Happy Holidays!

George and I have had a busy, but fun stretch of celebrations this month!

First, we celebrated Hanukkah with his family over at Papa's house. Papa is 98 years old, the patriarch of their family. He really enjoys having the family fill his house, and it's fun, for sure. The kids are growing up so fast! We did something a little different this year for gift-giving. We each drew one person. I got George's mom, Tina, so we went to lunch at Mellow Mushroom, then to Paint Your Pot in Cary this past Saturday. It was a great time to catch up with her!

On Sunday, George and I threw a Festivus party! I was in the mood to host a Sunday night party, so I googled "December 23 holiday," and found out that it's Festivus, Who knew?! Great excuse to have people over, we decided!We cooked chili, and others brought food and flowers, and we played the original Trivial Pursuit. Fun times, great company! (Thanks to +Beth Bruch, +Nancy Mayer, and others for joining in the fun!)

Last night (Christmas Eve), George and I went to a Moravian Lovefeast at Christ the King Moravian Church. This is the second year in a row that we've gone to this service at Christ the King Moravian, so it feels like a tradition. It's such a nice service, with traditional Christmas hymns and readings, as well as the serving of coffee and buns, We really enjoyed it!

George, Lesley, & Marion

Today, George and I joined my Uncle Marion (who drove from Goldsboro) for brunch at Paparazzi, an Italian restaurant in Raleigh, for Christmas Day brunch. We had an 11:15 reservation, and didn't leave until nearly 3:00! Needless to say, we had a great time catching up and eating yummy food!

Once home, I called my parents in Alabama, and heard about their day. We wish we could've all been together, but it was great to hear their voices!

Tomorrow's a rest day for me, while George returns to work. It's been a great holiday season!

Staycation 2011: Prairie Ridge Ecostation, Raleigh, NC

Prairie Ridge Ecostation

Last week, George and I had a staycation, and we enjoyed seeing taking in several local sites, including the Prairie Ridge Ecostation on Reedy Creek Rd. in Raleigh, NC. It's an outpost of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and it's a delightful 40 acres of nature within the city limits of our state capital.

There's no admission fee, and it's a delightful step into nature. There's a small trail system (about a mile's worth if you walk it all), with lots of plants and birds around.

Do yourself a favor and check out the Prairie Ridge Ecostation sometime! You'll be glad you did!

Check out the rest of my photos from the Prairie Ridge Ecostation here.

Okay, I Did It Again

No, I'm not about to break into the Britney Spears song by a similar title! I did just register for the local Galloway training program, though! Evenhough I'm still working on the IT Band Syndrome in my right leg, and am hardly running at all at the moment, I'm still doing crosstraining and stretching like crazy. I'm missing running like crazy too, and have been exercising with my bottom lip sticking out this week. I think this is just what I need to start getting out of my funk! The people in the Raleigh Galloway group are friendly, helpful and really encouraging, so the timing of the training season kick-off this coming Saturday couldn't be better for me! I start physical therapy a week from today, and am thinking about getting a sports/deep tissue massage for my leg. (Any recommendations for Triangle massage therapists?!)

The Local Running Community

Yesterday, I ran the Run for the Oaks 5K (in downtown Raleigh) in the rain! (Check out the race report here, if interested.) My performance was a bit disappointing, but the thing I took away from the race was that the online running community is alive and well in the Triangle! No kidding, I met three different online friends yesterday who saw and recognized me first, then I recognized them too. All three are from a combination of Facebook, Twitter, and/or running bloggers I follow. What fun! I also had someone comment on my race report that he was the guy who finished just in front of me in the red jacket, and asked if I was the one in the Duke t-shirt. (Yep!) I tried catching the red jacket guy for the last chunk of the race, but couldn't pull it off!

While this could border on creepy stalking, so far the online community has been a great way to follow each other through training and races in the area, and getting to see pictures of each other helps a lot!

Wearing the Duke t-shirt garnered a couple of comments, but it helped that it was ACC Basketball Tournament weekend!

Meanwhile, the new Raleigh Galloway training season is starting in a couple of months, and I'm planning to sign up again. I've discovererd that I like running alone, but the Saturday group runs offer extra motivation, good running tips, and a sense of in-person community that I miss when I'm running alone. I've enjoyed following some of the Raleigh Gallowayers on Facebook in the off-season.

Work Meets Running

I'm running in the Run for the Oaks 5K tomorrow morning, and they have a corporate team competition. I stepped out on a limb and solicited other interested runners at the library. Now, three of us are going to brave the rain tomorrow morning in Raleigh! I'm excited! The rain will be a bit of an adventure, or at least a good story to tell later.

Last night I went to the Athlete's Foot at Cameron Village to pick up my race packet. The man behind the table made a comment that he recognized my name, that I must run a few races around here! :) I didn't mentioned that I'm a back-of-the-packer. TMI.

I picked up a new pair of running shoes while I was at the store, but I'll save them for after the rain.

City of Oaks Half Marathon

Last Sunday, I ran in my first half marathon, the City of Oaks Half Marathon in Raleigh. It had been a goal of mine for quite a while, and I've been training specifically for this race for several months.

George went with me to the race Saturday morning, and was at the finish line to take pictures of me, (mostly) smiling for the camera. When I finished, I was exhausted, but otherwise not as emotional about finishing as I thought I might be. I was relieved and happy, but mostly exhausted.

A couple days ago, the company that had photographers on the course posted their pictures for the runners of the City of Oaks races (half and full) to access. When I looked at all those pictures of me actually running the course, I choked up! Seeing pictures of me out on the course, and reliving it a bit, was different from seeing shots of me finishing the course.

The picture posted here was my favorite. I like the trees in the background. I'm thinking, though, that maybe I'll try to wear something cuter the next time I'm in a race with photograpers and pictures for sale. ;-) I am glad I wore my pearl earrings, though. It was a way to "dress up" for a special occasion, which this was.

My full report of the City of Oaks Half is on my running blog, and can be read here.

Post-race Visit to the Farmers Market

After running the Autism Ribbon Run 5K in downtown Raleigh this morning, I passed a sign for the Raleigh Farmers Market on my way home. I've never been to the one there, so I decided to pull off the interstate and check it out. It was much bigger than I expected, with several buildings as well as a restaurant. I didn't look at everything, but I did enjoy walking around for a little while. I'd love to return sometime! Meanwhile, I bought a red bell pepper and some squash.





One of the booths was run by McLamb Farms out of Johnston County, so I stopped and spoke to them. My grandmom was a McLamb from Sampson County, so I don't know if I'm related to those folks, but it was nice to chat.

I also enjoyed looking at the plant section!

Garrison Keillor in Raleigh

Thanks to a Twitter update fron Ginny, George and I headed to Raleigh this afternoon to hear Garrison Keillor talk at the McKimmon Center. We stopped by Quail Ridge Books first to buy our tickets, then got to the venue nice and early.

Keillor, of "Prairie Home Companion" fame, has a new book out called Liberty, and while this was a book promotion, he didn't talk much about his book. He talked for about 50 minutes or so about all sorts of things, and was very entertaining. He even sang some during his talk, and seemed to refer very little to his notes.

After the talk, he entertained a number of questions (including one from George), then stayed to sign books. I'd bought his book, Love Me, before the talk started in hopes of getting the book signed, but it turned out it was going to take a while, so I decided to pass. Looking on the Barnes and Noble, it doesn't look like my choice of Garrison Keelor books is very good. Oh well. I still enjoyed the talk alot!

An Afternoon in Raleigh

Yesterday, George and I had Sunday brunch at Irregardless Cafe, a restaurant in Raleigh. I had a yummy garden (i.e. veggie, including tomatoes and avocados) frittata, and George had the chef salad. It was the first time we'd been there, and I really enjoyed it. It's colorfully decorated, and had live music. From there, we went to see the musical "Spamalot," which won the 2005 Emmy for best musical. The tickets were an anniversary present for George, who grew up on Monty Python. I did not, but we both enjoyed the show a lot! We saw friends Melissa and Robert there, to boot.

Afterward, we drove home and had a few minutes to power down before heading back to Wake County, where we celebrated Passover with George's family in Cary, a neighboring city of Raleigh. It was good to be with everyone, and I especially enjoyed talking with George's 14-year-old cousin, Jake. I first met Jake when he was every bit a 9-year-old boy. For the first time, we found a common interest in running, as he's joined his school's track team, and plans to run the Peachtree Road Race with his father this summer. It was nice to finally be able to talk with him about something besides his school. ("What grade are you in this year? What's your favorite subject?")

After being home sick since Thursday, it was nice to be around people, but there wasn't much down time, and I returned to work today a little worn out. It's been an especially long afternoon, and George and I have a covenant group meeting tonight. *sigh*

An Afternoon in the Library

This afternoon I spent several hours working on my family tree in the State Library on Jones Street in Raleigh. They have a whole room devoted to the Genealogy Collection, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This was the first time I've taken a laptop with me to do genealogical research, and it helped a lot. I used to make lots of copies or write things down until my fingers hurt, and enter things on my desktop when I got home. (They have a couple of tables reserved for laptop users, with power outlets in the floor.) It also helped to be able to look up people on my genealogy program immediately, rather than wonder if I had them in the system. They've expanded the room where the Genealogy Collection is located since the last time I was there, and it's laid out much better now.

I can't wait to return, and to check out the North Carolina State Archives again too. I've transcribed some old wills there--a very neat thing to see the handwritten wills of my ancestors!

Jingle Bell Run 5K Race Report

I had a great time running the Jingle Bell Run in Raleigh yesterday! I knocked about two minutes off of my last 5K race time with the help of an unexpected running buddy! My race report, on my other blog, is here.

NC Odyssey Project: Wake County

Where: Wake County, NC

When: December 1, 2007

Yesterday, December 1, I ran in the Jingle Bell 5K Run in Raleigh, NC, (see race report here), which happens to be in Wake County. Here's to the second county in my North Carolina Odyssey Project!

Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina, and it happens to be where I went to high school. It's home to a number of academic institutions, include NC State, Shaw, Meredith, Peace, and Wake Technical Community College. Culturally, there are many things to do in the area. There are some wonderful museums, including the North Carolina Museum of Art, the North Carolina Museum of History, and the North Carolina Museum of Natural History. There are also music opportunities, including the NC Symphony Orchestra. Raleigh is also home to the Carolina Hurricanes, the 2006 Stanley Cup Champions.

Raleigh is considered part of the Triangle, along with Durham and Chapel Hill (and surrounding areas). I believe part of the Research Triangle Park is in Wake County as well.

Pictures above are 1) Smedes Hall, one of the main buildings on the campus of St. Mary's School, where the Jingle Bell Run started and finished, 2) The Bishop's House, also on the SMS campus, the SMS Chapel, 3) the St. Mary's Chapel, 4) a painted wolf in front of the Kenan Library on the St. Mary's campus, made as part of the Raleigh Red Wolf Project, and 5) and picture of Wade Avenue in Raleigh, taken from my car early yesterday morning (yay for light traffic!).

I enjoyed running in the Jingle Bell Run in Raleigh, partly because I got to see some of the sights there along Hillsborough Street, including part of the Capitol complex, NC State and the Bell Tower, and St. Mary's, of course.

Free to Breathe 5K Completed!

I ran in the Free to Breathe 5K in Raleigh this morning, and ran a personal best! My race report is on one of my other blogs. Read about it here!

Signed Up for Another 5K!

I just decided to sign up for a 5K road race THIS WEEKEND! It's the Free to Breathe 5K in Raleigh, with proceeds going to fight lung cancer. I feel like I need something to shake things up workout-wise, even before the Apex Turkey Trot on the 17th with Laura.

My main goal will be to improve my last 5K time of 42 minutes. I would love, love, love to break the 40 minute mark. Will it happen this weekend? Not sure, but I'm going to try!

Vesak

My friend, Suttee, invited us to the Buddhist temple she attends in Knightdale, near Raleigh to see the Vesak festival today. It was held outdoors, which Buddhist monks, nuns, and dancers, plus lunch beforehand. All of it was really fascinating to me! There was a lot of traditional music (Suttee told us it was Thai music), and the flowers, flags, and other decorations were very colorful--yellows, blues, reds. I'm so glad Suttee invited us to join her.

Pondering New Goal

I'm thinking about signing up for the Rex Healthcare Half-Marathon in Raleigh on November 4th. I would be a big stretch for me, but I think I'd make a lot of progress toward my fitness and weight loss goals with the extra push. Thinking about it gives me baby butterflies, but makes me enough excited to overcome the butterflies. It's 6 months from tomorrow! Race info says I'd need to be able to finish in 3.5 hours. Wow.

High School Reunion

I went to my 25th high school reunion at St. Mary's in Raleigh on Saturday. There were about a dozen from my class there, and it was fun to see them and walk around campus. I wish more had shown up, but it was great to see the ones who were there. Since then, it's had me reflecting on where I've been, where I'm heading, and where I want to go.

Run for the Oaks 5K

The Run for the Oaks 5K road race in Raleigh was a surprising success for me, as I was able to run (ok, jog!) the whole thing--and felt fairly strong at the end, to boot! I was excited to break 50 minutes as well, which has been a goal of mine for several months now. Finally completing a 5K race at a jog has opened my eyes to the possibilities of doing 10Ks and beyond again. It's been a dream of mine to run a marathon, but now it seems to be a little more of a reality. :-)

I'm still waiting for the chip results to be posted at runnc.com, but best I could tell, I finished in about 46 and a half minutes!

ADDENDUM: My chip time was 46 minutes, 30 seconds! Yay!

Preparing for another 5K

I signed up for another 5K road race yesterday, the Run for the Oaks, on March 17 in Raleigh. I'm excited about having this (running a 5K) as a goal again. I hope to improve my own time over the last 5K in December. Maybe I'll break 50 minutes this time!