2nd Annual HMR + KBP Memorial Day Run + Lift

Today, for the second year in a row, Marcey (aka Hot Mother Runner) and I met in downtown Richmond for a Memorial Day run.

We could not have asked for more glorious weather!

Richmond, looking East from the pedestrian bridge to Brown's Island

Marcey and I hadn't seen each other for a few weeks and this little date was more about catching up and socializing than running.

That and indulging each other along the way by stopping to take some silly (and serious) pictures.

Is this mural on the Canal Walk new? Or did I just never notice it before
because I'm too in love with the brooding, mysterious Owl mural?

We are rule breakers. Look OUT.

We had some walk breaks and Marcey kept trying to apologize. Finally, I said, "Girl, the reason I came here this morning was NOT to run fast! It was to spend time with you and just happen to maybe run a little bit along the way."

It's the truth. Sometimes, your mileage or your speed are not the important things. Spending time reminding yourself how lucky you are to live in a beautiful place and have people who get you is.

Near the end of our run, we stopped by the Virginia War Memorial, just as we had last year. I bet you that 90% of people who live in the metro-Richmond area have no idea that this peaceful but haunting monument even exists. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that the Richmond Marathon route runs right by it, as a matter of fact.

We spent a few minutes there, quietly taking a moment to pay our respects to those who have given all for this country.

Afterwards, per tradition, we made our way to Lift where we each managed to order food that color coordinated with our respective ensembles.

Aren't we special?

All in all, we ran/walked 5 miles and spent nearly 4 awesome hours together, just enjoying the day, our city, and our friendship. I couldn't think of a better way to spend my Memorial Day morning!

So with that lovely thought, let me take a moment to recap the past few weeks in running.

In my Italy recap entry, I'm not sure if you noticed, but despite my best intentions, I did not run a single step in Italy. Well... that's a lie. I did run - once - because it was raining and I didn't have an umbrella. I really needed to go to the bathroom, so I ran from the Colosseo metro stop to a nearby cafe that I knew had a bathroom.

The only miles my carefully packed neon pink running shoes saw were logged tromping around Pompei, Positano, and then to our favorite gelateria, Giolitti Gelateria, where they picked up the only evidence that they were even in Italy at all...

A drip of gelato. Apparently I wasn't eating fast enough.

Getting back to the run this past week was really hard. Going from doing nothing but eating gelato, pasta, cappuccino, pizza, and bread for two weeks to hitting the pavement in hot, humid central Virginia was not a pleasant experience. The jet lag didn't help either.

The first run, on Monday with Greg, was the worst. It was hot and extremely humid. If he and Earl hadn't been with me, I'm sure I would've turned around at mile 1 and gone back to my car.

On Wednesday morning, hoping to avoid the pain of running in 90 degree + 90% humidity weather, I forced myself to wake up early and go for a run downtown before work. I have never ever done this before. This was my reward:

$60 parking ticket. Oh yeah.
I blame Italy brain.

By Friday, 100% of my brain and body had finally decided to rejoin me from Italy. Thanks to a cold front that did away with the humidity, I had an absolutely wonderful 5 mile run after work. Finally, I felt like myself again.

Just in time too. I have less than a week before marathon training starts. The first Marathon Training Team (MTT) group run is on Saturday morning. Hard to believe that it has been an entire year since I first decided that I wanted to run a marathon. Last year, I was terrified.

Now, I'm not afraid.

I'm ready to rock it.