Crescent City Classic 2015

My husband. The runner. Man, I am so proud of him and all of the dedication that he has in training for races. He sets goals and then does what he has to in order to hit them. This year, one of his goals was to run the Crescent City Classic and beat his time from last year in the same race.

His stepfather, stepbrother, sister and her boyfriend all joined in on the running fun. I was also able to attend this year and I was so excited to be able to capture the craziness that New Orleans has to offer during this particular festivity.

I had always heard that NOLA really brings out the characters for this race, but I wasn't quite sure to what extent until I watched them literally run by. I knew you wouldn't believe me when I told you who - or what - I saw, so I brought my camera along. Just for you.

This brings a whole new meaning to the age-old joke of why the chicken crossed the road. Also, it answers the question of which came first since I never saw an egg pass by. Gonna have to go with chicken on that one.

Look, it's The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!

Of course, crawfish were hanging out here.

And the Blue Brothers even made an appearance!

Hello Mario! And Luigi!

This baby head was actually super creepy in real life.

The race was held before Hilary's announcement was made, which makes this photo extra funny.

No, cast of characters is complete without surfing Santa.

There were a ton more, like Peeps, superheros, guys in thongs, and so much more. And then there were these guys. Craig's stepdad, Layne, and sister, Megan, passed us in style...

...and then Layne turned to us and told us to meet him at the finish line so we could pick him up off of the road and drag him to the beer. Because of course, NOLA.

As you can see, I didn't actually see Craig, Jason {his stepbrother}, or Jonathan {Megan's boyfriend} in time to capture them crossing the finish line. That's right. I missed my husband crossing the line and beating his previous time by ten minutes!!! I was totally bummed that I didn't see him, but I was so proud of his time!

In true New Orleans fashion, we ate some jambalaya as an after-race snack. 'Cause nothing says stay healthy like rice and sausage. Oh wait.

We actually spent a couple of days enjoying the Crescent City itself and I will be back next week with photos from the rest of our time there.

So yes, I missed one of the biggest reasons for making this trip with Craig. Yes, I spent nearly an hour and a half scanning the crowds of runners just to catch a glimpse of him...only to miss him completely. Yes, I am still kicking myself for it. But oh yeah, I am completely in awe of all that he has accomplished in just one year. Shaving ten whole minutes off of your race time?! That's huge!!! Way to go, babe.