Fitbloggin 2012: Thursday

It's been three days since Fitbloggin ended, which has given me a good amount of time to soak in the weekend's events and write a recap (or at least attempt to).

I'm actually writing a post for each day, since there was SO MUCH going on!

Since I got hurt, I was a little less excited to go because I was afraid I would miss out on half the fun. Boy, was I wrong!

From the moment I arrived in Baltimore on Thursday afternoon, I was PUMPED!! I met up with Patty (@PattyAizaga), who was on the same train as me (total coincidence). We dropped our bags off at the hotel and spent the afternoon at the Ripley's Odditorium across the street from our hotel. That was a lot of fun, and both of us can say we went to a Ripley's!

Once we were done over there, we went back to the hotel and waited for her room to get ready so she could check in (I couldn't because my roommates weren't there yet). Once that was done, I chilled with her until my roomies came a little while later. 

The first to come in was Emily (@FitandFreeEmily), who booked the room in the first place. Once she checked us in and got the keys, it was time to unpack, settle in, and of course tweet ;-). Emily (@runningknitwit) and Vicky (@crazedmom) came in later, and I actually didn't meet them until after the "official" welcome party.

Registration and the welcome party were a few hours later. After checking in, we got our swag bags. Let me just say: HOLY COW! A full duffel bag with snacks, stickers, and even an apron! Oh, and who can forget the official FitBloggin shirt? (BTW, mine ended up being too big and I couldn't exchange it. New PJ shirt!)

After we got our swag, we went over to the Reebok table to get some more stuff: crossfit sneakers and a workout tank! My sneakers were pink, and the one thing I've been wanting for a long time was pink workout shoes! I think once I get them more broken in, I'll use them for my spin classes.

Then came the welcome party and badge decorating. I was a first time FitBloggin attendee, so I had a star on my badge. I still went crazy decorating it though. If it's one thing anyone who's worked at Panera knows, it's how to decorate a nametag. ;-)

The mixer itself was relaxed and fun. I got to meet several bloggers who I've follwed since I started my crazy journey, as well as some new ones. I didn't feel shy or nervous, like I usually do in new situations. I felt right at home, kind of like I was with family.

After the mixer, there was a presentation by Susan Ito (@foodiemcbody). Her one woman show was just amazing. It was pretty much a show about someone who went from being overweight to a triathlete. A lot of us were in tears by the end.

Since the presentation didn't end until almost 9, most of us were starving after Susan's show! A group of us went to a restaurant called The Greene Turtle, which was an experience in itself (I'll save that for a future post). Anyway, my dinner was just grilled BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

I got back to the hotel around 11:00, and all of my roomies were sleeping. After a quick phone call home, and some tweeting, I was too. 

Friday recap to follow... =)