I recently came across a different type of race - a virtual race. A virtual race is basically a fundraiser that you can do at anytime (usually within a date range) and anywhere. So for my 38th race I did the Swagtastic Virtual Race for Medals4Mettle. They had three distance choices: 5K, 10K, or half marathon. I signed up for the half marathon.
Medals4Mettle is an organization that presents donated finisher's medals from the completion of a marathon, half marathon, or triathlon to children and adults fighting debilitating illnesses who might not be able to run a race, but are in a race of their own just to continue to live their life.
Originally my plan was to do a half marathon hike up on the Appalachian Trail for this but the weather did not cooperate. Instead I decided to simply do a half marathon suburban hike. I was out the door before 7:00 AM heading east. The goal was to go 6.5 miles out, turn around and go back. I've experienced this before and have said it many times - you really do not see many things even if you have driven down a road hundreds of times. There is just something nice about slowing down and really seeing your surroundings.
The only challenge (besides making my legs walk 13.1 miles) was - my footpod stop working at 2.34 miles. So I really did not know how far I should go. Ended up doing more of a lollipop route instead of an out and back guessing at the mileage. When I got home retraced the route in my truck. It was only 11 miles. Went back out and did the last 2 miles.
It's quite different doing a virtual race, but it really does support something good.
Just a few pics from the route:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5BsIldVkQqPdUDDPNpbUs3_aByAKu9vvIA0YwBPIEHRJ3dVKCMBrQ4esbiTYu3AVd2rOsS2iZs-8O2KcCC9G_N0MlPJtfRhpfXQNw3ixNGwQJY_f6m0PxdQ6Nb0-kHE5-hJwA8v5SiQo/s400/DSC01438.JPG) |
Berries! everywhere |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdaBo588CXTSb5o_8nUotVJ4M98AAUyCfWcn4BMvecyKWWXYM88jM5Z1PJ7hD7FOQBtL08e64WHTS00kTmsRsdAicdfn0PL5as9w1wxBRTSCjl9yyVMGSmLmFXkOkoaG16zi9sLdMvO0U/s400/DSC01434.JPG) |
At the corner of Peachtree & Old Peachtree |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOU-x5tweJd7NC_w0wuwe2eXhsiJNtODJQQBLMmYd2Vm_vcw0JmfTSVKF-rtCFBz_pQSuKR7Epy1Rnajn8JHT1ttJcIoO6QlA5m2zwemfq-aRo7clAAt1ShRFJunFu1pzh5x1gingKTxn/s400/DSC01447.JPG) |
New Life Baptist Church |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4vt1thbya6C_uMegk5ksk6RKSqR6iO4nJsIZ8qaFY9zn8Rpn4CBYKM3NZOD58Jqx9hC9jNf5HvRt7ZBkkSAvaLHJh2Y0L52pcHIEgKlsbXXJNnMQ86xPx1MSW2t2HLOn9O1W-UNUObEw/s400/DSC01448.JPG) |
Red Barn |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSMfaiCdPjsPpG5SbiIKNlz2HE9h-mqR4POM9pqz7tbtb4eSRsTN5mcuWPfHlUdUSkZey7ZPwmZvskGlxzdA_S_2GaKMm2DMrzCO9aGmnyHdSc-vFl3CD9VQi7gILYoOqrS_RgK41ekWn/s400/DSC01480.JPG) |
Gated Community |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUS6PacKb3QQgyOVlu9LE2kLB8r7wXDMCklFoQpkO7MPupeMyvZHyyxOhK_lrDFYY3h1Qw-C6GlvtIAyC6Zc8Rhc709QlBN8c_Byhyphenhyphen5KaIeRKWfpifND2RINQgjs_VRe5SyIZzDZlCgVy/s400/DSC01452.JPG) |
Grazing |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdepPLIMTGD9K9s_EtgVGylY096fnk3gJpPPHO6JFStwZjrRhqooxmEbR8l6kicxt5UQQ1K7guyDsiXxbk-nG7w4DKInuwJTZqlx0wwikVHbOIKR1kG7XVxuGgrKBX3yrZDlKwLm61B5C/s400/DSC01453.JPG) |
Coming Soon |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv82OYv03dl-BFaffWwskvV93olXSZVi4XX_7DmgCBTK84YpsZjfOmlPMMPLtNIF1sZVwhSCTmXbrMe1_Uoa8SvfOHULqHjeBIot534VBc5RzNiEJFUga_1N8ZbaNxp5_4cGmEEJmbT5gk/s400/DSC01455.JPG) |
Sugarloaf Plaza |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJDod5GYnrvrpeHCclTpO_wyPx6bhRg22C84CXDkVh2lAFeTBwUvVkm8cgPyZf4zw6DFwfwhIIQcY-g3G54JgVru-ejNn_y99df8WIWUeDRU5wEMaSXlOyAAoJnu1c7xSludkCzvhyphenhyphenfnp/s400/DSC01465.JPG) |
Home Depot on the 4th of July |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cyuSlulswwXIoPSPgbDyd_hI0KMwW85BCsOdpSgnHEvbZ58qLEukrLFTJxEi2GcHSpblmVJT1KuBD5tY83wyni3S-xQ-bPabmvyvztl8WllGHQR8a0Ga2K6Dl1BM4iWU9cIrEKfYZlAT/s400/DSC01472.JPG) |
Look who is coming to town |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEHLT4xHgDc32odCGGdkLwtXLauFwWKcskymcClQoreFMqw9tghmp2zC4g_8jj73MCSAoI5FZGd_pvE-XxhdwgpcPo6rV0e_GHFhxcndnIg2dvArcjGWlNdfOKVQ97B_P4BlvSdDr5zCM/s400/DSC01477.JPG) |
Crops look good |
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