Sunday: Well that's today and I've just woke up from a nap. I took a nap at 10 and napped for 90 minutes. On the agenda today: reading. I start orientation on Wednesday and I have to read a couple of short articles on literacy in DC and I have to read a book about the two individuals who founded KIPP, Work Hard, Be Nice. I read the book earlier this year, so re-reading it is giving me flashbacks. I shorta remember this and sometimes I really don't remember it. For the two articles I have to print them out to bring to the orientation. Which has lead to a problem. I brought an old Deskjet 722c with me. I have a macbook. I probably should have done this before I left, but I found out that I can't connect them at all. Looks like another trip to Columbia Heights!
As for running I decided that instead of trying to find a group to run with I really (really) wanted to run to the monuments and memorials. I looked at the map and saw that Rock Creek Park went through them, so that was my plan. Honestly it was pretty cool. I got to the Lincoln Memorial at a quarter to 7 and was able to run up the steps. I haven't been here since the summer after 8th grade so my memories weren't that fresh. I was glad there weren't any tourist there. I stopped during my run and just read what was above the memorial, then walked to the the sides and read the Gettysburg address. It was pretty cool. I then ran down the National Mall (which unfortunately is being renovated. The reflection pool totally dug up. The only bummer of the trip) and ran around the World War II memorial, and then made my way to the Washington Monument. I can see this from my apartment, but I wanted to go up close. It was something that words honestly can't describe. I don't know what else to say, but it was pretty interesting. I was able to the Capital ahead of it, and then ran a bit and saw the White House. I was pretty tempted to run around it, but at this point I was at 8.18 miles and knew that I had to run back. Honestly I found this run to be pretty cool and very inspiring. It kinda made me affirm to myself what I want to be as a person and as a runner. I really don't have any more excuses anymore and it's time to man up! First race is in less than three weeks. I'm excited and nervous at the same time.
Saturday: I ended up leaving my apartment at 10:30 to go to the Super Giant in Columbia Heights to buy some grocers. If you looked in my fridge and drawers you would have noticed that either a) a homeless person was living there or b) a 5 year old was in charge of the food. Frankly I really didn't have anything in there and needed to buy some real food. While the Safeway by my house is close, it doesn't have that great of a selection. I walked out of my place and saw all these people sitting in chairs on the sidewalk. Whaaaaattt? I didn't know what was going on. I saw a couple people dressed up in costumes, the best at which I can describe as something out of a street festival. Well they were having a street festival. The DC Caribbean Festival was having a parade that went down the street I live on. When I got back from shopping, I ended up watch the parade for 45 minutes. It's pretty hard to describe in great details. I mean you kinda need to be there to understand it. But let's see there were guys dressed up in some sort of costumes, that I don't know what they were, covered in baby powder. At the same time they were dousing the crowds with baby powder in their hands. There were semis that had a band attached to them and a gigantic sound system as well go by every couple minutes, each representing a different country. There were dancers. Singers. People covered in red paint. People covered in brown paint. Some guy dressed up as the Death. Pretty awesome and intense at the same time. Take half of the street parades that you see on Treme and the other half the double album of The Clash's Sandinista and that's what you had. I had a pretty good time.
When I got to running this morning the plan was to do a 4 mile tempo run in the middle of my run. I wanted to run on the roads to the park, but ended up getting a bit lost and as a result my warm up was about 3 miles. Nevertheless I started my tempo with the hopes of running the 4 miles at 6 minute pace. If I could do this it would give me a good clue as to where my stamina and endurance were at. I had honestly no clue where they were at, so this was a feeling out workout. I started the first mile and felt alright running a 5:57. But on the second mile I knew that I didn't feel that great and was wondering where I was going to get the strength to do two more miles. When all of a sudden this guy that I had passed going the other direction runs up to me and asks if he could continue with me. Why not! His name was Kent, he was from Maryland, and here at a conference. He really helped me out. Without him I don't think I could have ran this workout that well. The second mile again was 5:57. The third was 5:50 and we finished it strong with a 5:28. We finished right around the Kennedy Center and just pass the Watergate building. We cool downed together and he went into the zoo the run more miles and that's where we traded our good byes. He helped me out and he also taught me that I have a lot in the tank and can go to the well when I need to. This run helped me out a bit in terms of confidence.
Friday: UGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!! That's the feeling I got this morning. Oh why Oh why! I guess I'm not getting any younger. Oh no I'm not. A night out turns into a bad decision. Ugh I was feeling it. My run surely suffered as well. I was hoping to run about 90 minutes, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. I decided to run on the park towards Maryland and I'm glad I went this way. I felt really bad maybe 2 miles into the run and was saved that there was a public bathroom. Saved! I got a bit on the trail and was so shocked to see how similar it was to the trails in Blowing Rock.* The trails were dirt and very hilly! Oh lord were they hilly! I found a spot where I could do hill repeats. But what I really noticed was how weird it was to be running on this trail, where it felt like I was a hundred miles from civilization, yet I was in the heart of a busy metropolis. There was the creek next to me and the faint sound of cars. Another thing that made it similar to Blowing Rock were the horses and their poop.
*Out of all the things I missed doing while I was still in Charlotte was running at Moses Cone. Never had the time, but surely want to go back!
Thursday: Well after the only human interaction that I've had in the past couple days involved the Comcast installation guy today, I kinda figured that any opportunity I have to meet up with people I was going to take. My work had a meet and greet at an outdoor patio at a hotel in the NE part of town and I went to it. It was a great time meeting some of the people I'll be working with and some of the others that will be at different schools. You'll meet different people, that's what I found out. But that's another reason why I decided to take this position. It was a chance to get out of my comfort zone and the chance for me to have a new opportunity and challenges that lie ahead. I have to be realistic that this year is going to be tough and wear on me, but I have to start thinking more positive and I have to keep on task and remain focused. I'm going to do that when it comes to running and I'm going to do that with my job. I need to find the inner harmony that will let me achieve this, but what I really want to do is really take a chance in a new direction and no longer be that passive.
The other highlight of the night was...well...ole B-Mizzle was the top dog of the night. What I like to say is if you run hard, you got to party harder. When it comes to running, yes I enjoy it and want to do well. I get disappointed when I don't do well. But at the same time I realize that it's just running, and that no I'm not that great of a runner and that I'm not some super start. I don't take running for granted, because there are more important things to take for granted that running isn't a top priority. With that being said I'll have fun from time to time, and will not say a late night out on a weekend is 11. That's how I roll.
I did a workout this morning, the first workout in DC. But the weather made it appear that I was running in Charlotte. It was sticky humid in the morning and felt awful. During my cool down some guy said to me "pretty f--- ridiculous" I guess so. I did a fartlek workout of 3 minutes hard 1 minute easy. Can't say that this went that well. I ran the first one to fast and paid the price for it on the last three. Although the dew point had to be in the range where workouts suffer, so I'll take it for what it is. A chance for me to get back into shape.
Wednesday: I begin day 2 of having no interaction with the outside world. I assumed that nobody I knew was dead. Would that deserve a phone call? I hope not an email! Today I ended up unpacking everything. Getting things out of boxes, arranging them where I wanted them to go, breaking down the boxes, oh what fun! My brother ended up leaving at 8, so we woke up at 7:45. He was taking a train to Baltimore for a flight back to Charlotte. So for the remainder of the day I was by myself and had plenty of time to get my place up to my standard. The goal was to make it Kent Morris clean, and I think I was close to getting to that position. At 1 I was pretty much done with everything, made some lunch, and took a long nap. Really what else was I going to do? I really didn't feel like exploring the city that much. After dinner I was wondering what was I going to do? I ended up watching the NOFX DVD, watched the first four episodes and then went to bed at 10:30. Is this how people back in the 1800s lived? If so I don't want that?
For my first run in DC and my first run since Monday I was pretty pumped and I went out the gates pretty fast. I live about a half mile from Piney Branch Park which bumps into Rock Creek Park. I just explored the trails to see where they took me. I didn't really have a plan on where to go, but just wanted to see where they took me. At 5 miles I turned around and knew at some point I was going to pay the price. Oh was I dehydrated! This wasn't that great of an idea. I was still exhausted from the move yesterday and still felt a bit dead. I got back to my apartment and frantically looked to see where a cup was so I could drink out of it. I ended up finding the one after looking for a couple minutes. I was refreshed, but looking at my place I knew I had a lot of work to do.
Tuesday: The plan was to wake up do a hill workout then drive about eight hours to DC and then unpack. I woke up at 5:15 and felt like garbage. A shot of Jameson and two Samuel Adams the night before did me in. I walked my dog (for the last time till November) said good bye to my parents and decided to take a shower, eat some breakfast, and pack the remainder of what I had left. My brother woke up at 6:30 and was going to be coming with me, I wasn't to sure how much help he was going to be. I ended up hanging out with my dog for the remainder of the morning. I could tell the dog was not happy and knew that I was leaving. At 6:50 I decided that it was time to go. I said good bye to my dog (and did it without crying!) and made my journey to a new place.
The drive wasn't that bad. Hardly any traffic, but it was just a pain. It took forever to go in that van and it really was mentally wearing me down. I was thinking when I got to Richmond, ok I have to drive to the city, then I have to unpack all this crap, and then I have to return the truck. Oh great! We got to DC at 3 and go stuck in traffic. One thing that you wont see in Charlotte is a pack of skateboarders taking up an entire street. That's what happened as I was driving on 7th street. I finally made my way to my apartment complex. One thing that is neat I guess is that a Wendy's is literally right next door to my place. When I leave my front door and look down I see the Wendy's. I also can see the Washington Monument from my place. My apartment was nice and it was very clean. Also it was brand new. Now the move. Of course it had to be 100 degrees or so it seemed. Every time I looked at my watch I would say "just thirty more minutes" and then somehow it wasn't. Finally at 5:45 we were done moving. My brother doing all the heavy lifting, me bringing up what I could. Then the fun started as we had to return the uhaul van to a place in NE.
I didn't know anything about this place and neither did my brother. It wasn't close to a metro station and it was in a rough area. We returned the truck and decided to do the only thing we could do...we started walking around and looking for a cab. My brother sent one of his friends a text that read "my brother and I are walking around the hood and we are lost" after that his phone died. I guess it was a strange sight to see. One white guy in a red shirt, basketball shorts, holding a lock. And another wearing an yellow shirt. We talked to a cab driver but found out he doesn't take credit cards (really DC no cabbies take credit cards??? your better than that) found our way onto a bus, then to a metro station, and then back to my place. We showered and then meet my sister for a dinner at at place on U street. All in all an exhausting day and one that wasn't that stressful as I hoped.
Stay tuned for my thoughts about all things Charlotte running, memories, coaching, the good, and the bad.
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