Gourmet Runner

You know that feeling of dread that sneaks up on you when someone wants to show you pictures of their family vacation/wedding/new baby? Well, you should be feeling that right now. I have missed out on over three months of splashing the interwebz with pictures of me with my hands on my hip, in the right light and at the right angle. And now, we are going to make up for lost time. The above is only slightly true. Partially. Mostly. Whatever. I actually just wanted to post about what I was up to over the past few months. I turned a quarter-century old and celebrated with a beautiful hike and the world's largest gummy bear: Tim and I also spent Christmas in Hong Kong. I was still technically working while we were there, but I got away with mostly half-days and we got to do some great hikes and runs on the trails. This is perhaps my favorite picture of all time, because it shows just how gorgeous Hong Kong can actually be when you get away from the city: Seriously amazing

This past week has been so bizarre. I was on such a high after running in Myrtle Beach, and all I could think about was the marathon. I actually had a hard time sleeping (despite the fact that my body was exhausted!) because I kept replaying the final stretch in my mind and seeing the numbers 3:51:15 float by every time I closed my eyes. Yes, that makes me sound crazy. I get that. But I really was on cloud nine. And then....the inevitable crash. It sucks, doesn't it? An amazing PR, a new distance record or an incredibly fun race can often leave you on a roller coaster of feelings. After the rise, the weeks or months of anticipation and then the event itself, you find yourself at a loss. What am I supposed to be doing now? What am I supposed to be eating, sleeping, training? Monday through Wednesday was basically me being a whiny bitch, struggling to focus on my work, eating far too many bags of mini eggs (early Easter candy FTW!) and finding ways to fight with my husband.

What's up? Long time no type. The last time I posted (in November) I had just completed the Chickamagua Battlefield Marathon with a time of 4:05 and I was incredibly proud of myself. If you told me that I would be able to cut 14+ minutes off of my PR in the three months after that, I would have thought you were crazy. Somehow, I finished the Myrtle Beach Marathon with an official time of 3:51:15 this Saturday, and I could not be happier! Here's the recap, or as much of it as I can remember. Pre-Race : Tim and I decided to drive to Myrtle Beach on Thursday afternoon so that we could relax a little on Friday and not worry about rushing there in time for the expo/packet pick-up. Also, nothing says love like spending Valentine's Day in a car for 8 hours, right? We woke up on Friday morning to incredible views of the beach from our insanely cheap hotel room, and all I wanted to do was go exploring all day. Alas, that is a terrible, terrible idea before a marathon. Inste