Summer of Nicole Kickoff Weekend

When I was a young single women in my early 20s, living in NYC, I had quite the social life. I was always out (or in with 10 or so of my closest friends), never a dull moment - didn't care about what I ate or drank, or what time I went to bed or woke up in the morning. I was my own little rockstar.

All that changed when I became a homeowner and a full-time professional with responsibilities as well as a graduate student. Well, for the next few weeks, I can try to recapture some of the old glory of my somewhat younger years as I take this time off between jobs. So at 5 pm on June 8th, when I left my office on South Broad Street for the last time, I hit the bar around the corner with some co-workers and friends.

After 5 malibu bay breezes and 1 bacardi and coke at 3 bars, It was 11 pm and I was a bit on the tipsy side. This is when it hit me - i'm old. I can't hang like this anymore, especially on a Friday when i'd been up since 6 that morning. So those of us that were left called it a night.

Saturday morning I went out to breakfast with mom and we went on some home improvement shopping. The afternoon I lounged by the pool, working on that golden tan i'm determined to get during my time off. It took me awhile to get my act together and I made it Beth's house in time to then hit The Wall in Manayunk for the Suicide Run at midnight.

For those who aren't familiar, The Wall is a 17% grade climb that lasts about a half mile or so that is part of the 156 mile bike race in Philadelphia each June. The pros tackle the Wall 10 times throughout the six hours they are racing. The night before the race, drunk coeds ride down the wall in makeshift vehicles with wheels. This year, however, the cops shut it down. I had never witnessed the Suicide Run first hand so I was disappointed. After hanging out for a bit, with the crowds and the cops, Beth and I retired for the night.

First thing the next morning, I was on a train back to Manayunk (parking was not going to be an option) to meet up with my friend Coleen and some of her other friends for breakfast - then a walk over to a party at someone's house along the course. If you're going to drink before noon (which apparently, I was this Bike Race Sunday), you have to go with a mimosa or bloody mary - so Col whipped up a mean bloody mary for me...and the day commenced.

I met so many random, friendly people - ran into others I knew from my high school days. Got to see the pros ride by me and tried to observe their technique (riding on the saddle, off the saddle, hands in the drops, hands on the hoods - pedaling at high cadence or just gliding). By the time I got home that evening, I felt like I had been hit by a mack truck. I had probably consumed more alcohol this weekend than I have in the entire past 2 years or so of my life. So what do you do when you've tortured your body the way I had this weekend?

You run of course. I set out on an easy paced hour long run in my neighborhood. I started so slowly that I gradually picked up the pace throughout the run - which is ideal. It eventually leads to a negative split. I felt amazing by the end - it was one of the best runs i've had in the past few months.

This was the perfect weekend to kick off my break between jobs - and a much needed one. I don't think I could keep up with the drinking and honestly, I don't want to. Not the best thing to due two weeks out from a race. Nonetheless, I had a great time - thanks to all my friends who helped celebrate my freedom.