The 2013 season kicks off with a Half-Marathon!

8:45 am, chatting with my supa-star girlfriend Kendra Goffredo. She was pinning her bib on for the Cloud Snapple half-marathon, a low-key race run on the C&O Canal Towpath that started in 15 minutes.

"I wish I were running!" I complained, as I jumped up and down to somehow regain any blood circulation in my toes. I'd been freezing since 6 am that morning, and you never quite thaw out once you're a frozen popsicle. 

"So why don't you?" Kendra asked.

"I didn't register, I'm supposed to be a volunteer, and I don't want to get injured." 

"I'm doing 8:30 miles. You can run with me." 

8:30? OK, I could do that. I thought of another excuse. 

"I'm not wearing a bra and I don't have my Saucony running shoes with me!" 

"I have a bra!" - Kendra whipped out a bright green sports bra out of her backpack. "And what's wrong with those shoes?" 

Problem solved. I wasn't wearing my ideal running shoes, but they were a beat-up pair of hand-me-down Under Armour shoes from my twin sister. Kendra and I ran into my car, did a quick clothes change, and ran to the start line. 

I know, have you ever seen two freezing girls so giddy to start a half-marathon race?! 

Oh, and a second yes: Kendra is wearing a hijab. Apparently it is the ideal running headscarf - peripheral vision flexibility and light fabric!

Race Course - snow that provided a good cushion!

We started out slow and chatty. We were those two girls who run side-by-side, blah-blah-ing, oblivious to other foot and bike traffic on the trail. I'd say about 50 runners passed us within the first half-mile. We put in a little sprint effort when a guy (with extremely white thighs, I might add) passed us- Kendra and I chased him down with her camera phone, exclaiming, "Hey! Aren't you cold?!?!? You're wearing shorts! And they're so patriotic!"

Mr. America was not amused - he shot a glance back at us giggling girls while Kendra snapped a picture of his arse. No smile - why so gloomy, sir? 

There's nothing thrilling to report in this race. No PR (in fact, we probably set a PW). I don't think any mile ever broke 8:30. Throughout the run, Kendra's HR read 170-200, which we attributed to the freezing weather on no basis other than that HR monitor was just plain lying.

One highlight was discovering this toilet at Mile 5:

Yes, we pee'd side-by-side.

I was ecstatic that my endurance is still there! 13.1 miles, and although it took us over 2 hours (yes, it did. Blame it on the bathroom break and frequent stops to chat with our aid station buddies), it passed by as quickly as one of my 6-mile loops through our Arlington neighborhood!

AND I just registered for my 2013 races. So psyched to have the schedule nailed down!!

May: Monticello Man Half
June: Quassy Rev3 Half
July: Diabolical Double
August: IM MONT TREMBLANT!!!!

So excited, I could do a handstand on a mountain!

How to FAIL at a handstand

OK, not really. I never really mastered gymnastics class, heehee!