hope

mileage today: 12

on the iPod: "texarkana" -- r.e.m.

A fairly uneventful morning run turned out to be rather enjoyable. The trails were packed with runners; I'm beginning to see the same groupings of people each Saturday morning. Most of them are clearly sustaining paces faster than mine, but I seem to holding my own. I can tell i'm getting a bit faster, but really need to start focusing on distances as the marathon is a little over two months away and i've yet to go more than 13 miles. At some point soon i'm going to have to suck it up and start hitting 15+ miles. The heat is really intense in August, but hopefully it will only serve to make me enjoy the cool Chicago temperatures even more. That's what i'm telling myself, anyway, when it's hot as hell around 7:30 in the morning. Hopefully the weather will be pleasant on October 10th.

I ran into a great friend around mile four, Deanna. She and I have become friends at various and sundry running events, dating back to what must be sometime around 2001. Maybe even before that. I should ask her. At any rate, she got me through the first 10K I ever ran, the Chili Pepper. If my recollection is correct, we ran a mile or so together in that race. I continued to see her over the years at different races and she always remembered me and made a point to say hello. We even crossed paths around mile 5 of the Little Rock Half Marathon. She's a super cool gal and it always makes me smile to see her. I hope I run into her real soon.

Tonight is dinner at Bordinos with Susan. Win! Love that place. Easily one of my favorite restaurants in Fayetteville, along with Cafe Rue Orleans. Will be good to relax and talk and eat a great meal. Not that we don't always have a good time together, but I really enjoy hanging out with her when it's just she and I. Inevitably, we'll talk and visit with other people there, but sometimes cutting out all the crap and just relaxing is the best. Here's hoping for a relaxing evening.

The school year commences very soon as summer says goodbye. I've enjoyed my time off, but am completely ready to be back in the classroom. I'm so proud to teach at BHS. High school students are great young people with which to work, and I hope that I leave a lasting impression. I try to. Beyond understanding how to critically think about psychology, I want them to grow as people. I want them to think about how they can leave their mark on human interaction. I know that so many of my teachers positively impacted my life. Dean, Chadick, Sewald, Hall, Worden, and Manes come to mind. Maybe Puckett will come to some student's mind twenty years from now. I hope.