This weekend, I packed up the car, dropped the doggies off at camp, and the Husband, Henry, Claire and I drove to Savannah, Georgia for the Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon and 5K. I was signed on to do the 5K as a blog ambassador. I am so excited that I had a chance to check out this race because it was REALLY special and unique.  It was an awesome weekend getaway race!

IMG_2507

First up – let’s talk my race goals.  So, I gave birth to Claire around 4 months ago, and for the past 3 months or so, I’ve been working hard at regaining fitness, building muscle, and working on speed. But let’s be honest – it’s hard to juggle the kids PLUS the associated sleep deprivation PLUS work and the rest of life PLUS training.  I wasn’t too sure how I would do, but I was willing to go all out for a speedy race.

IMG_2467

Spoiler – I ran it in 26:41, which is my post-babies personal record!  I’ve ran three faster 5Ks, but they were all before 2010.

 

I credit my fast race to the beautiful course!  You guys – Savannah is such a pretty place.  I’ve never been before and really enjoyed visiting.  I have a post planned for tomorrow that details where we stayed and what we did.  But just check out these course pictures – the 5K wound through the central park and down the historic cobblestone streets.

IMG_2457

IMG_2455 

Okay, but let’s backtrack a bit to the race expo.

IMG_2485

I’ve been to a lot of expos, but this was – by far – the nicest and most upscale one that I’ve attended.  Also – it was small, which was a nice thing because it was very navigable and not overwhelming in the slightest.

IMG_2480

One of the race sponsors was New Balance, so there were a ton of branded NB shirts and other gear.

IMG_2476

But the other cool part of the expo was the small, upscale businesses – not necessarily running-related, but stuff like fine chocolate, gourmet salts, purses, and beauty products.

IMG_2474 

IMG_2472

Oh, speaking of purses, check out the race freebie! Instead of shirts (because, seriously, who needs another race shirt?), they gave away really, really nice New Balance gym bags!  I was SO pumped to receive this at check-in.  I currently use a beach bag as a gym bag – this is a major upgrade!

IMG_2593

As you can tell, this race was very, very well organized.  The organizers really put a lot of thought into what women runners would want out of a race location, expo, freebies, and post-race party.  It’s harder to organize a well-run race that you’d think, so I really appreciated all the attention to detail.

 IMG_2463 

Onto the race itself!

IMG_2525  

We stayed at an amazing hotel that was right outside the race starting line.  Truly – I could look our our window and see people lining up.  We didn’t leave my hotel room until 5 minutes before the gun went off! 

 photo 1

It’s always fun to do women’s races – I love lining up with everyone in their fun and colorful outfits and feeling that supportive, powerful atmosphere. 

 photo 2

My plan for this race was to run as fast as I could the entire time, but to hold off a bit in the beginning.  I had originally intended to train for this race as I normally would for a 5K – 8 weeks of focused running – but last month, I decided to focus more on boot camp (which is mostly high intensity interval strength training) and speedwork on the treadmill.  We also do speedwork in bootcamp.  But when I was running, I usually maxed out at 2 miles (with a bunch of speedwork thrown in).  As I toed the start, I wasn’t sure if my plan would work.  I was a bit concerned that I would crash and burn at Mile 2.5!

IMG_2602

But I didn’t!  I managed to hold a pretty consistent pace of 8:30/mile the entire time.  I had planned to walk through the water station, but there was a bottleneck of runners and I didn’t want to stop and mess someone else up – so I kept going without my intended walking break. When the Half Marathoners split away from the 5Kers, I could tell I was towards the front of the pack (I finished in 30th place or so) and really put the pedal to the metal.

IMG_2518

Finished strong at 26:41 – I was so thrilled to see the Husband, Henry, and Claire at the finish line! 

 

After I was done, we attended the post-race party.  Every runner got two free drinks – either a beer or a mimosa.  Heck yes.

IMG_2548

IMG_2495 

IMG_2496

Cheers!

IMG_2501

Afterwards, we hung out in our space blankets (kudos to the race for having blankets for running and spectators, too!) and watched the first few finishers from the Half Marathon.  Man – those ladies were fast.

IMG_2546

Go, go, go!

IMG_2540 

All in all – a fabulous race, a fun family trip, and a great reminder that speedwork pays off.  My next 5K will be part of a sprint triathlon, and I’m REALLY looking forward to that.

 

My entry and attendance at the Publix Savannah’s Women Half Marathon and 5K was compensated. As always, thanks for reading sponsored posts.

{ 16 comments }

 

  • Erica { EricaDHouse.com } March 30, 2015, 7:38 am

    LOVE the race bag instead of a shirt and 2 free mimosas! Savannah is absolutely gorgeous. I’m so glad I was able to see it last year when I went to Fitbloggin.

  • Lara March 30, 2015, 8:05 am

    Great job on the post-baby PR! This post is making me so homesick…I just recently moved away from Savannah and I miss it so much! Like you said, it is beautiful, and my friends and the entire running community there are beyond awesome! A few of my friends were race ambassadors so I’m especially glad it went so smoothly for y’all 🙂

  • Joy March 30, 2015, 9:16 am

    Congratulations! That’s is a great time, post-baby or not!

    I love the gym bag instead of the t-shirt. What a great idea!

  • Maddie @ Dixie Runs March 30, 2015, 10:05 am

    Great job!! That is so impressive that you can find time to train with a 4 month old baby…

    I’m going to Savannah this summer for the first time, I can’t wait!

  • Reenie March 30, 2015, 10:24 am

    Great job Caitlin!!

    Love the gym bag.

    Pics with Henry….. adorable.

  • kristin | W [H] A T C H March 30, 2015, 10:35 am

    congrats on your post baby PR! love the idea of a gym bag instead of race shirt. that looks like such a pretty course.

  • Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed March 30, 2015, 10:38 am

    Congrats! I ran a fast (for me) 5K this weekend without much run specific training too. Well organized races are the best. I wish I had gotten a mimosa afterwards though!

  • jillian March 30, 2015, 11:03 am

    Henry in the space blanket — LOVE IT. So darn cute!

  • Anne March 30, 2015, 11:04 am

    My husband and I did the RnR Half in Savannah two years ago. It really was a beautiful course! And the people along the route were incredibly supportive and wonderful. It was a great time!

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats March 30, 2015, 11:06 am

    A 5K in savannah sounds perfect! It really is a gorgeous city and I feel like that’s the perfect distance to get in all the nicer areas! Glad you enjoyed it!

  • Mabel @ Ma Bella Vita March 30, 2015, 12:17 pm

    wow those medals look amazing. I am so jealous. Its been so long since I completed a 5K. I cant wait to do some fun races this spring/summer.

  • Carolina John March 30, 2015, 12:41 pm

    That was your first time in Savannah? I absolutely love it down there. You would really appreciate Bonaventure Cemetary, it’s such a photogenic place. Not even “for a graveyard” disclaimer, the monuments and headstone statues are really ornate. Watch “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” before you go back. I love hitting the markets and the squares by the river. Bay St and River St are a ton of fun too.

  • Liz@NovelRunner March 30, 2015, 1:48 pm

    Congrats on running a great race! Wow! This looks like the coolest, most beautiful race ever. I got a gym bag at a 5K I ran this winter too and I absolutely love it – MUCH better than just another ordinary t shirt!

  • Cecily March 30, 2015, 1:55 pm

    If you love Savannah, I recommend Tybee Island, Georgia! It’s right outside of Savannah, has awesome beaches, and is super homey and welcoming. I could definitely imagine Henry loving the beach there. Plus, driving into Savannah for the day is a piece of cake. 🙂

  • Dottie @ crazyfitmommy March 30, 2015, 3:43 pm

    That’s an awesome time! I’m 5 weeks post baby now, and I’m planning on running a few 5 and 10ks once the fall weather hits (it’s already 100 degrees in Phoenix so there aren’t many summer races available). I don’t know if I can run 8:30 miles, but I’m hoping to come close!

  • Lisa March 30, 2015, 10:05 pm

    Oh, that picture of Henry in the space blanket… my heart is melting!

Previous post:

Next post:

Healthy Tipping Point