Birthday Celebration Recap

I forgot to mention something funny on the great blizzard post (great referring to the blizzard, not so much for the post, mind you).  Gah!  Losing my mind at 26, oh no!  So randomness, I was actually born during the last major blizzard in 1983.  My mom tells this story every year for my birthday, and I love hearing it.  Now you must listen also.  Poor things.  Oh wait, you can avoid reading this if you wish, drat.  Can't make you "listen."  Anywhooooooo.

My madre had planned to have a c-section with me (TMI? hope not) and had wanted to have me on the 26th, which was her doctor's birthday.  Happy birthday Doc!  After Christmas dinner, ma and pa jumped in the truck (or snowmobile.  I've heard both stories.) and headed to the hospital about 20 miles away.  When they got to the hospital there was a snow drift that went up and over the front of the hospital.  My dad went up the snow mountain first, making great big "stairs" for my mom to trek up.  After making the stairs, he went back to the bottom of the snow mountain, and walked behind her to make sure she didn't fall.  SAFETY FIRST! Ha.

When they got to the top of the mountain, they realized my mom + belly wouldn't fit between the roof and the top of the snow mountain, so Pops started digging away to make room.  Finally she fit and wheeeeee! down the mountain into the hospital.  When they made it to the check in area, the hospital attendants were confused as to where they had come from.  After explaining they had gone up and over the huge snow drift, they attendant said, "Well most people have been using the back door since the front is snowed over from the blizzard...."  Oy.  Love the parents.  :)  We like to do things the hard way darn it.

Alright, back to the current.  At 5pm, my good friend Melissa called me with the happiest news I had heard all break, she had successfully dug herself out of her house AND had dug her car out.  Birthday celebration is ON!  We decided to head out for sushi, my favorite.  Sushi place is closed.  :'(  Fail.

We then went a really nice Cafe/Bistro downtown.  We had a whole section to ourselves, so it was really great.  The atmosphere was beautiful, the food was good, and the champagne was flowing.  Mental note: champagne makes me siiiiick.  Please remind me never to drink it again, k?  Great.

After dinner we headed to my new favorite bar in town that serves an insane amount of imported beers.  I met up with my good pal and old running buddy, Matt.  Melissa randomly found a Legoman in her purse from one of her boys, so I had some great fun perching him on my drinks and thinking it was hiLARious.  I also enjoyed some delectable brews.

Next stop was a bar/club-ish.  It wasn't very fun, so Matt and I quickly moved on to the usual bar spot, where we ran into some old faces.  Of course we managed to take some fun photos after the bar closed.  I like to snow off my sweet arms muscles.  Also, I like to wear my running coat and gloves when I'm not actually running.  I'm a strange one.... I know.  And yes, it is very apparent that Taylor's friend (we'll call him big red) neeeeeeds to be taken home.  NOW. Ha.

All in all it was a great birthday.  Can't wait to see what 26 holds for me.

I wanted to run soooooo baaaaaaaaaad on my birthday (first run as a 26 year old!) but was snowed in.  I assumed I would get that first run in the day after.  Um..just kidding.  Remember that champagne?  Nearly killed me.  Sunday was spent horizontally watching the Packers kick BOOTY!

MONDAY:  Time to run.  I felt like doing some speed work, so I looked over my past training schedules that are still stuck to my fridge to determine a good 800 m repeat workout I could use.  I decided on 1 mile warm up and 6 x 800 m. at 3:40 (7:30 mm pace) and 1 mile cool down.

Someone (me) got a little too talky talky recapping my birthday with my buddy who manages the gym, so I didn't have enough time to get in the full workout, but only had to short the cool down.  No biggie, right?

I ended up doing 4.5 miles in 36:00 for a pace of 8:00.  Yes.  Truly strange.  After the first 800 m. I jogged .25 but then decided if I wanted to survive, I should do a .1 walk break.  Phew.  Much better.  So after each of the 800's please insert a .1 walk break.  I didn't record the splits so they aren't included.

Warm Up	1 Mi	9:30	9:30	9:30
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:33	13:03	7:06
Recovery	0.25 Mi	2:35	15:38	10:20
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:33	19:11	7:06
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:44	22:55	7:28
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:33	26:28	7:06
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:35	30:03	7:10
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:33	33:36	7:06
Cooldown	0.25 Mi	2:24	36:00	9:36

Definitely kicked my booty.  But in suuuuuuuch a good way.  :)  I'm truly digging the run as you go training program I'm doing.