I'm back, baby

Showed up for the clinic today (you know, the one that started in November?). The alarm went off a little after 7am and, hungover, I contemplated giving it a pass. But I said I would go last week and didn't and people were wondering and so I pulled on all my gear and went for it. What's an eight miler between friends?
I went out with the second fastest group. It wasn't my intention, but I was feeling rather spry off the start. Dave was hungover too. I mean really, that's what eight milers are for. I'm sure a lot of people looked at the schedule and went "really?" and had an extra couple last night.
True to form the people that run the clinic made it the most difficult eight miles possible, but I hung in there, not willing to concede defeat as we ground up no small number of ridiculous inclines.
It is so good to be back. We ran out of Delaney's coffee shop in Lynn Valley and as I was waiting in line after the run to pay for my coffee Irene came over and hugged me and said she had been wondering where I was. She is always on my ass. I love her. And Kelly came over and said "this is the first time you've shown up, isn't it" and I admitted that yeah, it was. Mike was pretty surprised and happy to see me. My old pace leader Simon wasn't there, which was too bad because who doesn't love to run with a guy that breaks into show tunes from time to time?Brooke wanted to know if we would be interested in doing Chicago in the fall. Jackie was talking about a half in the Okanagan where you run from winery to winery (I really need to look into that one).
It's funny because Michael and I were trying to figure out our vacation plans this year and we really don't have any, but Chicago?! That would be pretty freaking awesome. We could stay for a week or more afterwards and it sounds like a pretty big contingent is going including some of the people we went to Boston with. That was the best trip ever.
Now I'm off for a pub night with some other runners so we can raise a glass and toast Julie's Hawaiin debacle.