I ran Pike's Peek 10K on April 25. Here is my stunning race photo from Brightroom (event photographers).
I mean, why even post that pic and then spam the hell outta me for the next six months begging me to pay $50 for a 5x7? Beat it.
Anyway, I'm satisfied with my race time and hope to beat it by a few seconds next year.
Distance: 6.2 miles
Average Pace: 9:00/mile
Time: 55:53
Brightroom = not-so-bright people,
Susan
This year's Servathon project was a lot of fun. Allison was a great team leader and coordinated our really cool assignment - we painted a huge mural of the USA on the parking lot of Playworks Center City Public Charter School in DC.
This woman does it all - mother of two, dedicated wife, and she just completed University of Maryland's MBA program while working full time. How in the heck does she do it? Who knows but I am very fortunate to have her as one of my closest friends. To celebrate Superwoman's birthday, we went to The Melting Pot for some fondue fun.
I was going through some old pics in my forgotten Shutterfly account. Figured I'd share a few (in no particular order):
Pete the Boxer in 2002 (with a face only a mother could love). R.I.P.
Courtney & Deanna at their 5th grade graduation (they are still buds):
N.E.R.D. show @ 9:30 in 2004. With the exception of George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, best concert I've been to.
Me, Curbi, and Sana:
This pic was taken several hours after I got my dragon tat in 2003:
Halloween party, 2006:
I'll never go blonde again (but it was fun while it lasted). I think these were taken in the spring/summer of 2006.
I miss my homegirl Abby (Prrrrrrsian, hee hee). She's a momma now:
Me & Sissy in NYC:
My brother, sister-in-law, niece, nephew, and Ma:
This pic always cracks me up because of the super-blown expression on my niece's face (while her goofball brother was sorta photobombing). I miss them. A LOT.
My previous job had their annual sales meeting in CA. We stayed at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. Incredible views of the coast - I didn't want to leave:
Me & Annie. I used to eat honeysuckles that grew near her family's house. I wonder how she's doing today:
Deanna & Jasmine at St.Ann's:
That's all for now. I have hundreds, ha!
Laters,
Susan
If you haven't seen George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic perform live... well my friends, you haven't LIVED. Last night's performance at 9:30 had me shaking my tail feather from start to finish. For about three hours with NO intermission, George and P-Funk rocked the house with their incredible, mind-numbing hits.
Will and I met up to get some pre-Funk fuel at Al Crostino on U Street. It was a quaint spot; the food was good - a nice break from the norm. I loved the decor that featured a wine "hardware" motif:
I'm stealing this idea for my future kitchen/dining room:
We ordered mozzarella smothered in eggplant as an appetizer. Who doesn't love cheese?! Will's dish was yummy - rich and buttery ravioli stuffed with scallops and other goodies. I ordered the fish special with roasted potatoes and broccoli - the fish was so tender.
After dinner (by the way, I love U Street - there are so many restaurants I want to try), we walked over to 9:30 and made a beeline for the stage. 9:30 always sports a diverse crowd for their shows but last night's eclectic mix of young, old, Black, White, Asian, hipsters, rockers, teeny-boppers, and funkateers blew me away.
I consider myself "a fan from afar" when it comes to P-Funk. I've always loved their music and had "must see George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic in concert" on my eternal to-do list. Will, on the other hand, knows a lot and shared fun facts about the performers throughout the night. For example, I learned that this diaper-clad front man's name is Star Child. According to the Funkcyclopedia: Star Child (alias The Long-Haired Sucker, Sir Lollipop Man) is the official representative of Funkentelechy; protector of the Pleasure Principle. Cosmic John the Bop-tist, arch-recording angel heralding the arrival of Dr. Funkenstein.
I can dig it:
And this character (who reminded us of a busted Nick Cannon) is Sir Nose (a.k.a. Sir Nose D'VoidofFunk, The Nose, Old Smell-o-Vision). Nose is a "Putrified purveyor of of the Placebo Syndrome. Extended probosics from faking Funk. He's cool but has no groove; won't swim, sweat or dance." He walked around the stage with hateriffic signs and refused to party with the rest of the band. It was comical; I could tell he really wanted to let loose and jam:
There were at least 15 musicians on stage during the show and most of them were given a chance to shine with a solo.
One guitarist in particular stood out and brought everyone to their knees with the infamous Maggot Brain. During Michael Hampton's sub 10-minute guitar solo, I looked around at the audience and was amazed to see everyone entranced and completely absorbed in the music. To me, the song was a religious experience and full of raw emotion. Maggot Brain was definitely the highlight of the evening for me and I didn't want it to end.
Every story-telling song they performed lasted at least 10 minutes. The show was one jam session after another and not once did they lose an ounce of energy or enthusiasm. The entire band connected with the crowd; George was constantly interacting and engaging the audience. He's gotten older but he's still got it!
In addition to the amazing musical event, we had an up-close and personal view of a different kind of love fest. Check out this couple who kept sucking face right in front of us the entire time. At one point, I thought they were going to swallow each other. They were constantly moving around and falling all over the place. I think dude left for beers at least five times during the show. Comedy:
So my coveted readers, I leave you with a final tidbit I learned from this fanastical journey - and that is the Law of Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication: Give the people what they want when they want and they wants it all the time!
Officially funked up,
Susan
Yesterday's race was so amazingly awesome! The weather was perfect and despite the fact that the cherry blossoms peaked last weekend and were missing in action, it was a beautiful and fun-filled race. I met up with my girlfriends Nancy, Jessica, Connie, Kim, and Cheryl from Speed Development on the Metro at 5:30 a.m. It's so helpful to have a group of runner-friends during these big events - everyone is so supportive of each other.
Speaking of friends, a few of my closest showed up to cheer me on and were positioned near Mile 9, in exactly the right place - seeing and hearing them yell "Go Susan!!!" towards the end gave me the extra kick I needed to finish the race. Here are a few pics from yesterday, courtesy of Adrian.
They made the biggest and brightest signs so I could easily find them in the crowd of spectators. Here is Nicole looking sad because she was afraid she wasn't going to see me during the race. There were over 14,000 runners so when the gun went off for our wave, there was almost a 15-minute delay until we started running! I was afraid I was going to miss my friends who went through a lot to watch me race only for a moment (Nicole had an adventure just getting to the race. Check out her hilarious recap)!
Blesyn, Makeda, Dutch, and Little Miss Faith (hiding behind the orange sign):
Seeing the kiddies made my day! Pics courtesy of Nicole:
During the last mile, there was a hill which caught many runners (especially yours truly) by surprise. The only thing that got me up that friggin' hill was the enthusiastic cheering of my friends (my monster calves possibly played a part as well 
):
Was I walking? No. Was I smiling? Kinda. Was I crying on the inside? Yes. Damn your unassuming hilly streets, DC!
I finished the race in 1 hour, 35 minutes, 38 seconds with an average pace of 9 minutes and 34 seconds/per mile. I had a fantastic time and was proud to participate in one of DC's most famous races.
Look at my cool signs!
I look really tall in this pic. Maybe it's that big phallic monument growing out of my head?
Adrian and me:
Makeda, me, and Nicole:
Me & Nicole:
Adrian got great pics of other runners. I think this one is brilliant. To run with a bouquet in your hands for 10 miles is no easy task. Congrats to the "runaway bride," whoever she is:
I didn't see this guy on the course but what a great pic. He must have been sweltering in that suit. I wonder if he lost a bet or something, ha!
Post-race, my friends and I headed over to Clyde's of Gallery Place and enjoyed a delicious brunch. I ordered a huge plate of scrambled eggs, sausage, and potatoes - my appetite was voracious! After sitting for awhile, my body was hurtin' and I had to hobble down the steps on our way out - it was comical but each ache and pain was totally worth it. Running, sunshine, food, and friends: what a great way to start a Sunday!
Glowing,
Susan
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