Did Someone Say Chocolate?

Playing catch-up again!!!
So, in a nutshell…

Hershey Half Marathon – a fun, cold chocolate and friend filled weekend!

Marine Corps Marathon – a fun, friend filled weekend with a fairly disappointing race

Wine and Dine Half Marathon – seriously. At Disney again with my Ohana?! It’s a win-win situation!!

Up first –

Hershey Half Marathon

After running this for the first time last year (review of last year’s adventure is here!) I’m pretty sure it’s going to become an annual event – I left work early that Friday (what? You didn’t realize I was working again?! Hah! Well, there’s a story there too!) and headed over to PA with my trusty sidekick

He doesn’t really have a triangle coming out of his head!

My friends Jennifer and Mark were going to be at Disney the week prior to the half, coming home that Saturday and Jenn very graciously offered my their house so I could avoid hotel costs. We got to their house around 7 Friday evening and settled in with snacks I’d brought from home.

Saturday was expo and HersheyPark day and I was hoping to run into a few friends.

This year they moved the expo over to the stadium, outside. In the cold wind. And I’m not sure why but the crowds seemed much heavier this year – there was a wait in line to get bibs and then a separate wait in line to get shirts/swag. And as you can expect there were some complainers in the crowd!

I picked up my swag and shirt

And also a pair of BondiBand compression socks since I’d forgotten to pack some of those! Then it was time to head into the park…

Where I ran into the Grace clan and joined them on a couple of rides before heading out to get my long awaited Phillie Cheese steak over fries that I loved so much last year!! Which worked perfectly since my new pre-race carb load dinner has become very meat and potato centric in the last 4-5 years.

Race belt makes an appearance so that I have a place to store the chocolate from the chocolate mile 😀

I got my clothes all laid out, and everything I was going to need for 13.1 the next morning and got into bed. I expected the family to come home in the wee hours and wanted to get in a few ZZZZs before they did.

Before I knew it my alarm was going off and it was time to get up and dressed. And I had hoped to get Phred out for a walk before I took off. As I was heading out the door, Jennifer, Mark, Brian and cousin Roger came in so I happily left Phred in Bri’s capable hands 🙂

Unlike last year I expected the traffic and left early enough to avoid it. I was, however, unable to avoid the cold wind! There had been talk of us all meeting up pre-race but the only person I managed to find was Cannon (on account of he’s so tall and was wearing his purple Dopey cap!) and once we entered the starting area we split up so he could get to the front of the line where he belongs!

Things started on time and the course was as I remembered. Which is to say, hilly – but gorgeous with great crowd support where needed. And, as last year, my favorite part was running through the Milton Hershey School grounds – those kids are all completely awesome!!

The chocolate mile this year was Hershey Kisses! And, spoiler alert, so was the medal!!

I finished up with a decent time but not great…and headed back to the house to take a quick shower and get on the road home.

It was great to see Jennifer and Mark, even though it was a very brief visit and, as always, a nice visit with the chocolate 😀

I was looking forward to heading back out the next weekend for my Fifth Marine Corps Marathon – I’d be running with friends for the first time and was sure we would have an awesome time. Plus I’d get to see my Disney Ohana again!!

Tags: chocolate, Hershey Half Marathon