ex(PR)essed

Greetings from Meadville! Instead of writing this post from my office on the third floor of Old Main, I am writing from the computer in my childhood bedroom at my parent’s house. Jeff and I just came back from a bit of a bike ride, and we’re showering and such before we embark on our second vacation day. Vacation is great!

Jeff completed the Erie marathon on Sunday. That in and of itself is a remarkable accomplishment. It was 79 degrees at 5:30 a.m. when we left for Erie. The humidity was extremely high, and it was shaping up to be a hot, humid day. Not at all what he had anticipated for a marathon in mid-September in the coolest part of Pennsylvania.

My mom and I viewed the course from our bikes…a great way to see a marathon! We first saw Jeff around mile 3, and he, and all the other runners, were already totally soaked with sweat. By mile 4, Jeff had ditched his shirt, and I was riding around with an extra couple of pounds of sweaty shirt tied around my mountain bike. He plugged along though and seemed to keep a good pace considering the conditions.

By the second lap around Presque Isle, everyone had slowed…Jeff included. We were just so glad to see him come across the finish line without being dehydrated or in terrible discomfort. Much like last year after the Harrisburg Marathon, he has recovered like a champ! We spent yesterday walking around the outlets at Grove City, and he did great. We even got some Christmas shopping done.

Today we’re just bumming around Meadville and planning our traditional trek out to see the ducks walk on the fish. Tomorrow we leave for New York.

To all my cute friends at Messiah: I hope this week is treating you well. I miss you!