A Run in the Fitness Room During a Day at a Hotel in Philadelphia

For a work trip, I traveled from Baltimore to Philadelphia by train on Thursday evening.  Got to the hotel around 10.  Late but not too bad.  Got checked in and found that the first room to which I was assigned was only 58 degrees.  I like my rooms chilly but not that much.  So, by the time someone came to check on the situation and my room was reassigned it was nearly 11.  Not so good.  But not a bad tradeoff.  I had a restless night sleeping and then got up to run.  I think this is the first night this year that I didn't write on the day I ran.

In any case, I went 8 miles at a 7:30 pace (the cardio machines in the fitness room at the hotel only let a person have up to 60 minutes at a time) and then followed that with another 2.1 at 8:00 pace.  Felt great.  And despite the cold that I have I felt much better after the run than before.  Nose still running.  But could breathe much better.

Breakfast at the hotel was the slowest hotel restaurant service I've ever experienced.  Had a chance to read and answer emails.  So not totally bad. And a nice cheese and vegetable 3 egg omelette with toast and potatoes.

Where does the 10.1 miles put me?  At 148 for the year.  So despite the fact that I have taken Saturday off (rare, but necessary to join my wife and oldest for a trip to College Park for the oldest to audition for French Horn) and I might also take Sunday off, I am now worried about mileage at all.

Where does the 148 put me?  Well, it puts me approximately 2 miles before Dunmeyer Auto Services along US-30 where Lincoln Highway turns off and I will leave US-30 behind.  

What would I have seen along the 10 miles?  Mostly farms and trees.  I could not imagine actually running along there at this time of year with the snow we have had.  Even the city streets are a bit tricky at the moment.  The road is a bit twistier than most other parts so far.  I can't tell from the map whether that reflects the road being built to the contours of the land but knowing roads in Pennsylvania it probably does.  There is a Route 30 Antiques shop.  There is a Subway a bit to the north on Rock Cut Rd (PA 160).  Parts of life in America.  Parts of our great country.  I'll have a lot more to explore as I continue to move ahead toward 2000 miles.      

Everything Works Together--Sometimes

There is a verse in Paul's letter to the Romans (8:28) that in the Catholic translation of the Bible reads:

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."

Sometimes I feel that this is absolutely the way things are.  Sometimes I feel like I could only wish that this was the case--although I ultimately trust that everything is working for the good even if I can't see it that way at a moment in time.

Over the days since I last wrote (having missed mass last weekend), I have had a very nice time with my family.  Every moment very nice--no.  Most moments very nice--yes.  Happy to hear at least two children say, "This trip to Colonial Williamsburg was better than I expected."  Of course, for one of them that was mostly because he had a chance to see canons and muskets being loaded and shot--but we have so start somewhere.

At work things have moved along even while I have been on vacation.  Nothing major negative although one thing that I have to stretch to see as a positive.  I will call it a learning experience--particularly when it comes to working across the multiple parts of the university at which I am employed.  

What else--running has been nice this week.  Neither great nor terrible.  Just solid.  And sometimes, that is really all I can ask for, and what I should count myself lucky to have.

Time with family has also involved food--a lot of it this week.  Good food at fun places in Williamsburg.  Today--on the last full day of vacation--we'll go Greek for dinner at the request of my 13 year old.  My 7 year old has indicated that he would rather stay at the condo and bake with me for Christmas vacation than go skiing.  It would save us a ton of money if he did that, but we'll see.  It would be great for bonding with him if he did.

The other thing about vacation is thinking back to when I learned about American history.  I honestly had forgotten that it was the House of Burgesses in Virginia.  A lot of what impressed the kids  on this trip was the making of stuff and doing of stuff.  That certainly impressed me.  I have a much better appreciation for skilled craftsmanship now that I realize what I have difficulty doing than when I was a kid and thought, "Why couldn't anybody do that?"  

The other thing that I really have an appreciation for (particularly after having seen the even longer term history in Armenia while there) is the history of Virginia and the United States. The amount of history that occurred on the Duke of Gloucester Street.  The number of people who were fundamental to the birth of our country who were there.  The number of people who were patriots who helped to embody what our country stands for and what our country can be, has been, and will hopefully continue to be who stood in some of the same buildings I stood in.  As a first grader at the time of the bicentennial, I think that gives me a special appreciation for all this that dates back to my childhood.  I don't think my kids have that and I'm not sure how I could get that to them.  But as I heard some of the stories that were told this week, chills went up and down my spine.  

Proud to be in America.  Proud to be an American.  Proud to be able to civilly debate what all that means.  And proud to be able to put it all in the context of my own beliefs and philosophy.