W. Virginia race day

A great Half and a great day today!  I got to indulge in two of my favorite things:  running and history.

The race started at 8:05 am so we were up early to catch the shuttle to the start.  One word can describe this morning as I waited to start this race:  COLD.  It peeked at 32 F around 7:30 am.  But, I like cool temps for running so I knew this would work once I got moving.

The route was fantastic.  It went through downtown Shepherdstown, through the C & O Canal, and then into Sharpsburg, Maryland (both historical Civil War towns) towards Antietam Battlefield.  I took one picture below to show the hills of the battlefield on this crisp, sunny morning.  It was great.  I fought the temptation to stop every five minutes and take pictures as I knew I'd be returning after the race to take a little tour.  But, this route which took me through such a significant part of our history was certainly a first in my 50 state challenge.

This was definitely a hilly race.  We're not talking the killer hills of Fairfield (Connecticut Half) but it certainly presented a challenge.  As I state above, running through Antietam was where I encountered the bulk of the hills and that was after a nice half mile stretch starting at just around mile three.  That's when I knew this was going to be a little tough.  My Plantars never bothered me once which is good.  However, as per the norm, it's a bit tender a few hours later and will require a little bit of stretching before calling it a day tonight.

I finished in 1:45:43 with a pace of 8:04 and placed 22nd in my age group (30-39)  I know I'll do better next time but I'm happy with this time.

After the race Carla and I headed back downtown to get some breakfast at Betty's before heading over to the Antietam Visitor Center to take a tour.  I'll let the pictures below do the talking.  Every picture I took tells a story of the battle that day.  I could be here typing all day about each picture but just know that everywhere you looked pretty much tells a story of a battle or turning point that day.  One story in particular that caught my attention was that of The Sunken Road.  The soldiers would later call it "Bloody Lane."

Up next is New Hampshire in three weeks on November 4.  I'll update as we get closer.  Should be nice as I've never been to New Hampshire.

Enjoy ...

Walking to the start

Staging area and finish.

Heading to the start line

I just liked the colors on this tree.

This was helpful in leading us to the start line.

Running through the hills of Antietam Battlefield.

Finish line.

Time for breakfast at Betty's

Just a little tired.

One for the Confederates.

One for the Union.

Heading to The Sunken Road, also known as "Bloody Lane"

"Bloody Lane" (this pic is the after.  See here for the before)

War Observation Tower built in 1862

Heading home.

W. Virginia arrival

The drive through Maryland and into W. Va was great.  It was a sunny Fall day and the last hour of the drive was pretty much going through small farm towns.  You really get that feeling of being in the middle of nowhere.  It was nice.  We passed through Antietam Battlefield and cemetery so now I know where I'll be stopping by tomorrow on my way home.  I'm really looking forward to it.

Once Carla and I arrived in Shepherdstown this afternoon we checked into the hotel and went straight over to the Shepherd University Wellness Center to pick up my packet.

The pics from today are few but there will be more up tomorrow.  Race starts at 8:05 and then it's off to see some of the sites.  Details tomorrow.

The obligatory Welcome sign.

Carla got in on the action.

Packet pick up.

I might win this one as it seems I have no competitors.

Dinner time.

Triple Crown

In an earlier post I noted that my friends at the Rock n Roll Series would be sending me the Triple Crown Heavy Medal for completing three RnR half marathons in 2012.  Well, it arrived!  I think it looks great.

I've already begun putting together my 2013 calendar of RnR halfs and they include New Orleans (Feb.), Lexington, Ky.(March), Nashville (April), Portland (May), Seattle (June), and Denver (Oct.).

NY wedding (and a little running) weekend

This past weekend was great.  My very good friends Mike and Tania got married, and I consider myself pretty damn lucky to have been a part of it.  I was a groomsman so got a front row seat to the whole thing.

I arrived in NYC Thursday evening to settle in and stay with my brother.  I would be in Brooklyn for the weekend so wanted to see my brother for a bit before heading in.  My good friend Bill (also in the wedding party) would also be in Brooklyn and we had decided early on that we'd go for a 4 mile run the morning of the wedding.  Nothing gets you ready for a wedding like a nice morning run.  

We kept it simple.  We'd go over the Manhattan Bridge into the city and then back over the Brooklyn.  Simple.  I got some snaps along the way as I realized that nowhere in this blog do I have any NYC running.  They're not the best pics.  It was a bit cloudy and I wanted to keep up with Bill.  But, I got what I could.  After our jog I spent the rest of the afternoon helping Mike get some last minutes details done before photos and getting him hitched.   

The ceremony was beautiful.  The food was great.  The booze was plentiful.  The music was fun.  The dancing was exhausting.  And the laughs were many.  I'm very happy for my two friends and to have been able to be with them this weekend.

View of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Manhattan Bridge

Running over the Manhattan

And now a view of the Manhattan Bridge from the Brooklyn Bridge



The happy couple

 

Party time!

My lovely friend Erin who accompanied me for the festivities

Mike and I.  Congrats, buddy.