So it’s been a busy couple of weeks and I’ve been letting this busy week unfold before I did a blog. This hasn’t been quite that stressful of a week, but it has been one that has slowly but surely grinded at me and tired me out some. Of course I figured out part of the reason for that after I logged all of my weekly miles this evening.
Colin Rinne of Westfield H.S. leads a section of the 2013 Carmel Semistate
This week, in particular Saturday and Sunday I would have to say have been the best two days I’ve had all semester while at Wabash. But the story must start from Friday. Friday was suppose to be a 5 mile day that turned into a little more than 12 miles do to the intense hill workout we did off campus. On that cool down back to campus a Mr. Jared Burris’15 gave me the 411 on heading to Carmel this Saturday to watch Semistate, and stop by his family’s home with a Dalton Boyer ’14. A weekend of fun for cross country geeks! In all honesty I am so tired at the moment I don’t remember anything that happened between the time practice ended and 9am Saturday when we left for the NAP (IndiaNAPolis). It was a hard day!
Upon arriving in the bustling town of Carmel, a place that “Jimmy” Boyer would love greatly to live in one day, we found ourselves out in the cold wind of the Carmel Semistate. We cheered on some people we knew, prospective student-athletes, and just any runner as we runners do. Now Colleen Weatherford (a girl’s name on a Wabash blog say whaaaaaat?!) one of my best of friends I’ve known for three years is currently a freshman runner for Butler University, and she stopped by to see her old Semistate and me (let’s face it she came more to see me than the race).
After the race we all took a little trip to Runner’s Forum in Carmel so I could exchange a pair of Newton Energy running shoes for the Kinvara 4 as my trainer of choice for this coming indoor track season. Models and brands of shoes not too many people have any clue I’m talking about because “cross country is a silly sport.” Following that side stop we drove to Butler so Colleen could grab some running attire, then to Jared’s home five minutes away. After an easy run to recover from the day before, and some showers to get rid of that runner smell, the next several hours would make if not the week or month then the semester. Saturday was the first day I had met Jared’s family, the first day Colleen have even met Boyer or Jared, and not only was Jared’s family home, but so were his relatives that live in Ohio!
That afternoon would involve live entertainment from Jared’s nephew Colton, who is three, enjoys redish-yellow apples, Monster Inc., and The Iron Giant! A lasagna made by Mr. Burris for all of us, a fresh grown salad, and later that night a chocolate cake with molten pudding inside! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. The afternoon was filled with laughter, a viewing of The Iron Giant, and delicious, delicious food. As it neared later in the day it was time to call the party to an end and mount up for Wabash again. We said our goodbyes and thanks, parted ways with Colleen, and headed back to the ‘Bash. You see that’s one of the cooler things about Wabash, not everything that makes this place great happens on campus. I had a great Saturday with my two teammates and friends, experienced homegrown hospitality, and then went on to do my long run at Purdue again with a few other teammates on a cool morning.
Wabash is small, but boy does it allow you to reach far!
WAF