An Ode to My Blogger Buddies!

I started to blog on a weight loss site after I found myself, at my highest weight in 17 years, more depressed than I had been in a long time, and generally unhappy with the state of my physical and emotional being. All I ever did was related to work and school. The number of diets I had failed at over the years were to numerous to count.

I had never kept a diary as a kid or journaled about anything. I actually was very embarrassed about my writing skills for most of my life and avoided any type of public writing.

I found that journaling about my struggles and victories with diet and exercise helped keep me on track. The site was full of courageous(Tracy), inspiring (Andrea), fun(Shelley), and amazingly supportive(Angela) women and I credit them with a great deal of my success in reclaiming my life.

Over time I became more focused on the exercise portion of the equation which inspired me to create this blog. I also put on my big girl pants (I am like a kid with a new toy. I'll get over it) and changed the blog name to Run Bitch Run instead of the watered down, un-Stacey-like, Run Baby Run and started to write more like I think and, frankly, talk (Sorry mom. Not that she would be surprised).

What I didn't expect by blogging was to find friends. Real friends. I have even been lucky to meet several of them. Shelley, Andrea and I ran a 10K together in April. I was surprised how easy it was to talk to and have fun with people I had never met. I decided I really wanted to meet more of my online friends and this past weekend I was lucky enough to meet two more blogger buddies Willie and Calyx.

Willie was crazy enough to decide to do a marathon halfway across the country at the last minute, 'cuz that's how he rolls. Lucky for me I happen to live near this stupid bridge that people really like and that meant he was coming to my hood! He also said he was going to drive up the day before to see my race!

He hit TUO in MFN (traffic of unknown origin in the middle of fucking nowhere) and was worried that he would miss my finish.

Not to worry, my darling! I would help by taking FOREVER to finish Barb's, so he had time to spare!

When I came in for my second loop at Barb's Race to say I was demoralized was understatement. I was hot, tired, and generally unhappy about having to return to the seventh level of hell to finish this race. As I crossed the announcer's booth I heard "Run Baby Run!" (because Willie is altogether classier than I. But don't go getting a big head about it buddy. Most strippers are classier than me.)

Anyhoo, I was VERY excited to see him and recognized him right off. Now, that is no small feat. I had lost the ability to read my watch or form complete sentences several hours before, so the fact that I picked a man that I had never met out of a crowd is pretty impressive. I ran over to give him a hug. I can't remember what I said. It was something eloquent and touching like, "It is so fucking hot out here!"

As I ran to the exit of the turnaround, there he was again! Did he have a fucking teleporter or was I really moving that slow? My LA Run Buddy and I finally finished and met up with Willie and my Run Buddy (she just did the swim for Barb's. Smart girl) and he was thrown instantly into the mix of full scale RBR Girls. I think we are great, but most people can not handle us all together at once.

We can be, ummm... a bit much. Something like foul-mouthed, cheerleaders on crack.

But Willie held his own and we had a fantastic time! Of course, I TOTALLY fell down on the job and got NO pictures! That tells you how hellish the race was. When do I EVER forget to take pictures?! Lame.

The next day we were going to get up at 6 and go down to see Willie (race report here) and Calyx finish the SF Marathon and 1/2 Marathon. Here is my brief rant about this. The fucking thing started at 5:45am and had TWO different finishing lines! Double lame.

Long story short (read: I had to stop and get Starbuck's) we missed both finishes. Lame squared.

We decided to meet up with Calyx and her partner Donna at Starbuck's near the finish of Willie's race. We were all squeals and craziness when we met. Very cool. Calyx had an AWESOME race!
Donna had an experience similar to my race minus the blow torch treatment from God. Be we all hit it off famously!

Here is where the 9.5 hours in the sun the day before started to hit me. I got tired, then hungry, then cranky. Sorry guys! I have two modes: obnoxiously hyper, or sullen and bitchy there really isn't a lot of in between with me. The RBR girls were fantastic and fun and I am sure everyone loves them infinitely more than me and wishes that they would blog instead of my bitchy-ass, but, as my eloquent hubby would say, "Wish in one hand and shit in the other, then see which fills up first." That is why I married him. He makes me look classy!

Again, no pictures except this one because I am LAME. Picture: L to R Willie, Donna, and Calyx

All in all it was a fantastic weekend! I am so lucky to have such great friends! We get to meet up again in September for The Triathlon at Pacific Grove.

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Ok, creepy stalker moment that I wasn't going to write about but I feel I must. This isn't nearly long enough. I was also lucky enough to meet Iron"GeekGirl" Misty author of The Athena Diaries and her husband S. Baboo.

First off, Misty is REALLY pretty and super fit so all that "lazy and fat" stuff is COMPLETE BS. She is also really nice. Her hubby is quite a hottie himself and also super nice. I was a little star struck and we weren't really close enough at dinner to talk, but it is pretty cool to meet the two people that inspired me to start all this in the first place.

Ok, that is it. Creepy stalker moment over.