It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted, and I have 2 weeks worth of excuses to go with it.  The only good one however is that I’ve been away for work in Atlanta, GA.  I was taking certification courses on inner ear disorders, meaning 12 hours/day of classes, followed by practical skill testing, followed by studying.  Mix mental strain with stress, add a dash of fatigue, and sprinkle a lil dizziness from repeated head spinning from testing each other’s inner ear integrity.  And how does a distance runner combat this culinary stress ball?  Check the home page of this website to make your guess.

Turns out, I wasn’t the only one running before classes: around 15 of my fellow students were runners of differing ability along with 2 course instructors that happened to be in the middle of Ironman training.  It must’ve been creepy as hell at 5a.m. in downtown Atlanta to see a large pack of 15-20 people running in your general direction.  Awesomely, we held up traffic and waved at every pedestrian we passed.  People must’ve thought there was a mass escape from the hospital’s psych ward.

The course I was taking tends to attract people from all over the US and the world, so this group of runners offered a unique and enjoyable experience.  It was engaging to run with so many different perspectives on sport and training as well as culture and life.  Everyone asked if Lake Charles was close to New Orleans, and a British lady called me a “cheeky monkey” which I have no idea if that’s good but it sounded flattering with an accent.

We ran in a giant park next the university with a 2 mile loop trail as well as in downtown Atlanta.  I would say it made for a scenic run but I stopped noticing cause Atlanta is a bit more hilly than southern Louisiana…make that a lot more hilly.  They weren’t too steep but God sure made sure there was a surplus.  I found my hill muscles on that long run.

Through all this I learned some valuable information (besides the inner ear stuff).  Firstly, you can run anywhere, even during a business trip.  I didn’t even have to change my schedule.  And its easy to find routes and groups with just a bit of research.  You can find anything through Google, especially on local running club’s websites.  Some even have cool reviews of the routes to help you pick one or to know what to watch out for.  At the hotel, if you watch people’s shoes and t-shirts, you can usually spot a runner right away.  We’re usually at the bar.