The 2014 Rock 'n Roll Philly Half Marathon was my first big race since having a stress fracture in my foot. I ran this race previously in 2011 and had a great experience, so I thought it would be a symbolic and hopefully triumphant return back to running.

Rock and Roll races are huge and they're very expensive. I initially signed up for this race only, but then decided to add on the 5K that same weekend in order to do the Remix Challenge and get extra medals. It was simply a way for RnR to get more money, and I fell for it!

The race was on a pretty nice day though it was a bit humid out, not too bad for mid-September. There were tons of runners and it took maybe a half hour just to get started on the course based on my corral. But once it started, it was great.

The course starts at Eakins Oval and then makes its way towards Center City Philadelphia. Some areas have lots of people cheering on while there are some dead zones. We ran down towards Independence Hall and back around, passing Chinatown then making our way back towards the museum. This was where the energy was high.

The rest of the course is down Kelly Drive, a popular area for local runners. The course is extremely flat so that's good for the speedy runners. Since it's RnR, there were a few live bands sprinkled throughout the course but not as many as I would have liked. The course goes across the East Falls Bridge and down MLK Drive and back up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Overall I was very happy with what I was able to accomplish with this race!

There was an afterparty and free Michelob(?) beer, but I didn't stay for beer or the featured band, though they didn't sound bad at all. I had to wait in a special line to get my Remix Challenge medal, and then I was able to head out the area pretty easily.

Rock n Roll is a fun race and I think it's worth doing at least once, especially if you live in Philadelphia. I think for me, it was just more of the "same old same", so I probably won't do it again for a few years.

I ran the Philly Half Marathon back in 2012 and it wasn't the greatest idea I ever had. I originally signed up for the marathon back in March of that year, but unfortunately ended up overtraining in the spring and had "runner's knee" by June. I had to go to physical therapy for 2 months and then somehow get into race training.

I quickly realized I had to downgrade to the half marathon distance but didn't know the procedure, so I ended up receiving a full marathon shirt instead of the half marathon shirt. I did get the half medal though!

While my performance in the race was a complete struggle (I only trained up to 7 miles before race time), the race itself was really well done. There were pacers that you could easily use to help you with your time goals. There was water, Gatorade, and gels available at the hydration stations. The course is really nice, and there were plenty of crowds for the half marathon runners.

I would definitely do this race again for "redemption"! This is a race where lots of elites come out, so it's exciting to see the the real athletes hitting the pavement. You even can get a high five from the Mayor at the starting line!