Exciting, hmmm?!?!?! Now back to my regular blogging, which is boring in comparison.
Another busy busy weekend is done. It was a good one, too. Saturday started early with a team run at Coyote Hills. I'd always wondered what was on the other side of the hill at the 9 mile marker on the Alameda Creek Trail, and I finally got the chance to see. It wasn't too big of a crowd, just big enough. Mentor Cindy led us out for the warm-up and was going to turn around and and come back to the start for the stretch. I went a few steps and then remembered that (like usual) I had forgotten my inhaler. Since it was already warm and very weedy/grassy/pollen-y I figured I'd better go back to the car and use it, thinking I'd be back at the beginning when the rest of the group got there. Oopsie, Cindy decided that with the heat she'd just keep going to the next parking area, about a mile out. One other woman and I ran to catch up with the group. Big mistake on my part, since we ran that mile in just over 10 minutes. Oopsie again! That was just about all the energy I had and the other 5 miles were pretty much of a slog.
Mentor Portia had marked our route through the marsh over wooden planks and a dirt road, which was very pretty (and buggy), along the road (buggy too), over the hill (more bugs), along the trail (buggier) and then back again. Ick and patooie! Since I breathe through my mouth when I run I had to keep spitting the little buggers out. But even though I took more walk breaks than I had intended (and walked up the steeper hills too) I was faster than I thought I'd be. Our fabulous mentors had provided fruit, pb&j sandwiches, waters, etc. for after the run. That was the warmest run we've done yet, a taste of summer (and hot marathons?) to come. I was glad there was a water fountain along the route to refill my bottle.
I scurried on home to get out of running clothes, shower and put on girlier clothes. Bree was throwing Sandy a bridal sho
wer at her home in Oakland. She prepared lots of good food, and - oh look, a chocolate fountain! I had said that I'd be the bartender, although I didn't really think that with a shower starting at 1:00 pm, anyone would be drinking except for maybe a glass of wine or a beer. I gave Bree a few suggestions for mixed cocktails and she got all the booze and mixers ready and set up in the only area available, the garage. When I got there I surveyed it and thought it was a great idea. Until I remembered that the reason you need a wet bar is so that you can dump the used ice and rinse out the shaker. Not to worry, I had brought my big ice chest and decided it would make a great sink replacement. I got a pitcher of fresh water for rinsing, and just dumped the used ice and rinsed. I was pretty surprised that almost everyone was drinking! I mixed cosmogranates with pomegranate vodka and Grand Marnier, French kisses with vanilla vodka, Chambord and pineapple juice, regular vodka m
artinis with lots of olives, umm, and another drink that I can't remember, certainly not because I was sampling my own wares! Ok, maybe I had a drink. Ok, maybe I had two. Umm, I'm pretty sure I didn't have more than that. Probably.So we ate, we drank, then ate some more. We played the usual (boring) (don't tell anyone I said that) shower games. I didn't win. I wasn't playing too hard either. Then Sandy opened her fabulous gifts. (Not everyone was watching her open her gifts LADIES - a few people were off in the kitchen schmoozing away - and I won't mention any names - but I'll publish the picture!). I
sure hope Sandy or Tom take up cooking, because they've got to have every type pot and pan available. And a top-of-the-line mixer. And glasses and pitchers. And a couple of ooh-la-la nighties too, but those won't be for the kitchen (and if they are, don't tell me!).After the shower I went to see my bro and his family, since I was in Oakland already. I'll talk more about that, and have a picture of my nephew and his new pet rat, tomorrow. Yes, I had more to eat. Yes, I had more to drink.
Yesterday I went to a TnT recruitment effort lightly as an alumni run and brunch. It was just a few minutes from my house and I figured that I needed to run anyway, so I might as well do it with company. They're recruiting for summer season, which is Nike season. Since Nike managed to leak the information for early registration, and also managed to sell out the entire race within a few hours, the only way to run the Nike Women's Marathon is to join TnT. There was a decent sized turnout and they started us with a 5k run along the Iron Horse Trail in San Ramon. At the turn-around point there was a water stop with chocolate (and very cute girl scouts), just like they have in the race (only better than the first year of the race when they were out of all chocolate by the time I got there). When we crossed the finish line there were studly gentlemen holding trays of blue Tiffany bags, just like at the race. Unlike the race, there was no fancy Tiffany necklace inside. Oh, c'mon now, you really didn't expect there to be one, did ya? The bag had a drink, a cd, Nike propaganda -- er, literature, some jelly bellies, and more chocolate. There was a great catered lunch waiting for us too; freshly barbecued chicken or eggplant, salad, potatoes, cookies. There was also a raffle drawing. The only thing there was that you had to actually register for summer season to get a ticket. Hey, I cry bait and switch tactics! They were giving away fabulous parting gifts like an iPod nano and a real Tiffany necklace. Since I'm not joining summer I didn't get a ticket and just said my good byes and took off.
The rest of the day was filled with the joys of getting ready for a busy week to come. Y'know, laundry, grocery shopping, gardening. Yawn. The real countdown has begun for Avenue. I'm pretty excited. At the moment the forecast is for sunny warm weather. A couple of days ago it was for rainy cool weather. I think I'd better stop looking until we're closer to the date; I'm driving myself nuts. Now I just have to get a little sleep this week and I'll run well!
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