Maura - Always better to have the room! I found the room I wanted in DC for MCM, then didn't book it. My buddy who's running with me did. I'm now paying around $100/night more than she is for the same hotel...
But we're at the finish line, and won't have to face the 90 minute wait for the shuttle and/or metro to get back to the hotel like we did last year. I'm pretty sure any amount of money will be worth it at that point in time!
Jeremy - This week marks the 5th anniversary of my first 5K (at WDW, where else?) and the beginning of my distance running journey as well. I actually started running in February to prepare for the 5K, but met the WISH gang in person in May. You are so right - it's amazing to go back and see where I began. Sometimes it's fun to read some of the old (then weekly) threads and see what were major accomplishments at the time. You've come a long way. And by the way, so has
Maura! I remember when she started - and now she's completed Boston!
Cami - How was your 5K? It's fun sometimes to do one just to experience a different side of the running community. DH and I ran one yesterday. The training is a whole different mindset, though, so we're definitely not competitive. Don't know how far you want to travel for a half, but we have two here in NC this fall. One is a brand new one in Durham in October on the 16th (technically for women only, but they're allowing men to run too,) and one in Raleigh on Nov 6th. Our Galloway group director is the race director for the Raleigh one, and it's a great race.
Amanda - LOVE the Inner Harbor area. I'd love to do the Baltimore race one year, but it keeps conflicting with other races on my schedule. Too many races, too few weekends!
Lily - Hope the recovery is going well!
So I've been trying to ease back into running slowly. Building my run/walk intervals gradually. Had made it to a 3/1 run/walk for the past couple of weeks, so I'd decided that I could probably finish the 5K on Saturday doing those intervals. Figured I'd be happy with a time of 36:00 or so, since I'd only been running again for 6 weeks. (My PR for a 5K was at this race last year - 30:51) Went out comfortable on the first mile, did the intervals, finished the first mile in 11:47. Started the second mile, and when the time came for the walk break, just didn't take it. Took a 1:00 break at the end of the second mile, and didn't walk again until I crossed the finish line and pretty nearly fell over! Garmin said 34:43. Their clock said 35:06, which made sense since I was way back in the pack. Official time says 35:15, which does NOT make sense. I'm going with the 34:43! Needless to say, I pushed myself much harder than I should have, and I am quite sore today. But quite proud.
We're in the midst of negotiating with ourselves, trying to decide if we're coming in January. It's all Maura's fault! Her post looking for relay partners appeared the same day a friend of ours mentioned that they'd like to run the half at Disney, and I told DH I didn't particularly want another Mickey or Donald medal, but I'd like a Chip or Dale. He's not interested in the relay, but I told him I thought I could find someone to run with... And it turns out there are a bunch of people looking for partners! Unfortunately, we've missed all the good discounts on registration, although our Galloway group gets a whopping $5 off. That really sends me to the computer to hit "register!"
The Galloway group season starts next weekend. We had our kickoff last weekend, with Jeff in town to do his sales pitch. Since DH is going to be a group leader, we got to go to the reception the night before and meet him one on one. Much nicer to talk to him there than in a crowd of 200 people!
Jackie
