The Last Getaway

Although we weren't able to travel to Ireland in November as we originally planned, C & I did want to plan one last getaway, just the two of us, before Baby W makes his grand appearance. We decided to extend Halloween weekend, and travel somewhere Sunday - Tuesday. That way, we got Saturday at home to do various housework and such, and also hand out candy in the neighborhood (we had over 100 trick-or-treaters!), and then had a few days off work for our mini-vacation.

We tossed around a number of ideas of locations, knowing that we wanted something A) close by (sitting in a car for several hours isn't my idea of fun when I'm not pregnant), so within a few hours of our house, and B) somewhere we had never been / stayed before. That meant we eliminated our go-to "getaway" locations of the lake house and Williamsburg, which are places we truly enjoy and are able to go to and relax, but aren't new and different.

After lots of googling and time spent looking at the map, we settled on a long weekend at Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville, VA. We've driven past it lots of times on our way to the lake and other places, but neither of us had ever really spent any amount of time in Charlottesville (it's the home of UVA, arch-rival of Virginia Tech - so why would we?!) It turned out to be a fantastic location, and we had an amazing trip! I'm so pleased that we were able to find some time to relax and fill up our "quality time" banks, just the two of us.

The goal of our trip was to unplug, recharge, relax, and enjoy ourselves. We intentionally did not set agendas or make plans, other than a few suggestions of things we might like to do if we had the time and desire. C's request was to find somewhere to watch football on Sunday afternoon, and my request was a little pampering via the spa at the Inn. Other than that, we were completely free. That meant Sunday night's dinner end up being Zoe's takeout in our room because I couldn't stand the thought of getting dressed and going to a restaurant, and Monday afternoon naps in the peace and quiet of our room. We didn't feel obligated to pack the time we had with activities, and instead enjoyed a few days of leisure. We visited the pedestrian mall and sat in a coffee shop reading. We walked around the property of The Boar's Head with cups of coffee and tea. We went for bagels for breakfast in our pajamas (what, the college kids were doing it!).

Sunday and Monday were cloudy and damp, but Tuesday was a sunny, beautiful autumn day. We took advantage of the sunshine to visit Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, for a tour, which neither of us had done since grade school. We were pleasantly surprised to find an all-new visitor / education center, which was really great, and a nice gift shop and cafe. The tour was interesting, and it was a perfect day to be standing on top of a mountain, with views for miles! We also stopped by Carter Mountain Orchard before heading home - not to pick our own fruit (another time), but to get apple cider donuts and a few already-picked apples. I turned them into a delicious apple cobbler later, which was a great by-product of our trip. Yum!

All in all, it was just what we were hoping to get out of our "last" baby-free vacation. I'm so glad we took the time to plan a little trip, and made it a priority to get some "us" time before we become a family of three. I know lots of people plan big, extravagant "baby moons," but that really wasn't what we were looking for. We just needed a few days to unplug and connect, which is exactly what we got. Perfection!

Where We Stayed
Boar's Head Inn, Charlottesville, VA
C picked this place, and it was wonderful. Just a few minutes from "downtown" Charlottesville, so we had easy access to anywhere / anything we needed, but felt like an oasis of calm. It was beautiful and rustic, which we love, and, because we were staying at the beginning of the week at a non-peak time, practically deserted. I think we were one of just two or three cars parked outside our section of rooms, and we hardly saw another person other than groundskeepers and other staff. We opted for a room overlooking the lake on the property, and enjoyed sitting on our deck for morning coffee. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the amenities were great. We would definitely splurge to stay at Boar's Head again!

Where We Ate
The Virginian - this restaurant is right by UVA's campus, and touts itself as "a Charlottesville Tradition Since 1923" and Charlottesville's oldest restaurant. The menu has some really delicious-sounding things on it, but, to be honest, I really wasn't impressed. It was cramped, dark, kind of dirty, and had rather gross bathrooms. C had really good fried chicken, but my Reuben sandwich was sub-par.

Lazy Parrot Backyard Barbecue - found this one during a Google search for barbecue (C's request), and we were pleasantly surprised. It's a dive bar, and there were some sketchy-looking people sitting inside drinking in the middle of a weekday (you do you, I guess!) but the food was really good. I had a pulled pork sandwich and C had ribs - both were fantastic.

Bodo's Bagels - another local Charlottesville favorite! There used to be a bagel shop in my hometown when I was little, and I still remember the amazing, fresh bagels (anything else is NOTHING like a fresh bagel!). We chose Bodo's for breakfast both mornings, and were very happy with the simple menu, quick service, and, of course, homemade bagels.

Mudhouse Coffee Roasters - we hung out at Mudhouse one evening reading and relaxing, which we never get to do. Located in the Pedestrian Mall, the coffeehouse is tucked in among other shops and restaurants. Totally hipster (not exactly my thing) but with a laid-back, college vibe. I had an individual pot of tea (so cute) and C had a latte. I also had an oatmeal raisin cookie - stick with the drinks; the cookie was dry but okay.

Wild Wing Cafe - since we got to Charlottesville on Sunday afternoon, C wanted to find somewhere to watch football and hang out for a bit. A Google search led us to this bar, located (somewhat confusingly) right next to the train station. We snagged a booth and settled in for a bit. We shared some appetizers and C tried a couple things off their beer menu (always love local beers on draft!). Particularly delicious was "David's Chicken and Friends," which I expected to be a shredded chicken dip, but it was not. Instead, diced grilled chicken is just topped with cheddar and broiled til melty, then covered in bacon, scallions, and ranch, and served with tortilla chips. So simple - a total "why didn't we think of this?!" item. Try it!

What We Did
Boar's Head Inn Spa - my single request for the "babymoon" was to go somewhere with spa so I could indulge a bit. The spa at the Boar's Head totally fit the bill. I enjoyed a manicure and pedicure before a prenatal massage, and absolutely loved the pampering. The spa staff were so sweet and accommodating, the amenities were lovely, and the services were wonderful. It was the perfect way to spend a morning!

Charlottesville Historic Downtown Mall - we parked in a garage and wandered around the Pedestrian Mall several times, ducking in and out of various shops and reading restaurant menus. We had good walking weather, so it was nice to just stroll and people-watch. Personally, I love that many of the restaurants have large outdoor seating sections lining the center of the mall. Such a great way to use the space.

Monticello - our one "touristy" activity for our short trip to Charlottesville was a visit to Monticello. Neither of us had been there since field trips in grade school, so we were basically seeing it with new eyes. There is a gorgeous visitors' center that was built a few years ago, and a bus to take you to the top of the mountain for your tour of the house (MUCH appreciated by me at 8 months pregnant - not sure I would have made it if we'd had to walk!). The tour is led by extremely knowledgeable guides, and I found it very interesting but also just long enough. They kept the groups moving quickly through the house, offering facts and stories about ol' TJ and his home, without overdoing it. Following the tour, C & I wandered a bit on our own and enjoyed the same views Jefferson did. It was picturesque!

Carter Mountain Orchard - we drove past the orchard on our way up to Monticello, and I knew I wanted to stop on the way back down. I've seen lots of friends head to Carter Mountain for apple picking, but had never been myself. Other than the fact that it was absolutely packed on a Tuesday afternoon (who were all those people, and why weren't all those kids in school?!), it was a great place. We opted to fill a bag with already-picked fruit rather than go off picking our own (another time!), and I made sure to have a fresh apple-cider donut... SO good. Bonus: Bold Rock Hard Cider, a company local to the area, has a little nook where they doing cider tastings and sell their goods. Definitely a fan! I look forward to taking a trip back to Carter Mountain when we have a little bambino who will enjoy apple picking and running around.

Shreddin' fresh pow

We take a (mostly) annual (mostly) family ski trip every year, and it is a blast. Some friend-neighbors of my parents have a house in Deep Creek, MD, where Wisp Resort is located, and they let us rent it at a discount for a long weekend most years (when we remember to call them in time!). We headed up for MLK Jr weekend this year, and packed the house with friends and family. Our newlywed friends, Josh and Mo, have recently decided to become pro snowboarders (or at least improve their skills ;)) so we brought them along for the adventure this year. We had a blast hitting the slopes, playing games, watching movies, and eating and drinking our weight in yummy food and adult drinks. Everyone survived the weekend and returned home unscathed (albeit a few bruises for most). Work has been stressful lately, and spending a few days in the mountains, unplugged and off-the-grid, was exactly what I needed to recharge. Ski Weekend 2014 was definitely a success!

So long, sweet summer

Happy day-after-Labor-Day!

Hope you had as fantastic of a weekend as I did, and sent summer 2013 off with a bang.

C was on a bachelor party trip to New Orleans this weekend, so I was on my own. On Friday afternoon, I headed down to the lake house to spend some QT with the fam, disconnected from the world.

It involved boat rides, beers, and smoked ribs courtesy of my sister and brother-in-law. And birthday cake. Completely winning combination, if you ask me.

Everything is still so green! Thanks to all the rain we've been getting this summer

Decked out our dock :)

Puppy-brother! My sister's puppy enjoying the boat ride with me

Smoking away!

 

Photo-bombed!

My daddy, the captain

   

I spy our dock!... down there on the right

I came home slightly sunburned and very exhausted, but also completely relaxed. Even though it stormed every afternoon, we still got to enjoy lots of time out on the boat, and lots of fun and laughs. Just wanted I needed! When I got home last night, C and I wrapped up the weekend with a quick trip to the grocery store & dinner from Chipotle, then several episodes of the Big Bang Theory. Couldn't have asked for a better evening!

Let's be real though - I, like every other girl / blogger / person on facebook, can't stop thinking about how much I'm ready for fall. I want it right now! I'm longing for pumpkins and football Sundays and tights. However, given that I was already sweating at 6:30 this morning, it seems like I won't be getting my wish for awhile. Summer is holding on for dear life, at least for a bit longer, whether we said goodbye this weekend or not...

Travel Tales: NYC, Part 2

When I left off back in January, I'd gone through most of our pre-Christmas day trip to NYC. We had quite an adventure, and were heading towards one of our main destinations of the day: Ground Zero.

When I first started planning this trip, I knew that I wanted to try to fit in a trip to Ground Zero. That turned out to be more of a challenge than I expected - I didn't know that you needed to book timed-entry passes until just a few days before our trip, and I almost didn't get them. When I first looked at the site, there were entry times available for that Saturday, but I didn't get them right then, and the next time I looked, they were gone. However, a friend suggested to keep looking, as sometimes more entry times are added. I did that, and on Thursday managed to secure four tickets for late Saturday afternoon.

We took a taxi from Times Square to Ground Zero (so much easier than figuring out the subway or anything, and took us less time, too - and not so expensive, considering there were four of us in the cab) and got there about 45 minutes before our entry time. We found a hotel bar and had a beer and thawed out before making our way over.

Security at Ground Zero is obviously intense - lots of lines, and guards, and metal detectors. Everyone has to have a ticket to get in, and each ticket has a specific name printed on it. They warn you that you may be asked for photo ID (we never were). At one point, you have to go through metal detectors and take off coats, shoes, hats, etc. - it all seems rather thorough. I was surprised to find that everything moved quite smoothly, though, and before we knew it, we were standing in the middle of the site.

I will never forget those moments (and am actually tearing up a bit just thinking about it all again). It had gotten dark already (it was about 4:30 PM by then) and everything was lit up. It was surreal to be standing there, seeing those gigantic holes in the ground, hearing the rushing water, and seeing so many names. All my memories of September 11 flooded through me. I was young, just starting high school, when it happened, but my memories and mental images from that day are so vivid - and standing there, trying to imagine what it could have been like, was almost too much. It was a powerful, emotional experience.

The Survivor Tree

Those moments at the memorial are some that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

We finished out our day with dinner at an incredible restaurant -the Blue Planet Grill in the Financial District, right by Ground Zero.

As we excited the memorial, we tried to figure out what we should do next. We had a few hours left before we needed to catch the bus back home, so we could either go back to the heart of the city and find somewhere for dinner, or we could find dinner where we were and then go back. As we stood in the cold debating, my mom suddenly looked up and saw a sign right in front of us: the Blue Planet Grill. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, "multiple people told me to find this restaurant and eat there if I could!" ....Decision made. We tumbled into the restaurant, and were very, very happy to hear that, though they had a large reservation for the majority of the dining room in a few hours, they'd be happy to seat us for dinner then. Perfect!

I cannot say enough good things about BPG. It touts itself as a "global fusion" restaurant, with "liquid art" cocktails. The food was absolutely scrumptious. It's a bit of an eclectic menu, and so we had a variety of dishes. I went with the beef stroganoff, which I could have just passed out over. It was comfort food at its finest, with melt-in-my-mouth beef tips and a delicious, creamy gravy. I practically licked my plate! My mom had short rib tacos, while my dad went with homemade creamy mushroom soup and a Greek salad. C chose chicken kebabs, which were so tender and juicy. Everyone was happy with their meal, and we were so glad that we'd found our way into that restaurant - it was like it was meant to be! I also got ambitious and tried a new-to-me drink: a Moscow Mule! The homemade ginger beer absolutely made it. A little sweet, a little spicy - it warmed me right up. Yum! If you ever find yourself in the Financial District looking for a great place to eat, make a reservation at BPG. You won't regret it! I just wish we could have tried even more things on the menu.

Terrible photo, but that's my Moscow Mule in there!

To-die-for beef stroganoff

C's chicken kabobs and homemade chips

Greek salad

Dinner at the BPG was the perfect way to end our day in the city. We all climbed the bus back to DC absolutely stuffed, and happy as clams. All in all, I think the day turned out perfectly. We may not have seen all the tourist sites or checked a bunch of places off in a tourist guidebook, but we saw what we wanted to and enjoyed each others' company, and kept the day quite stress-free, to boot! I'm already looking forward to our next adventure in NYC!

Race Recap: Rothman Institute 8k

The weekend before Thanksgiving, C and I packed up the car, picked up my friend, Caity, and ventured north up to Philadelphia. The reason for the road trip? To see my sweet friend, Lizzy, and run the Rothman Institute 8k!

After running the May Day 5k together, the three of us decided we wanted to do another race together, and we used the opportunity to find one up near Lizzy so that we had a reason (not that we need one! Promise) to visit. We registered for the Rothman Institute 8k, which is part of the Philadelphia Marathon weekend, back in May, and I’ll admit, it kind of fell off my radar until November. It wasn’t that I forgot about it, there was just so much else going on that it slipped to the back of my mind! Caity and I threw together a carpool plan, though, and with C as our chauffeur, made the (relatively) easy drive up 95 to the City of Brotherly Love.

We got in late Friday night, and the race was set to start at 7:30 AM on Saturday (why so early, Rothman people?!) so we went to bed pretty soon after. C headed out with Lizzy’s fiance and some friends for a few drinks at a bar nearby, and us girls hit the hay. Other than some minor 2 AM excitement (C may or may not have gotten lost at a bar… he maintains that he knew where he was the whole time and was, therefore, not lost), we slept like rocks until our alarms went off on Saturday morning!



Ready to run!

Lizzy was the sweetest host, and had coffee, bagels, and bananas ready for our pre-race meal. Exactly what the doctor ordered! After dressing (in a LOT of layers – it was freezing! …literally), we headed for the starting line, which was a few blocks from Lizzy’s apartment. We got there with just enough spare time to shed our top layers, check our bag, and find a good spot in the middle of the crowd. Before we knew it, the gun went off and off we ran!
_____

Pros and Cons

Pro: The route was really nice. It was scenic – we ran along the river, past the Rocky steps, and around a number of other little landmarks. It was mostly flat, and the road was plenty wide.

Pro: This was my first race with my new Garmin Forerunner 10, and I LOVED it. It was so handy to see my distance and pace and keep myself on track. Plus, I felt like a “real runner” – except for when I realized I’d forgotten my sunglasses, and had to run glaring into the sun for half the race. Rookie mistake!

Pro: No back pain! I was a bit sore the next day, but it was more like “I haven’t used those muscles” sore, not “ow, that hurts” sore. Success!

Con: The race started so early, and there were no other events afterwards, so I’m not sure why. Could have had an 8 or even 8:30 AM start-time, and I think it would have been fine, plus a bit warmer. Meh. I’m not a race planner, I’ll leave that to the experts.

Con: This race was, like I mentioned, part of the Philadelphia Marathon weekend, and it was the day before the half and full marathons. My issue here was that it sort of felt like the 8k was an after-thought – things weren’t exactly fully set up, there was no medical tent (as far as I could find, and we searched), and it didn’t seem like it was quite a “big deal” since the “real” race was the next day. Perhaps I’m just being whiny, but I wanted to feel important, too!

Con: Everything after the finish line was completely disorganized. Water felt like it was a mile away, and the fruit, power bars, and other goodies were even farther away. I walked the whole way down and got my snacks, but Lizzy and Caity missed them, because they didn’t realize where they needed to go. There was no one directing traffic, and not even a sign or anything saying where to go. It was rather confusing, especially after the finish line at the Wicked 10k was so organized. Boo to that!
_____

Lizzy, Caity, and I ran together for the first 3.5 miles or so, and then Caity and I decided we wanted to push ourselves and see if we could get under 50 minutes. We got a nice burst of speed… and then I sped off even more. I felt really, really, good, and I really felt like I could push myself hard for that last mile. I crossed the finish line at around 52 minutes, and I was a little disappointed, until I looked at my Garmin. I’d forgotten about the lag time from the start – my watch said I was more like 49 minutes! When the official results came in, they were even better:

48:58!

My previous 8k time was over 30 seconds slower, and I had actually trained for that one (that was my first official race of this year/first time "being a runner" – training was necessary!). In this case, I hadn’t trained, I was just coming off an injury, and I’d generally been doing very little running or exercise at all. I’m pretty pleased that I was able to shave a few seconds off my previous time, even with all those barriers in my way! Plus, my back felt good, and I felt fantastic while I was running – a huge improvement over the terrible run I’d had the weekend before. For every bad run, there’s a good run waiting! Lucky for me, my good run came just in time for a race.

Horrible picture... but the Rocky steps are behind us! The sun was so bright. Fail.

HOORAY!

After us three girls all finished, we met up with C, Lizzy’s fiance, and their friends, and headed off to find breakfast. The Philly dwellers took us to an amazing bagel joint called Spread, where we got incredible bagel, egg, and bacon sandwiches – the PERFECT post-race meal! That and another cup of coffee, and I was a happy, happy camper.

The rest of our quick trip to Philly involved impromptu afternoon naps, followed by showers and a visit to Reading Terminal Market.

Lizzy, Caity, and me

We chowed down on delicious, legit Philly cheese steaks. So good, and worth every greasy, carb-loaded bite. Yum!

After lunch, we piled back into the car and hit the road. We were back home by about 6:30 that night, having spent under 24 hours on our whirlwind trip to Philadelphia. We had a blast, though, and are already talking about next year – I think we’re all on pace to do the half marathon, and then maybe we can participate in a “real” race! Ha.

Philadelphia skyline as we headed home

I’m officially two weeks out from my first half marathon. This 8k was my last race before The Big One, and I’m so happy that it went so well – it gave me just the push and motivation to feel ready for the half. The countdown is on: December 9 is right around the corner!

Race Recap: Wicked 10K

Yesterday, I had one of my worst runs ever. I was cleared by my chiropractor on Thursday to “jump back into it,” and I took his word for all it was worth – yesterday Suz & I decided to do seven miles, easily my longest run in months. We are officially signed up for our half-marathon on December 9, meaning we are just over a month away, and we (I) have got to get back into training mode and get back into shape. So, off we went. And it was awful. We were doing an out-and-back, and the out actually felt really good. Nothing was hurting too badly, my breathing was ok, the temperature was good. Once we turned around, though, it was all downhill from there (except it was mostly uphill… issues). My legs were tired, I couldn’t breathe, my back hurt. I actually slowed down to walk up a few hills because my body was just saying no. Suz was fantastic, as usual (you’re the best, friend!), pep-talking me and staying slow with me and encouraging me to lay down on the path and stretch like a maniac. We finished a little over seven miles in a little over an hour, and I proved to myself that my endurance is shoddy and my body is in desperate need of some conditioning before December 9. Eeeeek. Previous goal: half in under two hours. New goal: finish half. Blerg. My body feels awful today – everything is sore. Back to Square One.

So, since yesterday was so horrible, I figured that it was as good a time as any to write my Race Recap for the Wicked 10k! (Also, because the race was weeks ago, and as I have another race this weekend, I’m about to be miserably behind. But that is neither here nor there.) The best way to come off a horrible run is to remember a great one, right?...

Race Recap

I can easily say that the Wicked 10k was one of my favorite,  favorite, favorite races/runs to-date. It was my first J & A race, and I was blown away by how organized everything was, how simple it was, and how generous they were. I don’t think I have one single complaint about this race!

My sister and I headed to Virginia Beach on Friday night, amidst many warnings about the impending hurricane that was due to make landfall that weekend. Hurricane, schmurricane – we had a race to run! Nat & I signed up for the Wicked 10K in the early summer – we had been looking forward to it for months, and nothing was going to stand in our way! Key note: this race was sponsored by Blue Moon, and one of the incentives was free beer for all finishers. Done and done. Not even my old-woman back… my doctor had recommended that I take it very easy, listen to my body, and not push myself. As badly as I wanted to race this one, I knew that I couldn’t. I had to make the healthy choice. And so I headed into the weekend resigned to that fact.

Nat and I got to VB 15 minutes before the expo closed and raced in to pick up our packets. It was actually a breeze (insert hurricane jokes, starting immediately…), and we got our numbers, tech tees, and “I’m 21 so I can drink beer after the race” wristbands in just a few minutes. We met up with Nat’s OUR (better, Lush??) friend, Lauren, and chowed down on pizza (pre-race fuel! Or that’s how we justified it) before crashing for the night at our rather-sketchy hotel. 

Waking up on Saturday morning was actually easy – we all got ready pretty quick and were feeling good. The Wicked 10k is a Halloween-themed race, and costumes are encouraged. We had no idea how seriously people take this – we saw some AMAZING costumes… that must have been hell to run in. It’s a big deal, though, and we were wishing we’d been more prepared! Nat brought the mouse ears that she’d made for another costume, and we painted whiskers on our face, dressed in black and grey, and went as mice. It didn’t work out too well, though, because the gale-force winds (hurricane, remember?) kept knocking the ears off our heads, long before the race even started. So the ears went into the backpack, and we looked like normal runners… with whiskers. Don’t judge.

Pre-Race Mice

The start of the race was so smooth – corrals were released every 90 seconds, and it put a good distance between groups so that everyone wasn’t right on top of each other at the beginning. We actually ran over the starting line, and we felt good.

Lost the ears already... oh well. Ready to go!

BFFs

The original idea was to run two miles, walk two, and run the last two, and then alter the plan depending on how I/we felt. We ended up just running and slowing to walk whenever we needed a break, and I didn’t really keep track, but I think we probably ran 2/3 and walked 1/3, just not as specifically as we’d originally intended. We went at a nice, slow place, enjoying the live music along the race path, interacting with spectators (special shout-out to the people we got paper cups of Natty Light from… they were amazing), and not trying to push ourselves at all. Honestly, I don’t even think I got out of breath during this race. The course was completely flat (being at the beach will do that) and it was such an easy run. The only hard part was, again, the gale-force winds. The wind actually slowed up to a walk at some points, because it was blowing so strong against us! The really bad part was when we were actually on the boardwalk – the wind was blowing the sand around, and it was hitting our faces, legs, and arms. Any skin that wasn’t covered was being exfoliated – who knew there were spa benefits to this race? HA.

Angry ocean mid-run... hurricane on the way!

Still a beautiful backdrop for a run... even if the sand was scraping my skin off!

Action shot!

Gorgeous. Calm before the storm.

We picked up the pace a bit as we neared the finish line, and all three of us crossed together. Even the finish line was organized – there were so many volunteers, and they had everyone lined up handing out water, bananas, power bars, and medals. There was no mad rush for tents of food or anything – you just kept walking down the boardwalk, taking things as they were handed to you. SO EASY. Loved it.

I went straight to the medical tent to get iced and wrapped, and Nat and Lauren went and picked up our backpack. It took about five minutes to get taken care of in the med tent, and I’m really thankful for that – I know that being able to get ice on my back so quickly definitely helped with how good I felt afterwards. I was a little bit sore, but it was more about being sore from running than actual pain in my back. Hooray!

The three of us made our way back to the Convention Center, where the “After Party” was being held. Originally, it was supposed to be under big tents on the beach, but due to the impending hurricane, J & A made the decision to move the party indoors well in advance. I will say, that was another thing that I thought was fantastic about this race – the communication was excellent. There were regular emails before the race with information and emails the day before discussing how the weather was going to affect the race. I didn’t have to search for info or wonder what was going on – J & A was completely upfront and connected the whole time. So great! I'm looking into the other J & A races, because there is really something to be said for a well-organized race. It was such a nice event overall that I'd really love to do another of their races - my experience this time definitely bodes well for the future.
At the Convention Center, we cashed in our tickets for bread bowls of chili and those coveted Blue Moons… beers never tasted so good! 

Done! 10k Finishers

Feeling so good! Happy to be done & pain-free

Me and my big little sister <3

Little lush finished, too

We ate and enjoyed the warmth and the music for a bit before going back to the hotel for showers and cleaning up. Natalie and I were on the road home by about 12:30 PM, full, tired, and happy. A stop at Chipotle right before we got home was possibly the best decision of the entire weekend. We’d had an absolute blast, and couldn’t stop talking about how much fun we’d had and what a great race it was. 

We will definitely be signing up for the 2013 Wicked 10k, and we’re already brainstorming costume ideas. Now that we know how seriously people take that part of it, we are determined to do better! And, obviously, we are hoping for some better weather next year… We are very glad that Hurricane Sandy didn’t interfere with our fun at all (especially given what happened in the next few days).  I had so much fun with Nat and Lauren, I had a great (slow) race, I finished my first official 10k, and I got my first race medal! I loved doing this race with my sister, too. She is my original run buddy, my original racing partner; we have so much fun together when we do things like that, and I was glad that we got to experience this one together. As I said before… not sure I have one single complaint about that race. Can’t wait for 2013!

Pretty sweet, no? Love it!