Move It Memphis 10K Recap

I traveled to Memphis to spend this past weekend eating and running with the best friends a girl could ask for. Seriously these girls are amazing.

With bellies full of yummy food from the night before, we woke up Saturday morning to rock the Move It Memphis 10K! Our pre-race game faces: Kara was ready to crawl through her 5K, I was channeling my favorite one-armed runner, and Nora planned on high-fiving everyone.

I am one lucky girl to be friends with a speed demon like Nora. I'm not just bragging- she actually won 1st place in her age division last year! She so kindly offered to pace me during this race, and I nervously agreed. I also agreed to run "naked", aka- no Garmin or watch to track my pace or time. Eek!

The weather could not been more perfect- cool and sunny with a slight breeze. Nora lives just a few blocks from the starting line so we ran to the start to pick up our race packets and circled back to pick up Kara and eat a quick breakfast. With a start time of 10:00, we had plenty of time to relax!

At the start, I told Nora that I would be happy to average a 10:00 minute pace, but she could push me a little towards the end. We bid Kara good luck on her 5K and lined up at the start. We started off strong with a slight conversational pace- Nora later told me the first mile was approximately a 9:30, and miles two and three were slightly over a 9:00 minute pace.

I remember at mile three I felt tired but knew I could keep the pace. My legs felt fresh and Nora's stories kept my mind occupied (She seriously talked non-stop for 6.2 miles and I loved every minute of it). Nora told me that, if I could keep this pace, I would be really happy with my time. She also said that she was going to keep pushing the pace, especially the last few miles. I was tired, but I trusted her.

Miles 4 and 5 were kind of a blur. Nora's stories are a little hazy at this point and I was just thankful for a fairly flat course.

The last half mile was horrible. The pace was hard but it was the constant turns the got me. I seriously feel like we turned 5 times before the finish line finally came into sight. Nothing is more mentally exhausting than thinking the finish line was around the corner, just to find another turn.

But when we crossed the finish line I was shocked by the time. Official time: 57:38! A new PR!
This picture cracks me up! I'm literally gasping for air while Nora is leisurely checking our time.

(Thanks Donna Manley Photography for letting me display my official finish)

 57:38 people!

That's a 9:17 pace!!

While it definitely wasn't a fast race for Nora, I set a PR! Kara rocked her 5K as well!

Our interpretation of the race: Nora cheering while I grin and bear it! Totally worth the pain in the end!

What I learned this weekend:

1. Having friends who share your passion is the best. Also having friends who share the same bedtime of 9:30 is pretty amazing too.

2. Running with fast friends make you run faster. This only makes me wonder how fast I would be if I could run with Nora all the time.

3. Ice cream is not always the best pre-race meal. 

4. Running "naked" is awesome. I will definitely start doing this more. While it would be nice to look back on my spits, it was freeing to run solely on feeling.  

Best Girls Memphis Weekend ever! 

Walking in Memphis

This past weekend was pure bliss.

I took Friday off from work and drove an easy 4 hours to Memphis where I met a few of my best friends for a fabulous girls weekend. Nora (aka: Miss Law School Student & Marathoner) lives in a beautiful condo in the middle of downtown, which is where Kara (aka: Miss World Traveler & Lover of all things Chick-fil-A) and I met for our weekend of food and fun!

The beautiful lobby.

And the wonderful view from the rooftop.

When Nora, Kara, and I get together the main theme is always food! First thing we did was make a huge  batch of granola to snack on all weekend.

Friday night we got our BBQ fix at Rendezvous, which is famous for their amazing selection. After we stuffed our faces with pulled pork and barbecue nachos, we went back to Nora's and ate way too many of her famous Krispies.

Lets just say, we all went to bed with tummy aches. (However Saturday night was much worse; there was nothing left of batch number dos. Cough Nora Cough)

But that's okay, because we woke up early to get in a fabulous 3 mile run! I'm usually not motivated to run in the morning, but with these girls we kicked some major booty 2 days in a row!

We were exhausted!

After cleaning up, we stuffed our faces again at the Blue Plate Cafe for breakfast. Yum! While I never thought I'd be a city girl, the fact that all the restaurants were in walking distance was quite convenient and charming! I might be convinced to give up a big yard and move to a city after all.

Oh, in the middle of all the face stuffing I did get my veggies in. See that little, bitty, tiny sugar snap pea? Yea, I ate that. No big deal.

And what is a girl's weekend without a dance party? We watched Step-Up 3, but we shouldn't have wasted our time...we already knew all the moves.

Side note: I burned my hair in a candle. How a person with short hair leans far enough over to burn her hair, I do not know. But I do know this: burnt hair does not smell nice however it does result in rolling laughter for hours afterwards.

I am so blessed to have these amazing women in my life. It doesn't matter how long we have been apart, friends who are soul-mates stay close no matter the distance. I love listening to their life's troubles, accomplishment, and dreams and I know I can spill out mine without hesitation. We can talk for hours or sit in silence with complete comfort in just being with each other. I pray that you have friends as dear and true as this.

Kara and Nora, I love you!!! Can we please do this again soon?!