On February 20th I participated in the Seaside School 5k in the panhandle town of Seaside, near Santa Rosa Beach. The race benefited the Seaside School which is one of the oldest public charter schools in the state. A friend, who visits Seaside often, invited me on this weekend trip to run the race, enjoy the scenery, shop, dine out and just relax – a typical girl’s weekend. The race was out and back along the main road, passing by beautiful homes and shops, and it included a small bridge over an inlet.
The bling we received was definitely different from a typical race. Along with the quintessential race shirt, we received a Vera Bradley (one of the sponsors) sling backpack, and a cool finisher medal. I was lucky to place in my age group and won a very colorful Vera Bradley beach towel. The after party was also first class, featuring paella and free beer from a local brewery. A live band contributed to the party atmosphere. Even though the bling is primarily aimed at women, there were a lot of male participants. I would highly recommend this race for all and am very grateful to my friend for inviting me.