The expo
This year, the expo was smaller and held at the Omni Hotel. It was easily accessible from the MARTA and there was plenty of parking at the Georgia Dome lots. The vendors were limited to mostly sponsors. What was absent were other race companies with great promotional discounts. I was bit disappointed in the number of vendors because I had my mind set on buying new running gear, but my wallet was happy. There were also many booths for taking great photos.

​​Packet pick up was a quick process. I, along with a few others, encountered an error in our receiving our Ultimate Peach bibs. To earn Ultimate Peach status, runners had to complete the 2016 Triple Peach series and the 2017 Publix Marathon. Ultimate Peach runners were granted entry to a post race tent with snacks and were awarded a wooden watch. Thankfully my bib was fixed, but some runners didn't catch the error until they arrived at the Ultimate Peach tent. Thankfully, Atlanta Track Club is making sure everyone is receiving their watch for qualifying for Ultimate Peach.  

​​The race
The race started at 7 am at north side of Olympic Centennial Park. There was plenty of parking on race day. It was easy to find gear check and navigate to the starting line. I decided to run 2:1 intervals to conserve my energy because Publix is a tough course. I also took advantage of being in Corral A as an Ultimate Peach runner.
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Miles 0-14
The marathon and half were together for the first 7 miles. The first 7 miles are from downtown to the King Center, Inman Park, Little Five Points, and the Carter Center (in that order). I will admit that I was terrified at the split since I had no idea what was coming next. After passing the split we headed to Candler Park and then on to Decatur, my neighborhood. The hills were not bad in Decatur and since we were running my normal routes I felt right at home. I am proud that I didn't jump ship at mile 14 and go home.

MIles 14.1-26.2
After Decatur we headed to Emory University/Druid Hills. The race got real around mile 18. Running through the Druid Hills and then Virginia Highland neighborhoods started to wear on me. The down hills gave me life, but the uphills were tough. Mile 23 in Midtown looked like an inclined ski slope. Miles 24 and 25 were at my alma mater Georgia Tech and that's when we said our goodbye to hills. The longest distance for the race was from mile 25 to 26.2 on Marietta Street to the finish at Olympic Centennial Park. 
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Overall, Publix was my second fastest marathon after Savannah. I still can't believe I ran faster than NYC and Rock 'n' Roll NOLA. The race really gave me the confidence that I needed to run Big Sur next month. As of today, I do not see myself running Publix Marathon again. Given the right medal or movement, I could be persuaded. 

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The A1A race was my first half marathon of 2017. There is no better place to kick off my half marathon racing than my home state of FL. Since I had never been to Fort Lauderdale, it made the race double special. It was definitely a memorable race. 

The Expo
The expo was held at the Broward Convention Center, about 4 miles north of the airport. I was able to quickly drive there after I arrived on Friday night. The expo was easy to navigate and they had plenty of vendors giving out food samples and selling apparel and gear. I snagged a cute pair of tights to add to my collection. Packet pick up was really quick. There many props for photo ops. Since I arrived in the last hour of the expo, I missed the name wall. I returned to the expo on Saturday so I could find my name.
 
The swag
We received green race shirts and surprisingly mine fit well. We also were given a bag full of goodies. The bag had snacks, coconut water, olive oil, headphones, and coupons. 
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The Race
The race had a 6 am start time. I arrived at the finish area to park at 4:30 am since it was recommended that we arrive early. There was plenty of parking and shuttles were provided to take us to the start. The race did not have traditional corrals so runners were allowed to self seed. Since I am still in marathon training mode, I decided to run 2:1 intervals and I joined the 2:30 group. The logistics around the start were a bit of challenge since the lines for the porta potties were in the middle of the start. Maybe next year they will move the lines to the sidewalk to make it easier for everyone to start. 

​​After the normal race formalities we were off. About 0.25 miles into the race, a train came and we had to stop. The train took close to 20 minutes and we were directed back to the start so we start over. This was the first time I have ever had this happen in a race, but I was in good spirits since there was nothing we could do. I was grateful that they allowed us to start over so our time would reflect our effort. After the train moved we were off. 
 
The course was nice and flat. There was a hill when we went over the Intracoastal Bridge. Compared to ATL, that hill was just a bump in the road. We ran through a state park and along the coast line. It was really warm. Within the first mile I realized that I was getting too hot so I decided to slow down so that could finish strong.  After 13.1 miles, I crossed the finish line and received the most unique medal to add to my collection. The finishers party had plenty of vendors that offered food and massages after the race. 

​​Overall it was great race and I would recommend it for anyone who wants to PR on a flat course. There is room for improvement on the course hydration. Hydration was provided about every other mile. Since it was really warm, every mile would have been better. Also sprinklers, cold towels, and popsicles would have been welcomed. Also I wish I had known about the sand sculpture at the end of the race, but I totally missed it. Maybe next year they can publicize all the cool features (name wall, sand sculpture) so you know to look for it at the end.

On Sunday December 18th, I ran the inaugural Hot Chocolate Tampa Race. Hot Chocolate now has another southern race in the series. I ran as the sweeper for Beast Pacers. This is my third city that have run for this series. I have run in ATL and Philly.

The expo
The expo was held at the Tampa Convention center from 12-5 pm on Friday and Saturday. It was compact with quick packet and swag pick up. Runners could also exchange their jackets for another size if needed. There were a few vendors present and plenty of the chocolate. The expo was a lot smaller than the Atlanta expo and the times were also shorter. In Atlanta, the expo usually opens at 10 am on both days and closes at 7 or 8 pm on both days.

The race
It was hot!!!! The weather was in the 80s and the humidity was in full effect. We started at Channelside Bay Plaza and we ran an out and back flat course. In the first mile, we ran over a bridge that had a metal grated surface that caused a few runners to fall. Two runners seemed seriously injured and I am not sure if they completed the race. Thankfully, they were quickly assisted by medical personnel.

The course had water stations, that included Nuun, every two miles. It was a hot day and some runners were starting to have dehydration issues. As a pacer, I encouraged the runners to make sure they were drinking the Nuun and water at every stop. It would have been better if they had water at every mile.

While the route did not have huge crowd support, the scenery was amazing. We were next to the water so the view of the skyline and homes made up for lack of crowd support.

I finished at 2:18, which was within the acceptable time limit. We received the golden chocolate bar medal. We received the finisher mugs with the hot chocolate and the dipping goodies. It was so hot that I took one sip of my hot chocolate before I tossed it. Frozen hot chocolate would have been a nice treat after the race.

Tales of a Sweeper
Being a sweeper is an interesting race pacer. You either motivate people to run faster or bring the fear of being sweep (or both). I was the last person to start the race and I had to maintain a 15 min/mile pace. I ran 30 seconds and walked 45 seconds to stay on pace. I had a few runners who ran with me during the race. Naturally I passed runners early on and it was interesting to see their expressions and behavior when they looked up and saw me running next to them or run pass. I assured them they were not in danger of getting sweep unless they fell behind the cop car that was moving very slowly at the end. It was also wonderful to encourage runners to keep going, especially when we ran the last miles of the unshaded course.

Overall the race was fun experience. I enjoyed pacing it, loved the view, and the city. This is a race that I would run again in the future.

Packet Pick Up
The packet pick was held at two Big Peach Running Store locations: Midtown and Alpharetta. I opted for Midtown since it closer to my home. Parking surprisingly was plentiful and pick up was quick. The good thing about being in the store is that you can get some last minute items and few impulse ones too.

Race Swag
This year we received white jackets for the half marathon. It beats getting another tee shirt and can be worn for many situations

The Race
The race started from Turner Field, which is easily accessible by Marta. Participants were also offered free parking. Lining up for the corrals was easy and then we off at our designated time. With the race being in Atlanta had no expectation of a flat course. The hills were out in full effect as always. We ran around Georgia Tech, through Atlantic Station, in Piedmont Park, and around the Old Fourth Ward and Oakland Cemetery. We ran many familiar routes for races such as Publix half, Hot Chocolate 15k and Jeff Galloway half. The race was about the same difficulty as the Publix half, but not as scenic.

My soul rejoiced when I reached the finish and I am not sure I will be back to run it again. I need my muscles to forget about all the hills before I make a decision. We received our Thanksgiving race finisher medal. As a Triple Peach Finisher, we received an additional medal, a shirt, and a pie. 

Ultimate Peach
As if Triple Peach wasn't enough, Atlanta Track Club has created the Ultimate Peach for runners who complete the Triple Peach and the Publix Marathon in March 2017. Ultimate Peach here I come!!!

This year on top of becoming a Double Agent (Half Fanatic and Marathon Maniac), I also set a goal to race in all 50 states. The Bellin's Women Half Marathon (http://www.bellinwomenshalf.com/) had the privilege of being my race for Wisconsin. The theme of the of the race is to empower and inspire women to be their best. While this is not my first women's theme race, it is the best one I have participated in and here's why--

Training
While I do not live in WI, I was glad that the race offered twice weekly training sessions leading up to the race. Training helps all participants, from the newbie to the seasoned runner. It also helps participants to track how close the race is so they can prep for race day. Since I am training for the NYC Marathon, I wrapped this training right in with my weekly runs. 

The Expo 
The expo was located at the KI Convention Center in downtown Green Bay, WI on Friday October 7th. Packet pick up was a breeze. The expo was small, but had some unique vendors. I got a cute shirt and somehow avoided buying another Bondiband. Our swag for the race was nice. We got a hooded shirt and a drawstring bag that had the painting for the race printed on it. The back of the bag was signed FEARLESS. While I am not a fan of drawstring bags, this one by far is my favorite. We also received a Bellin's Women Half Marathon printed Bondiband. 

​​Women's Inspiration Dinner
Later that evening there was an Inspiration Dinner with a pasta buffet. This year's speaker was Sarah Reinersten, an awesome Ironman Finisher. She shared her story of overcoming adversity and how she doesn't let her disability stand in her way of achieving her dreams. The dinner atmosphere almost (I do mean almost) made me want to sign up for an Ironman, but the cookies brought me back to the task of running the half marathon the next day. I also had a chance to connect with other runners. There is nothing like a good meal to end a night.

​​Race Day
Only one word can sum up race day "COLD." It was 39 degrees when I woke up that morning. Thankfully I packed winter running wear, but I was not prepared to run at that temperature. We parked at the finish and the race provided buses to the start. Once we arrived at the start, we were able to go into a shelter to get relief from the cold. Eventually we had to leave the shelter and head the start line. 

The course was residential near a lake. It wasn't too hilly and it was scenic. I saw my first apple tree! There were spectators along the way and pockets of cheer tunnels along the route. The race had the best Gatorade I have ever had in any race. That alone was worth the entry fee. With 1,300 people the race was not too crowded and everyone was really encouraging. My lungs started getting upset at mile 4 and from that point on, I felt like I running in a deep freezer. 

I used my NYC training intervals (3 min run/30 s walk) and I finished in 2:32. We received a medallion finisher necklace. 

I finished upright, but I felt like I was coming down with a cold. Thankfully, one dose of medicine took care of that issue.
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Post-Race Party
The race ended with a post-race party with tons of food. We had chocolate, chips, drinks, brownies, veggie wraps, and strawberry shortcake. 

​​Awards Ceremony
The ceremony was held later that night at a restaurant by the river. I wasn't feel well and it was so cold that I didn't stay for all the awards. I did have a chance to talk to Sarah Reinersten about the NYC Marathon.
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Improvements
The only improvement for the race would be to choose a weekend in which the Packers are not playing. It made my hotel much more expensive.

Overall it was a great race. It was my 15th half marathon and I can officially l put a stamp on WI for my 50 states journey.