So first stop when we arrived in Philly was picking up our race packets and then stopping by Reading Terminal Market for some awesome coffee (iced for me of course) and coconut macaroons.
We ended up staying in a hotel in Jersey so to give us enough time to race prep, drive over and find parking, and then make our way to the starting line, we had to wake up at 4am. That's right. Four freakin AM. I was not a happy camper. It was pitch black and very cold as we made our way from our pee stop at a nearby hotel to the starting area. At that point I was wishing I hadn't decided to run Philly. But that soon passed once we got to the starting area, it got lighter, and my excitement started to build.
Because Philly is such a big race and I'm a slowpoke, I spent a long time in the corrals and then slowly inching our way to the starting line.
Inch, inch, inch. This is one of the things I love/hate about races. I hate crowds and all these people bumping into you but having so many runners nearby is really inspiring and helps to build the excitement.
The course was awesome because I hadn't been back to Philly in several years and it was great to run through familiar spots, like South Street (felt so weird to see it totally empty and to just run down the street!). I have become a pro at taking photos with my phone while running. When the lighting is just right, then I get a pretty clear photo even though I'm bouncing while taking it.
Good thing I had an awesome cheesesteak and fries (from Pat's of course) to help me recover! This was the best post-run meal ever!
I don't know when I'll run Philly again, but I'm so glad I did it last year!
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