8/29/2014

I’m seeing the United States up close and personal. Last night we stayed in a rough part of Oceanside. What tipped me off was the Gentleman’s club a couple buildings down and the two crackheads fighting at midnight. My slumber was deep but the fracas still managed to arouse my consciousness. Earlier in the evening, we dined in the trailer on a feast of chipotle flavored rice and refried beans. Despite the trio of people, the boxes of books, and the stacks of stickers, the trailer felt spacious. The neighborhood didn’t frighten us, in fact it fueled our motivation for our work.

I woke up fresh yet again. Surprisingly my body felt no fatigue. Perhaps the regular massages, glucosamine tablets, protein intake, and proper rest served me well...

8/28/2014

Google maps told me the pedestrian route would be thirty-six miles. I thought I’d be smart and run restricted roads and bike paths. I thought I’d get away with twenty-nine miles. I reached a happy medium of thirty-four because of mistakes. I’ll take it.

The evening before, Crystal and I were visited by her former soccer coaches. They had come to donate shoes and show their support for our project. It was fun to talk about all things not related to the run. We met at the rooftop lounge. A fire pit in the middle of the place kept the atmosphere warm while being on the roof provided a great view of the stars and fresh air. Not too long into the evening, chatting with Pete and Simon on the rooftop lounge of the Doubletree Hotel Dana Point/Doheny Beach, exhaustion hit...

8/27/2014

I finished talking to Daisy, the reporter for Kcal 9 and CBS at around 11:30. I lounged around for roughly another hour and a half before taking off for the day. Some might have considered that a mistake as the weather was scorching. Perhaps the summer sun felt like going out with a bang. To tell the truth, buckets of sweat were dripping from my pores even during the interview. I thought all would be fine since the mileage was short and it was a route familiar to my legs. I was wrong!

I had a few items which needed tending along the way. First, I had to collect a sizeable donation from western union. It would have been short but it took me going into two establishments before they could draft the amount. Minus thirty minutes...