Fall is my favorite season, and Boston in the fall in my favorite city.

In July I signed up to run the Boston 10k for Women (which took place this past weekend on October 16th) and planned to make a weekend trip out of the occasion.

The race started in Boston Common, so I booked a hotel nearby so I would be able to walk to the start the morning of. I was staying at The Godfrey, which boasted a beautiful marble staircase and a welcoming lobby with plenty of seating options. A local coffee shop connected to the lobby, which I knew would come in handy after running the race.

I flew up to Boston early Friday morning, the day before the race. I landed before 8 am and was seated outside with breakfast at Tatte Bakery & Cafe in Beacon Hill by 9. The weather was perfect for dining al fresco, my first hot coffee of the season and a pistachio croissant accompanied my mezze breakfast. It was so enjoyable to sit outside, in the sun, smelling the hot coffee and listening to the sounds of the neighborhood giddy on a perfect fall Friday in the works.

After finishing my coffee, I wandered around the Beacon Hill neighborhood for a bit of pumpkin peeping (like leaf peeping, but for pumpkins). I have been OBSESSED with pumpkins this year, especially the non-traditional varieties that are various shapes and colors. I loved seeing the different decor on the stoops and porches of the brownstones. A walk across Boston Common took me from Beacon Hill to The Godfrey for an early check in and a chance to drop my bag before more wandering.

Packet pickup for the race was at REI in Fenway that afternoon, so I started making my way through Back Bay towards the store. In Copley Square, I stopped at the Friday Farmer's Market and browsed the local merchants. As my walk to Fenway commenced, I grabbed lunch to go and found myself a seat outside at Trillium Brewing. The weather was perfect for enjoying my meal and a Trillium beer in the sun. After packet pickup I walked back to The Godfrey to relax for the remainder of the evening and rest up for the 10k.

When my alarm went off Saturday morning, I jumped out of bed with a bit more zest than normal most weekends. The mix of excitement and nervousness for the race had my heart racing. I made my way down to Boston Common at 6:45 in hopes that the pre-race yoga and warm up at the Expo would calm me down.

At the traffic light waiting to cross into the park, I encountered an older woman also wearing the Boston 10k for Women race shirt. She inquired about my experience with the race, and I mentioned that this was my first time at this event. I asked about her experience in return, and was delighted to find out that she was one of the participants being honored for having run 45 years in a row! Talk about being awe struck. She told me about how the race had began 45 years ago and the small group of women she had run with, and watching the event grow in size over all the years. When she turned 60, she stopped running the entire race, and now runs the beginning, middle and end, but still shows up no matter what. She wished me luck and rushed off to find her friends, leaving me with warmth in my heart and tears in my eyes.

As soon as the clock struck 8 am the race was off! We made our way through Back Bay, over the Charles River via Massachusetts Avenue and along the water on Memorial Drive before heading back over the river to run towards Boston Common to the finish line. Spirits were high and there was no shortage of cheering happening from the sidelines. As I made my final sprint toward the finish, a wave of pride hit me in accomplishing my goal for the race. All of that excitement and nervousness had paid off.

That's not to say I felt ready to keep running. My legs and lungs were exhausted and I needed to quench my thirst. I grabbed fruit and water and picked up my bag from the bag check and found a spot in the grass to sit down and refuel. REI, who sponsored the race, was providing fresh squeezed juice and other running goodies to runners, along with photo ops for celebrating the finish line. After a nice cool down and stretch and some final photos, I made my way back through the park to my hotel.

I was checking out that day and flying back to Baltimore that evening, so I packed up my duffle and headed down to the coffee shop next to the hotel lobby. It was another beautiful fall day, so I ordered a pumpkin spice latte and sat outside at George Howell Coffee to read my book for a while. To just sit and enjoy the moment with nowhere to be felt refreshing.

A few chapters and an empty coffee later, I was starting to get hungry. I wanted to stop by Harpoon Brewery (one of my New England favorites) before heading to the airport. I arrived in time to watch college football while enjoying a festbier and a giant square slice of Detroit style pepperoni pizza. It hit the spot.

By the time I made it back home to my bed later that night, I was the kind of exhausted that leaves you with a smile on your face. I had the perfect fall weekend in Boston, complete with delicious food, beautiful surroundings and lots of moving my body. I just may sign up again next year.