Week in Review

83 miles
4 doubles
5 runs in Charlotte
1 failed workout
10 bridesmaids dresses tried on

What a terrific week! Not only did I put in some quality time on the feet with friends, but I spent the entire weekend in Charlotte and got to snuggle with Caitlin four nights in a row. I also had the honor of being the first Karhu employee to sell some of the new spring/summer 2012 Karhu shoes at retail, as they just debuted this week and were rushed to Charlotte Running Company for the Charlotte 10 Miler and 4 Mile Run. It was also super cool to see the second place male finisher and three of the top four female finishers rocking Karhu kicks at the race. The Charlotte running community has definitely embraced the brand, and I could not be more proud and honored to have played a role in that. Thank you all so much for your support!


L to R: Mo (in Craft capris), Michelle, Carolyn and Dalena. Speedy
and oh-so-stylish


Second place finisher Brad rocks his poison apple green Racers

From a training perspective, this week was largely positive. I unexpectedly succeeded in my first track workout of the season, then unexpectedly failed at what Caitlin and I thought would be a no-brainer 800-meter workout. (Our lackluster results are too embarrassing to merit a separate blog post, but feel free to read Caitlin's recap if you want to point and laugh.) Fortunately we redeemed ourselves with a quality long run on Sunday that saw appearances from over 20 of Charlotte's finest, including some of the fastest ladies I know: Stephanie "check out my new Newton contract" Pezzullo, Alana "fastest 15-year-old in the country" Hadley and Anna "was hoping to run 3:20 and ended up breaking 3 hours no problem" Donlan. At one point during the run, when the four of us found ourselves leading the charge, I remarked with all seriousness that I expect the same group to find ourselves toeing the line together at the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2016!

It goes without saying that one of the major highlights of the weekend was accompanying Caitlin for some of her pre-nuptial planning. She tried on wedding dresses Saturday and I did the same with bridesmaid dresses Sunday, all of which was accomplished with our trademark speed and sarcasm. I had no idea we'd be doing this when I booked this trip last month, but needless to say I couldn't be more thrilled that Garrett accommodated my schedule with his timely Valentine's Day proposal. It is all about me, of course, which Caitlin proved by planning a secret surprise gathering on Saturday night with some of my closest Charlotte friends and running buddies. We had a blast drinking wine, being chastised by our waitress and then closing things out with some good old-fashioned dirty dancing before calling it a night at the astonishingly late hour of 11:30. We did have a long run the next morning, after all.


What a fun night with friends!

Without question, this was one of the most enjoyable "work" trips I've taken in a long time. Thanks to everyone in Charlotte for embracing Karhu--and me!--with open arms. I can't wait to come back soon!