Ideal Weekend

Kyle and I ran in our first 5k on Saturday morning.  We got up bright and early to make the short drive to Cumming (a first visit for me).  This race was special because it was for ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease; Kyle has a co-worker who received a diagnosis for this incurable disease which affects voluntary muscle movement.  According to PubMed, "In ALS, nerve cells (neurons) waste away or die, and can no longer send messages to muscles. This eventually leads to muscle weakening, twitching, and an inability to move the arms, legs, and body. The condition slowly gets worse. When the muscles in the chest area stop working, it becomes hard or impossible to breathe on one's own."  Its cause is unknown as are any risk factors.  Kyle and I were really heartsick after learning about what this disease does to the body.  We were glad to get out with some of his co-workers and participate in an event that raises money for research and awareness about the disease.

Our two race t-shirts~ the blue one is from the event and the red one is what we wore to run (ADVA is Kyle's company).

The actual run was really good.  It was nice and cool out~ ideal for my more pregnant body.  With the exception of some tight muscles in my abdomen, it was pretty easy for me.  Here's how I did:

Place  No.   NAME                      Age S GunTime   Pace
179.   508   Hamilton Leah               27  F        36:14  11:40
(Out of 278 women)

My pace wasn't bad~ I was running a pace around 12:40 for the half-marathon, and managed to run a minute faster per mile 7 weeks later (and about 10 pounds heavier).  I even completed the run in front of 99 other women (at 26 weeks pregnant)!  That's not really important; it just is a reminder about how capable I am even when I feel slow and heavy.  It's official, though, I am done racing until after Mr. Hamilton is no longer my internal companion.  I'm now shifting my focus to walking and swimming once I get a preggy swim top.

That afternoon Kyle and I took a nap and then went shopping at Fresh Market~ one of our favorite things to do.  We picked out some fun cheeses and a small afternoon snack.  What were the cheeses for?  Baguettes, of course.  Kyle makes so many of them, and he decided to pack a bunch to share with friends as we headed down to Stone Mountain for some fun in the sun and the laser show!

Kyle and I posed with Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee (poor Stonewall Jackson is hidden behind my husband's marvelous crown). 

We had a blast enjoying a picnic with friends and new faces.  Kyle and I had picked out the same sampler block of British cheeses as our friends Rocky and Maria~ ridiculous, right?  I felt like Wallace snacking on some wensleydale (if it had been Tuesday, I definitely would have required some porridge).  Afterwards, the group decided to make a huge knot by all joining hands with different people.  It's a great game to get to know folks better as well as problem solve (the goal is to untangle the knot to form a big circle).  I opted out of this game because (even though you can't tell) my belly really restricts my range of motion and flexibility.  I did thoroughly enjoy watching the group, though~ it took them right up until the laser show started to complete their mission.

Have you never been to the laser show?  Don't know what a laser show is?  Well, thanks to some lovely contributors on youtube, we are not left without any resources.  I selected part 2 of what perhaps is a 3 part series recorded on a digital camera by a laser show enthusiast.  If you think the video quality is bad, in truth it's probably the quality of the laser show.  About 4 minutes into this video, you can enjoy a bona fide confederate treasure~  our Civil War heroes come to life from the face of the rock and gallantly ride their horses to the crooning of Elvis Presley.  Southern patriotism isn't quite complete without a little rebel pride.  If you want to go all out, I recommend drinking an ice cold sweet tea out of a mason jar while you enjoy this video....



Soon I'll report on the Mother's day activities; Kyle certainly spoiled me.  Thus, the recounting of my ideal weekend will continue.....