Knoxville Adventures

So here I am, coming up on the halfway point of my month in Knoxville, TN. I've gotten to explore the city quite a bit (translation: I am trying all the coffee shops), and I must say, it's a pretty cool place. There is way more garish orange assaulting my eyes than I care for, but overall I rather like Knoxville. My first weekend I decided to go find a place called Coffee and Chocolate and discovered a farmers market that was in the same area. I'm going to have to go back soon!

Tennessee Theatre - reminded me of the Orpheum in Memphis

Shiny gold thingy called the Sun Sphere. Apparently has an
observation deck that has recently opened, so I'll probably go
visit it sometime soon.

Market Square - even their outdoor art sculptures are orange

Stumbled upon a farmers market in Market Square - will be going
back next weekend to see about some of the fresh cheese I saw someone selling

Clockwise from top left: olive oils from The Tree & Vine, Union Ave Books,
iced amaretto latte from Coffee and Chocolate, an awesome sign that was
sadly not for sale

This past Saturday, my friend Kelsey and I took a day trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. We are both in Knoxville just for the month for rotations, so we figured it would be fun to visit while we are on the other end of the state. The Biltmore Estate is the largest home in the US, and it's more of a manor than a house. It's probably the closest you can get to a castle without leaving the country. Naturally, it rained most of the day, but by the end of the trip, the sun had finally come out. So, we did not get to really explore the (very extensive) grounds and gardens.

I took about 20394 scenic vista pictures

Checking out the gardens during a respite from the rain

I was so sad that we couldn't take pictures inside, because the library was WONDERFUL AND PERFECT and had everything I've ever wanted in a library - dark wood shelves, spiral staircase, huge fireplace, secret doors, and thousands of books all hand-selected by George Vanderbilt himself. The rest of the estate was equally stunning and so much fun to explore. We paid for the audio guides, which I would highly recommend doing if you visit. The stories and history gave the tour so much more depth than just looking at the rooms on their own. I was highly amused that every room I loved (dark woods, jewel toned walls, leather furniture, etc.) was described as being in a masculine style. Apparently I have the design tastes of an early 1900s upper class man.

The clouds make this picture look a lot more ominous than it really is.

*Biltmore selfie*

After visiting the house, we went to the Antler Village, which is also on the property and has the Biltmore winery, the Cedric's brewery named after the Vanderbilts' St. Bernard, an ice cream shop (the Biltmore is known for their ice cream too), several restaurants and a couple historical buildings to explore. They had a grape stomping booth at the winery (which we totally did) and a free winery tour and tasting (which we also totally did). After eating a late lunch and having some ice cream for dessert, we headed back to Knoxville.

Squishing grapes with one's feet is a very weird feeling

Outside Cedric's Tavern - gotta love any family that
loves their dog enough to have a statue of him

Kelsey: Hey look a maze for kids! Let's do it!
Kristin: We are as tall as the bushes lol.
Kelsey: Yeah there's no way we will get lost.
*30 seconds later*
Kristin: I think we are lost
Kelsey: Yep we are definitely lost

You are probably wondering "Well what about the rotation you went to Knoxville for? How is that going?" I am happy to report that my rotation is fantastic! The drive to LaFollette is a bit far, but I am loving what I am doing every day. Infectious disease is one of my favorite areas of practice and I am learning so much! The hospital is very small, which I was unsure about at first but now I really like it. I am able to keep an eye on (almost) all of the patients who are on antibiotics, and I feel like I am making an actual difference in patient care. It's good to know I am comfortable in a small hospital as well as a large one, because that gives me more options in my future residency/job search. More options = better chance of landing a residency/job. The residency search is going to begin in full force next month when I am off of rotation!

RACE RECAP: Nashville Country Music Half Marathon

After nearly a year of training, I finally - finally - ran my half marathon! So here we go, my first (and only) race day recap!

My parents and I drove up to Nashville Friday afternoon so I could pick up my packet and race number at the expo. The expo was crazy crowded, but I was able to meet up with my friends Ashley (who was also running the race) and Michelle. In order to properly carb load for the race, we went to dinner at a place called Back Alley Diner, which was literally down an alley and had fantastic fries. My parents, meanwhile, went to a different restaurant, only to discover it was closed. They then wandered all over downtown Nashville trying to find food and wound up at the same restaurant where we were eating. Then we were all due for an early bedtime since we had to wake up at the crack of dawn to get ready for the race.

A rare photo of me with a sunrise

Now I don't know whose idea it was to make half marathons start at ungodly hours of the morning, but this race started at 7:00AM. On a Saturday. So I had to wake up at 5:30 and I was not even remotely happy. Neither was my body. Especially my GI tract. Try as I might, I could barely eat my English muffin and peanut butter. Every bite was a struggle between knowing I had to fuel my body and trying very, very hard not to barf.

Still struggling to eat my breakfast

Ashley came up to our hotel room to finish getting ready for the race. We could actually see the starting corrals from the 24th floor window. It was quite chilly as we walked over to the start line. But the forecast predicted warm and sunny by race time, so there we stood with our shorts, tanks and goosebumps waiting for the race to start. And waiting. And waiting. Being in one of the last corrals does not make for a quick start.

Finally, we started moving forward. The race actually started on a downhill, which was deceptively friendly, because we soon discovered that the runners who had already started and disappeared around the corner were in fact now running back up the same hill we were standing on. Eww. We made it to the start line and off we went on our first half marathon!

My sparkly skirt made me easy to spot

All anyone ever said when I mentioned I was running the Country Music Half Marathon was "There are so many hills!" I got so tired of hearing that, to the point that I started snapping at people who said that, "Well what do you want me to do about it?? How does you telling me there are hills make having to run up them any better??" What I actually did was exactly what I had planned to do all along, just walk up the uphill parts and run on the flat/downhill parts. I was under no illusions that I could run all 13.1 miles, and I wasn't about to force my body to do so. Still, even with walking, it was a challenge. By about mile 7 I was so over it that I started running more just because it meant I would get to the finish line - and to sitting down - faster. The last 2 miles were straight up awful, walking through empty, hot urban streets with no spectators. I didn't start running again until I saw the bridge to the finish line, at which point I changed my song to "Vox Populi" by Thirty Seconds to Mars and forced my legs to run to the finish line.

I finished the Nashville Country Music Half Marathon in 3 hours and 8 minutes. My parents were there at the finish line, waiting to give me a hug and take my picture, just like they have always been at every one of my accomplishments since birth. The finish line had all kinds of hydration/food/stuff for us, but mostly I just wanted one of the towels soaked in ice water, which felt like heaven shining down on my poor, hot, sweaty body. We met up with Ashley, who had finished a while before I did, and made our way slowly, painfully, back to the hotel. I have never been so happy to see a shower and a bed.

I've never been so excited to sit down.

A week later, and I am still feeling the effects of it, although most of the soreness is gone. And just like I predicted (and against everyone else's predictions), I never ever want to run again. Ever. Although I am proud of myself for finishing a half marathon, it was not something I would call fun or enjoyable. Definitely not an experience I would ever want to repeat. I may still run a few miles here and there for the sake of fitness (although not while I'm here in Knoxville, because hills), but running is not going to stay a fixture in my life. This half marathon did not turn me into a runner, and I am totally ok with that.