Friday 5: Crawlin' Crab Weekend

I went to write my Crawlin' Crab weekend recap and it was so long.  There were so many amazing things to tell and I realized that I would be writing for ages.  I figured I would condense it a little bit to spare you guys my rambling.  Make sure to visit the Friday 5 link up hosted by Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney!

1. The Shell Yeah! Challenge: I read about challenges all the time and I was excited to take on my first!  I ran the 5k on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday.  I ended the weekend with three amazing medals and my wall display has officially been taken over by Crawlin' Crab bling.  They had it really well organized.  You wore one bib for the 5k and then a Shell Yeah! bib for the half so that volunteers knew who got the extra medal.

2. The Courses: I haven't run a 5k in a long time and it was actually kind of surprising being done so fast.  There was a water stop halfway through (I actually took advantage of this because I stupidly ate a granola bar on the way to the race and forgot my water bottle.  I couldn't find a water fountain (didn't look that hard either..) and I was really thirsty!  Other than that, I can't think of anything too exciting about the course.  It was fun, the finish was great, but like I said, it was a big blur.  I finished in 27:31.  I was really happy with it, but am also ready to get that sub 27!

The half marathon on the other course was a different story.  This was my third year doing the race, and I believe it was the same course.  If not, there were very few changes although I didn't notice the fishy smell on the one bridge!  We had the most beautiful weather and I was comfortable the whole time.  I loved the part that goes through the cute little downtown Hampton area and you can't beat the stretch along the water.  The bands were great, the dj was funny, and the volunteers as always were amazing.  I was a little surprised that there weren't as many neighbors out and about.  In past years it seemed like the neighbors were more lively.  There is a short hill at the end, but it's a mostly flat course.  I finished in 2:06:58.  It was nice to have a great race since I had been a little worried during my training!   


3. The Swag: Since I did two races I got two sets of race fun.  The shirts were awesome this year.  They strayed away from the original crab and went for a more classic look.  I love it!  The shirts came in reusable grocery bags.  They're a little more durable than some of my others, so I'm excited to replace some of my older bags.  After the 5k I got a water bottle and after the half I got an amazing visor.  I was really excited because I have a lot of hats now from races, but I had been wanting a visor for summer running!

4. Post Race Party: This year there was a Craft Beer Fest after the race.  This was right up my alley and I was excited to try some new beer.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the full beer list was available after the 5k.  We had to drive back Sunday, so we knew we wouldn't be able to fully enjoy the festivities.  The post race party was a lot of fun.  There was music and we walked right up to the food and beer tables.  I had a great time celebrating the end of a fun race.

5. Hampton Roads: It was so nice to be back in my old stomping grounds.  My best friend was able to come up and do the 5k so we got to hang out for a while on Saturday.  After I volunteered at the expo for a few hours my nice friend and I took Maddux to the Noland Trail.  It made me miss running there so much!  I have so many happy memories on that trail.  Before we left to head back home we got to meet up with my college roommate and her husband for coffee at my favorite coffee shop.  I had been dreaming of that mocha for months now and it did not disappoint!

Thank you to J&A for another amazing race!  (I got to meet the J and A of J&A this time around and they were SO incredibly nice!)  I had a fantastic time and can't wait until Surfin' Santa in December!

Did you run Crawlin' Crab last weekend?  What did you think?  Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!