Non Sequitur Box

Sometimes the most challenging runs are the best runs (or best memories). I think it's because we show ourselves just how strong we can be, that we won't break so easily. I live in the D.C. area (which basically covers from Rockville, MD to Quantico, VA). During this ridiculous "polar vortex" last week, we experienced our coldest day in twenty years! When I left for work on Tuesday morning, my body actually hurt from the cold weather. As I sat eating my instant oatmeal inside my car, waiting for my car to warm up a little bit, I checked the ambient temperature. 0 degrees Fahrenheit (about -17 degrees Celsius). I cried a little on the inside. I don't own a pair of every day gloves, but my boyfriend's mother had made me a pair of fingerless gloves which I wear everywhere now. They keep my palms and wrists warm. My fingertips were hurting on my drive to work because it was still so cold inside my car (and they were bare). After it warmed up a little that ...

As a warning, this blog post is really out there. Recently, I was given the privilege of traveling to Memphis, TN for work. What's in Memphis, you say? I'll tell you---lots of barbeque, rock and blues music, and Beale Street! I tried to order a few salads, those weren't really healthy. While in Memphis, do as they do---eat BBQ pork sandwiches, drink sweet iced tea (when they bring you that instead of your lemonade), and listen to blues music! Every day I ran or walked around town. I saw... - Beale Street (good food, good music) - Westy's (A MUST!) - the minor league baseball stadium - the Lorraine Motel (where MLK, Jr. was shot) - the Pyramid - the horse-drawn carriages - the Fire Museum - the Orpheum (old opera house, still in use today) - a classic car show on Beale Street one night - statue of Elvis (and we did a quick drive by Graceland) - Riverboat Rides on the Mighty Mississippi - a few parks and memorials around downtown and along the waterfront...

Sketch: Teddy Roosevelt. Click for larger image. I love going for destination runs or playful runs. Today I went for a run to Theodore Roosevelt Island between Rosslyn, VA and Georgetown, MD and Washington, DC. It can be reached from the Mount Vernon Trail in Virginia. On the island are some dirt trails, and in the middle is a massive statue of Teddy himself. I needed to see Teddy today. As I ran up, I realized I never read the quotes on the memorial. I stopped, waved hello to Teddy, and did 10 motivating burpees at his feet. It's my way of saying, "Damn. You are one motivating man!" After that, I took a few minutes to read the memorial stones. Here is what they read: NATURE There is delight in the hardy life of the open. (African Game Trails, 1910) There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm. (African Game Trails, 1910) The nation behaves well if it treats the natural res...