Glow Run - Chattanooga, TN - 2014

I cannot believe we were in April before we did our first race this year.  Last year by this time we had already completed 5 races!

There are some races that I learn about on my various webpages that I simply MUST do.  Glow Run was one of them.  To my knowledge, they are the only glow run with medals, yes I'm a medal whore, and they are GIANT AND Glow in the Dark!

So I proceeded to start my campaign, emailing them multiple times to come to Nashville, citing that other races have multiple races in Nashville with a huge turnout.  Sadly, they didn't come to Nashville.  BUT they were 180 miles away in Chattanooga.  This had to happen.  Then I had to start my next campaign.  Convincing the hubs to let us drive to Chatt for a race.  We decided to drive down but only for the race.

The race started at 8:30, so we left Nashville at 3:30, met some friends for supper (word to the wise: running with a belly full of pimento cheese WILL come back to haunt you), and headed to the race.

It was awesome.  Very small.  Only 2000 runner/walkers.  They had pre-race zumba, free glow in the dark face painting, glow merch, and the brightest race shirts known to mankind.

The race was great, very well organized.  I HIGHLY recommend this race.  I'm glad too because I had been excited about it for quite a while!

Wine and Dine Half Marathon - First Obstacle Completed

Shoot runDisney races are so stressful just to register. They keep getting more and more expensive, and more and more popular.  I don't get it.

In the summer of 2012, I registered for the 2013 Princess Half Marathon. I registered for it early, but I don't remember doing it as soon as registration opened.  I do remember that it was after that that we learned about the Coast to Coast Challenge after that and many months later Ben registered.  I want to say that was around October but I'm not sure.

Our first runDisney and half marathon medal - Princess Half Marathon

We realized that if we were going to run one half marathon, we might as well go for our Coast to Coast.  We've never been to Disneyland so we figured now is a good time as any.

Disneyland Half Marathon Medal

Fast forward to January of 2013, Disneyland Half Marathon goes on sale.  runDisney had added 2 new events, the 10K and the Dumbo Dare Challenge.  Apparently these types of challenges make the races difficult to pass up.  The race sold out in 26 hours.  I remember fortunately being off that day from work, and calling Ben in a panic because we needed to register IMMEDIATELY!  We were calling our friends who we had planned on running with making sure they had registered.  Very stressful.

But nevertheless, we were able to get that coveted Coast to Coast Medal!

As it is with most people, as soon as you finish a race, you immediately start planning the next one.  Well the same things happens with me, for both running, and Disney trips. I immediately had my eye on the Wine and Dine Half Marathon.  Honestly, how could you pass up a party in the World Showcase until 4 in the morning for only the runners and their families?

I then started recruiting to get people to come with us.  We have a group of runners from college that I worked on selling it to, I tried to sell it to some friends who love Disney as much as we do.  We came up with 6 of us.  Should be an awesome time!

So I started doing my research, stalking blogs, and all that to find out exactly when the race would go on sale. I found out it was sometime in March, then sometime in early March, then March 4th.  Should be easy to remember, it was noon eastern time on Mardi Gras.  So 11:00 here in Nashville. I was working (dangit) So I told my boss that I would be out of commission at about 10:50 until...well until I got registered.  My husband called, we had a plan, both register for ourselves.  That way one of us isn't trying to register for the other. I stared at the clock for about 10 minutes, which takes FOREVER.  Like trying to watch a pot boil.

tick tick...tock tock...tick tock...go clock go!

I had roughly 10 tabs open in my Chrome. Facebook running groups, runDisney pages, active.com.  11:05...still nothing.  Then the facebook groups started blowing up "IT'S LIVE!".  HOLY CRAP I COULDN'T FIND THE LINK.  I am panicking.  I could feel my heartbeat in my throat as I think, am I seriously going to throw up because of registering for a runDisney race?

Finally, after some freaked out phone calls to the husband we found the link.  I got registered for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon and the Jingle Jungle 5K just as planned.  I call Ben back to make sure he had gotten registered.  He hadn't!  The page froze before he could get it submitted.  Cue another freak-out.  I take the reigns and get him registered.  WHEW!  We got in.  We check with our friends who are going with us.  Everyone got in!  HOORAY!

Now for the fun, and not so fun part.  The planning and waiting...oh and yes...the training.

So a heads up, if you are reading some of these posts and thinking, 'man runDisney sounds like ALOT of fun' you'd be right.  But do you research!  They are expensive!  They just announced a new Avengers Half Marathon in Disneyland where registration starts at $195!!!  Also know when it goes on sale.  Like your blood sugar check the runDisney website and check it often. They sell out fast, and seem to only be getting faster!

Weekend Getaway to the Big Easy

This is a post about the other half of our title...drinking.  There is almost zero running in it.

There are two places in this world that are no brainers when it comes to vacations for us.  New Orleans and Disney World.  Last week Ben realized he had Monday off so I worked it out in my schedule to take off Monday as well.

Ben's run on Sunday morning

That was the easy part.  Then we had to decide where to go.  Gatlinburg, Cincinnati / Perfect North, a couple other places and we finally decided on Atlanta.  I had nixed anywhere north due to the fact that I hate the cold and said we were going anywhere south.  Thanks to the Ikea there I was already shopping for what I was going to bring home.

Then Ben came home on Thursday and said he no longer wanted to go to Atlanta and he had booked us in the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans for the weekend. Awesome.  It's been almost 2 years since we've gone down there and we were LONG overdue.

Ben was not thrilled with the decor in the hotel

Friday after work we headed to Tuscaloosa.  Normally anyone with a degree from Tennessee would take as long of a bypass as necessary to avoid such a town, but since we lived there for 9 (long) months we wanted to go back and hit up our favorite spot.  Nick's Filet House - or known to locals as "Nicks in the Sticks".

 This place is in an old gas station, I think, and the sign out front blew away a long time ago and "we don't need to put up a new sign, there's a couple hour wait here every Friday night as it is".  Their signature drink?The Nicodemus.  It's hunch punch in a Styrofoam cup with a shot of 151 added and 2 straws.  Why are there two straws? "Because that's how it's always been served."

They don't even need to replace their sign, everyone who needs to know knows where it is

The drink of legends...and forgotten nights.

                                               
After drinking entirely too many Nicodemuses we headed back to the hotel, crashed and got up early to head down to New Orleans.

We arrived in New Orleans around noon and started our ritual.

Stop 1. Tropical Isle for a hand grenade.

Stop 2. Port of Call - must have hand grenade finished before going in

Stop 3. French Market

No buttons on the inside of the elevator!  Magic

We've always stayed in the quarter.  But this time, due to awesome free hotel points (double hooray for not having to pay for the hotel room!) we stayed right downtown, across the street from the Superdome.  We were 2 miles from Port of Call so we set our for our trek.  Luckily our first stop was en route to Port of Call.  We always stop at Tropical Isle.  You cannot go to New Orleans without getting a hand grenade.  So we picked ours up and due to the awesome open container law we continued on to Port of Call.

Stop #1 - Tropical Isle

Waiting for the table at Port of Call

We got to Port of Call and had an hour wait.  AN HOUR!  I cannot remember the last time I waited at all for a restaurant. So we sat on the curb, Ben sipped and I chugged my hand grenade and waited on a table.  We were finally sat and I went to the bathroom and came back and Ben had already ordered us 2 Neptune's Monsoons. I was first introduced to this drink after a friend suggested this place and said "1 of these drinks will put you on your ass".  Clearly he didn't know me because 1 of no drink will ever put me on my ass.  The first time we had this drink, we had to go to the hotel and take a nap.  The 2nd time we had this drink...we had to go to the hotel and take a nap.Finally after several attempts we can drink this without immediately passing out.

After eating the most glorious hamburger and baked potato, we took the rest of our drink (served in a 32 ounce cup) and headed to the French Market.  

FINALLY Sweet burgers and Neptune's Monsoons at Port of Call

The French Market is basically a New Orleans themed flea market.  You want something in the colors, purple, gold, green or with a fleur de lis or tiger striped...you go there. 

I go there for candles.  Specifically Carnival Candles.  They are awesome.  So awesome and I spent about $30 and got 7 tarts (those things that go in the warmers) and 1 jar candle. 

What is not awesome...dealing with the smell of 8 different scented candles for a weekend.  For some reason these mixed together and smelled like popcorn.  Everywhere we went we smelled popcorn...including the 10 hour drive back to Nashville.  Was it worth it though?  Come to my house to smell the amazing mango mandarin wafting through the air.

Pat O's fire and water fountain!

From there we headed to Jackson Square, meandered a bit looking at the art, then back to Bourbon and got a couple more hand grenades, went to Felix's for some oysters (First Supper) and got some hurricanes from Pat O's.  Ben found a brass band on the street that of course he had to sit in with for a little bit. I'm thankful for all the alcohol when he plays on random people's horns without bringing a mouthpiece. Gross!  Then headed to Coop's Place for second supper.  This is one of our favorite places to eat.  Unfortunately, it didn't hit the spot like it normally does.  Not to me.  It could be because I wasn't that hungry to begin with but I didn't feel the urge like I usually do to want to eat there again on that trip. 

Felix's Char-grilled Oysters

Coop's Place!

When you see it you'll..........

Highlight of his night.

Sunday morning Ben being way better than me got up to run.  He ran all through the Quarter which was nearly deserted at this hour which of course I instantly regretted not running so I could see it empty (aka stop to take pictures at Jackson Square). Then we headed out for one of my favorite restaurants in the whole wided world.  Mother's.  I promise, you will get nothing bad here.  My favorite, and what they're known for, is the Ferdi's Special. French bread, baked ham, roast beef, shredded cabbage, mayo, creole mustard, yellow mustard and the queen mother of all condiments "debris".  Debris is what falls off the roast beef when they are cooking it and they make a gravy out of it and top their sandwiches.  Mmmm cha!

Someone's feeding the kitties in Jackson Square!

We picked a BEAUTIFUL weekend to go down!  2 Weeks later a Polar Vortex hit and it snowed in Jackson Square!

Just hanging out with a Mardi Gras jester and getting restaurant suggestions

Then we headed back down to the French Market to look around again, back through Jackson Square since it was dark when we went on Saturday, ate a muffuletta at Central Grocery and some crawfish boudin and fried gator poboy and had some delicious drinks at the Organic Banana.  Yeah, I know...dirty hippy drinks.  We found my sister an awesome present and headed to the other end of the quarter to get a praline from the Southern Candy Company.  These people are so nice and recommended a place for us to go for supper.  We walked back down to Bourbon watched the end of the Broncos game at Tropical Isle while downing entirely too many hand grenades. We headed down the street to Spirits.  If you watch Bar Rescue you may have seen this bar.  It was something like Thirsty Turtle, a direct competitor of Tropical Isle.  Jon Taffer cleaned it up and gave them a signature drink, "The Resurrection"  To be in direct competition of something means you have a similar product and price...The hand grenade is $8 with a $7 refill, the Resurrection is $15 with a $9 refill!  Holy Mackerel!

We headed back to the hotel since it was getting way too cold to be in shorts and changed and had all the intentions in the world to head over to a brass band concert.  Ben hit a wall though, we headed out to the Palace Cafe, not far from our hotel, had a HUGE hunk of meat and some bananas fosters which were delicious.  Headed back to the hotel and crashed.  

The Dome was orange and white, clearly a sign of things to come.

Monday we got up, at at Mother's again where I, again, had the Ferdi Special and Ben had a delicious crawfish etouffee topped omelet and grits. We hurried back to the hotel to get out of dodge before the MLK day march went right by our hotel.  

Visiting my sisters in the Coven

One last stop before leaving, I wanted to stop by the house mansion where the filmed the exterior for American Horror Story: Coven.  We took a quick picture then headed to Hattiesburg to meet with an old friend for lunch.  

#Drewmors

After a bite to eat, we were on our way back to Tennessee where the temperature dropped about 30 degrees from the time we got in the car until we arrived at home.  Bummer.

Road Trippin

It was a wonderful weekend, especially being able to have the hotel paid for and planned 3 days before we left!  I guess I'll need to start burning all these candles so we can hurry up and head back!

2013 Summary!

2013 has come to an end!  And if you remember from our very first post our goal for 2013 was to run one race every month.  If we doubled up one month, we still had to run one the next month.

Unfortunately we didn't hit every month, August and October ended up being very poor and busy.  We were prioritizing and budgeting as Ben likes to call it for the Disneyland Half Marathon in August, and in October was busy with football season and getting ready for #500Strong for homecoming.

We had some awesome memories however!

From our first run at Grassmere Zoo in Nashville for the Zoo Run Run then heading over and grabbing some spiked milkshakes at Burger Republic.

Starting 2013 off Right with the Zoo Run Run at Grassmere!

Then doubling up in February and doing the Royal Family 5K followed by the Princess Half Marathon!

Royal Family 5K at EPCOT

 And, while we didn't know it at the time, we were finishing half the runDisney Coast to Coast Challenge with running the Princess Half Marathon!

Princess Half Marathon in Disney World!

 While i'm not sure if it was the best idea, we certainly tested the limits running in the elements of the 2013 Charlotte Spartan Race

Then making it a family affair in March at the Color Run!

Color Run with the Famliy!

Then we headed to Georgia for the 2nd Annual Party of the Southland Adventure Weekend for Warrior Dash!

PartyOTS Adventure Weekend 2013

We brought a couple newcomers with us for Foam Fest in Nashville.  While it was our least favorite race of the year, the Banderas made it much better!

BANDERAS!

Then we all busted out our #Swag for the first Urban Obstacle Course by Muddy Buddy!

#SWAG

We learned at the Fourth of July 10K that after a 10K, 2 beers is my limit for re-hydration.  3 beers, and I feel terrible.

Sisters at the Fourth of July 10K

Then we missed our first Tennessee home game in 20 years to complete the runDisney Coast to Coast Challenge at the Disneyland Half Marathon!

After just running through the castle

We met some friends from college as they also completed their Coast to Coast Challenge.

The whole crew at the Disneyland Half Marathon!

Then we nearly froze to death at the BoroDash in Murfreesboro on Thanksgiving!

Ben and Jenn at the starting line!

And we finished it off with the Christmas Story 10K virtual Race!

It's a Major Award!

We look forward to repeating some races in 2014, trying some new ones, and continue to run in our drinking shoes!

A Christmas Story 10K - 2013

You'll shoot your eye out!  Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra, official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifles, Fuuuuuuuuuuudddddddddddddgggggggggggeeeeeeeeeeee!

Everyone loves A Christmas Story.

So when we found out that there's a run outside of Cleveland to support the A Christmas Story Museum we were definitely in.

However, our finances weren't.

Whoever said "running is cheap" hasn't booked hotels, registered for races, driven all over creation for races.  We were tapped out, fortunately for us they had a virtual run.

You sign up for it, they send you all your goodies, and you run it at home.

I signed up for the 10K.  Unfortunately, once it gets cold, if you remember, I don't run anymore.  So I was not near ready for this run.  So I knew to entice me to run, I wouldn't open my "goodie box" that came in the mail until after I had run.

I planned my route, and got out on yet another freezing cold Saturday and began to knock this thing out.

The wind was awful, it snowed part of the way, but I finished it.  AND I got to open my goodie box!

A super awesome T-shirt, complete with leg lamp down the arm, running bib, race certificate, awesome looking medal, and of course, a single packet of Ovaltine...a crummy commercial.

This run wasn't fun, I ran it alone, all alone not even strangers around, but I finished it.

And as we all know from Pinterest....I beat all the people on the couch.

Thanksgiving Day BoroDash 2013

We live in Tennessee.  The South.  God's Country.

Beautiful Tennessee Sunset

With that being said, there should be no reason it is 19 degrees on Thanksgiving.

We signed up for the BoroDash again this year after running it in 2012 and it being an awesome race.  A fast 4 mile race that allows us to have a 3rd piece of my dad's chocolate meringue pie or thirds of my mom's delicious corn bread dressing.

The morning of, Ben said I was down right hateful.  I hate the cold weather.  H-A-T-E IT!  So when we woke up to find temperatures in the teens where it should be in the 50's I wasn't having it.

Then the battle of hating the cold vs hating wasted money began.  We had already paid for the race, so I of course didn't want it to go to waste, but I don't even know how to dress for a cold race since I rarely go outside when it's cold, let alone run in it.

After about 30 minutes of protest, and the guilt I was feeling since no matter what Ben was going to run, I got up and got dressed.

Shoes, Running Socks, Leggings, Sweat Pants, Climalite Long Sleeved Shirt, Hoodie, Gloves and Ear Warmers....and we were off.

Bundled Up and at the Starting Line

It was an absolutely beautiful day, despite the temperatures.  There was no wind, so you'd never know it was only in the teens.  The sun was so warm but I felt like I had dressed perfectly.  I didn't get hot until the very end, pulled my hoodie off and immediately pulled it back on.  It was WAY too cold for that nonsense.

Santa rounding the square in Murfreesboro

As it turns out I actually PR'd this run!  Fastest 5K!  That was exciting!  And we got medals this year which was something we didn't get last year so that was awesome to be able to add that to our growing collection.

As we headed back to the car to head home I had to apologize to Ben for being such a butt all morning and tell him that I felt so much better and was glad he gave me some grief about not wanting to run.