I'm just back from a long weekend at the Virginia Beach Rock n Roll Half Marathon.

This is one of my favorite races of the season and a fun way to end the

summer. It was a funny race for me and I struggled a little with the

humidity. I think mostly because the weather in Chicago has been dry

and cool all summer that I just wasn't acclimated for the 87% humidity

even though the temps weren't crazy hot (75-80).

I can always

tell how I will do in a race based on what my hair looks like:)  Nice,

smooth curls = a strong race. Out of control frizz = a tough race. And

the minute I stepped off the plane in Norfolk, my hair looked like Rosseane, Roseannadanna.

It's actually a great barometer for knowing when to cut back on pace

and go with what the day brings, and I did just that. I actually used

this race as a training run for my Rim2Rim4Roy challenge in early October. I ran to the start, ran the half marathon

and then walked back to the hotel. Twenty miles in total and a perfect

training day for me.  If you're looking to get in a fun training run and can control your pace, try using a half marathon and warm up with a few miles before the gun goes off.  I will often use half marathons as supported long runs, especially if I am on the road traveling.  Plus, you get the extra bennies too (sports drink, bathrooms, shirt, medal...)

So I guess we're headed into fall, and with that begins my search for the perfect carmel apple. Because what is fall without carmel apples?  Not a fall at all...

Happy Trails,

Coach Jenny