A New Year That Rocked

This past weekend I loaded up the eco-friendly and “great-mileage-getting” SUV and headed south to meet up with the Redhead. It was our plan to meet halfway, avoid zombies, and ring in the New Year together. And, because this is a running blog—and because we are both currently training for marathons—we decided to incorporate a long run into our little weekend tryst.

Unfortunately for us, the cold and bitter winds known so well by the upper regions of this country followed me down to Chattanooga, bringing a decidedly Midwest winter feel to that southern town. Oh, and in case you are just entirely unaware, there here hills in them there Mountains; hills we ran up, and down, and up again.

Our planned 16M was cut short to 10M after combating harsh winds, 25 degree temps, and a hill of death. I now understand the old saying: “We went uphill both ways.” I even met Boston’s Heartbreak Hill’s little sister, Chattanooga’s Punch-in-the-gut-Hill. She isn’t very nice—by the way.

But our long run misadventure aside, we had a spectacular weekend, filled with wonderful laughs, meaningful and warm words spoken on the Walnut Street Bridge—gapping a river attempting to freeze, and a most excellent post run nap.*

I’m extremely excited to see her again next weekend as I go down to cheer on my cuz as he runs the Disney Marathon. I’m hopeful he’ll have a good race, but I’m worried his injuries may make for a very difficult run.

*And of course we hit up Taco Bell on Friday, it was the first TBF of the new year!!!