Flying pirate half marathon

What an experience! 
My old college roommate and good friend Chris wanted to do a half marathon.  Since she drove all the way to Savannah for my first marathon I told her to pick a race and I'd do it with her.  She chose this race held in the outer banks of North Carolina.

Originally Suzy was going to run with us but she got slammed with end of the year schoolwork. So, I woke up early morning and drove the 9.5 hours it took to get to Kill Devil Hills/Kitty Hawk, NC. It was a long drive, thank goodness I had the sense to download an audiobook onto my iphone. I listened to The Girl who played with Fire all the way there and half of the drive back.

Two of my college buddies and I reliving old memories :)
The day I got there, the weather was perfect.  That night though, mother nature had other plans and it rained all evening and the entire day Sunday. This, of course, included race time.  I don't mind running but I do mind being wet and running, so I was just miserable the entire race.  It was a lovely course and the promoters put on a damn good race.  If they could have done something about the torrential downpours though.

 Here I am at the Wright Brother's Memorial.
I don't think I could have been any happier to cross the finish line. Seriously, I was completely aggravated and disheveled by Mile 13. The last .2 miles were the longest in my life.

It looked like a great after party. We even got egg biscuits, visors and a really nice medal.

After I got back to the hotel and cleaned up, I had a great weekend hanging out with some very good friends. I love the fact that we are just as goofy now as we were 20 years ago. It's good to know that some things never do change.

Head West Young Man

The Allhoffs pulled out of Beverly Hills this morning, on their journey to northern California.  I still don't think it's hit me that they have sold their house and moved away. It happened so much quicker than anyone could have ever imagined. Good for them that they made money on their house and they will be closer to Karen's family.  Sad for us though, they had truly become some of our best friends.

It's not often that you come across people that you can genuinely get along with and totally admire and we hated to see them go.  I think it's going to be a long time before I can drive by their house and not totally tear up. What an amazing couple, so down to earth and so much fun.

I think we sent them off well, 4 nights of drinking and good food as they packed up their house.  I wish them the safest and most fun trip they can have under the circumstances (those being they are driving a ginormous moving truck).  We love you Allhoffs!

Spring Malaise

I don’t like spring!  Sure it’s colorful, everything is rejuvenated and the weather is gorgeous but I just can’t stand it.  I can’t enjoy the outdoors like I want because of pollen.  My reaction to it isn’t the general stuffy congestion most get, I simply sneeze and sleep a lot.  My only motivation is trying to figure out a way for another nap.   I’ve been trying different allergy meds this year but I still haven’t found the perfect match for me.  I’m simply grumping through this time of year, trying to keep up but feeling like I’m falling deeper and deeper into a rut.  It will pass, it always does and then I will get back to my kick ass lifestyle.

My running has almost hit the wall.  I’m getting out and doing a couple of runs a week, it’s just way too easy to make excuses not to at the moment. I have a half marathon this weekend, it might just be what I need to jump start my running again.

 Paleo has been almost nonexistent this past couple of weeks.  I’m not gobbling down cokes and cupcakes yet but it sure has been easy to eat a piece of chocolate and not feel remorseful.  Our neighbors are moving to California tomorrow and I think part of my reasoning for bad eating was that I wanted to hang out with them.  Once they are gone I think we will become more regimented again, it’s so much easier to eat your own food than someone else’s.

I don’t want to lose what I’ve worked so hard to gain.