So as to know, I participated in the Run For Your Lives 5k obstacle run yesterday. It’s funny, someone asked if I did the run yesterday because I didn’t post anything on Facebook or text.

Here’s why and then what the rest of my day and today was like because they were better.(and be prepared, this may take a while!)

I also realized that I didn’t get anyone to take my picture, so I won’t have any of me this time, oh well, maybe there will be one on the race page that I can tag and my friends can see it.

I flew in on Friday night as you know, drove 1.5 hours to Dalton, GA to spend the night, no way I was getting up before the sun to drive all the way down to run a race. I’ve started doing that, if the race is more than an hour, I will spend the night and sometimes, even if its an hour away, could be a fun night out.

I got up in the morning, got ready, requested a late checkout so I would have a place to shower, thank goodness! I had plans later and wasn’t going home first. I headed out, got cash for parking and was on my way. I got the with enough time to check in, check my bag in, get an Atlanta zombie shirt and line up for my heat.

Last year, I really enjoyed the run, it was at a dirt bike park track in the woods and it had been raining, so it was muddy, muddy, muddy. (Friends on Facebook, look for those photos from last year) we lined up in three corrals based on your pace (appetizer: 7-9 min mile, entree: 9-11 min mile and dessert, 12-14 min mile, guess where I was, yup, sweet sweet sweet).

It was so muddy that I lost the soles in both my shoes, almost lost a shoe at one of the obstacles. The obstacles yesterday weren’t in abundance or that spectacular, they seemed more like other obstacle races, last year there were hay bales, mud pits, mud bogs.

This year, except for the places they made muddy, it was DRY, DRY, DRY. Not that much fun running or walking on dry, huge rocks, so there were not many people running, partly because of the rocks, but it felt like the entire course was uphill and the downhills were straight down! People were complaining and getting hurt!

The zombies were in abundance, and they were great, the thing I liked better this year, the zombies weren’t as aggressive or body checking people, which they were rejected for last year. There is one zombie, KR, who I also met at the Vampire 5k earlier this year, he posted that it was great to see me, he’s great, he has two extra heads on his shoulders (ha ha) and squirts water at people.

There were doctor zombies, nurse zombies, (I told them I had lost all faith in the medical community that day!) mommies, kids, cheerleaders, brides, prom queens, you name it, it was probably there! The cool thing was that after you finished running, you could have volunteered to be a zombie, how fun would that be!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do most of the obstacles because…wait for it, as I was told by one zombie, I figured out how to avoid or survive the zombie apocalypse, I was injured! Just at the start, I stepped in one of the hundreds of holes, there was one zombie actually standing in one so people wouldn’t fall in, I wasn’t so lucky, stepped in one and turned my right ankle, I felt and heard “POP!” Ouch! I started limping and several people asked if I was alright, even the zombies asked if I wanted medical attention, no not from the zombie doctors! Everyone was very nice! I said no thanks, I’m going to try to walk it off and I am going to finish!

There were a bunch of people who got picked up and driven back on golf carts, it was bad. Eventually they were starting to put out flags to mark the holes…

So, as I’m walking it off and looking pathetic I did it again! Darn it! But I was going on! I kept limping and let me tell you, zombies are actually quite sympathetic when you look that pathetic! They even asked if I was injured! I told some of them they could go for my flags, I wasn’t moving any faster! Some even gave me flags back! (The flags were cool this year, had the logo on them!)

I don’t remember if you recall from yesterday’s post about how Yom Kippur crossed over into the zombie run…one of the zombie nuns was approaching and I said “So, sister, tell me all your bad habits!” I thought it was funny, so did she!(DCM is rolling his eyes right now) and she said, I’m Jewish! I asked if she was fasting! She was, said she had a talk with g-d and it was alright, she was drinking water. I wished her an easy fast and a good Yom Tov! The world is very small!

So, I limped my way through the course and along the way met a lot of cool people, we all talked about different runs that we’ve done and liked. I met a really cool family, J and her husband, C, who lost his glasses, I really hope they got lucky and found them! They were with their daughter and one of her friends. This was their first, they were in from Charlotte, NC, so of course I had tell her about the run I did there and I would be back. We traded email addresses, I hope we’ll keep in touch! I’m hoping she comes to Atlanta for the Hot Chocolate in January!

(For anyone new to reading my blog, specifically J & C, they’re not all this long! Sometimes I just have a lot to say!)

After the run, I collected my gear and headed to the medical tent. There, the EMT looked at my ankle, I told him I did a number on it, he said, woah! And called another EMT over to look at what I done, see, told ya! I don’t do anything half way! He wrapped my ankle up, I found out I could get the wrap wet and it would harden, so far so good.

So…here’s where it gets a little worse, as I’m limping and apparently looking pathetic, a nice guy offered to give me a ride back to my car, on his bike. I had seen him earlier talking to people who worked there, so I said thank you, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble. Well, I climb on to the TEENY TINY back seat, held on and away we went. Very nice bike, by the way orange and black soft tail, too loud for my tastes, but in great shape!

He told me it wouldn’t be smooth, due to all the rocks, no problem, we took the street for part of it. We are ow I the parking area and it’s straw and grass, about 1/4 mile from my car,we are taking a left turn and I’m not sure if it was too fast, all of a sudden, a serious flash, I am on my back with a motorcycle on top of me! In a flash, there were about six people surrounding us picking up the bike, which was good because the foot peg had dug into my LEFT ankle! When I stood up, everyone was checking that I was ok,the driver included, we checked each other out, we were fine, no worse for wear, but better than his bike, the shifter snapped off! He was not going to be able to ride that bike anywhere, luckily he had his truck.

When I was sure he was alright, other people were helping him, I hobbled to my car. It didn’t take very long for the golf ball sized lump to appear on my ankle, pretty solid thing! It’s going to turn very pretty colors! If you’re lucky, I’ll share pictures! Let’s just say this morning, it was tough to get out of bed! I can tell were the bruises are going to be on my left side and backside, but I am lucky, it’s no where near what I had when I crashed my bike a few years ago.

Alright, you heard about my morning, lets move on to the good stuff! (By the way, this all happened before 12:30pm!)

I went back to the hotel for a hot shower, was not as muddy as I have been, thankfully for the hotel cleaning staff! I got in the car and headed downtown to meet some friends for dinner and to Break the Fast, perfect, with my friends. I stopped off at an outlet mall for some retail therapy, it helped my wardrobe for work, not my feet…

I was meeting some of the gang at Yeah Burger in VA Highland, I love it! CKM was there, of course, and first to arrive so we caught up a bit, but I didn’t want to give too many details for fear of repetition, shortly after, DL, my former co-worker and dear friend and her husband, ML, (and CKM and I finally got her to agree to do the Hot Chocolate 5k with us!) we caught up for a few minutes. It was ML’s birthday Friday, Happy Birthday M! Next was SDL and Miss A, you know I scooped that one up and barely let go! Next was TS, looking fabulous as always! I was so excited to hear what she has going on and coming up!

Rounding out the group was another couple who are former co-workers, JC and CC and their adorable son, M, he has gotten so big! I think CC is going to do the Hot Chocolate as well!

We had a great time, ate (I broke the fast with a delicious hand made veggie burger with goat cheese, yum!) caught up, laughed and had the best time! It’s never enough time, but it was great. I was so happy they were able to come out to dinner! I’ll be back, I can’t wait to see them again and if I missed you this time, hope you can join us next time!

After dinner, CKM, SDL and Miss A and I went for dessert around the corner, they had gelato and I had a crepe, yum! We talked a bit more, as we always do and as we are getting to SDL’s car, I walk off the curb and TURN MY FREAKING RIGHT ANKLE, what?!? OUCH! I yelled out quite a few expletives, apologizing the whole time, thank goodness Miss A isn’t repeating what we say! I felt sooo stupid!

SLD gave me a ice pack and after a while, drove me to CKM’s car, who drove me to mine. I felt so stupid! I did feel a little better when she gave me my birthday presents early! I got a stack of books, a patch for climbing Stone Mountain and what I asked for…”whirled peas”! When we were kids, my sister and I would ask my dad what he wanted for his birthday…his response was a digital watch and peace on earth or world peace! So what did I get? Whirled peas! Thank you!!!

I drove home, finished my post, elevated and iced my ankle, as instructed, and passed out!

Are you ok? Need a nap, get a glass of water? (you have to pack as much as possible when the time is short)

Today, I got up and went to meet LK and her three girls, K, J and K. The youngest, K had asked if I would come in for her birthday, it’s in two weeks, of course I wanted to and…it just worked out perfectly. We met at Mimi’s Cafe for a fantastic breakfast and fun. I think I’ve seen them more since if moved than in the last two years I was I Atlanta, I have a lot of time to make up for. When we got there, the youngest K, gave me a bracelet that she made for me, I love it! How did she know I love jewelry made by my nieces?

I told them I would see them when I am back in a we months, we took pictures, gave hugs and kisses, love and we were off!

It was so good to see them ad we would have spent more time together, but one had a softball game, one had a soccer game and I had playtime duties!

I headed to SDL’s house to play with Miss A while SDL mowed the lawn. We played, talked, giggled, ate caught up a little more since last night and a few hours later, it was time to head for the airport.

I dropped off the car, hobbled through security and off we went.

I hope you aren’t too wiped out from my adventure! I need for recoup! Thank goodness I don’t have to get up early tomorrow! I need a nap! Good night!