Fun Weekend, But I'm Pooped!!!

Stacie Morris (L) and Denise (R), smiling big after finishing Lavaman.



This is Denise's crazy foot injury the day AFTER she sliced her foot on CORAL at the Lavaman Olympic Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii, on Sunday.

After Logan's birthday, the rest of the week went on as usual. On Friday, Logan and I got to see JERRY SEINFELD himself, and he was absolutely hilarious! He was at the University of Texas Performing Arts Center, which was beautiful, by the way! Jerry covered every topic from terrorists to coffee, being single or married, parenting issues, big pharma and iPhones. He encored and signed off to "Hello, Newman...." (For those of you who are "Seinfeld" junkies.....) He was great, and I had just as much fun listening to this HYSTERICAL older gentleman sitting a few rows behind us.... He laughed at anything and everything, and his laugh was INFECTIOUS!!!!

We then looked for an Ethiopian restaurant that was recommended, but our friend couldn't think of the name.... We drove around absentmindedly, looking for it, until we went to Thai Tara on Congress Avenue, which was wonderful. We stuffed ourselves silly amidst good conversation.

We then headed to our hotel, which was there downtown. It was the Hilton Garden Inn right downtown on 5th Street off I-35, and Logan had got the reservation online the day before. However, little did we know it was going to be TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS to valet overnight!!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?! That was truly, absolutely ridiculous. For what we paid for the room, we could have applied that fee to a room and it would have bumped us up to staying at the Driskill or Four Seasons, and even THEY have complementary valet..... ANNOYING. The hotel was nice inside and the staff was very friendly, but that valet fee was NUTS...

Anyway, we get up to the room, and it smells like cigarette smoke. It was a beautiful room, but I cannot STAND that smell......YUCK..... I don't want to have to inhale leftover nicotine..... However, it was late, so we didn't go to the trouble of changing rooms, because we figured they would ALL be that way.....

The bed was comfortable and clean, however. I'm sure glad it was because I woke up at 4:30 AM to meet Duane, his wife, Jennifer, and Denise at the airport for the inaugural ZOOMA Austin half-marathon. We all met up and hopped the shuttle to get to Bastrop to the Hyatt Lost Pines, where the race was held. The Hyatt Lost Pines was absolutely beautiful, and I want to go back very soon with Weiss and Logan. They have horseback riding, fly fishing, a lazy river, a butterfly garden, and lots of hiking and jogging trails. The rooms are in little casitas, not in one big "hotel." There's supposedly an excellent spa and five restaurants on the property, I believe.

Lance Armstrong's former wife, Kristen, was the MC, and I had no clue she was a runner! There was a BIG crowd for this inaugural race, and I was excited! Denise was running even though she did a OLYMPIC TRIATHLON LAST SUNDAY and got in from Kona, Hawaii THE DAY BEFORE THE RACE. Mind you, she also had the lovely jet lag you get when you travel east. Oh--and did I mention she really cut her feet up bad on the coral after her swim portion of the race? (I'm not talking just scrapes, folks....I'm talking down into the facia of her foot!!!! She even has pictures, and they are NUTS!!!!)

So we all take off. The course weaves in and out and hits a point and turns around, so you are seeing people who are ahead of you who have already turned around. And guess who I see?

A good ol' West Texan, MHS alum, and McMurry University alum, Brittany Moreno-Brown. She was at the top of the pack, folks! (She's always been an excellent runner....all-state track and Xcountry.......) I yelled, "Brittany Moreno!!!!" She yelled back, "Hey!"

(Brittany, if you happen to read this, I'll see you in two weeks at Sunny and Lance's wedding. We'll have to catch up!)

I finished the race, happy but tired.

(Might I add I was TOTALLY unprepared for this race....I had done little prep running, and the last "real" long run I had was the Houston Marathon and a 6-miler with Lexy and Sherry several months ago.....)

Instead of a cheesy medal for half-marathon finishers, we got a cool sterling silver necklace. And an awesome pink New Balance tech shirt.

Denise rode back with Logan and I, and we all ate burgers on 6th Street at Hut's.

My stomach was NOT amused after racing.

So I felt like a bloated roly poly all afternoon. We ran a few errands, dropped Denise off, and I had to go straight to my cut and color, sweat and all. I hadn't even been in the house. I was sooooo nasty.

Logan picked Weiss and Ms. Zoey up, and we all had dinner together. I am now all cleaned up, but I am sore, especially my glutes and thighs, because there were quite a few hills on the course.

It was a fun weekend. Logan, I love you and thanks for the weekend! Denise, it was fun hanging out with you!!!!