thoughts this accomplishment along with answering some questions that I have been asked about my races over the past year.