Yuengling Shamrock Anthem 1/2 Marathon

My second 1/2 marathon is in the books! Last Saturday we headed down to the 757 for race weekend. This was pretty much the best weekend ever...finishing out Spring break with a race & St. Patty's Day!   This was my brother James' first half-marathon which also made this very exciting. We picked a great race for his first! So flat. It was a nice relief from my hilly Blacksburg training runs.    For anyone looking to run their first half-marathon, or even just looking for a fun, fast race...this is it!   Our first green drinks of the weekend...and mimosas! When on vacation...

At the expo!

I can't see these things and not get a picture!

Haha this one cracks me up!

CAN YOU BELIEVE they had this shirt? Apparently I was the first Hokie fan to walk through! Of course I had to buy it.

Arriving at our hotel!

Didn't mind having this view from our room. Just wish it were warmer!

"Woohoo we're here!"

My outfit for the race. It was in the 40s, and yes the beginning was freezing, but I felt great while running! The headband is from bondiband (got it at the expo) and I loved it! Great no-slip, wide headband that you can use to cover your ears as well as keep your hair back.

6:45, ready to start!

I moved up to Corral 3 because...well, I do what I want. I tried to get up with my brother to find the 1:52 pacer but couldn't find him.

And, WE'RE DONE!

Reached our goals!

Official chip timing - was impressed to receive this in an email! This race was so organized.

With our sweet finishers blankets at the sand castle - those blankets were the PERFECT thing to receive...it was so windy/cold when we finished!

The perks of having Yuengling sponsor...4 free beers. Holla.

Very crowded beach tent! And this is only a fraction of the half-marathoners.

 Peeking down at the marathoners from our hotel!

Post race lunch at Beach Pub

More green drinks!

Went to the Virginia Aquarium!

So fun!

The river otters! My absolute favorite.

Last green drinks of the weekend at our hotel! These were so delish.

Overall I had an amazing weekend. I am so glad that I signed up for this race and pushed myself through the cold, sometimes snowy, training runs. It all paid off to reach my goal of running under 2 hours.   I'm already looking for my next race to sign up for in the upcoming months. Any suggestions? Also trying to decide whether I should take the leap into full marathon training. Any advice/suggestions would be appreciated :) Have a great Tuesday!