Quick Weekend Recap: Running, Biking, and a Wedding!

Having my parents far away definatley has its negatives, but one perk is that I get to go visit them in Miami! Tough life, I know. I knew the last thing I would want to do is wake up at an awful hour on vacation to run 12 miles in high heat/humidity - so I woke up verrryyy early on Thursday to get it done before work and flying. It was an exhuasting day, but well worth it!

Friday I woke up and went to the gym with my mom (she worked with her trainer, I got my miles in in the ac gym on the dreadmill.) We ran some errands, grabbed some lunch, hung out..and got ready for the big day on Saturday which was...(drum roll please) my second ride ever on my road bike!

My bike was my wonderful birthday present from my parents. We decided to buy it down in Miami and have it shipped here to me in CT after this trip. Since I was down there in March for my birthday, my dad was able to give me a very long lesson (honestly, getting on a road bike IS so much harder than it looks. I miss my childhood bike with a kickstand!). After literally 3 hours of practicing getting on/off and starting/stopping, he deemed me safe enough to go out with my mom and her friends the next morning. I made it through her usual route - about 26 miles. I barely noticed the athletic challenge because I was so worried I would fall off the bike! I was pretty uneasy about the bike, and I started to seriously have my doubts about finishing a sprint tri, much less an Olympic one next summer.

Our first mother/daughter ride. The coordinating jerseys were not planned, promise!

This ride was totally different. Was I perfect? Of course not. But I was able to relax my "deathgrip" on the handlebars, and have a little confidence that my balance would not wobble over and I wouldn't be run over by the "death machines" on the road. (noticing a death theme here?) By the end of the ride, I was excited about having a new sport to learn, and who knows? Maybe a sprint tri might be able to happen at the end of the summer, after all.

After the ride we showered, ate, and packed up to head to the keys. One of my dad's therapists from his PT practiced was getting married! Her and her finance came with us on our trip to New Orleans last February and ran the half marathon with us, since she was speaking at a conference with my dad a few days before the race.  She and I bonded quickly over  late-night drinks and dancing on Bourbon street - and then a bit-too-early wake up call for a run the next morning - and have been friends since. We're actually planning on running the marathon together, but we had much more important things to celebrate on Saturday!

The wedding was absolutely stunning - no other way to describe it. The ceremony was right on the water, in the sand (kiddies were spotted building sand castles before/after!) I swear, it was right out of a romance novel.

The ceremony...so gorgeous

 

 

 

Afterward, we headed next door to the tiki bar for an outdoor party.  There was lots of food, drinks and fun to be had for all. Of course my mother's favorite topic (when is it YOUR turn) came up - and I had to smile and laugh my way through the questions. Of course the boquet toss didn't help matters either...

Catching the bouquet!

Ok, so maybe it was a tiny big rigged. But hey, the bride gets to choose what she wants on her day! I leave it as we shall see what the summer brings. But have no fear dear readers, no matter what happens, I am still planning on all my athletic events for 2012.

My parents and I stayed over in a nearby hotel, since the wedding was almost 2 hours from our house in Miami. We woke up and had a lovely Mother Day's breakfast on the beach, and headed home to relax some more and cook mom a BBQ.  Before I knew it, it was Monday afternoon and time for me to head back to CT.  I'm always sad to say goodbye, but lots to look forward to on the horizon - getting set up for my bike to get to me, getting to use my pool, and of course getting ready for the Brooklyn half marathon next week!