Great weekend in Charleston

#95. Participate in the Cooper River Bridge Run




To first give you a little background information on my training schedule, I haven't ran a mile in over 4 years, and before that it has been another 4 years. And I have never ran more than 2 miles at one time before. At least not until the day before the race! I've been suffering from an upper respiratory infection and allergies for the past month almost, and it's prevented me from running more than around the block before feeling like I was going to pass out. Lung capacity was zero, so I had no confidence in my ability to run even a mile! So the day before the race, I decided I'd try to run a half mile. I reached a half mile and realized I could keep going. I surprised myself by running almost 2 miles, something I definitely didn't think I was capable of given my status 3 weeks ago!

Now let me tell you about the Bridge Run. It's a 10K, or roughly 6.2 miles. The bridge itself is about 2 miles long and begins 2 miles into the race. The record holder ran it in under half an hour. A "good" time is under 1 hour.

I finished in just over an hour and a half!! I don't think that's too shabby :) I had the support of my family and Stephen, who walked next to me the whole race when he could have easily finished a half hour sooner.

Knowing now, that I am capable of running 2 miles without having to stop, I'll definitely start training for next year's Bridge Run, and create a new goal to run it in under 75 minutes!




#70. Purchase a nice jewelry hanger for my earrings
The Flowertown Festival is an annual event held in Summerville the same weekend as the Bridge Run. Erin and Aaron came with Stephen and I and we were there luckily before the rain caused everything to shut down early! I did get to go after the Bridge Run though to get a little art inspiration, but instead walked away with a really neat earring hanger and an ALICE IN WONDERLAND purse!! I also found the best crabcakes this side of the Mississippi and if I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, those crabcakes would be it :)




On a more frustrating note, I always thought Lent was 40 days- from Ash Wednesday til Palm Sunday, but the Lent season is actually until Easter which is the Sunday after Palm Sunday. Sundays don't "count" in the 40 days, which would push it back one more week. Which means I have another WEEK i have to go without fast food!!! Can I do it??

30 days sober!

...from fast food that is!

#89. No fast food for 1 month
I made it 30 days without pulling up into a drive-thru and it was more difficult than I thought it would be! Not because I truly crave fast food, but because of the convenience factor. Sometimes, I don't get off work til 8 or 9 at night, and I live 30 minutes away. I don't always feel like cooking when I get home, but I pass all of my favorite fast food restaurants on the way to the house. It was hard because fast food restaurants surround me!


So now that I've made it 30 days, i could TECHNICALLY eat fast food now, but that wasn't the deal I made. I agreed to give up fast food for 40 days for Lent, so I've got another 6 days I need to stay sober.


You would think I would feel more healthy after a fast-food fast, but I actually feel the same. I've had an upper respiratory infection and allergy issues for the past 3 or 4 weeks so I really haven't been running too much in preparation for the Cooper River Bridge Run this Saturday.

So if you pass a tiny asian girl decked out in breast cancer awareness attire passed out at the 6 mile marker, please pick me up and carry me the rest of the way!!!

#41. Learn a new sport

YEAAAA DISC GOLF! I told my mom about playing with my friend Stephen and she had never heard of the sport before. Basically you play with different shaped/weighted discs that are smaller and heavier than frisbees. It's like playing golf, there's 18 holes and most of them around Columbia are par 3 but instead of a hole, you're aiming for a metal goal about 200 or so feet away. The rules are pretty much the same too though if you've ever played any game with me, you know i tend to play by my own rules, and in my made up rules it's not how many throws it takes to get there, but the speed in which you do it!

Maybe one day I'll be so lucky to throw an ace like this guy!


In other news: I'm about halfway through Lent and halfway closer to reuniting with fast food! My Arby's cravings are growing stronger every day. March 28th- please come swiftly!