Today, I officially kicked off my race-a-month resolution of 2013 with the Atlanta Hot Chocolate 5k!
My alarm went off at 5 a.m., and I immediately checked the weather – 63 degrees and 94% humidity. In January. I was really hoping for this race to be chilly, but oh well. In what would prove to be my best decision of the day, I wore my trusty cropped Nike Dri-Fits and a tech tee from Tarjay. I scarfed my standard breakfast of oats with almond milk, peanut butter, and cinnamon before Mom snagged me at 5:45. We hit the road, driving through a foggy downtown Atlanta on the way. Couldn’t resist a blurry iPhone-from-the-car shot!
The race sold out (19,000 people total), so unsurprisingly, there was a good bit of traffic getting to the parking lots, but we were parked by 6:35, no problem. The corrals didn’t open until 7:15, so to kill some spare time, we walked around, scoping out the post-race party area; the music was already blaring, and there was a group Zumba warm-up going on that looked like a blast. Before we headed to our corrals, we took a picture with the sign I made for Mom.
I was assigned Corral C but managed to sneak back to Corral D with Mom so we could start together – sorry for being that person, race organizers, but I just had to!
Roughly nine minutes after the race officially started, our corral crossed the start line. As we ran up Capitol Avenue under the Olympic rings, I could see the Atlanta skyline shrouded in fog while “Born to Run” played in my ears. A perfect start, I’d say.
My multitasking-while-running skills are still not that great, so I have no photos of the actual course – fail of the race. There were enough hills to make the course interesting, although it wasn’t particularly scenic. We ran through a lot of Georgia State’s campus, and I caught myself getting a little nostalgic. I graduated from State five years ago, and I can still remember where what my first day on that campus was like.
Mom and I crossed the finish line holding hands (final time: 34:57) and immediately hit the water station for some non-chocolate refreshments. I was so hot and sweaty that chocolate was honestly the last thing on my mind until I guzzled some water. After our H20 fix, we walked to the Finisher’s Mug area where we waited in a very short line before a super friendly volunteer gave us our mugs. Look how cute!
We popped a squat in the middle of the madness of the Turner Field Green Lot and enjoyed our chocolate. The pretzels seemed to suffer from the humidity, but the hot chocolate and marshmallow, banana, rice krispie treat, and fondue hit the spot!
Final verdict: even though I was hoping for much cooler weather, the Hot Chocolate 5k was a really fun and well-organized race, and I’m so glad we kicked off January and our next two months of half-marathon training by running it. Major shoutouts to RAM Racing and all of the friendly volunteers who made the race such an enjoyable experience!
Hello, Goodbye.
The last day of 2012 started with a 75-minute hot yoga class at Be Yoga. During class, I imagined all the negative experiences of 2012 leaving my body with every drop of sweat (and there were a lot). Aside from helping me mentally and physically prepare to welcome 2013, it also took my mind off the fire I felt in my biceps and glutes throughout class – yowza. Later that night, Mitch and I spent New Year’s Eve with my family, as we have for the past four years. The only difference was Mel Gibson decided to join this year.
2012 certainly had trying moments, but it was also a year filled with new & exciting experiences. We bought a new car, moved into a house, became godparents to a beautiful little girl, and celebrated our first wedding anniversary. I left a job that made me miserable for one that I look forward to going to each day. I ran a 5k, then a 10k, and then a half marathon where I officially came down with the race bug.
While ringing in 2013, I thought of the New Year’s resolutions that I made last year; those I followed through with (more yoga, less stress) and those that could still use some improvement (more blogging, less wine). Is it okay to blame those failed resolutions on all my stress over the world’s imminent end in 2012? No?
Apocalypse jokes aside, at the end of the day only I am accountable for my successes and failures, and I am determined to make 2013 an unforgettable year. I will run a race every month. I will learn to play a song on my banjo. I will blog multiple times per week. I will incorporate headstands into my yoga practice. I will be more conscious of what I put in my body (after I finish this pizza and champagne). I will work on chipping away at our debt so we can start seriously saving. I will step outside of my comfort zone – not just with fitness, but with food, music, traveling. And when in doubt, I will turn to Pinterest.
How about you? What are your goals for 2013?
November Came & Went.
[Now Playing – “Denouncing November Blue” – The Avett Brothers)
Starting a blog at the beginning of December? Not my best idea. My posting and half-marathon training (if you can even call it that) has been suffering due to general holiday craziness, the weather, etc. I already know what one New Year’s resolution will be, and number two will probably be not making excuses.
First things first, I was a latecomer to the Gossip Girl series. I started randomly watching old episodes on the Style Network in September and was hooked, tearing through five seasons on Netflix in three months. Needless to say, last night was kind of a huge let down. While I expected it, I can’t believe [SPOILER ALERT] this tool is Gossip Girl.
This week is the home stretch before the kids (and faculty and staff) are out for the holiday break. The students are antsy and the adults antsier. Each morning I try to savor the quiet (if there is any) by checking e-mails with the assistance of my penguin mug that only makes appearances this time of year.
I also try to make a point to not spend all day in my office in front of the computer. The days where I have a reason to visit other parts of campus are my favorite, especially when I get to see things like the Lower School’s gingerbread houses.
Tonight was my last kickboxing class at X3 (super bummed), and it was a tough one. A new-to-me instructor taught, and I really liked his style. He mixed up drills all throughout class without making them too complicated, and he ended class with free weights. Hellacious while it was happening and will probably be hellacious tomorrow.
Most of my Christmas presents are purchased, a little aerial yoga is on deck for tomorrow night, and my brother’s flight gets in around 9pm. It’s shaping up to be a great Wednesday.
New Year’s Resolutions Realized.
One of my most important New Year’s resolutions for 2012 was to be more active. While I loved going to our local gym, I never considered running an option for exercise; I was born with hip dysplasia and dealt with off-and-on issues with my hips through my teenage years and early twenties. I could do the elliptical, hike the nearby trails, or take spin classes till my heart’s content but the thought of my feet hitting the pavement terrified me.
In March I decided it would be fun to participate in the Atlanta Color Run with my husband and our friends. In the interest of full disclosure, I really wanted to do the Color Run for the awesome pictures that would undoubtedly come out of it. I envisioned myself walking most of it and then joyfully running a few yards through the color zones before going back to walking. The morning of the Color Run, my friend Josh turned to me as we were waiting to cross the start line and said, “So we’re running this, right?” I shrugged and thought to myself, “Might as well…”
After crossing the finish line after 3.2 miles of slow jogging and walking, I realized that maybe running would not kill me after all; my hips felt fine, my legs felt great. Could I become one of those people that could feasibly describe themselves as a runner?
Days after the Color Run, I found out I had received a number in the Peachtree Road Race along with my BFF Novelette. After three months of consistent training with solid running playlists and the Galloway walk breaks method, I ran my first Peachtree in 1:24:01, crossing the finish line triumphantly holding hands with Novelette.
We felt so good after running the Peachtree that we shook hands (after a few Fourth of July beers) on doing something crazy: running 13.1 miles. I went from casually running 2-3 days a week to running 4-5 with lots of delicious yoga in between. My zero-to-60 adventures in running in 2012 culminated in my first half-marathon, the Savannah Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon. I had no other goal other than crossing the finish line, which I did in 2:37:54. Slow and steady might not win the race, but afterwards, I felt invincible.
I am excited to see what 2013 brings for my two feet. I have a 5k, a 10k, and another half-marathon lined up in the first three months of the year with a half-marathon in mind for September. I plan on blogging regularly – for real this time – as a way to hold myself accountable for training, to chronicle my journey as a newbie in the running world, and maybe even to connect with some like minds along the way.
Here’s to another year of firsts.
Rhymes with Dots 