March of 2020 was my second year running the Liberty Half Marathon. After the 2019 race I said I'd never run it again, but runners are a gluten for punishment! With the cold temperatures and the darker hours, I tend to do a lot of my winter training on a treadmill. So running in a very hilly city like Liberty, in March, is about as tough as a start to the race season as it gets. The good thing is once you've finished, you know the rest of the race season will be a breeze!

Last year I parked at the shuttle site 90 minutes before the race, but still only made it to the starting line while the National Anthem was playing. This year the shuttle location was different and an overall smoother experience. There was plenty of time to stretch, use the facilities, and line up this year.

The course had fewer hills than 2019, but overall there is no avoiding the elevation changes in Liberty. I ran slower than my typical pace, but was glad to have some gas left in the tank for the final steep incline at the end of the race. It was fun to finish on the track of their local college, and warm up with the post race festivities inside.