A cough and a PR

I am back from Mexico.  I cried when I left.  It was an amazing birthday celebration with even more amazing friends and the vacation high still lingers several days later...

I owe pictures, but first - I have exciting news (for me).

I ran my first NYC road race this morning - the "City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks".  I joined the New York Road Runners club a couple of weeks ago and this was the first road race I could register for.  I haven't entered a race since I left Wisconsin last fall so it was time to get back in the game.  This was a 4 miles race in Central Park on a path I know very well.

It was also my first race in my new age bracket...F40-44.  (gulp)

The course was PACKED.  Someone said there were 20,000 runners.  The results show 7,000 finishers.  It took 8 minutes to actually cross the start line.  Central Park is not really as big as a lot of people might think, so honestly, it was hard to get going and even harder to find space to run.

In addition, I have bronchitis as a result of a sinus infection, so despite the fact that I have been training for speed this winter...I knew this race would be a crap shoot.  I am on day 5 of a z-pack and yet the nagging cough lingers on.  I popped a Halls before the race and hoped for the best.

I PR'ed.

Average Pace: 8:40

Total Time: 34:38

There are a lot of people faster than me.  But 8:40?  That is fast FOR me.  My goal is sub-8's.  Anything in the 7 minute range would make me ecstatic...but given that I struggled to breathe for most of the race, I will take this as a sign the training is working.

I'm back at it next Sunday for another 4 mile race.  I am hoping I am feeling a lot closer to 100% so I can really test my training.

In the meantime, I have never seen 8:40s in my entire life.  This is a happy day!

I think it may have something to do with how coincidentally my nail polish color matched my arm sleeves (necessary for this chilly morning run)

At any rate, it feels so incredibly good to work so hard and actually see progress!

I really didn't plan this...

That's right -  a PR!

Birthday Beach

Mexico.

6:45 AM tomorrow departure.

I have needed this vacation for a year and a half.

Hell, I have needed it for much longer than that.

Between work being full throttle, the move to NYC which has made my previous life totally unrecognizable, and the entire journey of the last 16 months...

I AM SO READY FOR MEXICO!

I like active vacations, but this one involves about 3 things -

1.  My bathing suit

2.  My girlfriends

3.  Beach/sand/fruity drinks

Hello Isla Mujeres....Goodbye 30's....

I get a birthday month...thankyouverymuch

After Opening Day, Marge and I had a big weekend in the works.  It included brunches, Mexicantown, mani-pedis, shopping (at Nordie's - yeah!), Prosecco, Benihana, babies, and Easter baskets.

Let's recap:
Brunches = necessary fuel
Mexicantown = Ah-maz-ing and a MUST in Detroit
Mani-pedis = preparation for Mexico, not Mexicantown...Mexico
Nordie's = shoes, shoes, shoes
Prosecco = seriously, I am not even giving this one an explanation
Benihana = super fun dinner with Amy who told the waitstaff it was birthday coming up (she will get hers, trust me)
Babies = My sister's, and Marge's
Easter baskets = candy, candy everywhere

I am going to skip brunches and go right to - Mexicantown.

There are many excellent, incredible Mexican restaurants in this part of Detroit, but Los Galane's IS the best.  Hands down.  It feels like home walking in there.  So many great memories have been made by all of us here...

And the margaritas?  Well, one and done my friend - that should tell you something...

It was after noon.  Trust me.

After mani-pedis, we went shopping and met Amy.  I wore out the Nordie's card in the shoe department.  I had to decide between these...

It was tough, but I opted for the pair on the left.

Then we met Amy, where like I mentioned before, told our waiters it was my birthday.  So they made me wear this.

But the laughing stopped when the chocolate sundae arrived with MY NAME ON IT.

The next day, Marge dropped me off at my sister Emily's home for a few hours where I got to visit with  the family, give the nephew (Ethan) and niece (Ellise) some Easter goodies, and hang with new baby Charlotte.

Then my sister said we had to make these things out of eggs and that it would be FUN.  A craft project for the family.

This is her telling me for the 100th time how to do it.  And yes, that is a Prosecco Mimosa.

I still went my own way...I made a green bird and a crazy looking bluebird with eyelashes.  Ethan, Ellise, and Emily followed the rules and their creatures turned out perfect.  Surprisingly enough, I have no pictures of the finished product but the memory of my sister trying to get the insides out of the eggs without breaking them will forever be burned in my mind.  And not in a good way.

Then we went shopping for Easter and little Miss Charlotte got this.

Which culminated in this the next morning.  (adorable kids)

Marge picked me up after shopping and then I got to spend some time with these super cute boys...

Mr. Joshua - can't believe he's this big but absolutely cuter by the minute.

Mr. Jack - who actually dyed the eggs after I left but before I did we played several intense rounds of Hungry Hungry Hippos together.  And he was cracking me up, big-time.  Even though I was not allowed a goodbye hug, I did get an "I love you too" which pretty much MADE MY DAY.

A whirlwind, gorgeous weekend indeed.

And Wednesday, for my birthday celebration, I am going here...

Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

I've been there a few times and I can't wait to go back to Playa Norte, have a Corona Light on the swings, lay in the sun, and just hang with my girls.

Marge, Amy, and I have been there before together and this time it will be the 3 of us plus my friend Courtnay from NYC!  (She's a Michigander too)

We will be recreating these pics with Courtnay at some point.  Circa 2004.

So far, my birthday month has been AWESOME!

Opening Day!

I ventured back to Detroit this past weekend to partake in the annual tradition of...

Opening Day.

And our Tigers did not disappoint, with a pretty nice win over Boston in the season opener.  Hopefully the first of many....

I go to spend time with my best friend of 24 years - Marge.  I've mentioned it before, but her name is not really Marge.  It's Jennifer.  Most people call her Jenny.  I don't.  I either call her Marge (preferred) or Jennifer (in the company of the very few who don't know I call her Marge).  In high school we were inseparable, and my last name was Holmes so I became Holmer.  She immediately became Marge.  Her nickname stuck.  Mine, did not.  

Here we are enjoying our first Bloodies of the day, downtown near the usual tailgate spot.

The wet bar/tailgate...

 Marge with her husband Jason, aka the "bartender" and originator of the Opening Day tradition.

Seriously, I try so hard to look cool and see how she is?

The three of us hitting it at Nemo's beer tent, also a tradition.

Our friend Rose, Marge and me...a beautiful day but just a little chilly downtown.

Marge channeling Karen from Californication.

I am trying to show the many artistic beer cans Labatts was offering this year

Chucks.  Matching.  The usual.

A perfect day with my best friend...priceless.

Callback, Interrupted

My next post was supposed to be the continuation of the crazy weekend.

I interrupt the previously scheduled program to announce - quite unbelievably - that I actually got a callback from the HBO audition.

I was shaking as I listened to the voicemail.

Here's the kicker.  I couldn't go.  I had to travel to Minneapolis and Bentonville for my real job.

Sometimes being a responsible adult blows.

I'm not giving up just yet.  You may someday see me in the background of True Blood (I hope I get to be a vampire not a victim, that would be so cool)...or a witness being questioned by the police...or just a passerby in some randomly awesome HBO show.

Where there's a will...