#30 - Run a New Half Marathon

I cannot believe I am done with my list for 2014 already!  I had 12 done by April 27!

Nike Women's events usually have a wall with
everyone's names near Niketown.

While I'd love to just up my goal for the year, instead I'm going to focus on one of my big goals: nailing down a research question for my dissertation so I can take dissertation seminar in the spring.

So, if there was something on this list you really wanted to do this year, I'm probably still down... as long as it's free or you're paying.  I can't wait to be off this student budget!

Anyways, #12 was a fantastic time.

The start

A couple months ago, someone from this crew, I don't remember who, started an e-mail about entering the lottery for the Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC.  I was hesitant but then I remembered how much I like this gang of girls... and that instead of a medal, these races dole out unique Tiffany necklaces.

It took us 2 tries to get into the Nike Women's Half in San Francisco but 5 of us ran it in 2010 and it just this year got knocked down to 2nd on my list of favorite 9 and 2/3 races that were 10+ miles I've done (behind Ragnar, obviously).  (Sure, I'll tell you the story about the 2/3 sometime, but it's not a happy story.)

It just took us one try to get into DC.

I headed to DC from Nashville, still a little sore from climbing.  I met my old UM roomies Laura Masters and Andrea Meewes Sanchez out for what was supposed to be a chill night but ended up being fairly epic.  We even wound up playing Cards Against Humanities with some dudes we thought were random but just happened to be 5 other Michigan grads reuniting for the weekend.

After very little sleep, we met a high school friend of mine, Melissa, for a lovely brunch, and then picked up our packets.

The packet pick up was swift and easy and had some really cool features that probably aren't that exciting to read about but were REALLY COOL in person.

We had a nice dinner and made it to bed at a reasonable time.

The fast ladies got going way earlier than Andrea & me.  I have to admit I got a little nervous at one point but seriously, when you're slow, you're never late to these things.

That blue box :)

The course was flat and scenic.  I loved the start right past the Capitol as the sun was rising.  The bridge to Arlington and looping back to see the Lincoln Memorial was pretty special too.  I was really impressed at the number of people out cheering us on with silly signs, and I loved the drummers in what would have otherwise been a dismal tunnel.  Plus, the necklaces are pretty lovely.

We all finished, some of us (Andrea!) in record time (not me)!  Then we showered, considered napping, popped some bubbly instead, and headed to brunch...

On our way to "schmammered"

Epilogue: Brunch included bottomless mimosas and STRONG margaritas.  We followed brunch with bar hopping, including a whiskey flight for Andrea & me.  Somehow Masters, Andrea, & I stayed out until midnight or something.  Man, I love those girls.  But seriously, Andrea, let's not make unreasonably late nights our thing, even if we only see each other ever few years :)

"I thought he deserved a serious face."

Monday Masters & I got to do some sight seeing and then met Katie, Beth, and Sarah for brunch and some giggles about our Sunday Funday.

#54 - Climb Outdoors

The whole group.  I had a camera with a timer and one dude had a tripod.  Oh, the magic of the collective.

I counted this last year but I probably shouldn't have.  (Don't worry, I'll untag it.)  This day trip definitely counted for outdoor climbing though.

Getting ready for that 5.8

One of my favorite friends in the world, Nicole Green-Valentine, just so happens to be in the same profession as me.  (Okay, fine, it's not, like, just-so-happens, like some coincidence.  We met when she was officiating intramural soccer and I was supervising intramural soccer at the University of Michigan.  We both thought we were going to be teachers.  Then, the teaching market sucked the years we graduated, and so we were like, well, at least we have these officiating/recreation skills.  Let's use those for now.  Wait, what?  This is a profession?  Well, maybe we'll still be teachers.  No, actually not.  This is kinda sweet.  So we're Campus Rec-ers for life.  Or at least for the forseeable future.  And it's awesome.)  This year our annual conference was in Nashville (sweet!) and one of the pre-conferences was an outdoor climbing trip.  Nicole asked me if I wanted to go, and I was like, "um... yes."

We did have to sacrifice what was my only night to party it up in Nashville to be ready and willing at 6:30am.  We had one presentation together and I had two others on my own, so it was all professional for the actual conference.  (Fine, relatively professional.)  (Well, relative to past conferences.)  We did manage dinner on Broadway and a couple drinks on the strip, which was quite lively for a Tuesday night.

5:30am Wednesday morning came a few hours too soon, but we made it up with our required water and things.  We had a 45-min or so van ride to King's Bluff, which we spent chatting with some folks we knew and folks we didn't.

The outdoor staff from Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky, and Austin Peay did a fantastic job prepping the gear, teaching us how to use it, and making sure we were all situated before the quick hike down the bluff.  They set up 5 lines for us ranging from 5.4 to 5.8.

Nicole, Dan, and I elected to try the 5.8 first since no one else would.  Dan skimpered right up that thing.  I went next and, well, I put in some good effort to make it part way, as did Nicole right after me.  We downgraded to the less difficult spots and had much less difficulty with those.

After a couple climbs, I remembered that I was running a half marathon in 5 days time and should probably call it quits or I'd hate myself by mile 2 instead of the usual hating myself by mile 11.  Nicole took a few more routes and Dan did them all, I believe.

Our lovely hosts then provided us with quite the spread for lunch.  Some of the group headed back to the hotel to prepare for the conference and others stayed to climb more.  I forgot how much fun climbing is when I remember to trust the safety systems.  The scrapes and bruises are still healing but they were worth it!  Can't wait to go again sometime!