Amy and I started running at a good pace. It was crowded and uphill. We ended up running on the sidewalk for part of the first mile as it was so congested. There were some decent, steady climbs in the first 3 miles or so. Although I lacked motivation early in the run to push it, it was great weather and it's been forever since I've seen Amy so the company was excellent. We were both breathing pretty heavy after the climb through Butcher's Hill so we took it a little slower. As we hit the first water stop at mile 3, Amy stopped to grab a drink and I had a GU. Also enjoyed some Swedish Fish from some random guy holding a tray of them. From mile 3 on, we did a combination of running and walking depending on the hills and the water stops. Amy kept telling me to keep going, but honestly, I was having a great time regardless of whether I was running or not. I told her that I'd rather run/walk with her and have us finish together than me finish 10-15 minutes ahead of her and her have a miserable time. So we caught up with what's going on in eachother's lives at points...and then at other points, we were just enjoying the weather/scenery. It was great that the people of Baltimore would come out of their homes to cheer on the runners. As we ran around Lake Montibello (ate a banana), the wind was pretty strong, but the scenery was great. We made a few more climbs before hitting mile 10. Only a 5k left. We continued with the run/walk combo and enjoyed the net downhill back to the stadium. Grabbed some gummy bears from another random guy with a tray of them. YUMMY! Again, the spectators as we neared the stadium was great. We walked through the walkway at Camden Yards and then started running to the finish line.

Nothing at all! Yes, I could have run faster/the whole race, but I had a great morning with Amy enjoying the weather and the day!

Got our medal, chip removal and grabbed an apple and water along with a space blanket. We exited the finisher's area and hung out cheering on the other finishers as we looked for Brad and Craig. We didn't really know where they'd be so we waited for about 45 minutes in one spot before moving to a sunnier, warmer spot. We then saw them coming through Camden Yards with smiles on their faces (and Brad jumping on cement barriers showing he was having a good time). As we regrouped, we walked back to the hotel and had Caifornia Tortilla as a post-race reward. YUMMY!


More long training runs, but I honestly felt great the whole day! It hurt a little more to walk than it did to run, but I still felt great regardless.


Great race!
The expo and shirts were nice. The race is on a Saturday so you can enjoy yourself post race. The course was interesting with enough water stops and a variety of food. The neighborhoods supported the runners which was awesome. The 9:45am start was awesome!! I can't think of a con for this race. I am sure part of it was the hotel and how close it was to the start. I'd definately do it again!