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Tranquility Park - Omaha

July 19, 2014 (Afternoon)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: mid-80s, SUPER-humid

Comments:
We slept in a fair amount. We actually both were awoken by her stomach growling! Maybe the loudest "growl" I've ever heard! We laid there for a bit, then got up. Her dogs - Mia, Jada, and Molly - were all champin' at the bit to get outside, eat, and otherwise get attention. They're good dogs, I like 'em.

We enjoyed some tea (and her, Crystal Light) on the deck, anticipating our run. We watched a bunch of bikers and joggers amble past, including a couple folks she knew.

The food situation at Kaci's house was interesting: she got me heavy cream for my tea, which was nice. But the rest of her fridge? Swear to god, there were only like four things in there:

- YOGURT, like TONS of it (and sugarfree "Snak Packs")
- Powerade Zero
- Sugarfree jelly
- almond milk

And that was IT! In her freezer were a bunch of "lean" microwave meals, and that's all! Sheesh!

She ate some Kashi and yogurt for breakfast, but I didn't want either. She also had a ton of energy bars (mostly "marathon bars"), but I passed on those, too.

The problem, however, is that I hadn't eaten since 5:30 CDT (and that was only a dainty Starbz ham on ciabatta). Before that, only my 4 eggs and veggie bag and fruit! So I was going on a good 18 hours of nothing!

The plan for the day's run was 2.5hr on a trail at Tranquility Park. Around 11:30 we got there. It was already HOT: sunny but SUPER-humid. I knew it would be tough, it was just a matter of how bad.

We took off, and immediately I could feel the effort. The legs felt fine, but it felt like I was running at about 6K elevation. And the trail was TIGHT singletrack - at points only about 6" wide - and it was tough to run on. I ran behind her for nearly the entire run, fixated on her feet (but at times checking out her slender figure!).

The trail was CRAZY winding: this is a typical presentation for midwest bike trails, since the land is so limited -- they'll route switchbacks on flat ground, just to get mileage! So we weaved and weaved, "Scattin and bebopin" our way along.

She talked a lot, which was great. Tons of random stories and questions. Learned a bunch of things from her childhood, including:

- that her real first name is Kassandra (and Kasey, for short) but she changed it with her friend Staci - she "took" the "ci" (and vice versa), and it stuck!

- that she used to be into weightlifting in HS (pre-running) and "could bench press over 110lbs" - which is how much she weighed then.

- that, before running, she used to "go home after school and pound, like, six Mountain Dews and a bunch of those little bags of chips" before dinner (a glimpse into her current nutritional drives, methinks).

About 4 miles into the run, we ran into Ron and Bobbi Ruhs, both of whom were at WS. I'd met them there, and they were surprised and happy to see me. That convo bought a brief respite from the increasingly tough run.

We did a winding, up and down loop totaling 9.1-ish miles (of course, my watch registered only 8.2). We stopped for water, then got out for a second loop.

I was feeling ROUGH, but I wasn't sure what it was: heat? Humidity? Lack of calories? I think all three, but I hung in there as we wound around, the same loop, all over again. There were points where the trail widened to about 2 feet, and some nice, open areas that included what Kaci called "A Kilian Section" - about 100m of undulating ridge that she flew up and over.

She definitely ran like a midwesterner: pushing the slight uphills, because hills there last only about 10-20 seconds! As we went along, the effort increased, and by the last uphill push I was working HARD!

I tried not to complain too much, but it was tough! Thank God it ended and I survived 2.5hrs and 18 miles (my watch, of course, registered 16.2 to her 18+).

We stopped at a gas station for drinks and CALZ! I bought a bunch of nuts and cheese to make up for the deficit!

After that, we got back to her house and cleaned up...then just hung out! Sat on the couch, cuddled a lot...then I busted out "Race for the Soul"!. I brought it along because it's my FAVORITE WS documentary, and because I LOVE the story of Terry and John Roades, and them falling in love on the trail. :-) She liked it too.

The afternoon and evening plans were up in the air because Kaci got word that her mom and step dad were going to stop by to drop off a new iPhone for her, but weren't sure when. No matter, we just hung out and enjoyed each others' company more.

Around 5ish, they showed up. I was a little apprehensive about meeting them - AND I was still "down" from the humidity and hypoglycemia - but, it went really well: I had some good chats with her mom Lori while her stepdad Scott helped Kaci set up her phone.

Once that was all set, we all went out for pizza, and that went well, too! It wasn't at all tough to "be on" for them ("I'd much rather be OFF"), because they were so laid back and nice. We had some excellent pizza, then they took off, and we walked, hand-in-hand, to another place for a nightcap.

Even that walk, in the twilight, was nice. It just feels GOOD to take care of her, and she felt that, too. We had some more good chats at the brew pub. Interestingly, while we were sitting there, she made an inquisitive comment about a woman sitting alone at the bar: "She looks lonely".

Wow. One, for her to have the ability to look outside herself, in that "selfish moment" with her "new guy", was great, but to show that empathy! It was fascinating and a tremendous breath of fresh air!

Back at her house, we popped in a Seinfeld episode ("The Pez Dispenser"), then chatted a whole bunch before going to bed. She slept with me again...but we didn't "sleep (or SWEEP) together". It was SO great - and more than enough - to have her in my arms.

What a terrific day.