Fine, I'll write something

This will just be updates.

I left UCA, storing my stuff at the dorm and flying directly to Denver, where Anthony picked me up. I've been working with him at Glacier View Ranch (I'd link it but the website is crap, something we'd like to improve before leaving) as an assistant everything, but mostly cleaner. Caught the tail-end of summer camp, and had a mad rush of trying to prepare for a visit from the Child Care Lisencing lady. We're still need to catch up on that. Since then we've basically just been caring for the user groups that come in. That means lots of cleaning in between groups and then lots of kitchen time during their visit. Some of those days get upwards of 12 hours. Good times.

I've tried to pick up the running, especially in this goldmine of mountains and trails and views and altitude. Bought a couple new pairs of shoes to experiment with. Been on a few Strava segments. And then... got to run at lower elevation in Washington.

A couple weekends ago there was a little gap between groups and I flew out to Walla Walla, ate lunch with the brother, drove to Seattle, visited Ryan, Tara, and Jessi, and ran on Tiger Mountain. Then I drove to UCA to pick up my stuff, running up and pounding down Mount Si on the way. I got to visit with the new RAs and with the deans, and happily discover that my stuff fit rather easily into my car, contrary to my expectations. I coffeed it down to the brother's apartment again and hung out with him for a day before the long haul back to Colorado. Which was quite the adventure....

It's Friday, I'm looking up races around my route to see if I could hit one on the way back to GVR. Not really any Sunday races, except for two in CO itself: Boulder and Vail. I thought, if I leave Sabbath afternoon and hightail it all night, I could hit one of those. By that night, though, I'd all but given up the idea as I figured I might as well not kill myself, save some money, and get to stay with Al a bit longer. (Plus, I had in mind a race in Utah or something, not right next to home....)

On Sabbath we had some of Al's friends over for lunch and then they all decided to go hiking at three. Oh reheheally. Well then I might as well leave, right? By 3:23 I was on the road and doing the math. I figured if I drove straight through and didn't dawdle on the stops, I could either nap for an hour or two on the way or get to Vail with that much time to spare before the race. Sounded good to me, why not?

A few hours into the drive I changed my clock to mountain time, and it dawned on me that I was, right then, losing a precious hour. Well... I just really can't dawdle. So I didn't. I ate a quick Subway sandwich, kept going. Pooped in my pants, kept going. Ordered a gas refill from that hose plane that refills jets, kept going. Swerved around the dead deer, kept going. Drank an industrial-size bottle of coffee, kept going. Took pictures of the sunrise in the mountains, kept going. Ate the second sandwich, kept going. Changed into my running gear, kept going. And made it to Vail Village at about 7:45 a.m. The last gondola ride up to make it on time was at 8:30. Boom.

But then I got lost in the village and swore that if I missed the race because of that... well... I'd be urinated. But I asked a friendly running-looking couple where I should go and made it to the registration table with time to spare. Wearing the flannel shirt I'd worn all night, I slipped the lady my $40, put the $1 of change back in my left breast pocket, buttoned my keys into the right breast pocket, and got in line for a groggy gondola ride up the hill.

After an 8-minute warmup and plenty of ogling at the rich-white-fit-decked-out-ski-in-the-winter-run-in-the-summer Coloradoans around me, the gun went off and I began my 10k shuffle. It was good. 10,000 feet is no joke, though, and we were all heaving.

I finally passed the 9-year-old girl in front of me right after we began the descent in the last two miles, only thanks to my longer legs. I'd heard of two young sisters who were long distance runners, and very good, so when I passed her I asked if she was famous and whether I should get her autograph when we finished. She may have smiled, but probably in confusion. It wasn't her after all. (Though it will be soon, she and her brother kicked butt: she got 3rd woman overall, less than a minute behind 2nd, and her brother, 11, tied for 1st place overall in the 5k run. You heard it from me first.)

My toe caught a rock on the lovely single-track descent and I ate it pretty good. Mopped up the blood and pushed on. Finished in under 50 minutes, which was my goal, so I was pleased. It was enough to have the story, the nice Columbia t-shirt, a cookie, and a cool mountain-race experience.

I tried napping as soon as I got to the car, but it was baking. Didn't last 10 minutes before my sweat woke me up and I decided I should plod on. Two or so more hours until camp. I got gas and hit it. Lots of traffic in those mountains. I had to stop for water and a bathroom break, and ended up zonking out for a while in the parking lot as soon as I turned off the car. I probably looked like I was the beginning of World War Z once I finally got out. Except not as aggressive. Maybe more the Zombieland type.

I finally made it back to camp and so have been here since. A couple days after arriving, I noticed a pain growing in the ball of my right foot. I don't know what it is, but I stopped running for a week and have only recently run a couple short ones to test it. Seems better, but still a little achy at times. I don't know if my hope of doing a trail marathon in Ft. Collins in a month will pan out, but it'd sure be nice.

Besides that, not much happening around here worth sharing. Life persists, and I go along with it. I suppose I'm still seeking purpose and self-confidence and all sorts of things like that. Just typing and thinking that elevates my little heart into limbo and I don't really want to breath. Time will slow down if I don't, right? The only thing I feel is maturing and growing is my beard and my body odor.

But enough of that. I was introduced to a really fun iPhone game where you try to kill the whole world in a plague, I ate pineapple tonight for supper, and the cats have only crapped on the floor twice, so life is really gotten good.