Where's Waldo Wednesday - 7/4/2013-7/15/2013

Where's Waldo Wednesday - The point of the week where more is behind than ahead and the weekend, and thus playtime, is the bright light at the end of the tunnel.  Why did I call it Where's Waldo Wednesday?  No particular reason really...other than I like alliteration and it is fun to say.  Try saying it five times fast!

A weekly (more like biweekly) series of what's new around here and other ramblings like things I found interesting on the internet this week or cool runs I did, kind of like a weekly synopsis.  Originally, I was going to do this on Sunday and call it Sunday Synopsis but then I couldn't decide between Sunday Synopsis and Sunday Summary...so I did the only logical thing and decided to write it on Wednesday?

Apparently not.  Can it be?  A Where's Waldo Wednesday that is actually published on Wednesday?  This week's edition encompasses the first-ish week of July!  While I fully intended to publish this post last Wednesday, I didn't get around to, which makes this version of Where's Waldo Wednesday like most others: a two-fer.

The Week's Happenings

Last Tuesday marked the beginning of the second summer session and with it an increased strain on my time training and blogging.  I suppose it was going to happen eventually.  Last Two Wednesdays ago was a rough evening with the end of my MacBook Pro via a glass of Airborne.  When it rains it pours I suppose (pun intended).  The night did end on a high note when I was notified that I won a pair of Recon Jet glasses.  The unfortunate spillage meant we were headed north on I-81 bright and early Thursday morning with the Tyson's Apple Store as our destination.  Unfortunately, they told me what I already knew which was that the cost of repairing my current MacBook Pro (including the MB, RAM, and HD) was equivalent to purchasing a new computer.  My real problem is that I wasn't ready to part with my MacBook Pro.  Although it was slowing down, it was still a phenomenal computer that I planned on using for the next 2+ years.  When I was discussing my options with Michelle, I arrived at the conclusion that I have an issue viewing computers as disposable objects that are traded up every 2-4 years.  I guess I look around at other electronics I own, aside from my phone, and compare their lives and wonder why do we replace computers so often?  For instance, my Canon Digital Rebel XT I've had since 2005 and it works like a champ!  Additionally, I think the move to digital media, specifically digital photos compared to printed photos, in combination with this trading-up of computers causes a loss of valuable media.  I digress.

1. Quality Family Time!  I try to look for the bright side in situations and this particular computer *incident* meant I would be home for my dad's birthday.  A bonus was that I was able to see both my Nanny (mom's Mom) and my grandmother and grandfather (dad's parents).  To say that I'm fortunate is a massive understatement.  I have been privileged to live near both sets of grandparents for most of my life but relocating after graduation and eventually moving back to Blacksburg means I don't see them as often.  I try to make the most of every opportunity I have to spend time with them.  They're all such an inspiration.  On Saturday evening, we all headed out to dinner at Tyson's to celebrate my dad's birthday.  The company and food were both phenomenal!

Michelle and I at Tysons.

My Dad's sisters called him to sing Happy Birthday via FaceTime!  Pretty awesome that FaceTime now works over cell network.

My dad and grandma.

My Nanny and Grandpa.

My mom and dad.

2. Paddleboarding on Claytor Lake!  Last Monday was my last "free" day and I wanted to get out on the paddleboard while I had the opportunity.  I packed up my car early Monday morning and made the short jaunt down I-81 to Claytor Lake.  During our trip back to Blacksburg on Sunday afternoon, Michelle checked out the weather for the following morning, which didn't look promising after 10AM but I figured I Could squeeze in a quick paddle. I figured wrong.  I arrived at Claytor Lake a little before 9 and was out on water about 10 minutes after arriving but within a half hour the clouds over the lake turned dark and I decided being the tallest object on a calm lake was NOT a good idea and bailed.  It was nice to be out on the water but the 30 minutes on the water hardly justified the hour drive (total).  However, the park attendant allowed me to use my day entry fee ($3) toward the annual pass for the park, which is good for a year from the purchase date.  We now have incentive to get down there as often as possible!

The paddleboard with the TS4 and Gorillapod setup.

I brought the TS4 and Gorillapod with me to put together a little film and was happy with what I ended up with considering I only paddled for a half hour:

I used a piece of rope to secure the camera and Gorillapod to the paddleboard in case I took a spill, which almost happened as you can see in the video.  The Gorillapod's legs fit perfectly into the paddleboard carrying handle and provided a really secure setup but I eventually moved it further forward on the board for a different perspective, which worked out better because I wasn't straddling the assembly.  It would be interesting to compare the quality of video that I was able to capture vs. a GoPro, I'm not sure a GoPro would do anything more for me aside from being a more condensed package.

Panasonic TS4 on a Gorillapod on the paddleboard.

3. Running in Jefferson National Forest  I've mentioned in several earlier posts that this spring I fell in love with running in Jefferson National Park, specifically the Pandapas Pond day use area just down the road on 460.  I took my camera with me on a run last week and stopped every so often when I came across a neat mushroom.  I was playing with getting closeup shots and was happy with how some of them came out.

Poverty Creek trail (left) is my favorite trail to run on (because it's flat) and is by far where I do the most miles in Pandapas.  These yellow guys (right) were somewhere along the Royale trail on my way up to the forest road (see the run details below).

I try to avoid the fire road (left) because...well...there are tons of awesome trails to use instead but sometimes it's nice to use it to connect trails. The entrance to the Queen Anne trail (right).

This guy was really neat.  I have no idea whether any of them are poisonous but they were pretty.

This one was really massive as you can see in comparison to my hand...and I don't have carny hands.

Possibly my favorite of the bunch.

This is my usual turn around spot on Poverty Creek, which is exactly 3 miles from the upper parking lot and is usually about mid-shin to knee deep...so an ideal place to turn around.  Unfortunately, I got some moisture on the lens of the camera between this photo and the next couple. 

Pandapas Pond.

Run Details:

4.  Back to NoVA  On Friday morning after class, Michelle and I headed north toward Sterling...again...but this time for my sister's Bridal shower...well Michelle was headed north for the bridal shower and I was driving.  Shortly after arriving we knocked out a quick 4 mile run in Algonkian Park.  We've been on a streak of running together and it's been awesome!  It was like all of sudden something clicked and we figured out how to run comfortably together.  I think she's gotten a lot stronger since she began training for the Hokie Half with her friend Shannon...and maybe I've become more patient...maybe.  

I realized on the drive there that I had left my Garmin but we were able to use my phone, until it died, to keep track of our run.  We did the first few miles of the North Face 50 course.  It's amazing how much you miss when you run it in the dark.  Michelle and I ran into this guy (or gal) within the first half mile of our run.  We approached apprehensively, especially with the start of the DC 50 miler, where a runner was taken out by a deer within the first few hundred feet of the race, fresh in my mind.

Michelle is pointing to a deer just over her shoulder.

I think this face is becoming a standard Michelle "this better not go on the blog" face.

When we ran the course it was ~15 miles to Great Falls but our route included a lollipop that I think accounts for the discrepancy with this sign.

Notice the gate in the left of the photo above and the concrete that at one point was in the ground keeping it up.

Thankfully there was a bridge across this section of the creek because it would not be crossable (safely) without it.

My phone died just before the end of the run.  It's interesting to compare the accuracy of the phone vs. the Garmin data from early June.  The phone appears to be more accurate or at least have less noise.

Garmin 310XT data from the North Face 50 miler in June.

5.  Registered for North Face ECS 50k San Francisco, CA  On Sunday evening, I registered for the North Face Endurance Challenge Championship Race in San Francisco on December 7, specifically the 50k.  I'm really excited about running this race and think it'll help me find motivation when I'm having a difficult time getting out the door for a run.  Look for a post in the next week or so with more details about the run!

Interesting Internet Findings

Not too much this week in terms of videos but I did mention this video to a few folks so here it is:

1. Impala Antelope vs. Car  This video is pretty wild.  I'm not sure what I would do if I were the folks in the car when the impala jumped in.
    
2. Is Chris Froome racing clean?  I thought this was an interesting read about the likelihood that he is comparing past times on a climbs and his this year as well as residual levels compared to other elite riders.  Read it HERE
3. Tragedy at Great Falls  When Michelle and I returned from our run on Friday afternoon, my mom let us know about this.  Really sad.  Link to rescue effort and story via Outside Magazine HERE

That's all for this edition of Where's Waldo Wednesday.  Michelle and I will finally have a weekend here in Blacksburg this upcoming weekend, which will nice to relax and not travel.

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Where's Waldo Wednesday - 6/20/13-7/3/13

Where's Waldo Wednesday - The point of the week where more is behind than ahead and the weekend, and thus playtime, is the bright light at the end of the tunnel.  Why did I call it Where's Waldo Wednesday?  No particular reason really...other than I like alliteration and it is fun to say.  Try saying it five times fast!

A weekly (more like biweekly) series of what's new around here and other ramblings like things I found interesting on the internet this week or cool runs I did, kind of like a weekly synopsis.  Originally, I was going to do this on Sunday and call it Sunday Synopsis but then I couldn't decide between Sunday Synopsis and Sunday Summary...so I did the only logical thing and decided to write it on Wednesday?

This week's edition includes the latter half of June and first few days of July and while it may not be an all encompassing post like some of the more recent Where's Waldo Wednesdays it's still a pretty good recap of what's been happening around here!

The Week's Happenings

Last Wednesday marked the end of the first summer session, well at least for the physical class meeting, and aside from a paper on my philosophy of teaching that is due on Wednesday the class is done!  It's pretty awesome to finish an entire class in four weeks.  Yup!  Just 12 three-hour class meetings (we only met Mon.-Wed. and the last week of classes was cancelled).  Despite the abbreviated schedule the quality of the class did not decrease.  We managed to go through four books in a month.  Quick like a Band-aid!  Michelle and I have been enjoying the relaxed school schedule and taking in all that Blacksburg summer has to offer including the Summer Solstice Fest that was put on by Downtown Blacksburg.  Blacksburg summers are the best!  Hands down.

1. SUPing (Paddleboarding) Claytor Lake - Two Thursdays ago, I made the short trip down the interstate to Claytor Lake State Park to take out the paddleboard and do some recon on a possible camping trip that Michelle and I are planning.  The previous Saturday, we had gone down to check out places to put-in the kayaks and paddleboard but there was a big festival at the park and we wanted to avoid the crowds and more importantly all of the boats.  We opted to use the public boat launch, where the Virginia Tech crew team launches their boats, located immediately before the gate to enter the park, which was free and provided a nice area to put in the kayak and paddleboard.  However, on this particular occasion I opted to pay the three dollar fee and go inside the park to explore the other end of the lake.

The trip also served as an excellent opportunity to test out an E-case that arrived on Wednesday that I had won from the Cascade Design weekly Facebook contest a few weeks earlier.  After driving around the park, I decided a little cove near the public beach was a good place to put-in and got all ready to go.  The great thing about paddleboarding, aside from the amazing workout, is that you really only need a board, paddle, and PFD (well maybe you don't need the last one but a smart person does).

The E-case keeping my iPhone and car key safe (and dry)!

I didn't paddle the whole time I was out on the lake. The board is a great place to relax and enjoy that day.

Nor did I stay on the board the whole time.  One thing that is really nice about paddleboarding compared to kayaking is the ability to get in and out of the water with ease. I brought the Panasonic P&S with me, which I used to take most of the photos for this post.

I went out for a little under two hours and managed to paddle 3.5 miles, which felt pretty comfortable but toward the end I noticed I was a little fatigued and that my form degraded a lot.

2. PIZZA PIE! - Michelle and I love making pizza...well more like I lOVE pizza and thus we eat it pretty often but Michelle doesn't seem to mind.  I was fortunate enough to receive a KitchenAid Artisan mixer for Christmas from my parents, which makes dough making a breeze.  Pizza is definitely my favorite pre-race meal, pasta is usually my big race safe choice meal, but with the Downtown Sundown not until the following evening I felt okay eating it the night before and didn't worry about it bothering my stomach during the race.  I decided to film the making of the pizza now that I have made it enough and can put it together pretty quickly (minus the hour required to proof the dough).  Unfortunately my battery died twice during the filming so I wasn't able to get a few shots I wanted including adding the flour to the mixer and a shot of the final product.  I did manage to grab a (blurry) photo before we dug in though.

Feta, tomato, and basil pizza.

3. Downtown Sundown 5k - Every summer downtown Blacksburg puts on the Summer Solstice Fest, part of which is an evening race, the Downtown Sundown 5k.  I wrote a whole race report about the event, which you can find HERE or by simply scrolling down on the page because it's the next post after this one.

4.  Gnocchi! - I had never heard of gnocchi until I came across an interesting post on a blog a few years ago that made me want to try them.  The first time I tried to make them...it was a disaster.  As were numerous following attempts (including a particularly embarrassing attempt at making sweet potato gnocchi) and I had nearly given up on them, even after I had my mom buy a potato ricer but then a video was posted that inspired me to give them another try.

The finished product.

Similar to the pizza video I made, I put together a quick film of me making gnocchi.  You can tell that there is a large influence from the above posted video from Fast Boy.

5. Downtown Blacksburg - In case you can't tell, we LOVE Downtown Blacksburg.  The sense of community is unparalleled and is most evident during the summer with a plethora of festivals and activities.  Last Friday, after an amazing dinner at THE townie bar: The London Underground, we stumbled upon a concert going on in downtown on Henderson Lawn and decided to enjoy the live music.

Henderson Hall.

Music on the Henderson Lawn.

The cupcake craze came to Blacksburg last year, via Gobble Cakes on College Ave., but Michelle and I had yet to stop in and enjoy one.  However, Michelle was kind enough to buy me one we while enjoyed live music.  I was disappointed that they didn't have an espresso or cappuccino flavor but the chocolate peanut butter was pretty delicious, at least the cream cheese icing was.  The actual cupcake left a little to be desired.  

6. Hokie Wedding - On Saturday, Michelle and I had the privilege of watching two of our friends get married.  This was our first Blacksburg wedding and it was done in true Hokie fashion including an appearance by the Hokie Bird!  The ceremony was beautiful and took place in War Memorial Chapel.  Afterward, we headed over to the Merryman Athletic Facility, which in all of my years at Tech I had not been in, for the reception.

Michelle and I, pre-wedding, in front of the War Memorial Chapel.

The view of the Virginia Tech practice field and lane stadium from the Merryman Facility.

Michelle and I with the Hokie Bird at the Reception.

7. Rest In Peace MacBook Pro :-( -  During the writing of this post, my MacBook Pro met its untimely demise via a healthy does of Airborne, which while apparently is good for people trying to prevent getting sick is not so good for computers.  Believe it or not, I was actually going to publish this post on Wednesday...alas it was not to be.  The "incident" as it will hence forth be referred to caused an impromptu trip to Northern Virginia Thursday morning, which although not terribly productive from a computer standpoint (the Mac guy told me what I already knew, it was toast) I do get to spend the next few days with my family, including my dad's birthday on Saturday.

8. I WON I WON I WON - After a terribly depressing evening because of the demise of my computer, and a few choice words, my night had a glimmer of hope when I received the following mention on Twitter:

Congrats @RBSherfy! You've won a @Recon Jet! Email info[at]http://t.co/SYkmdoGfRp for details #SeeTheFuture http://t.co/7lqAh0tP5r
— Recon Instruments (@Recon) July 4, 2013

I managed to win their daily giveaway, which landed me a pair of these:

To say that I'm SO EXCITED would be a huge understatement! "@Recon: Congrats @RBSherfy! You've won a @Recon Jet!" #SeeTheFuture
— Brett Sherfy (@RBSherfy) July 4, 2013

Hopefully I'll receive them sometime in early December when the first deliveries are scheduled to begin, or at least according to their site.  The fact that I wanted these so bad but were obviously way outside of my budget...given that I'm a student makes it that much more exciting! CAN'T WAIT!

Interesting Internet Findings

I found the below videos pretty awesome so I decided they needed to be shared.  

1. The video quality isn't that great but I thought this was pretty neat, particularly the way he changed from location to location and throwing the camera.
2. This is just a super awesome video of people kitesurfing with some cool color added to the water.
   
3. During the summer of 2009, I had the privilege of meeting some incredible individuals with disabilities and this video only exemplifies what I learned.  The only important part of disABILITY is the ABILITY part.
   
4. This guy is out of his mind.  Only three professional cyclists have ever completed what this guys is attempting, cycling all three grand tours in the same calendar year.  If he finishes it, he'll be the first recreational cyclist to do it.
   
5. I tweeted this earlier in the week but for me, running is community.  Regardless of distance or type of running, we're a family.
   

   Running to me means family. An eclectic and diverse family.1 or 100 miles doesn't matter. Different. Not better. http://t.co/BWilQvcTVw
   — Brett Sherfy (@RBSherfy) July 1, 2013

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Where's Waldo Wednesday - 4/25/13-5/15/13

Where's Waldo Wednesday - The point of the week where more is behind than ahead and the weekend, and thus playtime, is the bright light at the end of the tunnel.  Why did I call it Where's Waldo Wednesday?  No particular reason really...other than I like alliteration and it is fun to say.  Try saying it five times fast!

A weekly (more like biweekly) series of what's new around here and other ramblings like things I found interesting on the internet this week or cool runs I did, kind of like a weekly synopsis.  Originally, I was going to do this on Sunday and call it Sunday Synopsis but then I couldn't decide between Sunday Synopsis and Sunday Summary...so I did the only logical thing and decided to write it on Wednesday?

This week's post is somewhat of a triple? double header because I missed last week but there are some fun/important things to include...so you get three two for the price of one.  Also, that means this post is probably WAY too long for you so you may just want to skip through to options of interest.

The Week's Happenings

It has been a busy couple weeks around here.  This morning, I took my last final for the semester bringing the first year of graduate school to a close.  It has been a phenomenal year but boy am I glad that it's over.  I have to admit, I was shocked when I learned that I would need 18 additional math credits to be a "highly qualified" teacher per Virginia requirements, especially considering my undergraduate was in engineering, a math heavy major.  I have truly enjoyed being back in the classroom and a student at Virginia Tech again but look forward to having my own classroom and beginning my career as a secondary mathematics teacher.  I now have a couple weeks off before beginning my first of two summer sessions the Tuesday after memorial day.  I plan to head to the Outer Banks with my parents and grandparents for a week this Saturday, unfortunately sans Michelle as her summer session begins next Monday.

Here's a recap of the past couple weeks:

1. I Scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!  A few weeks ago Michelle and I received the ice cream maker attachment for our KitchenAid Mixer (which WE LOVE!!!) from my parents (Thank you again!) as an engagement gift and have been making lots of delicious sorbet and ice cream!  Our first attempt was...well...a valuable learning experience.  However, the next attempt which was not ice cream but instead a mango sorbet was much more successful...and delicious.  The recipes have all come from a book that my parents bought with our ice cream maker, The Ultimate Ice Cream Book, which has over 500 recipes.

2. Running and riding to recover.  Having run Promise Land the previous Saturday it took me a few days to get my legs moving normally again (i.e. not walk down stairs funny).  I had hoped to get out on a ride Saturday after returning home from the race but the weather kept us indoors (read: not riding but eating Cabo and drinking "recovery" margaritas") but on Tuesday I managed get out for a nice active recovery ride.  I'm ashamed to say that the Madone, and all of the bikes for that matter, have collected a serious amount of dust.  Pretty sad but with the weather finally actually feeling like spring we're doing out best to dust them off.

Recovery Ride on the Huckleberry Trail!

I'm really happy with how I recovered from Promise Land, only taking off Sunday and Monday and getting in my first run on Wednesday.  Considering that I ran 34 miles on Saturday I was very pleased to get in 31 miles  for the week right after an ultra, much better than recovering from a marathon.  

First post-Promise Land run

On Friday, I headed over to Radford to give the Subaru some love and get in a run with Michelle.  We went out for a very relaxed trot in Bisset Park down on the New River.  I had run the path that links Bisset Park and Wildwood park on previous runs but had never noticed the trails that were higher up on the sides of the valley until...well I was running slow enough that I actually looked around.  We did an out-and-back and I convinced Michelle to "explore" with me on the way back.  It was a much cooler run on the trails!

Trails in Wildwood Park Radford, VA

Massive fallen tree.

Run in Bisset/Wildwood Park.  After we returned to Bisset Park, I went out and few a segments on Strava and managed to get two of the three I went for.

On Saturday, I headed out to Pandapas and managed to get in 8 miles.  I had initially planned to do more but judged it by how I felt and decided 8 was sufficient.  The beauty of Jefferson National is incredible, I've really fallen in love with running on the trails.

Poverty Creek

Poverty Creek in Jefferson National Park.

8 Miles in Pandapas (Jefferson National)

3. McAfee's Knob Sunrise Run.  In case you missed my post earlier last, I ran to McAfee's Knob at the crack of dawn on Sunday morning. Read all about it HERE.

McAfee's Knob Panaroma

4. Stride Box!  A few weeks ago I participated in my first RunChat which is a Twitter chat that occurs on Sunday evenings using the hashtag #RunChat.  Runners from all over the world join for an hour to participate in a question and answer format discussion that usually involves five or six questions.  The sponsor for that particular RunChat was StrideBox, a monthly subscription for runners ($15) that sends a box to your door once a month with different nutrition and running products, I decided to enroll for May to see what all of the craze was about.  I received my first box last Monday and was pretty excited to see what was in it.  I have to admit that I'm not too excited about the shoe product that came in box, mainly because I don't really think I'll use it, but the nutrition alone in the box was worth more than $15.  I want to give the subscription service a fair try but I'm not too sure how long I'll stay enrolled.

May StrideBox

5. BodPod Testing!  There are plenty of disadvantages of going to large school but every now and then some of the advantages really make it worth it, in this case access to BodPod testing is one of those advantages.  I wanted to take advantage of the free BodPod testing week in the fall but never made it over to that side of campus.  However, for a small fee students can schedule a BodPod test at almost any time.  I have been using the Withings Wi-Fi scale for a few years now but always wondered about the accuracy of the body fat measurements it provides, it uses electrical impedance.  I weighed myself on Wednesday morning, which happened to be the last day of classes (Yay!), and headed over to McComas, one of the gyms on campus.  The Withings Wi-Fi scale provided the following information:  Weight=155.4lb and 12.7% fat.  

I let the student doing the analysis know that I write a blog and wanted to grab photos and he had no problem and agreed to take a few of me in the BodPod.

McComas Fitness Assessment Center

The white cylinder to the left of the BodPod is used to calibrate the machine.

The entire process took about 15 minutes including changing into compression shorts I brought with me and the three tests.  Super easy!  Each test takes about a minute and uses the volume displacement between the chamber you sit in and the chamber behind the seat with your weight measurement (notice the scale at the very left in the left photo above) to determine your lean and fat mass.  The only instructions are to breath normally and try to avoid large movements.  

Read more about how the BodPod works HERE.

I was really surprised by the results, which have a tolerance of 2% but hey, I'll take 8.7% fat or 10.7% for that matter!

6. Running and Eating.  The rest of the week was well...uneventful and mainly involved running, eating, and repeating. On Thursday, I went out for the last group run of the semester with the UltraVT gang and we got in 7 miles and explored a few trails I had never been on.  Running with a group has been awesome!  Not only do I genuinely enjoy running with everyone but I feel like I have learned a lot as a result.

Thursday Night Group Run

Michelle and I took Gillie for a nice long walk on Friday afternoon and it was just fantastic to be outside and enjoy the spring weather.

Gorgeous day for a walk.

Gillie enjoying being out and about!

We've taught her to drink out of water bottle.

After our walk I headed out for a quick run and just barely managed to beat the rain on my way home.  I was really fortunate because it poured for the rest of the night!

Taco salad with fresh corn, avocado, sautéed onions and poblano peppers, and we made taco bowls from these neat trays my grandmother bought us.  Run, eat, and repeat.

On Sunday, I headed out for a long run in Pandapas and managed to get in 15 miles.  I brought along with me a few items from May's StrideBox to try.  I really liked the Bonk Breaker PB&J, it was delicious and hit the spot around mile 7 or so.  The Honey Stinger Cherry Cola gummies were good but I'm not sure I'd buy them if I saw them in a store.  That's part of the beauty of StrideBox is the opportunity to try new products for cheaper than I would have purchased it in a store and also try things I may not be inclined buy normally.

Honey Stinger Cherry Cola Gummies and Bonk Breakers PB&J.

The run was not one of my smoothest runs feeling slow and tired from the start but I'm really proud of myself for finishing the run and not calling the day early.

After my run, Michelle and I made some awesome Huevos Rancheros...and as Michelle puts it, "it was freaking good!"

The spread on the tortilla was so flavorful and Michelle made the salsa fresh that morning.  RECIPE.

7. I WON I WON I WON...again!  I should go buy a lottery ticket because I'm on a lucky streak.  A few weeks ago I won a book, Learning to Fly by Steph Davis, from Clif via an Instragram reply.  On Sunday, I participated in the RunChat again and replied to a few of the questions throughout the hour.  I must have turned off the connect Twitter notification because the tweet that notified me that I won went unnoticed for couple hours, granted we were driving home from the afternoon at Michelle's parents, but I was very excited once I realized I had won!  Two of us had won a copy of The Runner's World Complete Guide to Minimalism and Barefoot Running by Scott Douglas which I think will be an interesting read.  Can't wait to get it in the mail!

Congrats to @rbsherfy and @brignut44! You've won the @mescottdouglas book. Please DM me your mailing address. #RunChat
— David H. (@RunningBecause) May 13, 2013

8. Grocery Ride.  As I mentioned earlier, all of the bikes collected a fair amount of dust over the winter.  Michelle and I decided we would go for a ride on Monday evening and that we would pick up some groceries on the way.  It is incredible how cheap it is to eat healthy.  We only shopped in the produce section and I bought kale, two english cucumbers, tomatoes on the vine, and fuji and gala apples for only $6.*#.  Pretty awesome!  Even better is that we rode there...and most of the way home.  The hill home is not too bad...if you don't mind getting sweaty every time you want to go home but the bus also has two slots for bikes on the front, which we took full advantage of.  Hey, we still rode 5+ miles to get the groceries instead of the typical American who hops in their car!  I brought my camera along and grabbed plenty of funny photos.

The ride was pretty casual...and at this point Michelle seemed to be enjoying it.

...and well...not enjoying it that much here.  The photo was just too good not to share.

Blacksburg is a gorgeous place to live!

After picking up the groceries.

Once we were on the bus, Michelle was...not pleased I was taking this photo but again...too good not to share!

9. Runble in Pandapas...or tumble in Pandapas.  Michelle and I are trying to run together.  I say trying because well...it's a work in a progress.  And progress is slow.  Anyone have suggestions?  Seriously, leave them in the comments...we'll try anything.  To complicate the situation, we decided to bring Gillie along for our run in Pandapas yesterday and Gillie doesn't really get the whole "pacing" thing.  Again, a work in progress.  This was Michelle's first run in Pandapas and we decided to do an eeasssy out-and-back along Poverty Creek.  I started out with Gillie and eventually, once she was more tired, handed her off to Michelle.  We "agreed" beforehand we would run about four miles and I tried to show Michelle the beauty and appreciation for the woods I've gained over the past few months of running in Jefferson National.  It was going good until Gillie decided to cross paths with Michelle and stop.  I had just pulled out my camera but just missed the acrobatics occurring right in front of me.  It was America's Funniest Home Videos worthy.

Michelle made us chocolate waffles before we ran.  Everything was from scratch including the chocolate batter, whipped cream, and strawberry syrup.

Michelle wanted to try out her hydration belt she picked up as she begins to train for the Hokie Half in September. 

Believe it or not I snagged this one while running...not too bad.  Also, this was pre-tumble as I have Gillie's leash in one hand and the camera in the other.

Michelle displaying her souvenir from her first trail run.  It's like a right of passage but maybe my "Welcome to trail running!" wasn't appropriate?

Around the lake we came across a few Geese that were very protective of their goslings and hissed at us we ran by.

"Guys, this running this is hard!"

Interesting Internet Findings

1. Active Google Glasses? Recon Instruments releases video for their new "active" Google glasses competition...and they look AWESOME! (via @DCRainmaker Tweet)

Impressive: Camera, ANT+, GPS, WiFi, BT. RT @recon: The Recon Jet, the groundbreaking Heads-up Display for sports reconinstruments.com/jet
— Ray Maker (@dcrainmakerblog) May 15, 2013

2. Want to run the ING NYC marathon?  Getting into the NYC marathon seems to be a bit of a hassle.  You can do the 9+1 guaranteed entry where you either have to run 9 of the NYRR races in addition to volunteering for one of the races (or donate $1000 instead of racing) in a calendar year or can go through the application (lottery) process.  Well there may be another New York marathon, or two, in the next couple years one of which will be run in Manhattan and the other in Brooklyn. Read it HERE (via Runners World)
3. Music video from space? A few Where's Waldo Wednesdays ago I posted a video from the Canadian Space Agency about what happens to tears in space.  The commander of the space station, until yesterday that is, released his farewell video, Space Oddity, as a sendoff and it went viral.  Check it out below:   
4. Behind the Shoes - The Boston Magazine Cover featuring shoes of Boston marathon runners.  Read it HERE (via +RunChat Twitter).

And with that...you're pretty much caught up on everything we've done over the past few weeks.  I'll save today's horrific run for another post.

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