Run, Run, Run, Run, Run, Cycle, Cycle Too

Inspiration for this is the third part of this post here; I have severe doubts that I can ever wax so eloquently again.

Background

So, we’re almost a whole week into our 2006 Holiday Family Fun Fest – two kids, a nonstop flight from Hartford to Houston, a compact rental car that gets crappier mileage than my ’91 Jeep Cherokee did, and life is good.

We flew out on the morning of Christmas Eve, and trying to be clever figured that it’d be easier on us all to spend the night in a hotel near Hartford and wake up at 5 to make a 7:30 flight than it would be to sleep in Mystic and wake up at 3:45 for an hour’s drive and a 7:30 flight.

Wrong-O, moosebreath.

Turns out that the kiddos really, really think hotels are cool, plus the opportunity to sleep in the same bed just means that it’s that much easier to keep each other up. Nate woke up about 2 AM, and didn’t go back to sleep until we were in the car in Houston.

Christmas Eve in Houston was good – Jake completely passed out during the Christmas Eve service, and I lugged my 6-year-old son out to the car despite the congregation having done a HUGE production of “Joy to the World” including an orchestra, full choir and organ with him passed out on the pew.

Christmas Morning we did presents at Missy’s ma’s house, and then dragged out to the Texas Hill Country to spend the afternoon with my folks, and my granny. I am a bad grandson – my grandmother is the absolute sweetest woman on the face of the earth, and I don’t call her nearly enough. That must change soon.

Anyways, my brother and his wife were here. Missy and I got the spare guest room the first night, which coincidentally has the bed my wife bought out of college as her first piece of real furniture – an Ikea “Sven”, if you’re interested. Great sleeping, for what it’s worth…

The morning of the 26th, we headed over to some friends of my folks. Their house is RIGHT on Canyon Lake, about 3 miles from the ‘rents. My brother, Missy, and I ran over there. There are some days when running is just the greatest and most natural thing that one could be doing. This was one of those days – a bluebird sky as big as south Texas, gentle breeze, perfect temperature, no humidity – nothing better in the world.

Two Days of True Love

The way back was when I realized (again) that I’d married well – Missy and I ran back – my baby brother wussed out – something about needing to get back and take a shower, but i’m guessing it was more pain from the dearth of hills to run in Norman, OK(lohoma, where the winds come whipping ‘cross the plains!, and the waving wheat, it sure smells sweet, and the something’s fresh before the rain!)

But it was a great run – Missy’s gotten quick over the last year, and runs 8:30s like clockwork. There’s a couple of great hills between the lake and my folks, but we took ’em in stride. But running with the wife is my absolute favorite – we can talk, or we can run – there’s not much needed than just the chance to be together.

Wednesday, we slacked off – but to our defense, we did go walking at the San Antonio Zoo. Mitigating that was a late lunch at Tomatillos’, which, if you’re ever in San Antonio, should be on your short list of places to gorge.

Today though – left before breakfast so we couldn’t blow it off again. Missy had to turn back, but waved me on – sometimes just getting out the door is the most important part.

Epilogue

It looks like 2006 is going to end well. 2007 – I’ll put out a goals post in the near future, but the short list looks like:
1. More cross training
2. Lose the belly
3. Marathon! again.

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