I rushed to my hotel to take a shower and tried to rid those negative half marathon thoughts out of my head (and have a stress-free rest of the vacation.)

You know the ones.

What could I have done differently?  

• Did I walk too much the day before?
• Maybe I should eaten dinner the night before?
• Was it really the weather or was it me?
• What would have happened if I pushed myself harder?
• Is my 2:09 finish a one time thing?

Anyway, my friend G picked me up at the hotel and I was so happy to see her.  Normally she is in Fla from January to April but this year, she arrived early because her mother died.

We drove to her house in Jupiter, dropped off my luggage and quickly headed out before the predicted rain.

We decided to visit the Jupiter Lighthouse.  I LOVE lighthouses (this is my 3rd Fla lighthouse climb) and G & her hubby had never been.

We took the required tour. It was interesting.

Then we climbed the stairs to the top.  Yes, 140 steps after running 13.1 miles.  (Oddly, my legs didn’t even feel like I ran at all .)

And it was worth it for the view.

After the tour, we had lunch (I was starving!) at a restaurant on the water opposite the lighthouse.

We drove around for a while but then it started to rain so we headed back. We spent the evening inside chatting & eating dinner with one of G’s old friends. (I met her on my last visit and we got along great.)

After raining all night, it was not raining when I got up the next morning.  I took advantage and went out to see if my legs still worked. They did and I did a slow run/walk around G’s community.

When I got back, we had breakfast and headed out to the beach.  Not to sit in the sun. It was cloudy and windy but still awesome.

We walked for quite a while. There is nothing better than warm salted water for a runner’s feet.

Next up,  we decided to go to Loggerhead Marinelife Center which they keep rescued turtles. We saw 9.  Cool but sad that these turtles are here because they are injured or sick.

It wasn’t raining yet but it was windy so we drove to Blowing Rocks Preserve.  The water was blowing but it wasn’t high tide enough to see the maximum effect.  Still nice.

There are also some nice trails here.

Two more stops and then it would be time to have a late lunch and head to the airport.

We stopped at a thrift shop.  Not that I needed anything but I bought 2 Nike tennis skirts – $3 each. Score. Then on to Starbucks for a drink & souvenir.

So maybe my race didn’t go as planned. And the weather wasn’t ideal.  Still, I’d call this trip a success.

Since it is Wednesday, I’m linking up with Deb from Deb Runs.

Every Wednesday, the Deb from Deb Runs will be providing a word about which to blog. Kind of like a nice little blog prompt. Posts can be fitness or health related, but don’t have to be, so really anyone can play along. Just be sure to link up with InLinkz on Deb’s main post, and share the love by reading and commenting on other’s participant’s posts.

This week’s Word is STRESSFUL.

Unfortunately, race-cations are great but they can be stressful.

There’s a lot that could go wrong:

• travel arrangements
• accommodations
• fueling
• race logistics
• weather conditions
• the race itself
• aches & pains (or injuries)
• recovery

A lot of this, you can’t control and you have to accept that.

For the most part, things went well (except for my performance & the weather) for my past half marathon.

Here are some suggestions for minimizing this stress:

• Be prepared for last minute changes in weather.

Bring a shirt for a warmer forecast and one for a cooler one. Bring a rain poncho & an umbrella.  Of course, bring throw away clothes.

• Bring your race morning breakfast.

I never count on that a friend or hotel will have what I usually eat.  I bring packets of oatmeal and tea.  (Don’t forget a cup, bowl & spoon.)

• Print important information for packet pickup & the race start.

I have everything on my iPhone but you never know…when it won’t work or the battery dies.

• If you are flying, pack race essentials in your carry-on.

What if your luggage gets lost….

• Plan to arrive at least 2 days before the race.

Of course, you’ll have time to relax. And if you car breaks down or your flight is cancelled, you won’t miss your race. (Yes, it happened to me last March and June.) Plus you can do some sightseeing. Visiting a new place is one of the perks of a destination race!!

• Do fun things that are NOT running-related.

Before the race, it’ll keep you busy and take your mind off of worrying about everything that could go wrong.  And after the race, if the race didn’t go well, it’ll lift your spirits.

Happy Running! Is running stressful?  How do you relieve the stress?