Oddyssey Half

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While training for Broad Street, I heard about the Oddyssey Half in June.  This race gave back to the Student Run Philly Style and had a run club that meets weekly and trains over the Ben Franklin Bridge.  So I signed up!Once a week, the group met at Franklin Park.  We would loop around the park then head over the bridge and back.  I knew this would be great hill training, exactly what I needed.   The best part was the run would end in Old City for happy hour, with a free beer!  Pretty good reward, am I right?Fives weeks after Broad Street, it was race day again!  On this beautiful June morning, my boyfriend Eric and I headed to the starting line at Fairmount Park with Bogey.  Several runners were dressed in costumes and there were challenges along the course.I didn't start off like a bat outta hell like every other race for once.  The race started out near Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park and looped around.  I felt comfortable in my pace but still quick.  This was the first time I ran in this part of the city so I was excited for a change in scenery.  As I navigated through the Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park, I faced my first serious hill in a race.  I had to think back to those training runs of the bridge.   Thank goodness I trained on hills!I continued to feel quick as I ran through East Park and continued to the Schuylkill River trail along Kelly Drive.  Then, I crossed the East Falls Bridge and continued onto Martin Luther King Jr Drive on the other side of the Schuylkill River.  I had to run up the wicked hill again!  It was tough at mile 12 and wanted to stop but kept telling myself I was almost there!  I even shouted out to another struggling runner, "WE'RE ALMOST THERE!"  Getting over that hill was the biggest accomplishment of that race.The finish line was back at Memorial Hall and got my post-race beer right away!  The OddysseyHalf has by far the coolest medal!  You can nail it to the wall and it converts into a bottle opener.  Pretty awesome!  And I accomplished a personal record of 1:57!Until the next race :)What do you think about fun runs or themed races?