The big weekend

So, first of all...I'm totally exhausted and I'd pretty much rather be asleep in bed than doing anything else. But alas, I should write about this weekend and DEFINITELY should go to freaking yoga tonight to help my legs heal (I'm actually not that sore today, but...the memories of yesterday and Saturday! shudder!)...and so I'm not going to go to bed quite yet. Also, pretty Lisa might be coming over later, AND Jon & Kate Plus 8 is new tonight. I'm a nerd.

I left bright & early on Friday and stopped at Panera to have an emotional reunion with their Chocolate Chip Bagel. I used to get one at least once a week until they got cold-heartedly got rid of them, and I'm so happy to have them back. The drive down to Meg's wasn't bad at all. I really don't mind long drives most of the time - I relish the opportunity to sing and pretend I'm Sherie Rene Scott or Idina Menzel. It's pretty embarrassing.

Picked Meg up and we went to Dean & Deluca to say hey to Joe and to get the most amazing sandwiches EVER. We had a great ride down together and it went by fast, I thought. We arrived at our rather fleabag-ish hotel that smelled like generations since the Pilgrims had been smoking in the room at about 5 or so and then we went out to hit the gorgeous, gorgeous town!

We picked up our race numbers and chips and such, and I bought myself the only two things I allowed myself to get (aside from insane amounts of food) on the trip - a cool little belt-y thing that has a stretchy pouch to hold your keys, phone, camera, etc. while you're running and you can't even feel it. Crazy. And I got a really badass Cooper River Bridge Run shirt made out of the stuff that's not cotton that you're supposed to wear when you run. I don't know what it's called. But it wicks sweat. Whatever that means.

Dinner that night (I think the only food I didn't take a picture of) was at Bocci's, Megan's favorite Italian place in the city. We waited about an hour or so for a table, but the weather was just fine and it was well worth the wait. We each had just one glass of wine (shocking) and insanely good meals...I got cheesy shrimp tortellini with procuitto and tomatoes and other yummy goodness that I can't remember, and Megan got a seafood pasta with vegetable marinara. YUM. We actually bonded over politics (it's weird talking to someone in my family about Obama and agreeing with them!) and had a great, great time.

The next morning we both had various alarm mishaps, but thankfully we both woke up naturally at 5:40, the time we had set to get up. Sneaky universe. We kind of puttered nervously around the room eating cornbread and Luna bars and making but not eating cream of wheat and fussing with our race numbers and Granddaddy things.

We walked about 2 miles to the start line, which was really fun because there was this whole mass exodus of runners headed that way and it just got bigger and bigger and bigger until there was this whole ungodly SWARM of people. It was awesome. And it was hilarious - there was a line of, I swear, at least twenty-five port-a-potties and loooong lines in front of every one. It felt kind of absurd for some reason.

They attempted to organize the runners by their category (elite, 40-60 minute, 60 minute, run/walk kind of thing - I don't remember how many categories), which was denoted by the colors on our number thingies, but there were seriously so many people that I physically could not get to my little color group. So when the gun went off the volunteer that was trying to tell me where to go just gave up and said, "Oh, just go on," so I went past the min-chain link fence and joined the freaking MOB in the street. We did a slow, slow, slow shuffle to the start line that actually got me nervous that it would be so crowded that the running part would never really happen. Luckily, it did. Kind of.

The first half of the race was really weird. It was all kind of overwhelming and there was a very bizarre feeling that wasn't exactly adrenaline, but I can't think of what else I would call it. And it was HUMID AS HELL. And I can't even remember the last time I ran in humidity, if ever. I thought I was going to die, even after I took off my paper-thin yellow shirt (with the help of a kindly, and not creepy, old man). So between all that and the steep freaking bridge, I did a lot more walking than I had hoped to. On my long runs I try to run for 15 minutes and then take a walk break, but it was just not happening for me on Saturday. So I was getting kind of frustrated. Plus it was so crowded that sometimes when I did have a good pace going, I had to dodge people all over the place to even maintain it. It was nuts.

The second half was better. Partly because we actually got to go downhill on the bridge, and I started noticing more of the runners in wacky wacky costumes. And I ran the last mile and a quarter/mile and a half, I'm not sure how long it was. But it was really hard and wonderful and kind of emotional. And god bless my iPod for playing the perfect songs. Seriously, right after I told myself that I couldn't walk anymore until I passed the finish line, the Rocky theme song started. How perfect is that?

I found Megan pretty soon after crossing the finish line - and she ran the the whole time! She is such a badass. We found out our times last night - I was 1.14.08 and she was I think 1.07.something.

And as you can see from the pictures below, we ate ourselves into oblivion after that. Though our breakfast (and ice cream, not pictured) was actually burned off by that afternoon - we took a bus back to the starting line...only it dropped us off about 2 miles BEHIND the starting line. So after our 5K and walking around Charleston to get breakfast and the best ice cream in town...we walked FOUR MILES back to our hotel on sore, sore, sore feet and legs. Needless to say, we did some soaking in our disgusting tub and laying on our beds for the next few hours before venturing out for the best Thai food ever. We were also treated to a pretty magnificent thunderstorm...considering they were calling for rain that morning and it turned out to be gorgeous, I think this was the weather just evening itself out.

After our amazing dinner we went next door to Basil's sister restaurant, Chai Lounge. We sat on their covered porch and drank white wine (me) and beer (her) and had a phenomenal creme brulee. Phenomenal. Then we walked it all off to meet her absolutely adorable friend Wendy who was also in town with some of her friends. She was completely lovely, I want to hang out with her all the time.

We were pretty exhausted by about 10 (I was probably pretty exhausted at about 9) and we crashed...though I didn't sleep quite so well, strangely enough. It was probably all the wine. The next morning we woke up, were lazy, and then went to breakfast at Poogan's Porch, where we ate the morning of her wedding. Because I wanted to eat at least one thing that I'd had that wonderful weekend, I had the Sunrise Shrimp & Grits, with blue crab gravy. Again...yum. That's probably the most oft-repeated word in this entry.

We drove home after breakfast, and we were pretty well spent. That first three or so hours back to Charlotte were probably the most exhausting of the drive (except for maybe the last hour on 64 to Newport News), but at the end I got to meet her hilarious new kitty cat Moses. I have another nephew! And he's just as goofy as Lou, in his own unique way. I love those kitties.


And then...home.

It was a pretty unbelievable weekend. I still can't believe we did it. This was something we were casually saying, "What if?" about in our pajamas stuffed with Thanksgiving turkey and foie gras last November, and we actually did it.

In conclusion, I am sore and I love my sister :)

And congrats to beautiful beautiful Gemma on her 10K in Richmond! Woo 10K weekend!