Getting Out of Florida!
Boy, were we happy to see this!!! With a tropical storm bearing down on Florida, we weren’t sure we would be able to fly out. The storm was forecast to hit to the west of us, but these things can change directions quickly. They also said we would be getting some rain and heavy winds from the outer bands, but luckily our flight took off without a problem. I spent the entire flight reading this book: I love Cory Reese so much. The first part of the book talks about his 314 mile race across Tennessee. He describes the trials and tribulations of this run with his usual humor: “We stumble back into the night looking like The Three Musketeers if they had been buried alive, and just barely managed to claw their way out of their graves.” The race is called Vol State 500k, because Tennessee’s official nickname is the “Volunteer State,” although according to Cory (after doing this race which is held in the middle of July) the only reason this is the nickname is that “Fiery Furnace of Molten Lava” is too long to fit on t-shirts and mugs. I love stories about a grueling ultramarathon, and this was a good one. But a large part of the book is about Cory’s struggle with depression, and he writes about it beautifully. I love the reminder that depression isn’t something you can just snap out of by thinking positively or focusing on happy things. Cory talks about using a combination of medication and therapy to get his under control. Lots of insights for everyone, but especially for anyone dealing with depression. I read 197 pages of this 235 page book, and was mad when our flight landed before I finished. The other thing I did during the entire flight was this: So, after taking six weeks off of running for my hip injury, my plantar fasciitis is so much worse. Yes, you heard me- not better- worse. I went from having it under control, still there, but manageable, to literally not being able to step down first thing in the morning, or after sitting for any length of time. I actually hopped to the bathroom when I woke up this morning, and dreaded having to sit on the plane for three hours. I brought my spiky ball and rolled it all around my foot for the entire plane ride. AND IT WORKED. I got up twice to use the bathroom, and then again when the plane landed and each time stepped down with minimal discomfort. So I guess I’m going to roll my foot every time I sit down from now on. I’m glad I’m starting to run again, because it seems that running keeps it stretched out. I’m starting to wonder if I’ll have this PF in my left foot for the rest of my life! One more thing I did on the plane was eat these breakfast cookies from Running on Real Food. They definitely taste healthy, but that’s a good thing. You wouldn’t want to be sitting on a plane with a batch of sugary, decadent cookies (I’ve done that in the past and it doesn’t lead to anything good.) Okay, we’re off to start our adventures in Austin! I’ll check back later in the week with stories of hikes, food, sightseeing, food… and more food. Lots and lots of food. What do you like to do on an airplane? – I read this book and my son watched an entire “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie. Do you like to fly? –It definitely isn’t as luxurious as it once was, but this flight wasn’t bad at all.