Who Dat?

 

Guess who came to visit us a few days ago???

ANGIE!!!!

She was on her way to Indianapolis and caught an earlier flight with an 8 hour gap here in Charlotte.  And she did it all just so I could have an extra pair of hands when loading the kids into the truck.  It was a whirlwind trip, but it was fun.

After we dropped Angie off at the airport I went in for my second night of training at Run For Your Life.  Oh, yeah.  Did I mention that I got that job?  Tuesday and Wednesday I had training and yesterday was my first day on the floor.  We were encouraged to try on a different pair of shoes every 15 minutes or so.  Fantastic!  Of course I put on my beloved New Balance Minimus trail shoe and walked around for almost an hour.  The downside is that now I don’t think I want those shoes.

As you can see from the diagram below, the back of the shoes are very stiff and I could tell, even from just walking and standing, that it would be cutting into my ankle pretty bad.  I also read that on some of the reviews online.

So now I’m thinking that I might just go with the minimus road.

  It sucks, I really liked the wide toe box and the Vibram rubber on the minimus trail.  They felt so good in the forefoot.  I also tried on some Saucony’s, Brooks, and the Mizuno Prophecy ($200!).  I’ll try to start taking notes and write up some first impressions reviews. 

 

Tread it up

Mega Church Track

I have two tracks 1 mile away from my house. One is a mile north and the other, a mile south. The one to the north is a public high school (let me stress PUBLIC!) and the one to the South is a Baptist Mega Church/ Christian Academy. Upon first moving to the area I would frequently use the high school track for my work outs. Being in the dark ages with no Garmin it was nice to get a feel for my pace by doing a portion of my workout on the track. It was nice, that is, until last year when Vance high school put their track on lock down. From what I could tell there was never any vandalism. One day they just started locking the gate. I went one day and saw another person running laps and the gate unlocked! I made one lap when that person asked me how I got in there. I don't know? How about the open gate right over there, dumb ass. I didn't say it in those exact words. Apparently that person was a coach and they told me that I couldn't be out there. Jerks.

Then my neighbor tells me about a track that he runs on all the time just up the, in the other direction, at the big Baptist church. So last night I tried it out and it was fantastic! It was an old school cement track with some cracks and was also a little creepy at night, but I still got the joy joy joy joy down in my legs. I jogged the mile out to the track, did 6 100 meter sprints, walked one more lap and then jogged back for a total of 3 miles. Since it was kind of dark and creepy, I think next time I'll take a little light of mine and let it shine.

So kiss it Mecklenbug County. I found myself a new, not so stingy track.

How I waste time and ignore my kids

Writing my own blog takes only a minute or two. The real addiction is reading everyone else's blogs.

Of course I enjoy SUAR and SR. Who doesn't? I also routinely check in on my in-law over at Bitchy Runners to see how hot it is in Texas and have a greater appreciation for temps that are ONLY in the upper 90's. I also like to see what my very first non family or friend follower, Adam at Running Through My Mind All Day, is up to.

Then maybe I'll skip on over to Running Off the Reeses so I can laugh at the captions that she puts on Kate Middleton's photos. After that it's over to Eat Watch Run to see how Paula and Michelle's, from Crazy Running Legs, weekend long run went.

I also have a few bare footers on my blog roll like Barefoot Josh and Running Ramble (currently has a few great reviews on the Saucony Hattori, Vibram Sprints, and inov-8 hydration pack).

Even though I don't do triathlons, I think I would like to some day so I've added some triathletes to my daily reading. Tri-Living (bonus* she's a mom AND a bare footer) is doing the same half iron man that SUAR is training for so it's fun to see how the two get through the demanding training schedule. Carolina John over at Smoke Training is another one that I really like and he trains in my area. I also think it's cool that he went from a pack a day smoker to a triathlete. Steve In A Speedo?! Gross! is quickly becoming one of my favorite blogs. Just look at the title and tell me that guy is not going to be funny as hell. He does all of his races in the same multicolored spandex shorts. His shorts are so well known that spectators in his area cheer for "Steve in a Speedo!" as he runs or bikes by. He's also a new dad and it's funny to see the perspective of someone on the other side of the "hooter hider", to put it in Steve's words.

This isn't Steve's speedo, but I stole this pic from his site. I think in this race his shorts were outdone.

I can't forget about my mom blogs. This Mamma Makes Stuff is one that I've been telling C25Karen to read since she's a crafty gal. Her sparkle skirts are becoming really popular too. Another Mother Runner is a regular read even though I never win their Hump Day Giveaway.

That right there is about half the blogs on my list, or less. Facebook is full of friends trying to sell me shit and convince me that they are photographers so it is much more fun to waste away my day reading blogs.

The two downsides to NUUN

I went on a 12 mile run this morning.  It went all right.  A little slower than last time.

I’ve been using nuun on all of my runs lately and here’s what I think…

PROS

• Delicious
• I think it works, as far as keeping my energy up and not burning out and keeping me hydrated.
• Decent price.  You get 12 tablets in a container for $6 and I think that two tablets is plenty for 1 water bottle.  Compare that to the price of Gatorade or GU and I think you’re spending about the same.
• Easy to carry around.  Fits easily in your luggage or a spi belt.

CONS

• When the fizzy pressure builds up it starts to sputter out the top of my water bottle which is really annoying and wasteful (at least it’s not sticky).
• When the fizzy pressure builds up in your gut it gives you the farts.

I had been pretty much alone on the greenway all morning only passing by the occasional runner headed in the opposite direction.  I only used 1 nuun tablet today, so it was very diluted and had limited ability to get all fizzy.  Sputtering from the water bottle was limited.  Yay.  But I guess the gas could not be avoided.  At around mile 10 I felt a tiny bubble moving on down stomach.  That is also when I heard a herd of footsteps behind me.  Alone this whole time, and NOW is when a group of 6 guys begin steadily catching up to me.  They were fast and I’m so slow that it didn’t take long for them to get out of ear shot. 

Damn it Nuun.  How do you expect me to use you during a crowded race?

Too Much Fun

Since last Saturday I've been doing nothing but drinking beer and having fun.

1. Flew to Texas for Mom's Bday on Saturday night.
2. Mom's actual bday on Sunday and recouping from Saturday night.
3. Hung out with little brother, flew back home, and went on my Run For Your Life interview on Monday (went really well).
4. Packed up and headed to the mountains on Tuesday.
5. Woke up in the mountains, went for a 30 minute run and then spent all day in the Davidson river on Wednesday.
6. Woke up in the mountains again on Thursday, did a short trail walk with the kids, packed up camp, headed back to Charlotte AND THEN my husband and I went uptown to the Visulight theater to see Mickey And The Motorcars and Reckless Kelly.

Has it only been 1 week?! It felt like a whole month crammed into 6 days. I'm not complaining. It was lots of fun, but now I need to get back to training. I really need to ramp it up if I'm going to do well in Chicago.

The show was great last night. Here is a sampling of the two bands.

Where I've been

I just got back from an awesome camping trip at Davidson campground in the Pisgah National Forest. Our last trip didn't go as we had hoped, but we fixed some of those errors from last time which made this go round a huge success. This is the campground that is just down the road from the three waterfalls that I love. We didn't visit any of them this time, but that's ok. We had a great time just relaxing by the river at our camp.

What did we do better this time?

• New Tent

Our old one was about 7 years old and was starting to leak a little bit. It also was getting too small for a family of four to fit in comfortably. We went with the Coleman Prairie Breeze cabin style tent. Being able to stand upright throughout the tent made a big difference in our comfort level. And despite it's large size, it was really quick and easy to erect (twss).

• Better meal planning

Last time we just threw some random shit into the cooler and called it a day. We got sick of

sandwiches and hot dogs, and on day two when it rained and our tent leaked it was a perfect combination for misery. This time, we just happened to already have a ton of left over brisket. Add some tortilla's, cheese, eggs, hot sauce, and you have breakfast, lunch AND dinner! Brisket breakfast burritos. Brisket quesadillas, and just to throw in something different I took some shrimp and mango to also make quesadillas.

• Tarp over EVERYTHING

Being from Texas we never camped much in the rain. The one time that I can remember doing

so (at the Guadalupe) we were so hammered, we were barely aware of the rain at all. We slept right through it. When we woke up (sobered up) our blankets were a little wet from our tiny tent leaking through the windows. We slept (passed out) on the ground back then with only a quilt for padding. Every time we have camped in the Carolina's it has rained. It passes through for maybe an hour and then it's gone. The sun comes back out and you get back to what you were doing. We started noticing that almost every camper covered their entire camp with tarps. Tent, table, even the fire pit! It's because they're from here and a lot smarter than we were. We jumped on that bandwagon this time and when the rains came it was no big deal. Brad and I even made our lunch and had some beers while the kids slept through the down pour.

• Brought the kid's bikes

Kids of all ages are always riding all over the campground. They never got bored and were worn

out by bed time. Perfect.

To say that we loved this campground is an understatement. It really was fantastic. A long trail went straight through the camp, along the river and out over a mile. I have no idea how long it was. I only walked about 1.5 miles of it.

The swimming hole was set up really well. It was just a portion of the river that was deep and wide causing the current to slow. They dumped some sand, made some steps and benches, and a cement platform for jumping in the deep area. Everyone at the camp was friendly and talkative, and there were lots of other kids to entertain my kids and keep them happy.

The kids still got unhappy once in a while. Here is Braden pouting about something and Slim checking out the scenery. The dogs are so much more difficult to camp with than the children. Lucy, our small dog, goes nuts and howls anytime we leave the camp without her. Slim pretty much hates the outdoors. He stays in the tent most of the time and freaks out when he hears thunder.

The water is very cold. I went on about a three mile run while I was there and jumped in the water immediately after. It felt amazing.

I later consumed just as many calories as I had burned when we cooked smores and drank beer. The kids didn't drink beer, just so you know. It will be at least another year or two before I let them do that. ;)

We stayed two nights and I could have easily stayed two more. It was a great time, I can't wait to go back.

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

Yesterday was my mom's 50th birthday. The day before was her 50th birthday party and a total blast from my past. I got to see so many people that I probably haven't talked to in 10 years or more. I loved it! My mom, however, made me feel like a total pansy. At 1:30 am I was asking if she was ready to go. I wasn't pushy about it, after all is her birthday. She only lives about 4 blocks from the bar we were at (I was the DD) and got home around 1:45. At 2 her friend Pat knocked on the door. They've known each other since they were 6. I, the responsible adult that I am, was trying to get some shut eye so that I wake up in the morning refreshed. That didn't happen. These two hens, laughed, drank and cackled until 5:30 am!

Happy Birthday Mom. I'm glad I got to spend it with you!

Pat, about to laugh mom right out of her scooter.

Mom and her big brother

Shanon, me, and Heather. Can you believe these three hotties have kids?

Me and my mamma

I love you mamma!

It's hot as hell here

I left 70 degree Charlotte this morning and then touched down onto the surface of the sun, also know as Texas (that is almost a direct copy and paste from my facebook status. Sorry friends for the redundancy). It's my mom's 50th birthday so I'm just in for the weekend. I already know that I won't be running at all, and I just ate my weight in food at La Mesa. Anytime I'm in town, I have to get my La Mesa fix.

So, it's my mom's birthday and as you know I was recently quit canned. I've been left with all these really cool pens and nobody to give them to.

The problem is that they have my old companies logo and info all over them. So how smart and I? Smart enough to go get some fancy stickers from Hobby Lobby to cover the info and make these pens into party treats for my mom's 50th! Damn, I am soooo smart and crafty.

I still have half that giant box full of cool pens. I'll think of something to do with those. They really are cool, just look at all those features!

Compact collapsible design, rubber grip for added stability and a handy hook for rock climbing.

P-Stone then rest

Last night was the Rolling P-Stone group run and I was awful! I did better 3 weeks ago when I the temps were higher. I think I started too fast and may not have had enough fuel in my body.

Once again I was had by some friendly chick who was new to the group run. They always say the same thing... "Is this your first time?", "Is everyone really fast", and then the "Oh, I am sooo slow" to which I say "Me too!" and then they say "I'll probably just run with you". That's nice. Little do they know that when I say I'm slow, it's not just me trying to make friends or be funny. I am for real slow, bitches! Sure enough, when I stopped for my first Gallowalk (as in Jeff Gallloway, inventor of the run/walk method), she kept on with her 9 min pace. Please. 11 minute miler here! I'm tired of bitches lying to me, saying they're slow. I wonder what kind of responses I would get if I put an ad on craigslist for a slow bitch to do fartleks with. Ability to do negative splits a plus.

Today was a rest day and my husband was off, and yesterday I was quit canned so we went for lunch at what I think is our favorite place. He has a blog about food and stuff. Eating food, cooking food, and all that stuff. He did a post about the place we ate and it is way too easy for me to just send you there rather than typing the whole thing out and importing the pictures myself. So go check out his blog.

What just happened?

Last night I ran for 20 minutes doing a 3/1 run walk 5 times.... blah, blah, blah. Lets get on to the real news of the day.

Today, I may have been fired... or did I quit?

As you know, if you've been fallowing for very long, I started a job out here selling carpet and carpet installation. You may also know that it has been quite a roller coaster. I was given few tools, and very little training. My paychecks were inconsistent, and I wasn't ever sure, of all the expenses I was turning in, which ones I would be paid for. I blame myself for almost all of this. Before coming back to Charlotte, I should have set clear cut parameters for all of these issues.

So, today, when talking to one of my superiors he asked what could be done to help me along in my business. I went ahead and opened up about how I would like the pay to be more consistent and how I really needed to be paid for mileage and time in my car. Sometime I would drive more than an hour just to sit with someone for 30 minutes. Without drive time and mileage that trip just isn't worth it. I said that not knowing when and how much I would be paid for was bringing down my moral and preventing me from doing my job. No money, no sitter. Also, my work email had stopped working on Monday and today it still not been fixed. He agreed with what I was saying and seemed to understand where I was coming from. He said he would contact the owners and try to get the issue resolved.

The next call I got was from one of the owners. The one that I report to and send in my weekly hours. Yeah, he seemed a little pissed. He took what I had said as an insult, like I was accusing the company of being broke. He claimed he had sent all of my paychecks (2) out on time. I didn't argue. I didn't want to throw any gasoline on what was now, just a small, candle light of a flame. He kept talking, I kept agreeing and then he threw out "What are you saying, that this just isn't the right opportunity for you (for the record, I never even implied, or hinted at anything like that)?" With that, I could have started kissing a little ass and trying to further explain myself, but the truth is, I'm just not a salesperson. That's not totally true. Ask me about IKEA's kitchens and I guarantee I'll have you wanting one. But I want an IKEA kitchen. I think the product and the company that makes the product is absolutely fantastic! With my own payment issues, and lack of knowledge it was really hard for me to get behind this brand. So I gracefully bowed out... or I got canned. I don't know, but I'm not bitter about it. I'm not hurting for money (I wasn't getting any anyway, remember?), and it will be one less thing to stress out about. I'm not even mad at my boss who fired me... or didn't. I knew going in that he and his family were a cast of odd characters and it was fun to work with them while I did.

**UPDATE** Run For Your Life just contacted me and they want me to come in for an interview! When one door shuts, just kick down another one!

Night Owl

Last night's run went really well. This will most definitely be the new routine. I only did a 3/2 x9 Run/Walk repeat, but I came out of it feeling really good. It's been a while since I felt like I accomplished something with a workout. I can handle this pace with relative ease, so this run was really more of a confidence booster. I think it's important to work one of those in every once in a while. Tonight I'll cut the walking down to 1 min. Running at night felt great and it felt familiar since it's the way that I trained for my first marathon. When I woke up this morning I didn't feel guilty and I still had all that time to myself to have some coffee and read blogs. Fantastic!

Now I'm going to rant.

I just read an article on Yahoo about a debate on whether or not the government should take severely obese children away from their parents. You can read it here. For the record, I think the government should keeps their hands out of this particular pot and focus more on keeping certain chemicals and additives out of our food supply to begin with. But this isn't the focus of my rant. I can't stand that the word "victim" was used in this article more than once. "Victims" of advertising, "Victims" of fast food, ect. The term is overused. It's called personal responsibility, and accountability people! "Victim" my ass. Greasy, nasty fast food is cheap and it is delicious, and you can have it handed to you through a window in less time than it takes to heat up some Uncle Ben's instant rice. With a little will power and some creativity you can eat healthy meals cheaply. You'll still have to prepare it, but who can't throw some yogurt and fruit into a bowl, and it wouldn't be that expensive. I would bet that severely obese people aren't just ordering a few things from the value menu. Getting a combo meal and then super sizing it is like 5 or 6 bucks! When I worked for Expo Design Center I got into the habit of eating at Chic Fil-a every day because it was close and easy. I actually stopped eating there for lunch because it was getting too expensive. $5 a day, 5 days a week, 4 weeks in a month... that's $100 a month! I know you can make healthy meals for less than that. It is so easy to blame all our problems on the world around us so that we never have to look in a mirror or admit that we have faults.

Not a morning person

Two mornings in a row I have rolled myself out of bed with my alarm, put on my shoes and started my run... only to get all pissed off before I even hit 1/4 mile. I then tromp back to my front door like a toddler with no ice cream. I want to be an early riser, I really do. The night before, I always tell myself that I will wake up early, get in a fantastic run, maybe even do some dishes and laundry, then I'll watch the sun rise by myself with a steamy cup of coffee. Easier said than done. A year ago I would go out for a run at 10:30 or 11 pm. I never missed a run back then, so I'm going back to the late night routine. Hopefully it works out.

Any advice or butt kicking you want to give me to get my lazy ass out of bed in the morning?

All my old shoes reviews

I am currently in the market for new shoes. I hate buying new shoes because they cost $$$$, but I do love shopping for them. I'm a bit of a brand whore, never staying loyal to just one, but getting a taste for a little bit of everything is helping me make better choices.

My very first marathon shoes. The Adidas... uh, Adidas? I don't know the model and it isn't written anywhere on the shoe.

After I ran my first half marathon in some Adidas I picked off the shelf at Academy, my knees felt like they might explode. Kind of like Kyle to your left there. After that I went to get fitted for shoes

at the local running store (Run For Your Life) and found out that the shoes I had picked were a full size too small. At this time I was a heel striker and shoes I was recommended were will designed for cushioning and support for my over pronation (typical right?). But my knees still hurt quite a bit after long runs and after my first full marathon, I wondered if they would ever recover. After a bit of reading it made sense that jamming my leg through my knee cap every time I landed could be having an adverse effect.

Pros

• Cushioning
• Stability
• Longevity

Cons

• Bulky
• not flexible (It looks it in the picture but that's just because they are nearly 3 years old)

Enter, the Nike Free.

I started transitioning into these shoes in February of 2010 (Feb 2nd to be exact, My bday!) and have loved them. Wearing these shoes feels like wearing house shoes all day. Heel striking is possible in any shoes but these Nikes make a forefoot strike feel right. I credit these shoes with changing my running style. The down side to that is if you move into them too fast (like, maybe running an entire marathon in them) your legs will hate you. My calves were solid (slightly painful) rocks for at least 3 months. Really? Did I NEVER use my calves before this?! The down side is the gaping hole that has been rubbed through by my left pinkie toe. The shoes really aren't THAT old.

Pros

• Uber flexibility
• Light wieght
• Cushining

Cons

• Pebbles, twigs, and other small debris will get stuck in the grid, that is the sole, and annoy the piss out of you.
• Um, how about the gaping hole in the side?
• Narrow toe box

My next shoe is one that you will love or hate, but you will certainly have an opinion about it... Vibrams!!!!

The Nike Free worked out really well for me and seriously eliminated my knee pain, so of course, I wanted to dive in to this minimalist thing even further. Vibrams are tricky though. You really, really, have to pace yourself or you could end up seriously injuring your feet. I've had mine since February (bday again!) and the furthest I have run in them is 6 miles. I am currently taking a break from them because I bruised the ball of my foot. My forefoot struck down in a large crack in the sidewalk. It's nothing serious. I can still run just fine in anything with some cushioning. All in all, I really enjoy running in these shoes. I feel like I'm moving more fluently. I'm not gonna go all granola on you, singing the praises of all natural deodorant (Tom's of Main, and it's a no go.) and telling everyone to take off their shoes, man, cuz like, that's how mother nature wanted us to be, man. I love the way it feels and believe it has helped my stride, but it is definitely something that has to be taken in with caution.

Pros

• Flexibility
• Comfort
• Amazing traction. You can't tell by looking but that special rubber grips like nobodies business.
• The true feel of the ground beneath your feet

Cons

• Zero Cushioning
• Slow and potentially hazardous transition phase.

Now on to my new shoes. I've been perusing the web and thinking about what I might want. I even purchased a pair of Saucony Grid Flex. The sales lady was kind of pushy at Sports Authority and I'm kind of a push over... so, I bought a pair of shoes that I wasn't totally thrilled about. When I got home, I went online and two of the reviewers said that their toes busted through the mesh upper. Don't need that problem again.

After my farewell to the sub par Saucony's I went up to Run For Your Life for some professional advice. I had hesitated because I thought they would try to put me in some high tech, cumbersome shoe that I really didn't want. But nope. They listened to exactly what I wanted and took a look at my Nikes, informing me that the narrow toe box was the reason for the escape of pinkie toe. I tried on a few different things but I have settled on, and as soon as the next paycheck comes in, will purchase a new pair of New Balance 10's. They have just enough cushion, tons of flexibility and a wider toe box to prevent my toes from sliding outward. The soles are even made of the same rubber that is used the Vibram Five Fingers. I think it's a good match for me.

Declaration of Disciplindance

Yesterday was a turning point in the rearing of my children. Of, course I have been embarrassed by them in public before, but never to this magnitude. Usually a public melt down by one or both of my kids can be contained rather quickly, but not yesterday

Done let these faces fool you. Evil lurks.

It all started with Ice cream after a carousel ride at the mall. I got Alaurie a kids cup of strawberry, and chocolate for Braden. I then cut each flavor in half and put it in the opposite cup so that each kid had a little of both flavors. Braden didn't like giving his sister any of his ice cream (even though he also got some of hers) and began to pout, as he has been doing a lot lately. He refused to eat his ice cream, so I gave it to his sister. In hind sight, I should have just thrown it in the trash, but at the time my thought process was that I didn't want to just throw money away. Braden pretty much lost it when that happened. Screaming that he wanted his ice cream. But it was too late. This pouting game has gone on for far too long, I was done with it, and giving the ice cream right back would have taught him nothing. At this point, Alaurie was being pretty good. She sat quietly eating her ice cream, but Braden was relentless. Attempting to kick out of my arms and screaming as loudly as his little lungs would allow. I couldn't subject the rest of the food court to anymore of this so I asked Alaurie to throw away the rest of the ice cream. She had already eaten hers and was half way through Bradens. She defiantly told me no. Not cool. I stood up with Braden in my arms (still screaming) and Alaurie took off running. Shit. Of course, by this point I have the full attention of everyone in the mall. Phenomenal. I catch Alaurie (not easy with a 2 yr old kicking on your hip), grab her by the arm and she flings the ice cream on the ground. I take deep breaths, trying not to lose control of myself since it's about the only thing that I do have control of at the moment. It took us no more than 3 minutes to high tail it out of there, one hand clasping the forearm of a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old still kicking from my left hip. Both were still screaming the entire way. They didn't cease screaming until half way home in the car.

This has been the straw (or tree trunk) that has broken this mule's back. My methods of parenting are changing and I will ensure that this type of crash and burn will not happen again. I never considered myself a softy when it comes to discipline, but there are definitely things that I need to change.

• No more empty threats. From now on, I will only say something once. Sometimes, perhaps I won't say anything at all. Upon the first act of insubordination they will be taken straight to time out. If the time out is protested in a dramatic way, then a spanking will occur. Yep. I spank. I was spanked as a kid, and depending on the situation, I think it yields results.
• No more treats, like carousel rides or ice cream for a very long time. They have come to expect these things and they shouldn't.
• I have to control my own temper around my kids. I inherited a bad temper and now I'm passing it on to them. So far today, the no threat immediate time out has helped me to no lose it with the kids. By sending them straight into time out, I prevent myself from being angry because they're not listening to me. It's a win, win!

These are things that I really should have been doing a long time ago. I just want my kids to learn respect and appreciate the fun things that they get to do. Hopefully they will appreciate me more after I unleash mommy dearest on them.

Raleigh

You will be glad to know that my face feels much better today. It looks better too. I headed out for a run in the rain last night and was very excited about it. I love running in the rain. It keeps you cool and it's relaxing. Relaxing unless you see a lightning bolt strike down just a few miles from where you are. I turned around and called it a night.

Here's the stuff I was to too lazy to post on Thursday and Friday.

I liked Raleigh. I would say that it's about same size as Charlotte, maybe a little smaller.

I didn't get a lot of pictures, because I didn't really do much while I was there.

I packed up all my stuff to go camping on Wednesday night, but It didn't happen. I was so disappointed. I ended up getting a last minute room at a Days Inn downtown. It may seem ridiculous, but I would have been so much more comfortable in my own sleeping bag and tent. I don't like hotels unless they are 5 star all inclusive.

The next day I found the correct entrance to the state park and verified that they do indeed have camping facilities.

Then I went for a short trail run.

After my trail run, I rinsed off in the facilities that were meant for the campers. I would have been a camper, so that counts right? A quick rinse, change of clothes and I was off to my final appointment with a cool chick who happens to do triathlons. Finally, I was on my way back home, achieving incredible mpg the entire way.

The End