This has been a RUN FUN Weekend!!!
Let’s start with yesterday’s events… Remember a few weeks ago when I went on a Bachelorette Party Cruise for my friend Susan? Well, we went to her wedding yesterday.
The ceremony was at the church I grew up in, so it was really nice to be back <3 I went to Catholic school at this church from 1st through 8th grade, so this place gives me a warm fuzzy nostalgic feeling.
We had a little bit of time between the ceremony and reception so we stopped at my mom’s for a snack. One quesadilla and a powdered donut later we were off to our next stop!
The reception was held at Union Station in Los Angeles.
I enjoyed a vodka cranberry to kick off the night
Ben enjoyed scotch straight up. 
And then I sang, “I love scotch, scotch, scotch, down in my belly…”
I don’t think he found it as amusing as I did.
I was able to convince him to smile nice for the camera before my scotch song encore.
Then we hit up the photo-booth. 
We cut our pictures and left a message in their memory book.
We were seated at the Pico Boulevard table.
‘Cause I’m from Pico yo.
I asked Susan if I could take the table name home and she said she placed me there so I could. I kinda want to frame it 
Dinner started with salad and sweet corn bread. This bread tasted like cake and was a lot more moist than the dry WF version.
There was a candy bar I hit up at some point too…
Susan and Rondell are BIG fans of BBQ ribs so they had their favorite place cater the wedding. Each plate came with a rib, chicken and AMAZING mac n’ cheese. Seriously, the best mac n’ cheese I’ve ever had.I donated the rib to Ben and he said it was pretty life changing too. 
Luckily, the bride and groom came around to greet and take pictures with us right when I was trying to get BBQ sauce off my chin and chicken out of my teeth.
Then, it was time for a toast!
I cut myself off here because I decided to run a last minute half marathon the next morning and had a 4am wake up call!
Sure running means you shouldn’t drink the night before a race, which isn’t ideal.
But it also means you should carb load, which is my idea of a good time!
They had cupcakes from an amazing bakery in LA (starts with an “M”?) and the cupcake waitress said they ran out of their signature flavor.
Luckily, NOTHING can come between me and dessert and I managed to finagle a few for the whole table from the DJ. Don’t ask 
We also tried the Red Velvet
I convinced a table mate to eat 2 of them “oreo style”
Challenge accepted. Is it sad I prefer binge cupcake eating to binge drinking? Maybe.
Before the clock struck midnight Ben and I rushed off home. We live about 50 miles north of LA so it’s usually a rough drive, but there was zero traffic and we got home fairly quick.
This morning I woke up at 4:30am to run the Mission Inn Half Marathon. I had planned on running this race for a while, but ended up not pre-registering when I realized the date of Susan’s wedding.
But, Bobbi said she was running it for fun and I decided I’ll be dead before I know it, so I should do it too. Bobbi, Suzi and I all kept saying we are doing this race for FUN only! None of us have been running or training lately so it was a deal. 
I definitely felt tired and almost out of shape for this race. Suzi went out faster than I wanted, but I didn’t want to be slow everyone down so I just went with it. 
This course was very short though – I crossed the finish at 12.24 miles (accidently bumped the start again later). So, I can’t really compare this to my other half marathon times.
Average pace was 8:48 – I’ll take it!
It was a tough race, but I’m so glad I did it. I don’t run with friends enough! Bobbi and I stayed together the whole race!
And I saw my little super fast friend Pam! She placed 2rd in her division!!!
On a sidenote: I totally want to explore this area soon! It looked super cute.
I don’t have a ‘race report’ from the Mission Inn Half because I really just did it for fun. My thoughts on the race:
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It was organized very well for registration and packet pick up.
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The volunteers at the water stations were very position and encouraging. This really made a difference since there were no other spectators!
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Cotton shirt, not a fan.
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The course was VERY SHORT.
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The course was also flat
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It must have been the lack of sleep and 10 miler yesterday, but I felt very tired and out of shape.
I wanted to go out to eat after the race (hello, eating is the reason I run!), but Ben already ate so I went home instead. I knew I wanted pancakes and eggs – but I don’t normally cook 2 things for breakfast. Since this was a special day I made an exception.
I used boxed pancake mix to make it faster and added extra cheese to the eggs. Both those changes really made this meal delicious!
Okay, I have some grocery shopping to do. See ya later!
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{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Wahoo! Your last minute race inspires me to look for another 1/2 soon. I love that distance.
It looks like you rocked it! Thats pretty impressive considering the ten miler the day before. And your pictures from the wedding cracked me up!
I WAS THERE! The run, not the wedding. Not that I’m above wedding crashing. I did the half-mary last year, but just went with 5K this time. Still, congrats. The 5K course was right on (distance-wise), in case you were wondering. This is the second time we’ve been at the same race (last being Redlands in April). I swear one of these days I’ll introduce myself as the creepy race-stalking blog fan I am.
Close in the area? I’m in Jurupa Valley.
I think we need to have a blogger meet up!!!
I’m not all that good at organizing, but I would confirm and be there! Maybe somewhere at Victoria Gardens??
What a fun wedding! I currently have the “I wanna get married” bug. All my friends are doing it.
Great pace time for a “fun” run!
I ran a half today and it was long…13.31 miles missed my pr by 45 seconds, I feel so disappointed but I know that I should be happy just to be out there running, it was a beautiful day here in new Hampshire
That close to your PR?! That’s an awesome race!!!
Its nice that you went by feeling and ran the race with friends. Running is such an individualistic sport that we sometimes forget how important is to involve our most loved ones in it!
You guys should have stopped at Simple Simon’s bakery/eatery to eat. Its only the most fantastic, always busy, place on the main.
I was going to do the 5K at the Mission Inn, but my niece had her wedding last night in HB. After drinking those hot toddies last night, there’d been no way I’d be there at the dark of dawn. LOL.
Glad you guys had a good time.
Let me know when you come out! There a few cute little bakeries and coffee shops. And that’s about it
Looks like fun! I always try to steal extra cake at weddings, too. I love your hair!
You picked the right race to run for fun! I wish I had run it for fun – I’d care less about the .8+ course shortness!
I saw you guys after the turn around on the bike path – but I took off maybe 5 minutes after I finished.
Great pace for not training at all!
I heard we’re meeting soon
I love that you can just wake up and run a 1/2 like it’s nothing.
You’re my running idol.
Running with friends is where its at!! The miles fly by when you have great company
Great job today!
I would pick dessert over booze any day of the week.
Crazy that the race course was so short, but at least you were just out there for a fun run. I’m excited for you to announce your future race plans!
This might sound weird, but you’re such a stunner. You have a gorgeous smile and your skin looks amazing. <3
looked like a fun evening! You looked “muy bonita!”
happy that you made it to the race!! I wanted to give you a hug when I saw you on the turnaround. When I saw you finish I saw a huge smile on your face and knew it was a much better race for you! bummer about the shortened course but, oh well!! It was a beautiful morning for a “fun run!”
When you come to Riverside again let me know! I’ll point you in the right direction…
Simple Simon’s has the best sandwiches and a cute little cupcake shop across the way. Mission Inn is soo beautiful at Christmas time! Really puts you in the spirit!
hugs!
I know! I totally want to go back and check out the area – it looks so cute!
Looks like a fun wedding, I love the idea of the photo booth and guest book. Good job on running just for fun, every runner should do that now and again.
http://www.runningtobeskinny.com
Great job on the half marathon! How inspiring that you went to your friend’s wedding, was out late, and still got up in the morning to run a half marathin!
I love Pam’s shorts!! Sounds like you had a fun weekend!
hey monica (or any other garmin-ers): this is a boring (yet critically important) question — on your garmin 305 there is a space on the top right where it shows you your heart rate (yours says XX bc I assume you’re not wearing your HR monitor?) How do you get that to appear on your main screen!? My monitor works, but those little hearts won’t appear – is there a setting change I’m missing?
Go Pico!
I think there is an option to update that in the admin screen. (I never wear my HRM, so I don’t know for sure.)
Can anyone help?
Congratulations Susan and Rondell! Love the pics of the church. Awwww ♥ I also love the pic of you two in the elevator. =D Good Job on the race lady!
The wedding looks like a blast! And I’m totally down with binge cupcake eating. I would totally go to town on the gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes I ate last month. So good!
I was there on Sunday to run the 10K! Wish I had the opportunity to introduce myself. I probably would have mistaken you for one of the members of our running group – we were decked out in pink too! (though ours, unfortunately, is more of a Pepto sort of pink :-/ )
Are you part of the Lopers?! I saw a ton of those people with pink shirts
Haha, yes! We were out in force on Sunday
To be honest I was reluctant to join a running group because they always seemed kind of dorky. But now that I’m part of one…. I know for a FACT they are dorky…. but I’m all over it!
I’m bummed I didn’t see you after the race! You were so far ahead of me at the beginning that I knew I would never catch up
I loved the course (the flat part, at least) but my god, the hill in the beginning killed me!
Oh so you ended up doing it after all. I did it last year as my first half marathon. The course was not short at all then…
I had planned on doing the race again this year, but didn’t want to push my problem knee with having just done Nike Women’s and having Vegas a few weeks away! I was seriously considering going down (I’m only about 35 minutes northwest of Riverside) and signing up race morning as well, but it is a good thing I didn’t because I only made it 6.8 miles on my scheduled 9 miles that day.
Maybe next year I can get my revenge on that course – it was veeery windy and hot last year and my time was terrible.
Photobooths and mac & cheese? Sounds like these folks know how to throw a wedding!!
thanks for share!