3/12/2015
Downtown Jacksonville looked like many other downtown areas I have run through. The difference was the river that divided the city. When I left the Hyatt, runners were everywhere. The walkway along the river provided a scenic backdrop for the fitness enthusiast. My route took me away from the river. It was the invariable layout of inner city poverty surrounded by suburb. The previous day’s rain left a grey water aroma in the air.
When the sun peeked out, I immediately removed my sweatshirt. I had several days of profuse sweating and I learned that I needed to let my skin breath. Of course my preference was to run shirtless anyway. As I neared the Florida border, the scenery changed. The greens became a little less vibrant. Long brown blades of grass also sprouted around the water. For some reason it was what I imagined Savannah to be like.
My feet carried me to Yulee without a problem. The Florida/Georgia state line was still a dozen miles away. I didn’t want to cross though. On the map I located a point with two hotels and a little lounge just two miles away from the border. That was our destination. After a quick grilled cheese sandwich with baked beans I was off.
On my way to the destination, Crystal and my mom passed me in the trailer. Just when they disappeared from sight, I felt the first sprinkles of the day. The weather had a schizophrenic personality. I couldn’t tell what would happen next. I put my legs in the next gear and started to double time it. I did get rained on but every so often I was able to run underneath trees. When I saw a freeway overpass in the distance I rejoiced. I knew they would be somewhere around there. I panicked for a moment when I reached the hotel and didn’t see the car. But, they became visible when I passed the hotel. They had found an out of business service station that was nice and quiet. I ran inside, removed my wet clothes, took a shower, and relaxed.
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