Stress Therapy

Sometimes you have a bad moment, bad day, bad week, maybe even a bad year. And while some will tell you it's all about the circle of life, I think it's really more like the tide of life. It ebbs and flows. There's floods and droughts. Things always change. But for the most part, it all averages out in the end.

Or at least we like to think so.

Today's run started out grumpy but I finished in pretty good spirits. I was once again not really in the mood. At least not to run inside, I really wanted to run outside. Until I saw the temps were nearly single digits and I said screw it, it's easier to tough it out on the treadmill than it is to tough it out in below freezing temps outside.

I did manage to get my little entertainment center set up for my treadmill so I can now distract myself with a good sized TV, DVD player, and if I'm lucky, some online content. Today I was a bit more ADD than normal and went from LOST to Star Trek. It was a bad jump but I felt like I wasn't really paying as much attention to LOST as I should.

Photo:

Weather:
Temps were about 80F in the basement.

Fluids and Fuel:
Had a little coffee before the run. During the run I had plain water. Recovery was a banana, coffee, and an egg and ham sandwich.

Aches and Pains:
None really.

Gear:
Wore shorts.

Treadmill:
Time - 63:12
Distance - 2.9 miles
Incline - 0 to 12 (4 AVG)
Speed - 2.0 to 4.0 (2.8 AVG)
Elevation - 659 feet
Entertainment - LOST and Star Trek Deep Space Nine

Naughty Neil:
I got distracted by my phone on the toilet this morning. Sometimes it just sucks you in and before you realize it, your legs are numb and you're running late for your run.

Today's Motivation:
Started to panic a bit last night when I realized registration for my one and only race this year will open up next month. Holy crap Batman!

Splits:
Finish - 63:12

Pipe Dreams

Today is Day 3 of what seems like a month's worth of snow days for my kids. They had Monday off as a holiday (I didn't). Tuesday we got 8 inches of snow so there was no school (my office was closed but I work at home so I still reported for duty). Wednesday saw no new snow but the roads weren't plowed yet so no school again (I still had to work). Today was too damn cold for school (yep, I still had to work). And tomorrow is expected to be even colder than today. Any bets on what will happen tomorrow?

At least I get to work from home. I may complain about having them home during the summer or not getting time off for snow days but my commute is so much easier. Although in the new house those stairs can be a bitch sometimes when you need the bathroom in a hurry.

Today's run was a bit of a shinning moment. I've felt off all week, partly because of DOMS from shoveling my driveway. Although shorter than the driveway at the old house, it took twice as long to clear. Guess a tractor on a paved driveway is easier than a shovel on gravel. About halfway through the run I changed my entertainment from an audio book by R. A. Salvatore to some music by Childish Gambino and that seemed to do the trick. Guess I wasn't in the mood for Entreri and Jarlaxle but really needed some rap. Managed to run the last 25 minutes straight through and felt awesome doing it.


Photo:

Weather:
Interior temps were 80F.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a nasty burrito, banana, and iced latte. During the run I had a little water and an applesauce. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite.

Aches and Pains:
Glutes still hurt from shoveling. Aside from that, the run felt fine. Calves were starting to tighten up towards the end due to dehydration.

Gear:
Wore t-shirt and shorts. Would have run topless but we had company.

Treadmill:
Time - 51:46
Distance - 2.5 miles
Incline - 0 to 6 (AVG 4)
Speed - 2.0 to 4.0 (AVG 2.9)
Elevation - 584 feet
Entertainment - R. A. Salvatore audiobook and music by Childish Gambino

Today's Motivation:
Didn't really have much other than I wanted to work some stress off from work. The run helped so I guess my mission was accomplished.

Naughty Neil:
That damn burrito. Gah. I swear, every time I go there I just have to have shitty food. At least I'm getting better at saying no to the hash brown.

Splits:
Finish - 51:46

The Thermodynamics of a Chubby Runner

As I finished a two-hour rotation of shoveling snow, I began to wonder about my belly. My gut. That big ol hairy thing that sticks out over my belt. It was cold. Freezing. Yet I didn't notice it while I was shoveling. It's not the first time it's happened either, I've noticed over the years that during or after runs, my stomach is cold. It's usually only cold to the touch and rarely feels cold. So this morning I was reminded yet again and began to wonder, why the hell does it do this?

My theory, based on nothing but a gut feeling, is that as I run (or shovel snow in this case), my body keeps other areas warmer and flows blood to those areas in use. Since I'm not really using that layer of fat in my mid-section, it pulls blood away from the area, thus pulling heat away from the area. No matter how many layers I wear, it just seems to happen. There does seem to be a correlation between how much I sweat and how cold my gut is but I think this is a simple relationship between moisture, wind, and simple thermodynamics.

So there you have it. My thoughts for the day of why my hairy belly is cold when I run in the winter.

Oh, and to make it clear, I didn't run outside, I ran inside on the treadmill after shoveling snow.

Weather:
Temps outside were about 20F. Winds were light. Sky was overcast with the sun slowly coming out. Temps inside were about 80F.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was two eggs, three slices of toast, three sausage links, and coffee. During the snow shoveling I had nothing. During the run I had plain water. Recovery was more coffee.

Aches and Pains:
Some minor aches from shoveling. Simple lifting, twisting, and odd movements caused the aches. Nothing else serious.

Gear:
Wore plenty of thermal gear for shoveling. For the run I wore just shorts.

Treadmill:
Time - 28:02
Distance - 1.2 miles
Incline - 0 to 6 (AVG 2)
Speed - 2.0 to 4.0 (AVG 2.8)
Elevation - 205 feet
Entertainment - Star Trek DS9

Naughty Neil:
I ate shrimp yesterday. A lot of shrimp. They were boiled/steamed and I had cocktail sauce with them. Better than a bunch of junk food for a snack, right. God I hope so.

Today's Motivation:
I didn't have much really. Yesterday I had planned on running outside after shoveling. But this morning after my shovel fest I completely forgot about running. Until I came inside and started to strip, then I realized I needed to do at least something. So I did half of my workout. Better than nothing.

Splits:
Snow Shoveling - 2:00:00
Running - 28:02

Fartknocker

I was tempted to skip today's run just because I wanted to sleep some more. But I knew I needed to run errands in the morning and that meant my only free time was lunch time. Not my favorite time of day to run but it ended up being a nice break from the tedium of this week's slugfest.

Once on the treadmill, I tried to keep it simple and just randomly changed my incline and speed. Nothing too fancy, just pushing buttons on the thing like I was married to it. And that was pretty much it. Nothing fancy!

Weather:
Indoor temps were around 78F to 80F.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast wasn't so hot with a bad burrito and iced latte. During the run I had plain water and an applesauce. Recovery was meat, cheese, and ships with iced tea.

Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt.

Gear:
I wore shorts and no shirt.

Naughty Neil:
I mentioned my bad breakfast, right? ::sigh:: Sometimes I'm a sucker for greasy food.

Today's Motivation:
All that progress is starting to build up and I don't want to let it slip now. I'm doing my damnedest to keep the habits good. Well, maybe not eating, but the running part. Gotta keep running.

Treadmill:
Time - 39:38
Distance - 1.6 miles
Incline - 0 to 15 (AVG 5)
Speed - 2.0 to 5.0 (AVG 2.5)
Elevation - 435 feet
Entertainment - Star Trek Deep Space Nine

Splits:
Finish - 39:38

Schweaty ... Walk

Damn if that fireplace doesn't kick out some heat. On low flame and low fan, the freaking things makes the basement 80 degrees. Not that that's a bad thing in the middle of winter but phew! Just an easy walk on the treadmill leaves me sweaty.

Anyway, I got my walk done. Even though it was scheduled to be an easy run, I knew I wouldn't have time to shower so I opted for an easy walk instead. And seeing as my slow run is pretty much a walk, seems like a valid argument to me. But of course whenever I argue with myself, I always win.

Weather:
Indoor temps were 80F.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was two burritos and coffee. During the run/walk I had some coffee. Recovery was some cheddar broccoli noodle stuff and more coffee.

Aches and Pains:
Teste is a bit testy but no real change. Quads got some massaging this morning so they felt fine by lunch time. Aside from that, everything else was fine.

Gear:
Wore jeans but had to take my shirt off.

Treadmill:
Time - 30:14
Distance - 1.1 miles
Incline - 3
Speed - 2.0 to 2.5 (AVG 2.2)
Elevation - 176 feet
Entertainment - Star Trek Voyager

Naughty Neil:
Did good last night with my heavy snack before dinner but then had a snack after dinner that I should have skipped.

Today's Motivation:
It was an easy day so that made it .... easy.

Splits:
Finish - 30:14

Smile you big oaf

Did my best at getting my smile back. I think it worked because I actually smiled some during my run. After a very long week at work (60 hours over 6 days), I was due for a break. And a beer. So I headed out the door fairly early and got a run in. I aimed for an hour and came in just a bit over so I was happy. Plus I went a bit further than I expected. Shorter than I hoped, but still progress. I also scooped up my cameras and did some simple trail maintenance before Saturday's half marathon.

But best of all, I was outside enjoying myself. I could have waited for the better part of the day when temps got into the 50s but I was fine with the chill in the air. And in the end, it didn't matter one bit because somewhere out there I found my smile.

Photos:

Vine:
https://vine.co/v/OUOxKPU9zVl


Weather:
Temps were about 40F. Sky was overcast. Wind was light.

Fluids and Fuel:
Nothing for breakfast. During the run I had a bottle of plain water and an applesauce. Recovery was french toast casserole and coffee.

Aches and Pains:
Ended up with some tightness in my quads near my knees but nothing bad. There was some pain in my junk but that's a developing issue that needs more time to present itself.

Gear:
Wore shorts, pants, thermal top, short sleeved shirt, and a BUFF. Forgot about my gloves so I had to scrounge in my car for some.

Naughty Neil:
I'm thinking the treadmill is making me a lazy runner. Something I'll need to think about more.

Today's Motivation:
I just needed to get outside and play. I was lucky enough to even play with my kids later when the weather warmed up some. So all in all, a great day.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 12:17
Mile 2 - 15:02
Mile 0.5 - 8:04
Mile 0.4 - 6:30
Mile 0.5 - 7:24
Mile 4 - 13:48
Mile 5 - 13:13
Finish - 1:16:21

Is it really worth it?

Had one of those days today where I wonder if it's really worth the effort sometimes. Not the running part of training, I know that's worth it. I learned that the hard way when I undertrained for a race. Probably like all of my races.

Anyway, I got my run in before the shit hit the fan which I guess is good and bad. Running when I'm pissed off helps chill me out but it also sours my run a bit. In the end, it's outside of my control. Sort of.

The run was fairly uneventful. My son was sick today so I stayed home to keep an eye on him. I don't think he was all that sick but it's better safe than sorry and I'm sure the other parents at school appreciate the lack of germs being spread. So instead of being chained to my phone all day, I was chained to my desk. Got some work done, got my run in, got some more work done, and that's pretty much it.

Weather:
Indoor temps were about 76F.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was three slices of toast, two eggs, three sausage links, and coffee. During the run I had some iced tea, plain water, and an applesauce. Recovery was leftover pasta with taco meat mixed in.

Aches and Pains:
None really. Chiropractor tore into my right IT/knee/quad this morning. Felt fine before and after the visit but during I really wanted to punch him in the face.

Treadmill:
Time - 57:33
Distance - 2.8 miles
Incline - 3
Speed - 2.0 to 4.0 (AVG 3.0)
Elevation - 453 feet
Entertainment - Star Trek Voyager and Deep Space Nine.

Naughty Neil:
I had too much to eat for dinner but didn't over-indulge for my snack last night. Today I think I might eat too much for a snack after dinner. Depends on if I get drunk or not.

Today's Motivation:
I really wanted to run. I actually really want to run outside but I knew I wouldn't have time today so I knew it would be a treadmill run. But I wanted to run. Somehow, in the back of my mind, I could hear my coach telling me "you need to want to run, don't hate the run, the run should be fun."

Splits:
Finish - 57:33

Sweaty Tready

Distracted is the name of the game today. I watched Magic Town with Jimmy Stewart and I was suddenly 40+ minutes into my 70 minute run. I have no idea how it happened but it worked. Of course as soon as I looked at the clock, I continued to check it every single second until I got close to the end.

Anyway, that was about it for today's run. Played some fun and some serious air hockey last night. Shoulder is certainly telling me about it today but it was worth it to be the reigning champion of the house.

Weather:
Indoor temp was 76F.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was 3 slices of toast, four sausage links, yogurt, and coffee. During the run I had applesauce and GenUCAN hydration mix. Recovery was Hammer Soy mixed with rice milk.

Aches and Pains:
None really. Just tired from long hours at work.

Gear:
I wore shorts. Didn't even bother with a shirt.

Treadmill:
Time - 69:26
Distance - 3.2 miles
Incline - 0 to 4 (AVG 2)
Speed - 2.0 to 4.0 (AVG 2.8)
Elevation - 481 feet
Entertainment - Magic City

Splits:
Finish - 1:09:26

Treadmilled

Blah. Blah blah blah. I just feel so blah. But it does feel good to get your planned run in and complete. It wasn't a great run but I somehow managed to distract myself long enough to finish the full hour. I think the hardest part was around the 40 minute mark where I just wanted to bail out but found the necessary distractions to keep moving. Guess Wranglerstar is good for more than just learning about woodworking.

Weather:
Indoor temps were about 83F.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was 2 slices of toast, 2 eggs, 3 sausage links, and coffee. During the run I had an applesauce and plain water. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite followed by Mexican rice with green beans.

Aches and Pains:
Right calf felt a little tight but nothing too serious. Probably didn't drink enough today.

Gear:
Wore shorts.

Treadmill:
Time - 60:02
Distance - 3 miles
Incline - 3
Speed - 2 to 3.5 (AVG 3)
Elevation - 471 feet
Entertainment - Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Wranglerstar

Naughty Neil:
I tried to avoid snacks last night but my boredom got the better of me and I had chips and cheese. Only one trip though.

Today's Motivation:
I know I need to keep that No Ragrets attitude but it's so damn hard. Knowing my coach is there at the end of the day waiting for a report helps keep me accountable.

Splits:
Finish - 1:00:02

Vomit Comet Ride

Well, I almost barfed on this run. I had an hour on the plan and, even though I wasn't really in the mood, hoped to get it all done. At 31 minutes I was feeling pretty queasy and decided to bail on the run. As I was turning stuff off and shutting everything down, I saw that my Kindle had YelaWolf on it. So I played Back to Bama. I made it to 47 minutes before the need to barf grew too strong and I had to quit for reals.

Guess beef wellington and spinach-artichoke dip for dinner followed by a run isn't such a great idea.

Weather:
Indoor temps were about 75F.

Fluids and Fuel:
As I already said, dinner was beef wellington with chips dipped in spinach-artichoke dip. During the run I had plain water and applesauce (which calmed my stomach a bit). Nothing but water for recovery.

Aches and Pains:
Aside from being queasy, everything else felt fine.

Gear:
Just wore shorts.

Treadmill:
Incline - 0 to 15 (AVG 3)
Speed - 0 to 6.0 (AVG 3.2)
Elevation - 368 feet
Time - 47:00
Distance - 2.4 miles
Entertainment - Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Yelawolf

Naughty Neil:
Surprisingly not so naughty. Had a decent breakfast and lunch and no snack after dinner. Stuck to water and coffee during the day and spent plenty of time on my feet.

Today's Motivation:
Again, not much motivation but I just wanted to surprise my coach with something since I was planning on getting nothing done. Guess 75% is better than 0%.

Splits:
Finish - 47:00

Dirty DRHT Run

The run itself was a bit rough around the edges. Since I had a lousy morning, I nearly bailed out after only half a mile. But I somehow flipped that switch, put my head down, and gave myself a hard shove down the trail. I made it to the turnaround and came back feeling a little better. Still a lousy morning but there's nothing I can change about it. Except for the run portion which I did change for the better. So at least I've got that going for me.

As I meandered down the trail I blew some snot out and was promptly reminded why I earned the nickname "Horatio" during one spring break. The ducks and geese didn't like my horn blowing and flew out of the swamp quacking like mad. Which then in-turn reminded me that I treed a racoon the other day on a different part of the trail. I've never seen one in person during the day so I was a bit shocked. So shocked I forgot all about it.

Photos:
Great views this morning.

Weather:
Temps were 35F. Sky was mostly clear. No wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
As usual, a little coffee in the morning to start the day. During the run I had a wee bit of plain water (way less than normal) and an applesauce. Recovery was, well, not so good; breakfast sandwich and hash browns.

Aches and Pains:
Everything felt fine until I got home. Then my left knee started hurting going up and down the steps.

Gear:
Wore shorts, pants, thermal top, long sleeve shirt, two BUFFS, and gloves. Really need to look for a new waist belt as my INCHWORM is slowing dieing.

Naughty Neil:
::sigh:: I'm learning that when I'm stressed or depressed, I eat. I'm sure Deepak Chopra would say that I'm trying to fill an empty hole in my heart with food. And I'm sure on some level that's what I'm trying to do. But when I do it, it just feels so good to eat. It's later when all that grease catches up to my ass that I regret my choices.

Today's Motivation:
I was tempted to run around the neighborhood but eventually decided I needed some time in the woods. Turns out I managed to get some good views of the sunrise so I guess I chose wisely.

Splits:
Start - 9:51
Mile 1 - 12:52
End - 10:25
Finish - 33:10

Moving at a snail's pace

YES! I'm back on my feet and moving. Granted, it's at a snail's pace, but I'm doing something faster than walking. Back still felt a little tweaky but the pain was around a 1, maybe a 2. Also had some shooting/radiating pain in my glutes, hip, and left quad. It felt like it was related to my back but I couldn't tell. I know the pain in my knees, calves, and shins were all related to my shoes and poor form. And lack of running for what felt like ages.

So, back on the horse. Or wagon. Or road. Or whatever. Part of it feels like I'm back at square one and part of it feels like I'm falling in love all over again. Either way, I'm happy to get back into running therapy. I needed it.

Photo:
Moving at a snails pace.

Weather:
Temps were about 65F to 70F. Humidity was high. Lots of fast moving clouds but partly sunny. Winds were mostly light but had a few sustained gusts.

Fluids and Fuel:
Just a touch of coffee before I started and plain water during the run. Recovery was 2 eggs, 2 sausage patties, three slices of toast, and more coffee.

Aches and Pains:
See above.

Gear:
No special gear. Wore shorts and a t-shirt.

Naughty Neil:
Fell asleep in my chair twice last night, once before dinner and once after. Caught a second wind instead of going to bed and watched TV while eating a bowl of zombie food (chips and string cheese).

Today's Motivation:
With all the work in the house going on and what feels like a severe lack of free time, I really needed some alone time with myself today. Didn't encounter anything exciting along the way other than waving to a few neighbors. But it was so nice to come back and feel so refreshed, like I actually accomplished something.

Splits:
Loop 1 - 18:13
Loop 2 - 17:19
Finish - 35:33

Running On Empty

Time change actually helped for a change this year. I usually try to get that extra hour of sleep and end up losing more sleep than normal. Guess it helped to go to bed at a normal hour and wake up before my alarm. And then I set my watch back an hour to the correct time and slept in an hour. After that, I got out of bed and headed out to the trail. The run was fairly uneventful other than the insane wind.
Photos:

I was a little cold.

Altras make me look fast.

Vine:
https://vine.co/v/OO6DOjADae0




Weather:
Temps were about 40F. Wind was high (around 35 to 40 mph). Sun was sort of out and sort of not. Rain was mostly just leaves dripping on me.

Fluids and Fuel:
Had an applesauce before I started. During the run was just plain water. Recovery was a breakfast burrito, hashbrown, and latte.

Aches and Pains:
None. Lower back has been tweaky the past few days but felt good after I ran a bit.

Gear:
Wore thermal shirt, long sleeve jacket, vest, two BUFFs, gloves, shorts, and pants.

Naughty Neil:
Breakfast. It was totally not right. Breakfast burrito I might be able to get away with but I just couldn't resist the siren song of the deep fried hashbrown.

Today's Motivation:
I new I needed to work in the attic today so I knew I'd need to wear comfy clothes for that so I knew I'd end up in my running gear anyway. So I went for a run first.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 13:12
Mile 2 - 16:45 (spent a 2 or 3 minutes taking care of the trail here - and no, that's not code for taking a dump)
Mile 3 - 12:59
Finish - 42:57

Training my Caboose off

Started my run this morning with some cross-training. Emptied the pickup full of bathroom destruction. Tile. Drywall. Flooring. Toilet. Even the 300 pound cast iron tub. Once that was done, I made my way down the trail and did my best to enjoy the scenery and the weather. It was chilly but you could tell it was getting warmer by the minute. The sun was out and the cows were .... mooing? Looing? Anyway, they were noisy as all get-out.

Photos:

Vine:
https://vine.co/v/OM50zITgepn


Weather:
Temps were about 45F to 50F. Warmed a bit before I finished. Sun was out in full. No wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
A little coffee before the run. Plain water during the run. Finished the bottle just before the end. Recovery was a burrito and latte.

Aches and Pains:
None.

Gear:
Wore a thermal long sleeve, vest, buff, gloves, shorts, and pants.

Naughty Neil:
I had more cake and ice cream last night. But no beer. I may have that tonight. And my breakfast burrito wasn't all that healthy. But it was better than the other choices I could have  made.

Today's Motivation:
Stressing out over the plumber and the bathroom and everything else. Seems like the list never ends and keeps growing no matter what you do. The only positive I keep reminding myself of is that when this is done, this house will be THE SHIT.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 13:24
Mile 2 - 15:07
Mile 3 - 11:45
Finish - 40:19

The Not So Slim Shady

Did two full loops around the neighborhood and then the lollipop part. Wanted to do more but I somehow found myself focusing on quality instead of quantity. I also found myself suddenly running up the hill I usually walk and before I knew it, I was fighting the urge to check my watch to see how far I ran without stopping. When I finally looked, it was 7 minutes. Then 12 minutes. Then 15 minutes. When I finally crapped out, I was at 27 minutes and I had no idea how I got that far without walking. I went nearly 2.5 miles without a walking break. Easily my longest, continuous run in ages. Maybe years.

Anyway, as I was trying to wrestle with the how and the why I was able to accomplish this feat, I came up with two new sections to test out; Naughty Neil and Today's Motivation. Naughty Neil will likely be full of bad jokes but today it will be about food. Today's Motivation will hopefully delve into what motivates me to run on any given day. A bit of the psyche behind the runner if you will.

Outside of these internal rumblings, the rest of the run was filled with being freaking cold. Somehow I missed the memo that said it would get down to the 30s last night so I had a bit of a chilly start to the day. It was also dark enough that I went out with my headlamp for the first loop so thankfully the batteries didn't totally die on me. Really should replace those today.

Photo:

Weather:
Temps were about 35F. Sun wasn't quite up yet. Sky was mostly clear. Winds were light.

Fluids and Fuel:
Before the run I had some coffee. During the run was a bottle of plain water. Recovery was a left over hamburger (patty only), two eggs, two slices of toast, and more coffee.

Aches and Pain:
Nothing really hurt although I did feel a little wheezy when I started.

Gear:
Wore thermal shirt, short sleeve shirt, vest, shorts, pants, gloves, and BUFF. Wore my headlamp for the first loop.

Naughty Neil:
I skipped breakfast yesterday and had BooBerry cereal for lunch yesterday. Dinner was healthy but dessert was cake and ice cream. And a beer. Not really healthy but my minor success was that I didn't eat the whole piece of cake and I only had a few scoops of ice cream instead of the whole pint.

Today's Motivation:
Mostly I wanted to keep moving to avoid freezing. But there was also a bit of pressure to make sure I finished my run in time to get back home for the plumber. And there was some guilt that I skipped my 45 minute run yesterday so that's why I did it today.

Splits:
Loop 1 - 16:18
Loop 2 - 17:19
Lollipop - 12:03
Finish - 45:41

Weekend at Boerne's

We survived our trip to San Antonio with flying colors I think. It was a whirlwind weekend but I think everyone had fun, nobody got hurt, and we all got back to normal fairly quickly. Prepare yourself for lots of words and lots of pictures.

Thursday
We got up at the butt-ass-crack-o-fucking-dawn. I know I usually exaggerate a bit when I say that but 4am is super early. Well, we got up at about 2:30am so yeah, it was too damn early. I nearly stayed up all night but decided a few hours of sleep was better than none.

We got everyone in the car, drove to Richmond, parked, and walked into the airport. The kids were still a bit sleepy but were alert enough to be excited. We checked our bags at the counter, got our tickets, and headed to security. We took our shoes off but found out on the other side that we didn't need to do that. We went through the standard metal detector as a family so that was good. Once we got dressed on the other side, we found our gate and sat down. The kids and I walked around a bit, bought some gum, and generally just chilled out.

Our flight left on time and the sun was up just enough so the kids could look out the window to see what it was like to fly. There were no panic attacks just lots of ear popping. We had drinks, read, colored, played, etc. We landed in DFW, went to the bathroom, grabbed snacks, and boarded out next flight. William was lucky enough to see the first cockpit so of course Elizabeth wanted a turn so she got to see the second one. Even got to push the throttle forward (don't worry, we didn't move).

Stormy takes flight!

Second flight was much shorter. We got in the air, they served drinks, they collected drinks, and we landed. Once on the ground in DFW, we grabbed our suitcases, took the shuttle to our car, and then drove out of town. We grabbed some lunch and chilled a bit to get our land legs back before heading to my sister-in-law's house. We got to visit with family there, ate dinner, then went to our hotel in Boerne. Which by the way is pronounced "Bernie." So it quickly became our "Weekend at Boerne's."


Friday
Friday we got up and hit the Riverwalk in San Antonio. The Alamo was unimpressive for everyone but we had a great time on the Riverwalk and on the boat tour.

The Alamo was ... meh.

The Riverwalk was awesome!

After that, we headed back to the hotel for naps then to the rehearsal outside of Boerne to the rehearsal dinner in San Antonio.

Saturday
Saturday brought rain and cooler temperatures. We visited a local cave/cavern, saw bats (eek!), and then did some chilling out before the wedding. The wedding was great, had no issues, and we all went to the hotel tired from the adventure.

The dinosaur at the cave.

Some RANDOM letters we saw on the trip.
 

Sunday
Sunday we went the newlywed's house and had brunch, more time with the family, and then we went shopping. It was generally just an easy day of doing nothing and getting ready for the slugfest that would be coming.

Monday
Monday was indeed a slugfest. We got up at a more normal hour, checked out of the hotel, dropped off the car, and checked into the airport. Saw a neat sculpture,went through security, and waited at the gate. The kids had a great time watching all the ground traffic with tow cars, baggage cars, planes landing, and more. We also got one more chance to see my brother-in-law and his new baby.

After a good three hour delay, we finally left San Antonio, endured a bumpy ride to DFW, and got off the plane well after our connecting flight. Which meant we had to wait for a new flight which was about 5 hours later. So we checked out the terminal, I entertained the kids with two trips (one in each direction) around the airport on the train, and then dinner. After dinner I took each kid on a walk around the terminal before we moved to another gate for departure. While we hoped for a decent departure time, we had another 3 hour delay leaving DFW so thankfully we had plenty of time to do all the goofy things you need to do to entertain two extremely bored kids and one bored adult. I'm just glad I didn't buy a bottle of booze in the "doodie free" shops.

We finally left DFW and arrived in Richmond on Tuesday.

It's made out of suitcases.

William's artwork from dinner.

This is how you entertain yourself (and your kids) in DFW.

Tuesday
Once we arrived, we got our bags, found our car, and headed home. Everyone was snoozing away but I managed to grab some coffee on the flight so I was good to go. We eventually crashed around 3am. Yvonne got up for work at her usual time but we let the kids (and myself) sleep in. They slept in a little but I fed them and sent them off to school anyway because I figured half a day of school was better than none.

Finally, this is what everyone looked like on the last flight home. Pooped.