Southern Charm and Pearls: Operation One Voice SOF Run

Good morning! First, let me apologize for not updating my blog (as planned) during the Operation One Voice Run last week. I tried several times to update it, and I had major connection issues to blogspot... each time I entered the text and hit "publish" it just wouldn't publish. So, I apologize. I did, however, take notes so these posts will have not only the text of what happened but photos as well. Thus, the next few entries will be fairly long.

Well, to start, I had headed to Atlanta a few days early to spend some time with my friends Beth & Brad. We had a BLAST! Beth and I went shopping (well, mostly looking) but had a great time nonetheless! Then, we went to a benefit for the Shepherd Center in Atlanta at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead. After the soiree we met up with several of my friends from Atlanta and proceeded to catch up!

The next day, Beth drove me up to Duluth to drop me off at the hotel to start the run! What fantastic timing we have! Literally as we drove up, several of the other runners had just walked in the door! Could we have timed it any better? Well, I got to see several old friends and meet some new friends while we were getting briefed and receiving our running shirts and hats. Well, wouldn't you know it, while we were standing there chatting, the other out-of-town runners arrived at that time as well! Seriously, you would have thought we planned it! Anyway, we all caught up and decided to meet back up for dinner a bit early so we could all get a good night's rest... good idea in theory!

When we met back up in the lobby, we all had a beer at the bar, watched some Sunday night football and headed to the Tavern to eat. As we ate dinner, caught up and got to know the new team members, it hit us that tomorrow at 06:30 we would muster up to begin our 7'th Annual OOV - SOF Run. For many of us, this was not our first year, so we knew what we were getting into... early early mornings, late late nights, very little sleep, lots of miles, many PR runs, interviews and questions galore, but most of all, a week of honoring our American heroes.