40 Days and Bellydancers

I can't believe how fast the summer is going. I was thinking today about how I've already spent two months at my internship here at Albany and, more incredibly, that I leave for France in exactly 40 days! So far, this week has been spent realizing how unprepared I am to study abroad, and how many more things need to be taken care of before I leave: buying webcams, figuring out finances while I'm over there, and the like. Even as I write this blog, I remember two things that I was going to do today that I completely forgot about. FML. But anyhow.

Sunday was spent in Utica, NY as I strapped on my running shoes and ran the 15K Boilermaker run. I have been ridiculously lucky when it comes to weather, as Saturday was met with torrential downpours, leaving Sunday morning a cool 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Absolutely perfect running weather. The race was CROWDED with over 11,000 participants, making it the 2nd largest race ever, and I made the mistake of starting way too far back. It took me almost 6 minutes just to reach the starting line. From there, it was a mad dash around 75-year old women out for their Sunday stroll and a hodgepodge of other ill-prepared runners. While I silently complained to myself for having to dodge and duck around these runners, it allowed me the opportunity to see the entire eclectic mix of runners that the Boilermaker regularly hosts. Everyone from a man in a chicken suit, to a man in a beer suit, to a clown was out there at 8AM running the 9.3 miles. I have to imagine that the Boilermaker is the only place you can run past a traditional Celtic band, be momentarily distracted by a demonstration of 50-year old bellydancers shakin their stuff, high-five a man on 10 foot stilts, listen to steel drum music, sing along to "Boom Boom Pow" 8 miles into the race, and yet still be left motivated to run as you pass the wheelchair racers that are going 9.3 miles with just their upper body. It was a hell of a time, I only wish I was old enough to enjoy the real draw of the race: free Saranac beer at the end of the race! I grabbed 12 or so Vitamin Waters and was content.

Now onto my next goal: the half-marathon. I'm pretty excited, because it sounds like my family is going to be able to make it to watch me run. It'll be a great way to end a long summer of training. But in the meantime, I'm traveling down to NYC next Friday to pick up my visa (long story) and the weekend after that I'm going out to Cape Cod with a bunch of friends that I'm living with senior year. Should be an exciting couple of weeks to bring me to August, and before I know it, it'll be...Au revoir USA, Bonjour France.

See, I'm learning.

Au revoir,
Justin