4/5/2011

Yet again I crossed paths with someone biking across America. I’ve become an expert at spotting fellow adventurers. I reached Adrian Texas just before lunch. This is the exact midpoint of route 66. There is a little cafe right there on the midpoint and my mom had suggested we have lunch there. I spotted a guy on a bike and I asked him where he was going. I had a feeling he was crossing America. I was right. His name was Austin and he started his journey in Myrtle Beach, SC. He is riding for the Vets. We shared stories and tips and he suggested I have some pie at the cafe. It was a good suggestion as my peach cobbler with ice cream hit the spot. I can honestly say that finding all the little restaurant gems across the country is one of the highlights of this adventure.

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4/4/2011

Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what your gonna get!! Can you believe I woke up to the sight of snow? I opened the door of my room at the Best Western and the trees were all white!!! I’m completely serious. New Mexico is surely a special place. When I checked out, Donna the general manager there informed me that the drastic swings in weather are normal. I took that to mean that I should expect the unexpected.

Now I didn’t encounter a soul today but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t eventful. Or perhaps I am acquiring a heightened sensitvity to my surroundings. Today’s run started with barking dogs of course. They were behind a fence but unlike the other fenced dogs I’ve encountered, Cujo decided to crawl under the wire and come right up to me...

4/3/2011

Kids are great because they don’t hold anything back. They are still pure and unfiltered. It’s why they ask the best questions. When I go to the schools and run with the kids they want to race. Not only do they want to race, they want to win. They don’t think about keeping anything in reserve and they put more than one hundred percent into running. I love it when they come up to me and say they are going to beat me. Most times we don’t even have boundaries or rules. We just run. I don’t feel that I should just go lightly and let the kids win. I feel that is cheating them of the experience. But of course I don’t just leave them completely in the dust either. There are two schools of thought on letting kids win. Personally, if I am competing, I always want someone’s best.

Even thoug...