Oops.

I've never mentioned this before...but I'm kind of a sucky blogger and this is kind of, like, my 20,002nd time creating a blog.

The point of this blog is to keep me running, keep me accountable, and document my journey to being a fit runner.

Good part is...I have been diligently running despite my MIA-ness!  And I'll put a lot of backlogged visuals up. 

I can't remember what I did last weekend...but I do know it involved drinking the best beer ever:

Bronx Brewery's American Oak Bourbon Barrel Bronx Pale Ale!

...and hanging out with my best pals, and running (with a lil walking) 5 MILES!  Then looking at our dream neighborhood, just chilling. 

This week was painfully slow and chaotic at work, I was lucky I went running at all when all I really wanted to do was sleep or down some wine.  Finally went out for 3 miles on Wednesday night.

Thursday the Los Animales Locos Run for the Wild team came over to tie dye our shirts.  We had some BBQ and much needed beer!  At least that worked out, because the tie dye was a big fail.  The red and yellow dyes just blended together in the wash and came out like this:

Any hipsters want a porange colored shirt?

Friday I had a networking thing, came home, laid my running crap out for the morning and PTFO.  Totally didn't hear my alarm going off but it infiltrated my dreams for a good ten minutes before I opened an eyelid.  Then came a bunch of texts that basically everyone was almost at The Bronx Zoo already and I needed to hurry up.  My poor husband (who received every bit of my pre-race/OCD panic) parked about a mile away from the starting line and we basically walked through half the course by the time we reached it.  Did I mention it was freezing?  No?  IT WAS FREEZING.  The blonde side of my brain told me to leave my coat in the car, and smarter side of my brain, that I married into, told me I was being ridiculous and to take the damn coat. 

I should've taken more pictures, but I'm too uncoordinated to do that while running.  Trust me, this race was PACKED.  It took us at least 2 minutes to get to the starting line and we ended up wogging for the first quarter mile til the crowded dispersed more.  Within 5 minutes of finding a good pace in the pack, came a turn in the course so sharp that everyone pretty much came to a dead stop.  This happened a few times.  Around 1.7 miles I decided to screw making any kind of good time in the race and enjoy the giraffes:

So cool!

I paused my Runkeeper app while I took pics and uploaded them to Facebook.  I decided to run again and didn't realize for a while that I didn't turn it back on.

I didn't float between the two grey markers, I swear.

Oops.

There was a lady pushing the most ginorm double stroller ever that literally took up 9/10ths of the road.  I ended up having to wog some more until I could finally pass her.  Two girls next to me started saying "The finish line is RIGHT after this turn."  Hooray!  I start booking it around the turn, and okay, no finish line in sight.  So I slow down again and they catch up and again it's "Okay, I definitely remember it being after this turn."  I run again! Fast! Too Fast!  Finish line wasn't for another probably .30.  I knew the husband had dusted me back at 1.5 so I crossed the finish line with a doofy smile and my sunglasses, because I learned that race photos can be extremely ugly if you are a) out of shape b) run with your mouth wide open c) are not as graceful as you imagine you are.  Sure enough he took a picture of me, a side view, and though slightly more flattering than the first race...still not postable.  I look forward to the "after" pics so I can post all these crazy ones.

Mike said the clock said 34 something when I crossed the finish, and I know for a fact we crossed the start at around 1:48.  So, somehow, with my giraffe photo shoot, the insane turn traffic, the double wide stroller house, my seemingly slow pace, and the false finishes....I shaved off at least 6 minutes from my first 5K time!! MY FIRST RACE PERSONAL RECORD.  All this running is doing SOMETHING.  I didn't get a medal, but I did get a plush lion and a pretty slick water bottle.  

Eventually, Los Animales Locos all caught up near the sea lions exhibit.

Champs! I look like a tool bag in the back.

And I must say, I am so proud of all these ladies (and my husband) because for most of them, it was their first ever 5K!  And judging by the post-race party convos...I will always have race partners! So excited!

We wanted to walk around the zoo but it was still around 49 degrees, windy, we were all sweaty and parked way too far to get our stuff.  In hindsight, I feel dumb for not spending more time at the zoo on a relatively uncrowded day.

But...the following consoled me instead:

Blue Moon Summer.

FRIED FOOD.  Omg, it's been so long. I think.

The team hung for a while, but eventually it was just the serious partiers hanging out for the rest of the afternoon.  Thankfully I switched to Michelob Ultra at some point in the day or I would've had a very unhappy morning I'm sure.

While I wasn't hungover, I knew today's breakfast had to be serious.  I've been dying to make huevos rancheros again for a while, and haven't found the right moment to have basically nachos with an egg thrown on top for breakfast.  Today was the right moment.

Cat's very own huevos rancheros - huevos del awesomesta. My Spanish is impeccable.  

Today involved a lot of laying around after that.

And researching races.  I'm changing up my race schedule.  I'll post more about that next time.  This post has gotten out of control!