20 Miles, The Regatta, & The End of an Era...

Myles & I have Matching Jackets for Regatta

Good morning!  Hope that you are having an outstanding weekend.  I'm having a pretty good one despite the flighty weather--rainy and windy and cloudy oh my.  This week I'm coming back to the concept of #3 best.  The idea is to talk about the three best things that happened this week.  Here goes.

1. Running:  It was a fantastic week of training.  This week I started the first of four 20 mile plus test runs.  With just six weeks until the marathon, I now need to get in four runs of 20 miles or more.  On Friday, I ran 20 miles in 2:15:18 (6:46/mile pace).  I was very pleased with this and surprised by the pace because it felt very comfortable.  If I had run a full marathon on Friday, I would've hit under 3 hours.  I'm well on my way to having a shot at breaking 2:40 on 11/5.  This week I ran 60.3 miles and over the five weeks I've run 290 miles with weeks of 59.3, 54.25, 57.3, 58.25, and 60.3.  Legs are feeling very strong.
2. Regatta:  I had the chance to participate in the IUPUI Regatta yesterday and that was a great event.  The students and staff who planned the Regatta did an outstanding job.  Basically, it's over 100 teams in 14 heats racing about a half mile down the Indianapolis Downtown Canal.  It's tremendous.  The IUPUI Community was out in full force and Housing and Residence Life fielded 5 teams.  We had some racing issues yesterday with the new canoes, but it was fun and a great event.  The HRL Team pulled together and did a great job at our booth and then in the races. 
3. All My Children:  Yes, I watch All My Children, a popular soap opera on ABC.  I've watched it since the early 80s, and I used to watch every single day (either live or on tape).  My Mom and I used to watch every night on tape during my high school years, and I can remember even watching it at my Mom's parents house with my Mom, Uncle, and Grandparents during the lunch hour as a kid if I happened to be over visiting.  For me, All My Children was much more than a show.  It was a show that I spent time watching with my family.  When I went to college it was a show that reminded me of my family and helped me still feel connected when I was away from home.  Also, it was an amazing show that broke social barriers.  It was the first soap opera to feature characters from a variety racial backgrounds and also characters from the LGBT Community.  Sure, there were absurd story lines that involved people coming back to life, having special powers, finding long lost kids, parents, and siblings, but AMC was not afraid to feature characters on their show that more truly reflected the American population.  I think AMC's decision to do that was bold, admirable, and important.  On Friday, I watched the final show and about half expected Erica (the main character) and Jack (her long time love interest) to walk off into the sunset.  Instead, AMC ended on a cliffhanger that left those of us who are fans waiting for a Monday show that will never come.  Goodbye All My Children.  May the residents of Pine Valley live happily ever after.

Thanks for taking time to read my blog today.  I hope that you have a great week.  Happy running to you!