Still, 2014 was a great year and I completed 8 races, two of which were marathons and one was the 13th state in the quest for all 50!
As I have been reflecting on this past year, I decided to write a post about my favorites from the races I completed...so here it is!
FAVORITE MEDAL EARNED: This goes to the Gasparilla Half Marathon in Tampa. I thought the medal was the most unique I earned and the details are pretty awesome.
FAVORITE COURSE: Walt Disney Half Marathon! Why? It's flat and you get to visit with your favorite characters along the course. If your goal is to run a Disney race, I highly recommend it! I've done the marathon and half and plan to run them as often as I can.
BEST CROWD SUPPORT: I may be biased because Pittsburgh is where I live, but this marathon by far has the best crowd support. EVER. I've run this race twice and have yet to be disappointed. The energy of this city is contagious with people covering the many bridges you cross, handing out snacks (beer!), and just overall providing much needed support through the monster hills you tackle during this race.
FAVORITE RACE SHIRT: The Clearwater 5 Miler gave all participants a super cozy long sleeve t-shirt. I love cotton shirts so that's why this shirt topped my list.
FAVORITE POST-RACE FOOD: Always important, but St. Louis had awesome snacks after the marathon. Ice cream sandwiches and their famous fried ravioli. No pics, but you can visualize the deliciousness :)
OVERALL FAVORITE RACE: The Pittsburgh Marathon wins this category! The time of year (May) is great for this race in the city. The bridges are so much fun to run over. The already mentioned crowd support rocks. I could spend hours at the expo. The race size is perfect and I never feel crowded. The medal design always represents the city well. I could go on and on, but just trust me and run this race in 2015 and earn the title of "Runner of Steel".
I hope everyone has a wonderful transition into the new year! See you in 2015!
