Monument Avenue 10k

Yesterday I ran my first race ever. With only about 37,000 other people. And a temperature in the 30s.

But it was great! I've been around Richmond for a few years now, but I've never even gone to watch the Monument Avenue 10k. So not only was it my first run, but it was my first time seeing all the costumes, bands, cheerleaders, and friendly spectators. I really made an effort to enjoy the race, so I said things to myself like "look at that adorable bulldog on the sidewalk!" or "I'm so happy there is a string band playing on that porch!" or "hello Uncle Stonewall!" when I passed the Stonewall Jackson monument.


Check out the running dinosaur shirts Josh and I painted!


Celebrating with a post-run beer at Capital Ale House

My goal was to finish in less that 60 minutes, which I did (just barely). However, the crowd was so huge in the beginning (I heard there were 1,500 in my wave) that I didn't make a serious effort to zoom around people and get ahead, I just went with the flow. Now that I've seen my results and I know I came in around 10,200th place (which, hey, was still in the top third), I'm itching to try again and do better.

ten miles plus!

Yesterday afternoon Josh and I set out for our ten mile run but it didn't really work out and instead turned into a lovely spring walk. (Not a ten mile walk, however.) This morning I set out on my own, and I succeeded at the ten miles! It's kind of crazy how far you can get in a small city in ten miles. There was an unfortunate period where I made a wrong turn and ran several blocks in the wrong direction and had to double back. I tried to compensate by ending the run sooner, but it still turns out I ran ten and a half miles. Before today the farthest I'd ever run was eight miles, so this is pretty exciting.

It was a disaster!

Yesterday I went to Northern Virginia to visit my new grad school for the first time. I was supposed to be there at 9:30am, so to be on the safe side I left my apartment at 6:30am. Or at least I tried to, before I locked my keys in my car. With the engine on.

It was still dark out. My purse and phone were already in the car. I was stuck. So I found another apartment with lights on and knocked on the stranger's door. Luckily the guy who answered was fully dressed. At 6:30 in the morning. He let me use his phone and he had the AAA number, so that was great. Then he left for work and I waited outside until 7:45 for the AAA guy to show up. Yesterday's high was in the upper 60s, and I was ready for it. But the temperature from 6:30-7:45? Not so high. By the time the AAA guy arrived I was a popsicle. When he handed me a pen to sign on the line I dropped it because my hands were numb. But at least I got into my car (which, by the way, was an inferno because I'd turned the heat up before the door locked).

Then I high-tailed it for NoVa and arrived by 10:10, and the rest of the day turned out much better than the morning.

time flies

Today was my one year anniversary at my (not-new-anymore) job. This is the longest-running full-time position I've held. Not because I can't stay employed, mind you, but because my former jobs were mostly squeezed in around school semesters. And here's some news for you: I'm going back to school again! I've been accepted into a PhD program for history, so that's exciting. But this time I'm going to keep working at my current position full time, so the anniversaries can keep adding up.

more on the Vegas trip

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten to tell you about my Vegas trip.

Last weekend was Nascar weekend in Las Vegas, so naturally my family went and I flew out to join them. (As you may recall, we did the same thing last year.) It was pretty great.

My parents and Ryan drove in Wednesday afternoon and I flew in later that evening. Thursday I went for a two mile run around our hotel, and then we headed to the strip. We ate lunch at Mandalay Bay and visited the aquarium there. Then we went to MGM to see the lions and watch bartenders dance on the bar. We also went to New York New York where Ryan and I rode the roller coaster. Ryan bought me a pair of shoes for Christmas at the Planet Hollywood mall, and we saw the Nascar trucks parade down the strip. That night we saw the Lion King.


Dad with the Crown Royal (Matt Kenseth's) car in Mandalay Bay.

Friday we met up with my aunt and uncle (who also drove from New Mexico for Nascar) for a breakfast buffet, then went to the strip. First we visited Circus Circus and Ryan and I rode more rides, then we watched an acrobat do circus tricks. Next we visited the Bellagio and rode the new tram through City Center. Then it was time for a snack so we went downtown for shrimp cocktails. We may have visited some other stuff in there too, but I can't keep it all straight. We ate dinner at Margaritaville because my aunt and uncle wanted to see the lady slide out of the volcano into a giant beer glass. Crazy stuff happens in Vegas.


Ready to take a ride at Circus Circus.

Later that night Ryan and I went back to the strip (we were all staying at hotels off the strip, same as last time) and ended up hanging out at a bar in the MGM trying to win a signed Matt Kenseth jacket for Dad (Kenseth is his Nascar driver). We filled out lots of (free) drawing tickets and got a free hat and flashing button, but when they finally held the drawing at midnight some Canadian guy next to us won the jacket instead.


Parents at the Bellagio.

Saturday was the first race, which I went to with Dad, Ryan, and my uncle. It was delayed for 1.5 hours due to rain, and once the rain left and the race started it was windy and freezing, so not the best of times. For dinner we had Mexican at my aunt and uncles hotel, then went next door to our hotel and I won eighty bucks on a penny slot machine. I then proceeded to lose thirty of that on the same machine, but I came out with fifty dollar profit!

Sunday the guys and my aunt went to the race, and I went to breakfast with Mom. Then I ran eight miles for my half marathon training. After my shower Mom and I went back to the strip and visited the dolphins and tigers at the Mirage. We also walked around the Venetian, but then my poor feet were sore so we rested at a trendy bar back at the Mirage. We met up with the rest of the gang after their race was over for a steak dinner. Then Ryan and I headed back to the strip to watch the volcano erupt at the Mirage and live it up on our last night in Vegas.


I hope we do it again next year.

still in the snow

I'm more than ready for spring to hurry up and get here, but in the meantime there is still winter fun to be had. Today Josh and I met up with his aunt and cousin at Massanutten for two hours of snow tubing. There was lots of waiting involved (waiting to get up the moving sidewalk to the top of the hill, waiting in line, waiting for slow people to clear the lanes...), but we had a pretty good time. I went down sitting up, laying on my belly, spinning, and attached to Josh's tube. On my last run I spun around so much that when I reached the bottom and got up to walk away I was too dizzy and fell flat on my back. That was embarrassing.

Viva Las Vegas

I just got back from a trip to Las Vegas. I'll tell you more soon, but in the meantime please enjoy this gem: