I ran the virtual half marathon on October 24 using fun route that took me through a few neighborhoods in ATL. My time was 2:52:58. It wasn't my best time, but my worn out shoes got the best of me at mile 8 and it was a slow run to the finish. I had fun earning the medal and I hope to return to Savannah next year.

The race officials were great with communication from the initial rescheduling of the race from March to November and then when it was converted to a virtual event. My only criticism of the race is that they only send your race items if you submit a finishing time. Since people already paid their registration fees, the items should have been sent automatically unless they deferred or cancelled their registration.

This year I ran the 2021 Publix Savannah Women's Half as virtual race. Due to the current health issues, the in-person race was cancelled a month before race day. Participants were offered either a refund or the chance to complete the races virtually. I like virtual races so I decided to run the distance on the original race day of October 9. This is my experience with the race.

Training
I have been training for the half marathon since May. I had a minor set back in January when I fractured my foot, but thankfully I didn't have much loss of fitness. I rehab through 10k training and once my foot was finally healed I switched over to half marathon training. I choose a terrain that was similar to Savannah (as flat as I could find) so I could get used to the prolonged flatness. ATL is hilly, so running in Savannah is challenge is there is little elevation change. Also flat terrain results in a faster pace so I wanted to work on better pacing and improving my endurance. Overall, my training was great and I improved from the first workout to race day.

Race Day
I choose to run the same route that I used for a virtual half marathon in June to see if I could improve on my time. I incorporated the run in with one my Garmin easy run workouts to help with pacing. I enjoyed the run since the weather is so much cooler in October. My route took me from Decatur to the City of Atlanta and back home. Along the way I passed GSU and all the cool sights on Ponce De Leon Ave. I also had plenty of stores along the way to stop and refuel. I finished the race in 2:40:15, which wasn't a bad time for a virtual half.

Medals and Swag
In addition to the 2021 half marathon finisher medal, I also earned the Square 2 Square Challenge medal as a result of running the 2020 virtual half marathon. I received both medals and my bib a month after the race.

Along with the medals, I also received a premium race bag, Publix shopping bag, 2 pouches, and a reusable straw for my swag.

Overall, I enjoyed the run. I like the flexibility of virtual races so running in my neighborhood wasn't an issue. The weather was perfect and I was so grateful to finish. Hopefully next year the race will be held in-person. See you in 2022!

For the first time in I don't know when, I completed the Hot Chocolate Atlanta race in great weather. Due to the pandemic, the race was converted to a virtual event for 2021. I originally signed up for the 15k, but due to fracturing my fifth metatarsal in January I opted to walk the 5k this year.

I completed the 5k using a Peloton walking workout through my neighborhood to enjoy the beautiful day. I ran a little bit to test my foot, but I need a little more time for healing. I finished the race in 1:01:01, which was my longest activity time this year.

The swag for this year did not disappoint. I love the black jacket and the medal. The race packet also included hot chocolate packets and of course, chocolate. I registered for the race last year and I received my race packet the week before the originally scheduled race day (Feb 7). The race pack also included Nuun tablets, Honey Stinger wafers, a medal, and a bib. The medal had a small chocolate bar inside.

I hope next year we will able to run in-person for the chocolate. I am grateful for the opportunity to maintain my legacy status for another year.

This year was the 30th Anniversary of the Enmarket Savannah Bridge Run. The race was originally scheduled as an in-person race on December 5. This year due to the pandemic the race was converted to a virtual event. This year I registered for the Double Pump race. The Double Pump is a 15k that is divided into a 5k and 10k races. In person, the 15k is three trips across the Talmadge Bridge.

In the spirit of the in-person race, I ran the 5k and 10k as separate races. Due to my schedule, I ran them on two different days and I tried to find at least one bridge to run across during the race.

5K
I ran the 5k on December 5 and ran through my neighborhood along the PATH and found one bridge. The day was perfect and I couldn't have asked for a better race. I ran the 5k at 33:49.

10K
I ran the 10k on December 6 using a route through Emory University. I found a bridge on North Decatur Road as I headed to the campus. The weather for the run was great and I finished the 10k in 1:12:15. This was probably one of my best 10ks of the year. I ended the race at my favorite watering hole.

Both races went well and while I missed running across the Talmadge Bridge 3 times, I enjoyed completing the race in my neighborhood. A week after the race I received my medal, tee-shirt, and surprisingly an Age Group Award!!!! I was so stoked over the Age Group Award since I have NEVER won any running award. It was a great surprise and made my entire running year.

The race swag included a medal, shirt, reusable bag, beverage holder, and bib.

The medal was a trolley with a view of runners on the bridge. After the in person race, we used to ride the trolley from the finish back to our car. It is unique addition to my medal collection.

Hopefully next year I will be able to run this race in person. I enjoy running in Savannah and missed the spirit of the race. I think the race organizers communicated with the participants throughout the race as it transitioned from in-person to a virtual event. My only criticism is the same as it for the other races managed by the Savannah Sports Council is that they will only send your medal and race items if you submit your finishing time. This removes the flexibility of the race since people may have not been able to run the virtual during the scheduled time. Participants have also already paid for the race items.

Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Mount Dora Double Dora Race to evaluate as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews!”

One of my favorite things to do is to end my racing season in my home state. This year was special since I haven't run any in person races since the Publix Half Marathon on March 1. It was only fitting to conclude this year's in person racing in Mount Dora, FL, a nice small town in Central Florida. This year was my second time running the Mount Dora Half Marathon. I decided to get the most out of the weekend and take on the Double Dora Challenge. The Double Dora consisted of a 5k on Saturday (Dec 19) and the half marathon on Sunday (Dec 20).

Expo
Similar to last year, packet pick up was super easy. Since I ran the double Double Dora, I received one bib to wear to both races. I also picked up two tee-shirts, one for each race, and a reusable tote bag. A few vendors had race products for sale. Everyone was wearing a mask to practice safety protocols.

Half Marathon
The half marathon was held Sunday at 7 am. Last year I had a cold and it was raining. This year I was healthy and the weather was perfect. Since I was in a haze last year, I don't remember hardly anything about the course and if it changed. The course had a mixture of rolling hills and lakefront running. The water stops for the half marathon had small bottles of water that were given out by the volunteers.

The runners started in pace waves. I finished the race in 2:40 which was a 16 minute improvement from last year. I ran intervals so that I could keep my pace as even as possible. When I saw Santa as I approached the finish line, I was able to hightail it to the end. The post race items were bagged for grab and go. We also received a race branded towel.

My only criticism of the race is that at mile 9-11 there were trucks driving on the course. While the trucks were driving slowly, they could have easily run over a fallen runner. I wish they would have just closed off the course completely or had the truck ride on the shoulder.