Hot Chocolate 15K

Last weekend me and some of my favorite girls ran in the Atlanta Hot Chocolate 15k/5k.  This was my 4th year doing this run and this year was the 2nd time for the 15K.  I think I have seen almost all weather conditions just in these 4 years of running too.  This year it was a nice 16°! I think we all felt like we had lost our minds!  We headed to Atlanta on Saturday because we have to pick up our race packets at the World Congress building.  We actually look forward to this run each year because it brings a girls' weekend for us!  It makes all that running worth it!  We walked around at the expo for a bit then left so we could grab some dinner.  I mean food is the reason we run after all.  After we ate we had a Target run and then got checked into our hotel.  We have learned to stay right there at Turner Field so in the morning we can sleep as long as possible and just walk down to the starting line.  Dawn and I had signed up for the 15K again this year and somehow had not really trained like we should but I was so proud of us because we did great and ran the entire race.  It was funny looking back at our time last year compared to this year's time...this year we were 10 secs. faster.  We do not run for time by any means but I was proud of us for keeping our same time.  We just knew we would not be able to do it but we did.  I know my legs were screaming at the end.  Atlanta is full of hills which are not my favorite at all during a run.  I'm thinking we may need to move on to another run that might be in warmer weather with less hills!  We definitely want to keep the girls trips up though!

EXPO Fun 

BRRRR...Race morning was definitely a chilly one!

FINISHED!

After a good lunch at Cracker Barrel, I mean we run to eat after all, we headed back home.  Kelly and I had some grocery shopping to do so we also decided to go to Hartwell Dam and see all the gates open and the water release.  We took Kate with us and it was definitely a sight to see.   Its rare to get time alone with one child especially with Kate so we really enjoyed a little "Kate" time!

Just a great day to hold a rainbow!

Before we left on Saturday I had taken Cohen to Athens for JanFest.  This is a fundraiser hosted by the UGA auxiliary.  This was Cohen's 3rd year going and she looks forward to it.  We weren't sure if this year would be possible with the snow/ice that we got but the roads were not bad and we made it fine.  I leave her there and the plan was for Kelly to pick her up but Bryce ended up getting sick on the way to get her which caused Kelly to have to come home.  Thank goodness for our wonderful baton friends who got Cohen back home!  Kelly was an awesome Daddy while I was gone and handled Bryce.  I think the clean up was a much more drawn out process than the actual sickness but still he deserves a huge shout out.  I felt a little helpless being away.

Speaking of snow and ice, the kids were out of school that Friday but it really didn't do anything until that afternoon.  Dawn and I had a Sam's run to make so all the kids got to have some fun with us.  They were happy to go since a Chic-Fil-A lunch was involved!