Saturday afternoon I hopped in the old minivan and headed south, rounding up 5 more women on the way. (Lady #7 lives down in the Seattle area and was meeting us at the hotel.)
We finally made it to the hotel in Seattle after driving in a monsoon and making an emergency pit stop at a scary cafe on Aurora. After walking over to the Seattle Center and picking up our race packet we headed for an early, very early (embarrassed to say 4:30pm) dinner.
We started out at a great little restaurant, Toulouse Petit. Since there were seven of us we decided to just get a couple of bottles of wine rather than a glass each. After a fabulous meal we realized it was only 6:00pm and way too early to head back to the hotel so our great waitress directed us to The Sitting Room around the corner.
 |
| Toulouse Petit |
The Sitting room is a Euro-chic bar and was perfect for what we wanted. After a couple more bottles of wine and some amazing Chocolate Mousse with Sea Salt, we headed back to the rooms.
Now normally on the night before a race we would eat sensibly, stick to one glass of wine at dinner and go to bed early. This weekend, however, we decided none of us really cared about "racing" and would rather enjoy our time together.
So we opened up 3 more bottles in the hotel room. Now I know that some guys out there like to think that when seven girls get together in a hotel room with wine that girly pillow fights in tiny clothes ensues but I assure you that was not the case. We just sat and talked and giggled, drank more wine and ate more chocolate. And took silly photos of our wine and shoes...
So bright and early the next morning we are all up and scrounging for Advil and Tylenol. Thank goodness it is sunny and blue skies. We can do this!!
Despite numerous warnings from the race directors to be at the start line at 6:30am for the 7:40am start, we head out of our hotel lobby at 7:20 and walk over to the start, find our corral and only have to wait 5 minutes for the race to start. Perfect.
The race starts and little miss Anna, who says she hasn't been training and doesn't care to race, takes off. As the first miles go by I notice that our race pace is about 2 minutes faster per mile than I had envisioned. Oh, so this is not going to be one of those easy fun races. dang.
I hang in there with Anna and Susie cause I am stubborn like that. I don't care that thousands of other people are ahead of me but I will not let these two girls shake me!
We trudge up never ending inclines and are rewarded with some declines only to find another incline. I feel like we are on a never ending roller coaster...up up up then down, then up up up then down.
Anna just chats along filling us in on all the Seattle happenings and more importantly, the latest on The Bachelor.
oh, anyway, the race....Anna and Susie chat, I huff and puff, and we finish the race with a much better time than I would have ever imagined. Which got to me to wondering, would the race have been faster or slower without the seven bottles of wine?? hmmm...
 |
| Post Race with our Chocolate Fondue Mugs |
