The south is known for lots of things – sweet Georgia peaches, the Master’s, cold iced tea, shrimp and grits, pimento cheese and thick southern drawls. As a runner, there are 3 things the south is known for: heat, humidity and sweat. Lots of it. I spent the past weekend in Savannah, Georgia, confirming this truth. I attended a fitness conference called FitBloggin’ that included some killer workouts and steamy runs. Running in Savannah and eating my way through the city was the theme of the weekend. But most importantly, I connected with some truly amazing runners, athletes and fitness enthusiasts who inspired and re-energized me.

The FitBloggin’ conference is an event for bloggers who write about fitness, wellness, food and a healthy lifestyle, regardless of where they are in their journey. From people who had lost 200+ pounds to world class triathletes, there were individuals from all walks of life and fitness levels – and we were all able to work out together.

My trip started with my pal Sarah Canney from Run Far Girl arriving in Atlanta (from New Hampshire) to make the 4-hour road trip and fitness weekend with me.

Sarah and I met online 2 years ago and eventually in person at the Hood to Coast Relay last year. She is one of my favorite runners and bloggers and she inspires me daily. I’m also obsessed with her 2 amazing kids (Jack and Sophia) who are hilarious and adorable. (Sarah is also one of 9 finalists to be on the cover of Women’s Running Magazine, so be sure to vote for her on every electronic device you can find before the end of the day on Wednesday, July 2. She is Sarah C. in the voting.)

Thursday

Before starting our road trip, I took Sarah to Atlanta’s world famous Piedmont Park where the Peachtree Road Race (the world’s largest 10K) finishes, overlooking downtown and midtown Atlanta. We went for a short 2.5-mile run and then did some of Sarah’s glute and hip-strengthening exercises. And yes, we were drenched in sweat (this was the trend of the weekend).

Finally, we were off!

We arrived in Savannah and had a beautiful view of the city from our room at the Doubletree Hotel on Bay Street.

That evening we ate a DELICIOUS meal at the Olde Pink House. If you find yourself in Savannah, make sure you plan to eat dinner here. We had an amazing drink called the hummingbird that had sparkling wine, elderflower liquor and honey. We shared some southern-inspired appetizers for our meal that we had no time to take pictures of because they were in our bellies before we could even think about capturing their beauty on film.

Friday

We kicked off our first full day in Savannah with a 6 a.m. boot camp class that was held in one of Savannah’s historic squares. Erin from Power Fitness PDX led the class, and she was amazing. In addition to running, we did a combination of cardio exercises and strength work, like planks, push-ups and reverse planks. I looked like I had just jumped in a pool. I was SO sore the next morning!

Later that afternoon, we hit the hotel treadmill for an afternoon run (4 miles at an easy pace).

For dinner on Friday we hit up the Bohemian Hotel’s Rocks on the Roof. It is a bar/restaurant on the roof of the hotel overlooking the river and the city. We sat outside and I enjoyed a glass of Prosecco with a delicious salad, black-eyed pea hummus and meat and cheese tray.

Saturday

On Saturday, Sarah and I explored Savannah by – what else – running. We really enjoyed running in Savannah, despite the humidity and heat. We ran 3 miles through downtown, including along the river and on the cobblestones of River Street. The sun was just starting to rise and we had a beautiful backdrop.

After grabbing some yogurt and fruit, we took a PiYo and Insanity class. PiYo is a combination of pilates and yoga to music while insanity is an all-out cardio workout. It was my first time taking both classes and I certainly don’t think it will be my last. Our instructors were Katy from katywidrick.com and Kat from KatrinaElle.com. They were both fabulous and made the class fun and energizing.

Saturday’s dinner was at Crystal Beer Parlor. We dined with the fabulous Melissa from Melissa Running It, Melissa from The Valentine RD and Allie from Vita Train 4 Life. We loved getting to know these amazing ladies and runners! We all splurged on beer and burgers. I had the brown ale burger that had beer and wasabi cream cheese in it along with sweet potato fries (zero calories and fat free, right?). Again, too delicious to take photos. We surprised Sarah (it was her birthday) with an Oreo mud pie that I am still dreaming about!

Sunday

We ended the conference weekend with a 10K run through Savannah with Jeff Galloway. runDisney was one of the conference sponsors, so in addition to meeting Mickey on Friday, we were surprised to have Jeff join us on Sunday morning. He led our run and had breakfast with us after. I ran with Allie from Vita Train 4 Life, who is a super-speedy runner/triathlete, mom of 5-year-old twins and a complete bad ass! We went over the large bridge in Savannah … twice. It was a long 400-600-meter climb up the hill, but the views and the down hills were worth it.

It was a wonderful weekend of workouts, but more importantly, it was a wonderful weekend connecting with other women who share a passion for living healthy, running and having fun along the way.

Have you ever been to Savannah? Where is your favorite place to eat in Savannah? If you’ve been running in Savannah, where is your favorite place to run there?