I finally have a post to update you on exciting things going on in my life. Honestly this will just serve as my life last week outside of the actual race.
I should do more traveling because it gives me more things to write about. Anyways during the Shamrock marathon weekend I was able to see so many different people. This includes meeting over 20 of my Oiselle teammates. It was honestly both overwhelming and exciting. I wish I had more time because there were a few more people I really wanted to see. It just gives me a reason to go back and visit VA again soon.
Where to start?
Thanks to a good friend of mine and teammate Mollie, we had a huge meetup at Bravo for dinner the night before the race. (The evening after the 8k). It was so great to meet so many wonderful people and teammates. I can’t sing each person enough songs. (mostly because I can’t sing but each person/teammate is truly awesome). While Oiselle athletes are scattered across the country it is truly amazing to gather us all up and realize how much we are different yet how much we have in common.
At dinner I also realized I should probably drink the West VA elite koolaid. Those ladies are fast!
Also how awesome is it that we all finished within a minute of each other. Finish line joy!
Outside of hanging out with several Oiselle teammates I spent a good amount of time with one of my best friends Theresa. I cannot believe we have been such good friends since I started lifeguarding my sophomore year of high school. Those were the good times (or not).
Anyways, we had lunch at No Frill Bar and Grill on Friday afternoon. Then on Sunday (as I said yesterday) she basically saved my racing life. I truly look forward to these moments that I get to come home and visit (and see her).
At the expo I even got the pleasure to chat with the famous Bart Yasso. He said something that really resonated with me. “Runners often complain about the bad weather but don’t look at the good parts of it. All we remember or talk about is the bad”. For instance in a windy race we only focus on the headwind but normally there is a tailwind too. I am really trying to be conscious about this. It was such an honor to be able to chat for a while. He probably thought I was the worlds biggest goober fan.
I wish I had gotten to see a lot more people but time truly got away from me. My cell phone decided to do an update that crashed it and deleted half my text messeges, 90% of photos and random apps. I had to redownload twitter! (It might have saved me a solid 1 MG of data.).
The worst part of my phone problem was it deleted a photo of Andrew and I. Andrew is one of the fastest and nicest runners in VA Beach. He is truly awesome and works so hard. He had an amazing weekend and PRed in the half (1:19) after doing the 8k the day before. He is such an inspiration to me. Of course my phone deleted this important photo. Next time I’ll take 10 and get a fancy phone that uploads them immediately after it takes them.
With everything else, I also got some good time with my parents too. I love just relaxing and hanging out with my parents too. As I grow older I appreciate my time with my parents more and more. Seeing my dad immediately post race was one of the best feelings in the world. I was so glad he came and saw me raise the roof right to the finish line.
Questions for you:
Do you travel often?
Tell me about some of your best friends.
First, I’m 100% with you on Bart Yasso. He’s the best! Chatted with him before Boston 2011 and high fived him at Mile 10 of Marine Corp last fall.
I am lucky enough to get to travel, both for work and fun. My job working for all the cities in Colorado means I get all around this awesome state at least twice a year. I also get to travel for national meetings around the country. Next work trip is to Portland. Next play trip is to Disney World!
Friends – I have a handful of friends with whom I am close – a very small circle. Those that are my best friends I don’t get to see too often because of geography or work schedules. Right now, I’d say my best friends are a couple in my running group because we are always talking about family and work and are all genuinely supportive of each other in running endeavors and our personal lives.
Oh I want to go to Portland that sounds fun. Also Corning, NY? LOL.
I am the same way. I have a handful of extremely close friends that I honestly don’t know what I would do without them.
Corning is actually pretty great (OK, we live in the area now as I work for Corning for the last 5 years). Wineglass Marathon is scenic, great course. 🙂
And totally with you guys on the small friend group. Have some all the way back to HS (30th reunion is this year to put it in perspective) as well as college and from work through the years …
I try to travel at least a few times a year, usually to places within a few hours of us but also once a year someplace far away, preferably out of the country. My best friend I met at 16 and she is simultaneously very much like me (we approach things the same way and think in the same offbeat way) and also not at all. We were pretty much born to be each other’s best friend. My other best friend is a total badass weapons engineer for the Navy who was a state champion track athlete who ran at Berkeley. And he just got engaged a couple days ago!
I don’t travel often, but I wish I could get out and about more! I have a couple of groups of close friends that I have known for YEARS and years and years… my college roommate married one of my husband’s roommates- so we see each other all the time! Very lucky that we all moved to MA together and that they live in the next town 🙂
That’s really neat that you got to meet so many OIselle people and also Bart Yasso. It looks like it was a really exciting weekend in general for you, not just the race. It sucks about your phone and all your pictures being gone but at least you have these.
I don’t travel much but I actually have some trips coming up. We’re going on a cruise next month and then in May I’m going to a conference for work so that should be fun!
I love cruises! They are like the best vacations since you get to go to a bunch of new places but still have the ship too. I don’t know, I would prefer to go on a cruise then go to a resort for a week.
I’ve been so worried about doing the Apple update on my iPad for this very reason! I’m scared of losing data (and my research)! Looks like a great weekend – I would have totally geeked out with Bart Yasso too!
It was great to see you Hollie! Meet ups are especially hard when you have so many other people to see- I felt like I was being pulled in so many different directions. The weekend flew by! Congrats again on your race 🙂
I guess that means we just need another date to Broken Egg or JoJacks…right?
Right. Or the Grill. They have fresh raspberry pancakes in the summer, so good.
Sounds like an awesome weekend! I am jealous of all of your travels. I wish I could travel more but a full time job gets in the way of that. I’m sorry to hear about your phone…sometimes technology is the worst!
I wish I could travel to new places LOL. 😉
I’m so glad you had a great weekend, you deserve it. Glad pappa H was at the finish line for you too!!
Those definitely sound like some good times Hollie!! Annnd umm you and Theresa look like sisters lol 🙂 I do not get to travel too much these days but do take ocassional day trips in the summer time. There is so much to see in Florida and I haven’t even scratched the surface. My best friend actually currenlty lives in Georgia. Our story is actually kind of funny. If it weren’t for our mother’s putting us together we may never have even become friends at all. He’s actually the reason why I’m here in Florida. He moved here when we were freshman in high school and after graduation I moved down to Florida to stay with him and his family (my adoptive parents and sister haha) while I went to school. And one last thing … boy does Oiselle have a crazy large team!!!
That is really awesome. Wow what a story!
Yes, there are over 200 Oiselle athletes nationwide! Can you believe that?
200 Hollie!!! It’s like you ladies a little miniature army haha.
I love to travel but don’t get to very often.
sounds like a freaking ideal racing weekend. I miss traveling for races, I have only been running local ones lately
wow looks like you had not only a great race, but also a great reunion! I think those two things make for the best weekend possible. If you get the road trip itch this weekend, feel free to drive down to Charlotte and see me while I’m there 😉
I’m glad you had a fun weekend!
I LOVE to travel! Cruising is my favorite too! I actually have a cruise credit card, and I use it for everything! I got $1500 off of our cruise in June using my credit card points, plus a large onboard credit! Woo hoo!
Did you know that Bart Yasso does a cruise that you run races in the ports? It’s called Cruise to Run, I’m not sure if they’re doing it in 2014 though. http://www.cruisetorun.com
A couple of other running celebrities are doing them this year though. http://www.runningcruise.com
http://www.runandsea.com
http://www.runforfuncruise.com
🙂
That is amazing. Thank you for sharing Kristy!
Yaya for teammate time! That’s awesome you met everyone IRL. And I love to travel. Studying abroad was such much fun with all those countries at my fingertips. 🙂
Nice, gotta love destination races. My faves have been the RnR half in New Orleans (2x) and the Flying Pirate in OBX with my sis. And one of my besties was there to cheer for us.
I love OBX, I’ve never had a chance to do the races there but I want to eventually!
I am doing my first destination race in DC this year, and I am sooo pumped!!! Also, my post-college running teammates are the best. It’s so fun to connect with awesome people who have similar goals.
Which race are you doing? That’s awesome and good luck!
Thats so cool Hollie! That is very true about what Bart said, we do complain a lot, and we are never happy….too hot, too cold, too windy, no breeze! Make the best of every day 🙂
Glad you had a wonderful time, and so fun you got to spend a lot of time with friends!
My best friends are scattered; I still have some at home, a few back in Michigan, and have made some new ones here 🙂 Relationships are truly what makes life special, and I am so grateful for mine 🙂
Parent time. Friend time. Teammate time. Sounds like a win all around. Gosh, I can’t wait to see my mom and sister this weekend!
WOW! You got to meet Bart Yasso! That’s super cool! I love all of the pictures 🙂
Sounds like an amazing weekend! I do travel fairly often – a few weekends a year and typically one longer international trip . Weekends like you had at Shamrock are so amazing! That is how I felt about Eugene last year. I got to meet a few oiselle girls at Phoenix but couldn’t swing a cross country trip this year. Ill be a bird camp though- are you going?!
I think I’ll be going yes! It should be a lot of fun 🙂
LOVE bart yasso. sooo yea pretty jealous about that. Also, never told you congrats on shamrock. sounds like a super fun day and great race. makes me want to go to take a road trip next year just to race it!