The Motivational Ponytail

Last weekend I drove to Clearwater, FL to meet up with one of my best friends from college, Aly, and run in the Irongirl Half Marathon.

We hadn't seen each other in years.  And so what better way to meet up than running 13.1 miles together?  Okay, I can think of a hundred better ways, but this is what brought us back together this year. 


And since I've already proven in my last post that I'm tacky enough to take a pic of a pic, I'm doing it again.



Here's a picture of us taken when she came to spend New Year's Eve with me, when I lived in New York City our first year out of grad school. 



NYC 2004 - pre-marriage, pre-babies, pre-crows feet 




And here we are last weekend at our pre-race meal at Guppy's:

Clearly our priorities have shifted - drinking our hydrating water in our special glasses this go 'round. 


It was fun to get back together and pick right up, as if we never left Gainesville.  I was able to join up with her and a great group of girls that welcomed me right in.  Although, in this next picture, I look like that random stranger that hopped in the photo at the last minute.  Clearly I wasn't quite comfortable enough to do the whole throw-your-arm-around the group move...  So, I awkwardly placed it on my leg?

We tried to go to bed early, but you know how it is, we had tons of catching up to do.  And then there's the whole bit of pre-race jitters, and hoping that the hotel coffee the next morning will taste decent enough to get a cup down. 

(How many times can I use the prefix pre- in this post?!!)

Before the race

The race consisted of a beautiful course, alot of it right along the beach, and included 3 bridges.

I love running, but let's face it, around mile 11 or so you just start questioning yourself as to why the heck you sign up for such things.  When then, out of the darkness, comes the ponytail. 

The ponytail that will keep you focused and your mind off the pitter-patter of your own feet. 

The ponytail of the girl right in front of you that seems to be in perfect swinging sync with your pace.


So, thank you, girl in the army green shorts and gray tank, for whipping it, and whippin' it good.  Your ponytail that is. 

After the race