GBBPX Guest Post

Lucky me, I get a day off and wonderful Guest Post from Jen at Running with The Girls . Love'n the new bloggy buddy system. Thanks P at Adventures of An Average Athlete for putting on such a great exchange!

Maine Biggest Road RaceŠ

And I¹m going to run it!  The Beach to Beacon is Maine¹s largest road race this year the field is limited to 7200 runners and it fills up fast. Registration for this race actually happens in waves.

1st ­ Cape Elizabeth residents (600 runners)
2nd - online registration opens for the next 4000 runners (those with quick
fingers and fast internet)
3rd - lottery system for those who try to get in on the online registration
but don¹t quite make it (1750 runners)

This is going to be my 3rd year running this event and I am super pumped. The race takes place in Cape Elizabeth, a super cute coastal town in Southern Maine.  The streets are lined with spectators cheering on all the runners and the energy level is high.  I love running through the sprinklers people put at the end of their driveways and listening to the music blaring from the speaker systems.  It is such a rush to run this race.

However, I must say, the absolute best part about this race is where it ends.  The race ends at Fort Williams Park, which is home to Portland Head Light. 

Portland Head Light was one of my mom¹s favorite spots on the coast of Maine.  She loved lighthouses and visiting them. This past time kept her busy because Maine sure does have a lot of lighthouses.  Sadly, my mom passed away nearly 5 years ago as a result of lung cancer. Her birthday is August 7 and the B2B is always held during the weekend of her birthday or close to it. Last year the race date was actually held on her birthday.  The past two years, I have become quite emotional (with lots of tears) as I rounded the final corner and caught views of Portland Head Light knowing my mom was there with me.  I run this race in honor of my mom, the woman I admire most in this world.

Link for Fort Williams

Portland Head Light Link

Wow, sounds like a beautiful place to run and recall memories of your mother. I love the picture of you and your mom, so sweet. Thanks for the post!