Down in the Valley

I've attempted to write a long-overdue blog update at several different points during the past few weeks. First, I wanted to post about my final days of training and tapering (otherwise known as "running a little, eating a lot and drinking even more wine") leading up to CIM. After comfortably securing my 2016 Trials qualifier, I planned to summarize my experience and emotions as I've done after my other marathons and significant finishes. Lastly, I'd hoped to regale you with how much I've been enjoying my down time in the days since, sampling an extra dessert here and a fumbled smack of the snooze button there. Trust me, it was going to be riveting. But in the handful of times I've had the opportunity to sit down in front of the computer to address my tens of readers, I've allowed myself instead to get distracted by things like the world's most amazing Wal-Mart "portrait studio" Christmas card photos. (Although, in my defense, can you blame me? This is redneck gold!)

Because, truth be told, I don't really feel up to the mental and emotional challenge of writing about any of that. It's something I've always done with a celebratory spirit, as if chronicling the experience is a reward in itself, something pleasurable to savor. I can't tell you how many times I re-read my own Philly entry last year, if for no other reason than to continually remind myself that I had, in fact, actually done it. (And also to double- and triple-check for typos, seeing as I was about two-thirds tucked into a bottle of wine at first writing.) 

But as I'm typing this, I don't have a whole hell of a lot to celebrate as far as running is concerned. Our entire lives, we're fed platitudes like "You can be anything you want to be!" (says the person who's never seen me dribble a basketball) and "If you work hard and persevere, you'll always achieve your goals!" (Also: "don't do drugs" and "stay in school," a directive that half my high school class seems to have disregarded.) Well, I worked pretty damn hard this time around, and at the moment I don't have much to show for it. To get even more depressingly specific, I have very little in the way of quantifiable, tangible results to show for this entire year of running. I haven't recorded a single PR (except for 8k, but that was summarily filed in the "made up distances that no one cares about" folder) nor can I name any specific race about which I feel particularly proud. Had I spent the entire year taking a pastry class or toilet training my cat (yes, despite the fact that she lacks opposable thumbs, SkyMall tells me this is a thing that is possible) or learning a new language, I would've probably emerged with a greater return on my time investment, mais oui?

Riding the high after Philly, there was simply no conceivably logical chain of events other than me running faster the next time around. I would train just as hard, race just as smart, ideally not have to take a very public bathroom break on the side of the road, and continue my solid progression away from sub-sub-elite and toward the coveted A-standard of 2:37. It sounds naive to say out loud, but I truly didn't think there was any way for this not to happen. And yet, for myriad and varied reasons which don't actually matter to the finishing clock, it simply didn't. I made it through halfway relatively on pace while trying to ignore an increasingly persistent tightness and limited range of motion in my (frozen) left hip and glute. Could I have finished? I'm sure. But anyone who reads this blog knows I've never been interested in a participant ribbon.

So at this juncture, instead of turning up the emo music and dwelling on all the things I didn't accomplish at CIM, allow me to present you with a few notable positive memories of the past few weeks via everyone's favorite blogging device, the photo montage. And rest assured, though behind all the flippant self-deprecating banter my frustration is genuine and I've indulged in a few ugly cries, I'm still as determined as ever. My next step is yet to be decided, but I can only move forward.

Jordan celebrating Thanksgiving in Ohio with mom, brother, sisters, aunts, cousins

Jealous of my hairstyle? I have a very exclusive stylist (pictured to my right)

Post-Black Friday Cincinnati shopping nourishment

My CIM roomie, Brett, reliving her epic finish from 2010

Post-race libations at the ready in the elite hospitality suite

Caitlin and Brett deep in concentration while decorating their water bottles

Thanks to Nuun Hydration for the support and the sweet black ops bottles!

Pre-race early bird special dinner with Caitlin, Jeannette and Brett

About as photogenic as it gets at 4:30 on race morning. Note to self: My Craft reflective headband works and doubles as a neck warmer.

Post-race afterpartay: a bunch of speedy marathon finishers, plus me and Jordan

Want to hear more from people who actually finished the race and qualified for the Trials? Then get up in Caitlin's and Drew's blogs. Until next time, we can all live vicariously through them.

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Week in Review

86 miles
3 doubles
21 mile long run
2 nights in State College, PA
30 hours in the car
6 states (MA, NY, PA, WVA, OH, KY)

Praise the Lord, we survived! The drive to and from Ohio was no picnic but well worth the time spent with family and friends. Many would say that the highlight of Thanksgiving is the delicious meal, and while ours was certainly tasty, the running nerd in me must admit that nothing beats starting the holiday off with a spirited race and an enthusiastic cheering squad. (Well, winning would've been better. But I tried.)

Another unexpected result of the race was finding a new friend and potential once-a-year training partner. I met Amy Robillard, who finished a fast charging third behind me on Thursday, as we were both panting our way through the finishing chute. I soon learned that not only does she live in Mason, the Cincinnati suburb where Jordan's family resides, but her house is literally a mile away from theirs. Contact info was exchanged and plans were made to put in a few hours together on a local riverside bike path later in the week. Come Saturday morning, Jordan and I met Amy and a few other intrepid post-holiday runners at Buckeye Running Company, a new specialty shop a few minutes' jog away from the casa. We had a full day of driving ahead, but not before getting our long run out of the way. Though my legs felt weary and lethargic, the run was still made enjoyable by the company and change of scenery. I learned that Amy, who won the Flying Pig Half-Marathon earlier this year, is actually running a marathon in just a few weeks, her first one back since giving birth to her second child a few years ago. Her son, Jameson, has spent the majority of his short life in and out of the hospital battling an autoimmune disease, so Amy's training is often sporadic and squeezed in amid the myriad duties of being a special needs mother. Her spunk and vibrant personality in spite of (or perhaps because of) adversity is incredibly admirable, and with a recent 1:18 half under her belt I have no doubt she's going to surprise herself in her coming marathon. After a few hours spent together on our feet I felt like I'd known her for years--what other sport besides running can create that kind of spontaneous friendship??

And so, with another hectic yet enjoyable week behind me, I continue to feel my strength and fitness steadily progressing. Next week will even be more challenging in terms of training, as our North American sales force descends upon our corporate office for a week of sales meetings, but I'll try to fit in the miles as best I can. With the Trials only weeks away, I can't afford not to! There is still plenty of work to be done.

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102nd Annual Thanksgiving Day Race Recap

2-2.5 mile w/u + strides
Target: 10k race @35:30-35:50
Actual: 35:39; 2nd place overall female
Results
1/2 mile c/d
Total: 9 miles

Ever since deciding to come to Ohio for Thanksgiving, I knew Jordan and I had to run the Cincinnati turkey trot. Two years ago we'd planned to race the 100th anniversary event, even going so far as to pre-register and pick up our packets a few days in advance, but then Jordan very selfishly came down with the swine flu the night before. Needless to say, the race went on without us. This year, however, I was determined to toe the line at the oldest (and probably one of the largest) Thanksgiving Day race in the country. (According to Jordan, there is another turkey day race in upstate New York that also claims to be the oldest, but I'm pretty sure the race that owns the URL "thanksgivingdayrace.com" has to hold those bragging rights.) I might also add that though this race is huge--over 14,000 participants this year--and pretty darn competitive--top 3 men under 31 minutes and top 4 women under 36--there's no prize money or even a free pie to speak of. Instead, today's race was about nothing more than putting forth a good honest effort and enjoying the health and good fortune of being able to partake in such a magnificent event with family and friends. In fact, not only were Jordan and I on the starting line, but so were his uncle Dave--fresh off his 60th, yes 60th lifetime marathon a few months back--Dave's wife Stuart and Stuart's sister Emily--herself fresh off a red-eye flight from San Jose that landed a mere two hours before race start. We even had our own spirited cheering squad that braved the overcast and windy weather to come cheer us on, consisting of Eloisa, Jordan's little siblings Tyler and Madison, Stuart and Dave's children Nolan and Sophia, and Jordan's mom Suzanne who was also visiting from the west coast. With that kind of support in the wings, how could you not be fired up to run fast?!


A few of our adoring fans: Nolan, Madison, Sophia and Tyler

With just a few minutes to go before the start, Jordan and I reluctantly shed our warm layers and stepped to the front of the pack. We saw quite a few collegiate guys who looked legit, plus several women whom I knew could contend for the win. In particular, I recognized Tara and Kara Storage, identical twin elite runners who train in Ohio. For a second my heart sank and I mentally relegated myself to accepting third place, but I quickly nipped those negative thoughts in the bud and told myself that anything could happen if I gave it my best effort. From the moment the gun went off, I did just that. Quickly one of the twins (I had no idea which, but learned later it was Kara) shot to the front, gapping the entire women's field by at least 10 meters after the first few minutes. Twin #2 (Tara) also put several strides on me during the first mile which trended uphill and wound around the downtown Cincinnati streets. I split fairly comfortably in 5:42 before immediately opening up my stride on the mostly downhill second mile. I caught and passed Tara fairly quickly, but Kara remained at least 15-20 meters ahead of me despite my 5:35 second split. At that point we reached one of three bridges on the course, the first of which would lead us over the Ohio River and into Kentucky. This was the first noticeably steep ascent of the morning, and my heart rate responded accordingly. As we crested the bridge and began striding downhill toward the third mile marker, I noticed that Kara wasn't putting much more distance on me. In fact, it seemed as though I was ever so slightly gaining on her. Sure enough, by the time we approached a second bridge (really a mini-bridge in comparison to the other two) on the Kentucky side during mile 4, I found myself within several meters and, during the descent, matching her stride for stride. Though I was laboring, I knew that reeling her in was a good sign. There was a chance I could actually win this thing!

For the next mile we ran side by side, neither of us giving up any real estate. During this mile mile we approached the final bridge which would take us back to Cincinnati, and this was by far the steepest and most difficult of the three. I knew the pace was slowing, but at the same time she wasn't pulling away. When we finally reached the summit and the grateful reprieve of a long downhill with just over a mile to go, the victory was still very much up for grabs. Less than a minute later, however, two men closed quickly from behind and overtook us, and before I knew what was happening Kara latched onto their backs and found another gear. It was a gear I did not have. Within a minute she put 10 meters on me, a gap I was unable to close for the remainder of the final mile. Despite this, however, I never gave up in the remaining few minutes. My last mile, a 5:30, was the fastest of the day--I don't remember my other second half splits but there was definitely a high 5:40 and even a low to mid 5:50 in there--and I didn't stop pushing until I crossed the finish line. With a few meters to go I could hear our trusty cheerleaders screaming my name, and though I couldn't quite muster a smile on my face there was certainly one in my heart. I crossed the line just under 35:40, shy of the victory but still earning a road PR on a very hilly and windy course, which is nothing to be disappointed with given that I'm in the middle of marathon training. Jordan also ran a great time and outkicked three guys in the final straight, proving he's still got some wheels despite being many months removed from serious training. There is much to be thankful for on this holiday, and I can't think of a better way to start off the day other than maybe having my pops there to toe the line next year. Happy Thanksgiving!


Post-race mimosas (and peanut butter): Stuart, Emily and the KinLos

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(Christmas) Week in Review

81 miles
3 doubles
4 AFDs
6 states and a district (NC, VA, DC, MD, WVA, PA, OH)



Yes, I realize that skipping straight to the "week in review" is cheating. I'm doing a disservice to the entire week by not detailing the City Sports run club where we posed for a photo in front of the White House Christmas tree, or my 11-mile run around the Mall with Jordan, or the frigid runs in Ohio where I trudged along solo after Jordan and I traded Achilles injuries. But, simply put, I'm going to fall even farther behind if I don't wrap up the Christmas week with a neat little bow (no pun intended) and move on to the final week of the year. Don't worry; I'm including a few photos to make up for my laziness.


Madison and Tyler finish opening their Christmas presents. They already
got up and opened their "Santa" gifts while the rest of us slept--at 3am!!

As you can see from the stats above, I once again managed to notch a respectable mileage total despite all our traveling and despite my Achilles not being 100% (although it's like 98.4% right now, I swear). I still don't have any workouts to speak of, although I did sneak in 12x1 minute intervals on Christmas Eve morning around the streets of Mason. Nothing crazy, but it felt good to pick up the pace a bit. As I mentioned, Jordan is now experiencing some lower leg issues of his own, which meant that I was left to fend for myself most days. That inconvenience was coupled with the snow and ice that rendered the two parks within jogging distance of our home base in Mason completely impassible. Our only other option, a 100+ mile bike path a short drive away, was even less hospitable. So not only would I spend the majority of the week running by myself, but I also would have no idea where to go. Fortunately that's where Jordan's uncle Dave stepped in. Dave, a middle school principal who has the rest of December off, happens to be an avid runner and a solid 3:30 marathoner (and, at a mere 42 years old, he has already completed a whopping 58 marathons). He also lives a literal stone's throw away from Glenn and Eloisa's house, which made meeting up for runs incredibly convenient. So Dave became a lifesaver for me, accompanying me on at least half my runs and steering us through pedestrian-friendly streets and neighborhoods. He made for great company and a reliable tour guide and more or less salvaged my Ohio running. Though I know he doesn't read this blog, thanks a bunch Dave.


When he's not running, Dave mixes a mean cocktail.


Jordan icing his Achilles the old-fashioned way--with snow from outside.
Little bro Tyler wanted to compete in the "tough guy" contest as well.

And so, with one final week remaining in 2010, it's almost time to reflect on the past year while simultaneously setting goals for the next one. I hope to close out the year with a bang--and by that I mean a week of high mileage and a long-awaited workout or two--and start off 2011 feeling healthy and fit. With Jordan pulled up lame and Caitlin out of town until 12/31, I will probably be solo for most of the week once we return to Charlotte. If I can make it until Saturday, however, I'll be rewarded with the first annual CRC Hangover Run at McAlpine, a guaranteed opportunity to see tons of running friends and swap New Year's Eve stories. Until then, it's time to finish this year off right.


Jordan really liked Whitney's glasses... ...so he decided to try them on. Looks like a perfect fit!



Enjoying our Christmas dinner. Happy holidays, everyone!

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Merry Christmas To All

Lots to discuss as I am falling a bit behind on the blogging, but this post unfortunately will not provide any immediate amelioration. Instead I want to report that Jordan and I are safe and sound and enjoying a snow-capped Christmas holiday with family in Mason, Ohio. I'm currently sipping a glass of champagne garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds before settling in for a long winter's nap, er, feast; what could be a better way to spend a holiday afternoon? We arrived here on Christmas Eve eve via DC where I made my third trip this past week. Naturally between the two locations there has been quite a bit of revelry and merriment with a few runs sprinkled in for good measure. I'll provide more details tomorrow, but for now here's wishing you and yours the hap-hap-happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap danced with Danny f@#king Kay! (Any and all red-blooded Americans should get the reference, but since I know there's at least one Brit reading I'll throw you all a break and link you to one of the greatest scenes of one of the greatest holiday movies of all time.)

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

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Wrapping Up the Weekend

Sunday, 11/29
AM: 15 mins. ping-pong
35 mins. (4.5-5 miles)
30 mins. yoga

Saturday, 11/28
44 mins. (6 miles)
30-45 mins. ping-pong

Once it was affirmed that all members of our party were alive and well, the remainder of our time in Mason was passed with leisurely relaxation. We spent copious amounts of time lounging on the couch, watching football, eating leftover pie and celebrating Madison's 9th birthday. I finally managed to drag Jordan out for a run on Saturday and had the pleasure of hearing his symphony of coughs, snorts and nose-blows along the way. Charming. In the evening we played a few spirited games of ping-pong, and by "played" I mean I destroyed him (he would redeem himself slightly the following morning but that's hardly the point).


Jordan with the birthday girl earlier in the week at
her class program

We were up and at 'em early on Sunday, eager to get in a run before starting the long trek back to Charlotte. Actually the drive wouldn't have been bad except that every other living person who'd traveled for the holidays also chose to come home down I-77 through West Virginia. God bless. What should've been a 7-hour drive dragged out to almost 9, and if it weren't for the sandwiches and other snacks Eloisa packed us I have no doubt we'd be wasting away along the roadside somewhere. Needless to say, we were thrilled to finally make it home on Sunday night, but also sad to see our time in Ohio come to an end. I'm already recruiting the Vinson clan to head this direction and visit us soon...especially if Eloisa brings snacks.

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Afternoon Yoga

90 mins. P90X yoga

There was no shopping and no running for this girl on Black Friday. My leg was bothering me a bit and I just felt like taking it easy...until I got bored midway through the afternoon. My solution was popping in the yoga DVD and watching it on the giant projection screen downstairs. Like I said before, the first 30 minutes moved a bit more slowly than I would like, but by now I'm familiar enough with the format that I can sort of ad lib my own killer moves when it gets stuck in a lull. This also provided entertainment for the various passers by who had the good fortune of wandering by while I was contorting myself into awkward poses.

I must confess, however, that part of me is now conflicted about the benefits of yoga in light of this article I found today in the New York Times. Unlike most of the "is stretching good for you?" articles I've read, this one draws some very running-specific conclusions. Though I recognize their findings are only representative of one viewpoint, the article does provide some very interesting points to ponder. I still maintain that I find the strength, balance and core benefits just as significant, if not more so, than the stretching benefits; so, in that case, it might be worth the time after all. Either way, at least it helped me get through the day without feeling completely useless.

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Mini-Jordan Hits the Streets

Part 1: 24 mins. (~2-2.5 miles)
Part 2: 30 mins. (4 miles)
Total: 6-6.5 miles

Thanksgiving morning dawned cold and crisp in Mason, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit sad about missing out on the downtown race festivities. However, Jordan's survival was slightly more important, and I was immensely relieved to see that his temperature had dropped back down to normal levels over the course of the night. Still, he was in no condition to run and I wanted to put in a few miles, so the next best course of action was to enlist a (miniature) replacement. Luckily 7-year-old Tyler was more than eager to strap on his kicks and accompany me for a jaunt through the neighborhood park, so we grabbed our sweatshirts and gloves and hit the streets.

Despite the chilly breeze and overcast skies, we encountered several runners, walkers and dog enthusiasts enjoying a holiday morning in the park. Tyler started with a strong pace out of the gate, but found himself distracted and in need of a few breaks after several minutes. We paused for some action on the playground after the first mile, but it was simply too cold for me to enjoy dilly-dallying for very long. Tyler apparently did not feel the same way, as he found it necessary to stop and show me the field where his football team practices, his favorite tree, his favorite piece of playground equipment, his favorite spot in the woods...you get the idea. Things really threatened to veer off course when he suggested we run to his grandmother's house, an idea I promptly vetoed. I knew it was time to head home when he asked if I'd brought along any money to buy him a soda at the machine in the park. Several walk breaks later, I safely delivered my companion back to Fairway Drive and headed out to finish the rest of my run. While the second half was definitely not as entertaining, I did manage to clip along at a slightly quicker pace. I'm optimistic that in a few years and with some proper training, Tyler could be a serious contender to follow in his big brother's footsteps. I sense a family running dynasty in the making.

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Back in Mason

AM: 4-4.5 miles
PM: 45 mins. P90X yoga

For our first morning in Ohio, Jordan and I decided to enjoy an easy run through the neighborhood park. Unfortunately my left leg was hurting and Jordan yelled at me for being slow so it didn't end up being as much fun as we'd envisioned. Nonetheless, I was glad to get outside and shake the legs out after the previous day's travel.

In the afternoon, I popped the P90X yoga DVD into the living room TV and went to work. The DVD came courtesy of Jilane, who slipped it into a care package of clothes I left in DC last month. A few years ago I was consistently taking several yoga classes every week, but ever since I moved to Atlanta and then to Charlotte I just haven't made time. The DVD was a nice refresher course, though I decided early on to only attempt half of its 90 minutes on the first go. The first half hour moved a bit too slowly, so in future I will probably fast forward through this part and only focus on the last hour. Still, this was a good start for some basic strength and flexibility training.

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Loveland Bike Trail Workout

2 mile w/u
Target: 3x3 miles @6:05-6:10 w/2 min. rest
Actual: (6:18, 6:11, 6:14); (6:08, 6:20, 6:15); (6:25 aaaand stop)
~1.5 mile c/d
Total: 10.5 miles

Well, I suppose I was due a botched workout. The past few weeks have gone unusually well, after all. I won't blame this on the fact that it was already a steamy 80 degrees when we started the run at 10am, or that the sun was beating down relentlessly, or that we stayed up past 1am drinking wine on the patio with Eloisa and Glenn...but none of those things exactly helped, either.

On a positive note, Jordan and I found a great new place to run the next time we're in Ohio. It's probably a 10-15 minute drive from the house and definitely off the beaten path down some winding country roads, but the inconvenience is definitely worth it. Whitney said this bike path runs over 80 miles, and while we never confirmed that, we did see mile markers in the 37-39 range on our section of the trail, so that figure seems likely. The path is straight, flat, and somewhat shaded throughout, making it pretty much an ideal training surface for cyclists and runners alike.


A section of the Loveland bike path where our workout took place.
We saw a fox, a deer and a turtle on our run--definitely more wildlife
than people.

As I mentioned above, there were mile markers on the trail, but since we didn't really know where they started or ended from we planned on marking our own splits. As per usual, Jordan had the Garmin and I did not, which meant I wouldn't really have any idea of splits. Being the resourceful guy that he is, Jordan came up with the idea of filling a few plastic baggies with flour which he would then drop/spill/scatter as he passed each mile marker so I would know where it was. So that's what we did, Hansel and Gretel style, and it worked out splendidly.

As for my workout itself, the splits pretty much tell the sordid tale. It was just too hot and humid for me to ever feel comfortable out there. Even though I never felt terrible, I was never able to get into a groove, and the legs simply refused to turn over at the prescribed pace. When I split the first mile of the final segment so slowly, I pretty much decided to cut my losses. I found out a few minutes later that Jordan did the same, only he turned his final segment into a 3xmile with some rest in between instead. I suppose I could've/should've done that too, but by that point I was too hot and sweaty and tired to care very much. Hopefully I can redeem myself on Friday.

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Monday in Mason

61-62 mins.
8+ miles

Day #2 of sleeping in was just as fantastic as Day #1, even if it meant we didn't head out the door until well after 10. No matter, since we just had an easy eight on tap. We covered some familiar territory through the nearby park, back up to the grass fields where Tyler and Madison played their games (yay for a mile or two on soft surfaces) and back on the local bike path.

I could get used to this whole "being on vacation" business.

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Mason Long Run

120 mins.
16 miles

Today's run was so relaxed and enjoyable that it almost seems like cheating to give myself credit for 16 miles. After a delicious morning of sleeping in, drinking coffee and otherwise lounging around the house, we joined up with Jordan's uncle Dave around noon to begin this jaunt. Normally I wouldn't even consider starting a long run at high noon during the summer, but it was such a gorgeous day--sunny, warm but not hot, low humidity--that there was simply no better way to spend the afternoon.

Dave acted as our tour guide for the first half of the run, and he did a fantastic job pointing out all the sights (and sites) of Mason and sharing interesting anecdotes along the way. The pace was unhurried and the weather conditions were still quite pleasant, so the first hour of the run passed almost before I realized it. We marked the halfway point by stopping back at the park where Tyler and Madison had played their games the day before, planning to take in a few minutes of Madison's game that was going on during our run. Even though I didn't really need a break, it was fun to stop for a few minutes to watch the kiddos and grab a drink and lollipop from Eloisa.

From there we detoured back to the house to drop Dave off. To be fair, he had already consumed three beers and played four hours of golf before meeting us, so we decided to let him bow out at 11 miles while we pressed on. We dropped the pace slightly for the remainder of the run but still kept things comfortable, opting to loop around the neighborhood park and bike path a few times. Once we popped back into the neighborhood at 14 I could tell Jordan was itching to pick up the pace, so I encouraged him to go for it while I jogged in the last two miles at a slower clip. I'm pretty sure this is the longest run I've done since the epic 16-mile DC tour with Jilane and Ben almost three months ago, but thanks to the relaxed pace my legs still felt decent at the end.

The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging poolside and prepping for Whitney's graduation ceremony, which took place at Xavier University in Cincinnati. After she successfully received her diploma we adjourned to PF Chang's for some much-needed food and drink. All in all this was pretty much a perfect Sunday.


The new graduate with her big bro and little sis Madison (Jilane's new bff)

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Welcome To Ohio

45 mins.
6 miles

So 24 hours later, we've traveled to three more states. These states include Texas, where we drove after work last night because we had to catch a flight from DFW this morning; Kentucky, which is actually where the Cincinnati airport is located (possibly the only airport located in another state than its name? Could be a good trivia question/answer); and finally Ohio, where we are visiting until Wednesday for Jordan's sister Whitney's high school graduation.

After dropping our stuff off at the house and getting settled, we set off for Jordan's youngest brother's and sister's baseball games. Actually, correction: Jordan went straight to the game, while Whitney and I headed to Chick-Fil-A for a tasty lunch. Jordan had said we would run sometime during the baseball games, but I didn't quite realize that "sometime" meant "approximately 10 minutes after you get back from stuffing your face with waffle fries." So, while I was hoping to relax for a bit upon finishing my meal, Jordan was practically lacing up his shoes by the time Whitney and I got back to the park. Awesome.

So, do you want the good news or the bad news? Ok, good news: by looping around the grass fields surrounding the baseball and soccer games, we managed to stay on soft surfaces for over half this run. Bad news: upon leaving the grass fields and starting the run back home, I may have had to stop and dry heave once or twice. I basically felt nauseous on the entire run. Which was unfortunate, because otherwise I would've totally enjoyed the balmy weather and the change of scenery. Good thing we'll be here for a few more days.

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