You Got Me Slippin....

Well, Its been a little hectic (in a good way) to say the least here lately so I better catch everything up:
Running
6/9-6/15 - Flo was gone most of this week to GA camp so no one to watch Grace sleep while I run and my restless spirit when she's away keeping me up late at night added up to afternoon heat runs that were fun but taxing.
Mon - 4miles with Grace at Cain Park
Tue - 7.5miles with Grace at Cain Park
Wed - 0
Thur - 7.5miles at AHS on grass
Fri - Mowed 3 Yards
Sat - 15 miles 2:00 at TSP
TOTAL - 34 Miles

6/16-6/20 - Another off week as I was taking my students to Trinity, Tx for a week of Collision Camp '08...great camp, but another environment that didn't lend itself to plentiful sleep. It did, however lend itself to plentiful rec that included lots of hills, ropes course, rock wall, toting a pack for a while and some decent running.
Mon - 0
Tue - 2.5miles Trinty Pines
Wed - Ropes Course and Pack Toting
Thur - 7.5miles Trinity Pines Trails
Fri - 0
Sat - Eustace Pioneer Days 5k, Eustace Tx - 1st in 30-39 Division with 19:54(PR)
Sun - 2.5miles barefoot at CRISD Football Field
TOTAL - 15.5 Miles

It's been a great 2 weeks, but a little normalcy wouldn't hurt.

All good things...

Well, we're home and to my complete surprise the world hasn't stopped spinning without us. Its good to be home, but kinda miss the salty sea breeze smell already. Good times were had by all. Thursday was still a completely relaxing day, not one of those "last day of vacation" days vexed by pre-departure stressing and over preparing.

Thanks Beelers for being such awesome "in-laws" and for inviting us to tag along in life! Thanks Watercolor neighbors for not getting us thrown out when our little girls were showering on the front porch with nothing on but tearless shampoo, stumbling about the scattered swimsuits, beach towels and discarded pasta.

Thanks God for putting your power on display through growing love between me & mine, and growing an ocean with beauty almost as limitless as your great passion for the peeps that peer at it. Thanks Grace Ryan for making this one of the best vacations daddy's ever been on by your fearless - boogie boarding- "we-can-do-it" attitude!

Thanks Flo for being mine in all weathers, even picturesquely perfect ones like we had this week.
Oh yeah, ended week with 14mile cruise on bike to running store for running hat souvenir that didn't exist & back.

Date Night...

5.5Miles with Cody & Neil Trailing on Cruizers...good run until we went through a shadeless patch and it totally zapped me. Had to take a couple of minutes off and then after some cool shade rehab, finished the thing off without my escorts...good final long run for the week.

Good thing it was the final long run because wed. was mine and Flo's "date night" and we chose to ride the bikes over to the Bait House ("where shrimps are served head on") here on the resort and of course I had to get their version of "everything under the sun fried on a plate" which doesn't mix well with running the morning after.

It was refreshing to eat out with my sweetheart and of course the food, atmosphere & conversation was spectacular...so we capped it all off with a boardwalk stroll to the beach and moonlit bike ride back to la casa...probably sounds more boring in print, but it was memorable night.

What it's all about...

These Arms of Miiiiinnne...(favorite song reference) they are, well, blessed, lucky, fortunate and all of the above. I get to hold those two girls on a daily basis! We don't fight, kick, scream, bite and we don't really get tired of seeing one another, especially on trips like this. We enjoy doing alot of the same things in pretty much the same pace, although, sometime in various methods which is cool'n the gang too, because the last thing I (or the world for that matter) needs is a carbon copy of me. Besides the great cruizin' we did this morning, checking out the Seaside & Grayton Beach hideouts and crannys (ok we were really looking for a gas station:) and juice stands, and besides the father/daughter trail ride we had and despite the bombastic fireworks show we got to watch from our upstairs screened in porch right before bedtime...besides all that, The Munchkin can flat-out boogie board!

...and that poses all kinds of feelings and emotions, premature nostalgia, etc. Here she is the little bitty ol' thing, barely able to stay upright in waves crashing around my knees and you turn her loose out in the big bad ocean, with waves and sharks and jellyfish and the chance to drown and all kinds of unimaginables, but you turn her out, not because you "have" to or because you necessarily want her gone...its just time. You've showed her how to do it by prescription and example, you've equipped her, you've held her close and helped form her decision-making to know when the right time to jump in is, and sure enough, here comes a big scary wave and she piles on in, guns a'blazin....and of course, she nails it. (but that doesn't keep you from watching her pretty close when she's not looking, just in case she might need her daddy).

Finally; Tentin' aint easy but its necessary...well maybe more like a luxury, a luxury we don't even use that much, but I will say this. A rain fly for a Eureka Outfitter Series 4-man tent carries the burden of providing shade on a windy beach for a family of 8 without breaking a sweat, especially when you throw in the REI "sandbags" that you can use to anchor the sides.

Anyway - todays training was late and fun. Evening Run of about 6 miles on the super duper trails they have here...good run. Good Day.

Monday, Monday...

6Miles on Beautiful, gravelly trails at Watercolor Resort in Florida. The trails here are plentiful and great...however, the biting flies are plentiful and love my burred head, so the run went great after heading back to the casa for my hat and some Off!

Precious CargoPretty much how every good adventure begins here this week. These passengers are good tippers...that is they have plenty of advice. This trailer Schwinn has made is pretty handy I must say. We've been over the bay and through the woods, down and up trails, next to waterfalls, yukkas, rabbits, boardwalks and beach. I must concur with my good wife; Bicycles = Good Times.

Speaking of Which...

Sea was up a bit today...which is why I look like I'm auditioning for Electric Boogaloo with my totally rad back spinning action, however its actually just rockalicous waves here on the Emerald Coast. Even got my little beach bunny to try boogie boarding which, naturally, she excelled at.

Sanctity of Life...

I mean really...what can a man be thinking to drive off from this, to leave a family, to destroy a life, to just walk away...what can I be thinking when I lose my temper, am over-bearing, or just work a little while longer? I think its official; she's got me (and her Mama) wrapped. This evening we were privileged to hear Okanaphokanie Joe (or something like that) teach us about "taking only what you need" from the earth that God created while displaying 3 of the 4 deadly snakes of North America...good clean wholesome family fun!

A Beachin' We Will Go...

Training Summary: 5/26-5/31,
After knocking it out of the park last week, this week should be great right? "We'll see", said the zen-master.

Mon: 3.75 mi @ AHS, No Good ---Quit Early, because i's suckin wind early.

Tue: Resting Because Aforementioned Bonk

Wed: 6mi (48min), Road - Good, Strength Trng @ CC

Thur: 3mi @ AHS, 400m Intervals

Fri: Running Crazy to Get Gone to Florida

Sat: Driving To Destin, FL

Sun: 3mi @ Destin, FL -- Hot & Humid. By the time I outran the "captain's platter" the humidity caught up with me.

It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses....or something not quite like that, but either way, 660miles after pulling out from Athens, Tx we landed in Destin, FL no worse for the wear. Off a reccommendation from the staff @ Hampton Inn, we walked the 100yds to the Back Porch for some beach-side belly-stretching artery-clogging din-din. I'm planning on 3 long runs while here, so last chance to hurt myself on some fried food. There's something about this whole blue water / white sand / nice breeze thing that works...wish we could bottle it. Flo & Grace (who are always the most beautiful girls in any room i'm in) really take my breath away on evenings like this.

Sunday was spiffy as we slept late, ate late, and then picked Cody, Ang & the Beeler Girls up at the airport and headed for our ultimate destination: Watercolor Resort, FL. This place rocks and we got straight to the beach via bikes and bike trailers and just chilled for the rest of the day. Looking forward to a week of this and running on their seemingly limitless supply of trails. Lucky for me most everybody in our house likes to sleep in, so I'll get to run, get my study on, drink some coffee, and wake up everyone with a hearty breakfast.

One thing that I'm pondering...what is the point of a vacation? What should a person be more like on the other side of one? Can't say for sure right now what I'll be more like, but know that I hope the extra R&R strengthens the roots of who I am, that is to say: More God, More Fam, More Runnin, More Peace, More Love...More Fresh Air.