Rockin' & Rollin' in The Big Easy
ARRIVAL IN NOLA
I think I speak for everyone involved (Becky, Debra, Kelsey, Cassy, Kristin, Lindsey, and myself) when I say the following: We run to eat. And what better place to partake in a smorgasbord of culinary pleasures than New Orleans, LA? The purpose of this girls' weekend adventure to New Orleans was to run the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon (the first half marathon for two in our party). The perk of our trip was food...lots of food...with a little shopping thrown in.
Thanks to my husband, J.T., for renting us a suburban so we could ride and fellowship together in proper road trip fashion. We left Mobile Saturday morning only an hour and half after our designated departure time (not too bad for 7 women). Once we arrived in the Crescent City, we checked into our hotel and made our way to the Health & Fitness Expo where we would pick up our race packets, shop for cute RnR merchandise, and browse the booths of the hundreds of vendors in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. By the time we finished these activities, we had walked for over 2 hours, and we were starving! Lunch was served al fresco at the Ernst Cafe, and even though we waited a couple hours for our food, we enjoyed the sunshine, the sights, and each other's company.
After lunch, we ventured out into the French Quarter for some shopping. But first, a stop to find Kristin some flip flops. She had developed several blisters on each foot (the day before the race no less) by forgoing socks with her boots and walking over 3 miles in that condition. Luckily, J.Crew came through with a pair of gold Havaianas and we were able to resume our perusing of stores like Anthropologie, lululemon, Saks 5th Avenue, and my favorite hat shop in all the world, Goorin Bros., where Becky and I both made a chapeau purchase.
Purchases made, we began our search for the ultimate New Orleans delicacy: the beignet. Typically, we head straight to Cafe Du Monde, the most famous beignet establishment in the city. Unfortunately, the line was too long and the crowds too thick, so we made our way to a local favorite Cafe Beignet on Royal Street. It did not disappoint. While I hate to offend, I pretty sure I found my new favorite purveyor of fried dough covered in powdered sugar. As the seven of us crowded around a tiny iron table in the shady courtyard of Cafe Beignet (about an hour and a half before our dinner reservation), we devoured multiple beignets, laughed, and birthed the idea of the ultimate beignet: one stuffed with Conecuh sausage called a "powdered pig." What can I say? We're dreamers and innovators, albeit carnivorous ones.
As the glorious fried confections settled on our stomachs, we began the walk across town to the Warehouse District where our dinner reservation at Tommy's Cuisine was located. We dined with fellow race participants and friends, Tootie and her husband Phillip. None of us had ever been to Tommy's, but what a treat! This restaurant that served Italian Creole cuisine was gorgeous with even better ambiance. I highly recommend you add it to your "Must Eat" list for New Orleans. While delicious, our meal at Tommy's still had not satisfied our sweet tooth. So, on our walk back to the hotel, we stopped at Rouse's Market for an assortment of gelato and chocolate candies. Needless to say, we went to bed completely satiated and more than adequately fueled for the race the next morning.
RACE DAY
Alarms start blaring around 5 a.m. Time to rise and shine for race day. The runners - Becky, Debra, Kristin, and myself - put on our racing duds (teal lululemon "Coastal" tanks and black skirts), pinned our our numbered bibs, and attached the chip timers to our shoes. The cheerleaders - Kelsey, Cassy, and Lindsey - grabbed their rain jackets and posters. Together, we made our way through the mist and fog to the start line at Camp and Poydras Streets. After hearing the gun go off, we had to wait our turn for corral 13's turn to cross the start line and begin the race. To cheers and bass-thumping music, we began the 2014 Rock n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon!
Weather for race day was bleak to say the least. In some areas, the fog was so thick you couldn't see 20 feet in front of you, and it felt like we'd run into a cloud and disappear. Despite the rain, however, our spirits were high. I credit this mostly to the fact that many of training runs were done in torrential downpours, but most importantly, I credit our energy to our fabulous cheer team. Cassy made the cutest posters complete with glitter for herself, Lindsey, and Kesley to hold up as we ran by them on the race course. They met us at several points throughout the race smiling, cheering, dancing, and holding up their posters. These girls made my day; they also made me smile at times when I was tired and sore and didn't think I had the energy to crack even the smallest smirk. I am so thankful for them.
What's more is I had a great cheer team at home in my husband, Charlie, and Moose. They sent me encouraging and funny messages from home via text message. Without the support of my family and friends, I could not train for much less complete races of this distance. I continue to be grateful for their presence in my life.
I think I speak for everyone involved (Becky, Debra, Kelsey, Cassy, Kristin, Lindsey, and myself) when I say the following: We run to eat. And what better place to partake in a smorgasbord of culinary pleasures than New Orleans, LA? The purpose of this girls' weekend adventure to New Orleans was to run the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon (the first half marathon for two in our party). The perk of our trip was food...lots of food...with a little shopping thrown in.
Thanks to my husband, J.T., for renting us a suburban so we could ride and fellowship together in proper road trip fashion. We left Mobile Saturday morning only an hour and half after our designated departure time (not too bad for 7 women). Once we arrived in the Crescent City, we checked into our hotel and made our way to the Health & Fitness Expo where we would pick up our race packets, shop for cute RnR merchandise, and browse the booths of the hundreds of vendors in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. By the time we finished these activities, we had walked for over 2 hours, and we were starving! Lunch was served al fresco at the Ernst Cafe, and even though we waited a couple hours for our food, we enjoyed the sunshine, the sights, and each other's company.
After lunch, we ventured out into the French Quarter for some shopping. But first, a stop to find Kristin some flip flops. She had developed several blisters on each foot (the day before the race no less) by forgoing socks with her boots and walking over 3 miles in that condition. Luckily, J.Crew came through with a pair of gold Havaianas and we were able to resume our perusing of stores like Anthropologie, lululemon, Saks 5th Avenue, and my favorite hat shop in all the world, Goorin Bros., where Becky and I both made a chapeau purchase.
Purchases made, we began our search for the ultimate New Orleans delicacy: the beignet. Typically, we head straight to Cafe Du Monde, the most famous beignet establishment in the city. Unfortunately, the line was too long and the crowds too thick, so we made our way to a local favorite Cafe Beignet on Royal Street. It did not disappoint. While I hate to offend, I pretty sure I found my new favorite purveyor of fried dough covered in powdered sugar. As the seven of us crowded around a tiny iron table in the shady courtyard of Cafe Beignet (about an hour and a half before our dinner reservation), we devoured multiple beignets, laughed, and birthed the idea of the ultimate beignet: one stuffed with Conecuh sausage called a "powdered pig." What can I say? We're dreamers and innovators, albeit carnivorous ones.
As the glorious fried confections settled on our stomachs, we began the walk across town to the Warehouse District where our dinner reservation at Tommy's Cuisine was located. We dined with fellow race participants and friends, Tootie and her husband Phillip. None of us had ever been to Tommy's, but what a treat! This restaurant that served Italian Creole cuisine was gorgeous with even better ambiance. I highly recommend you add it to your "Must Eat" list for New Orleans. While delicious, our meal at Tommy's still had not satisfied our sweet tooth. So, on our walk back to the hotel, we stopped at Rouse's Market for an assortment of gelato and chocolate candies. Needless to say, we went to bed completely satiated and more than adequately fueled for the race the next morning.
RACE DAY
Alarms start blaring around 5 a.m. Time to rise and shine for race day. The runners - Becky, Debra, Kristin, and myself - put on our racing duds (teal lululemon "Coastal" tanks and black skirts), pinned our our numbered bibs, and attached the chip timers to our shoes. The cheerleaders - Kelsey, Cassy, and Lindsey - grabbed their rain jackets and posters. Together, we made our way through the mist and fog to the start line at Camp and Poydras Streets. After hearing the gun go off, we had to wait our turn for corral 13's turn to cross the start line and begin the race. To cheers and bass-thumping music, we began the 2014 Rock n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon!
Weather for race day was bleak to say the least. In some areas, the fog was so thick you couldn't see 20 feet in front of you, and it felt like we'd run into a cloud and disappear. Despite the rain, however, our spirits were high. I credit this mostly to the fact that many of training runs were done in torrential downpours, but most importantly, I credit our energy to our fabulous cheer team. Cassy made the cutest posters complete with glitter for herself, Lindsey, and Kesley to hold up as we ran by them on the race course. They met us at several points throughout the race smiling, cheering, dancing, and holding up their posters. These girls made my day; they also made me smile at times when I was tired and sore and didn't think I had the energy to crack even the smallest smirk. I am so thankful for them.
What's more is I had a great cheer team at home in my husband, Charlie, and Moose. They sent me encouraging and funny messages from home via text message. Without the support of my family and friends, I could not train for much less complete races of this distance. I continue to be grateful for their presence in my life.
In typical Rock n' Roll style, there was a local band at every mile playing everything from rock to country to jazz. What wasn't located at every mile were portable potties, so we had to take a quick bathroom break in the public facilities at a local park. We made use of every water and gatorade stop in an effort to stay well hydrated in the humid weather; we also happily took the popsicle sticks of Vaseline from race volunteers (For various reasons, I won't explain what this is for, but it's not a snack). Without question, we passed on the beer and Krispy Kreme doughnuts being passed out by well-meaning observers on the sidelines.
All was well until around mile 9. We started to feel fatigued and were ready to see the finish line. The flags that mark the passing miles could not appear fast enough! Not to mention it didn't help that someone told us we were at mile 11 when we were only at mile 10; I don't think they misled us out of malice. Rather, it was more likely a combination of poor math skills and one too many mimosas (which seemed to be the drink of choice for race observers). Around this time, Kristin started to mistake every fluttering flag and banner for the finish line. Running for over 2 hours straight will do that to a person. The anticipation is almost too much to take, and the excitement of reaching such a lofty goal can be overwhelming. While we talked and laughed for most of the race, the last 3 miles were mostly spent in silence. Each of us was pushing through a wall and focusing on finishing strong. Even without words, it's so good to have your friends beside you in moments like that - silently reminding you that you aren't alone; you're in this together.
And just when we thought we couldn't run another step, there it was...the finish line. It was beautiful. A shaded street lined with moss-covered trees and hundreds of screaming, cheering onlookers. My favorite memory from the weekend is crossing the finish line with Kristin and Becky - their first half marathon ever - and sharing in that moment of accomplishment with them. I will never forget how proud I was of them and their strength and dedication in that moment, especially seeing the medal placed around their necks, the hard-earned proof that they...that we all...did it! We celebrated our success and calorie burn with a delicious fried seafood lunch at McElroy's Harbor House in Biloxi, MS. I'm thankful for the sweet memories; and I eagerly await the opportunity to set another goal and reach another milestone with this fabulous group of friends and family.
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