salience
May 3, 2012
What a busy spring, hard to believe it's May already!
Nothing too new to report. Training for the marathon is still in full swing. I've run 7 races with NYRR, only 2 more to go to qualify for the ING Marathon 2013, which I should clear this month. First up is a four mile race in a couple of weeks and then the Brooklyn Half Marathon shortly thereafter. Work continues in the same vein, and we're gearing up for my last season with Columbia Summer Winds. I officially resigned from the board at the last meeting and will officially be done after our August 18th concert (our final one of the season).
Last weekend we went down to Virginia for Foxfield Races. We hadn't been in three years, since 2009! Ryan was abroad at Cambridge in 2010 and last year he and I were getting married. Crazy how time flies. Ry's good friend from high school/college hosted all of us in his tent on a four plot series. It was pretty cold and rainy, but we had a great time nevertheless. All of us, the UVA crew, hadn't been in the same place since the wedding, so that was a nice change of pace. Looking around, it was hard to believe how comfortable I feel with these people now. It's been 5 years and so many events. So many memories.
Later that night, on our way back to Manassas from Charlottesville, we stopped at Ryan's cousin's Andy's place in Catlett. Andy and Ryan are second cousins, but grew up together. He and his wife Katie, and their two daughters, are great people. I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. I wish we could see more of them. It was fun to get the tour of their house, including their backyard. To raise additional cash, they have chickens for eggs, pitbulls they rescued from a breeder who went out of business, and they've recently started breeding miniature pigs. Words cannot describe how awesome their menagerie is in person. I loved every minute of it. Hopefully we can get them up to nyc for a visit soon. Just sitting in their living room and watching the general chaos of neighbors and neighbors' kids passing through really took me back to growing up in the Suarez house. Everyone vying for attention, screaming over each other, wanting to be heard.
This weekend we are headed up to Boston for the Run For Your Lives zombie race. This is a 5K obstacle course we got into for free after being turned away from the MD race. The MD race was the first ever event I heard about through running friends here in the city. Runners are given flag football belts to symbolize health. Volunteers in full zombie make up and costume chase after you, trying to get your flags as you pass through 3 miles of obstacles. Once all your flags are gone, you are considered a zombie, unless you have flags intact, and you are then a survivor. The turnout for the MD race was quadruple what was expected. Our car got stuck in the mud when we tried to park, leading to us asking for help from other runners to move it, which led to us missing our shuttle to make our heat in time. Add to that the fact that there was a water obstacle with a steep mud bank after, so 8,000 runners in, it was a very slippery, dangerous area. As we were headed to the race, we were told the course was closed due to a few of the runners sustaining serious injuries. Right at that moment, ambulances came barreling down the street to head to the race site. Hopefully the Boston race will be better organized, as this the third of the series. The second race was held in Atlanta last month. I'm looking forward to it. The only event where Ryan will voluntarily run with me is one where he will be chased by zombies. He is a horror fanatic, so this is a dream come true for him. :)
Nothing too new to report. Training for the marathon is still in full swing. I've run 7 races with NYRR, only 2 more to go to qualify for the ING Marathon 2013, which I should clear this month. First up is a four mile race in a couple of weeks and then the Brooklyn Half Marathon shortly thereafter. Work continues in the same vein, and we're gearing up for my last season with Columbia Summer Winds. I officially resigned from the board at the last meeting and will officially be done after our August 18th concert (our final one of the season).
Last weekend we went down to Virginia for Foxfield Races. We hadn't been in three years, since 2009! Ryan was abroad at Cambridge in 2010 and last year he and I were getting married. Crazy how time flies. Ry's good friend from high school/college hosted all of us in his tent on a four plot series. It was pretty cold and rainy, but we had a great time nevertheless. All of us, the UVA crew, hadn't been in the same place since the wedding, so that was a nice change of pace. Looking around, it was hard to believe how comfortable I feel with these people now. It's been 5 years and so many events. So many memories.
Later that night, on our way back to Manassas from Charlottesville, we stopped at Ryan's cousin's Andy's place in Catlett. Andy and Ryan are second cousins, but grew up together. He and his wife Katie, and their two daughters, are great people. I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. I wish we could see more of them. It was fun to get the tour of their house, including their backyard. To raise additional cash, they have chickens for eggs, pitbulls they rescued from a breeder who went out of business, and they've recently started breeding miniature pigs. Words cannot describe how awesome their menagerie is in person. I loved every minute of it. Hopefully we can get them up to nyc for a visit soon. Just sitting in their living room and watching the general chaos of neighbors and neighbors' kids passing through really took me back to growing up in the Suarez house. Everyone vying for attention, screaming over each other, wanting to be heard.
This weekend we are headed up to Boston for the Run For Your Lives zombie race. This is a 5K obstacle course we got into for free after being turned away from the MD race. The MD race was the first ever event I heard about through running friends here in the city. Runners are given flag football belts to symbolize health. Volunteers in full zombie make up and costume chase after you, trying to get your flags as you pass through 3 miles of obstacles. Once all your flags are gone, you are considered a zombie, unless you have flags intact, and you are then a survivor. The turnout for the MD race was quadruple what was expected. Our car got stuck in the mud when we tried to park, leading to us asking for help from other runners to move it, which led to us missing our shuttle to make our heat in time. Add to that the fact that there was a water obstacle with a steep mud bank after, so 8,000 runners in, it was a very slippery, dangerous area. As we were headed to the race, we were told the course was closed due to a few of the runners sustaining serious injuries. Right at that moment, ambulances came barreling down the street to head to the race site. Hopefully the Boston race will be better organized, as this the third of the series. The second race was held in Atlanta last month. I'm looking forward to it. The only event where Ryan will voluntarily run with me is one where he will be chased by zombies. He is a horror fanatic, so this is a dream come true for him. :)
lasaliente, 19:23
