Did this really happen??

Soooooo, I have never ever described myself as a runner.....never. I don't think anyone else would either. Mostly, my life has been spent running out of necessity only.....like when a coach was yelling at me, or something was chasing me, or to get to a plate of cupcakes first.

Well that all changed when I signed up for the Dead2Red race in Jordan. It's a relay race from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea. I was on a team of 10 that took turns running over and over....and over. The distance is 242km....about 150 miles. Yep, I think I had a psychotic break to make me sign up for this. Up until this point the longest distance I had run was 3 miles....back in high school (you remember that Lance?).

There were a couple huge perks of the race....these kids came to run it with me.....if you're gonna put your body through ridiculousness...you might as well do it with friends by your side.

The race started at 4pm...and each team had 24hrs to complete the race....that's right....I paid money to run all night...yep, I'm leaning closer and closer to a psychotic break.

I was expecting to be hard...really hard, but I wasn't expecting it to be super cold and pouring rain for most of the night...fun surprise I guess..

The hand off between Dudans...a magical moment really

Dead Sea to the left

 

 

 

 

And then night came....our van followed behind each runner....but it was still kind of a strange feeling to be running out in the middle of the desert by yourself. The hardest time for the team was about 330am to sunrise....we didn't think the sun would ever come up.

It was a great feeling to get under the 100km mark

 The morning came, but we still had a long way to go. My team was amazing. They were so encouraging and we passed out the sugary goodness to help each other wake up....there were no naps taken in 24hrs...we we're all getting pretty delirious....

View from the van

Are We There Yet???

Near the end...we would do anything for a little burst of energy....we came close to another team and our competitiveness kicked in. We passed each other a few times...and then our team had it, and broke into the lead...we were far from winning the race....but we beat that team...BAM!!

The best site ever!!

There were so many time during the race where I thought...this is never gonna happen....we are never gonna get to the finish....but little by little, we made it.....in 21hrs. My team was awesome, and pushed me at just the rights moments....they were so encouraging, and even passed me a giant pixie stick when I couldn't stay awake. The Desert Divas and David (our team name) are forever bonded together. We rocked that race!! It was such a crazy experience that sometimes it seems like it never happened....like it was all some crazy dream....but as you can see....I've got the pictures to prove it!!

African Adventure!!

Well I'm back from my blogging hiatus. I didn't really mean to take a hiatus. Life and normal routines just kinda happened.....but I'm back and ready to tell you all about my Christmas vacation. Sure it's a little late...but trust me....this trip was awesome and worth the wait (since I'm sure so many of you can't sleep until I post again...haha).

Anyways, the fun started in Uganda. East Africa continues to be one of my most favorite places in the entire world. I don't know if it's so special because it's the first place I went overseas....where I first fell in love with Africa, but let me tell you...the people are friendly, the grass is green, fresh fruit is all around, and chapati (amazing bread that will change your life) is found everywhere!! Not to mention...I got to spend the holiday with some of my most favorite people in the entire world.

And then these kids showed up!! And if you know them at all, you know they bring a good time. It was so good to see them....and get some mommy/daddy time....and don't worry...they're still good at spoiling me. Last week, I put on a t-shirt that still smelled like my dad--probably the remnants of a good hug. It was hard not to burst into tears....and it was even harder to put the shirt in the washing machine....knowing it won't have that scent for a while...

Part of the time in Uganda was spent at a game park that was famous for their hippos...so naturally we saw quite a few.

There is also fishing!! The park is on the Nile river and we did our best to catch some Nile Perch. I don't know what I was expecting....but those fish are huge!! I caught the biggest fish of my life...and it was one of the small ones of the day...craziness!!

This kid did pretty good too.

Right before my parents arrived...I got to raft the Nile again. The river has changed a little because of a dam that was built....but it was still so much fun. There are more details on the first time down the river here.

After Uganda....I ventured over to Kenya and met up with some friends there.....It was so good to see people who are living similar lives. We swapped stories, ate great food....and pretty much partied. It was awesome!!

Did some hiking...here's me mid jump

Overlooking the Rift Valley....told ya East Africa is awesome

We camped out for a safari

The breakfast nook

so many giraffes!!

Are you kidding me...a whole elephant family?!?!?

sitting pretty

at the Tanzania/Kenya border

us being us....don't be too jealous

Clearly I was excited about everything

We were all pretty excited actually

Typical "we're really cool" pic

 It's fun to have friends. It's fun to have friends all over the world. It's fun to meet up with those friends in amazing places. I highly recommend an African Adventure to anyone....watch out though...you might get hooked.

Surviving a snowstorm....in the desert

So the past few days here have looked a little like this:

Crazy right?? I mean, when the forecast said snow, I thought...awesome...a dusting...which will close things for maybe a day (just like it does eastern NC). I never thought I would be stuck indoors for 3 whole days....with the most snow this area has seen in 50 years. Lucky me I guess?? Well I've learned some things in these past few days of snow, so I've decided to provide a sort of survival guide....just in case you ever find yourself in the middle of the most snow the desert has seen in years...

 

Have some play time...I mean come on...snow angels will make anyone feel better

Make a snowman that fits in with the culture....even if you can only find enough materials for one eye

An electric kettle and hot water bottle are you friends. They are dear friends that make you hot drinks and keep your feet warm. You will never forget them.

Dress in layers. It's way better that way...even if you look ridiculous

And if all else fails....wear a blanket as a cape!

Ok, I hope these are some helpful hints that will be useful in the future. This NC girl has seen enough snow for quite a long time. Happy future snow days everyone.

Birthday in Pictures

Sooooo turns out....changing front numbers meant a pretty awesome weekend. Thanks to all of you who were a part of it. Honestly, yall are awesome and I felt super loved. Here are some pictures of the fun times:

It started by heading downtown to pick up a bday package...and no...I am not above making a lady with a small child carry my box around. 

 

 

 

And it was filled with all kinds of awesome!!

This was my last meal as a twenty something...I mean you gotta go out in style.

I woke up on bday morning to several friends from around the world that I written out the "30 things" they love about me. I laughed and cried all at the same time.

My proudest moment was that almost all the lists included my dance moves...oh yea!

Some "friends" decided to be cute and give me some essentials for getting older

We spent part of the weekend camping out in the desert....which was clearly awesome.

 

Yep, that's me standing on that really tall rock....aren't you proud mom?!

And the views didn't hurt at all.

And if you know me at all, you know that birthdays must include cupcakes.

All in all, it was a great weekend. Once again, I am way undeserving of the awesome friends I have. Thanks again everyone. It was a birthday to remember.