Kyle's first marathon was actually three days before we had our second child, so I sat that one out. But (several) months later I was ready to join in on the fun, so we booked a weekend trip to North Carolina. 

This trip was our first weekend away together since we had our oldest daughter 2 years prior, and yes, I probably would have rather been doing almost anything else other than running, but nevertheless, it was a memorable trip with just the two of us. 

We flew from our home airport into Charlotte, NC where we rented a jeep to help remind us that we used to be cool. Then we headed to South Carolina where we visited Congaree National Park (a blog for a different day). After a quick two mile trip around the park- I wore new shoes that gave me blisters, less than 24 hours before the run- we headed to our neat little cabin on the river in Tryon, NC. 

We had a lowkey night with pizza and breadsticks delivered to us, and prepared for an early wake up call. We were delightfully surprised at the cool weather the morning of the race, which seemed low for August temps in North Carolina. 

This was my first time running longer than five miles, but even that distance I had only done a handful of times in preparation for this race. But this race felt HARD. This venue was an equestrian center located on the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and you were frequently reminded with hills that felt more like mountains during the course. The Equestrian Center made for a beautiful backdrop, with rolling hills and green pastures around every turn, and under other circumstances would have been quite enjoyable to spend a morning. 

Once we crossed the finish line, we headed back to our cabin about 10 miles away where we freshened up and got ready to explore downtown Tryon. It is a quaint town, lined with boutiques, eateries, and a town theater. After popping into a few shops, we found an outdoor bar with nice patio seating right off the main street, a great place to people watch. After dinner and drinks, we headed back to our cabin to soak in the hot tub, which had a great view of the river. 

We headed home the next day, and while our time in NC was short, it was a memorable trip. This trip proved that I could complete a half marathon, and gave me a goal for future races. I'm not sure that I had ever felt so accomplished. We also checked off visiting a National Park, we hope to visit them all eventually. And finally, this trip was a nice reminder for my husband and I to find time to reconnect, just the two of us.