Sights Seen And Unseen

Sights Seen And Unseen

I've missed out on a lot of good things the last couple weeks. Two weeks ago I didn't make it to my family reunion in Chicago. There were cousins there I haven't seen in over 20 years, and cousins I've never met...

Then yesterday I missed the Old School House Picnic, also in Chi. I missed an opportunity to see friends from high school and college I hadn't seen in years also. I also missed an opportunity to hang out with The Federation. I consider them family as well. I didn't make it to the picnic, but at least I was there in spirit:



As much as I miss Chi, it just aint the same without my mother there. It's still hard to go back, but at the same time, every time I go home I have a BLAST. It's something I need to accept & move on cuz I'm missing out on some go times...

So even though I didn't see my people back in Chi, I had to make the best of the situation. With that said I was determined to still have a good weekend. I didn't see my Chi-Town family, but I did see some of my old Brownco/Etrade family this past Friday!



I saw old co-workers that I hadn't seen in 3-4 years. It's really cool when you see people for the 1st time in years that you're happy to see & vice versa! It was good to catch up & reminisce about the good old days at Brown! LOL

I woke up Saturday morning feeling pretty good, but still had Chi on my mind which was nagging at me. The best way to clear my mind was to go for a run. Running (outdoors) is 1 of the best ways for me to clear my mind & relieve stress. So I decided to hit Bayshore.



What I like about Bayshore is being around the others doing their thing and having fun doing it. You always see something new almost everytime.



It has rained a lot in Tampa this week so the grass was a little greener (and thicker) on my running path:





I'm still not officially training, but I'm still having some good quality workouts. I decided to run 8-10 miles this morning, depending on how I felt.

Now how I felt I wasn't sure about because I did party the night before! I had a DELICIOUS cheeseburger, FOUR Long Island Iced Teas, and a mystery shot. What was the shot? Hellifino. Someone bought a round of shots. I HAD to partake! lol

I have to be honest about my diet. I do eat healthy, but I also like to eat my junk food, chocolate, and drink socially from time to time. I could easily omit that from the blog, but I'm just gonna keep it real! :)

With that said, I knew I'd probably suffer today, but I wasn't going to push it. Just a nice leisurly run. I also made a point to get out there early to beat the heat.

It was hot today, but not as hot as it normally is. There was a slight breeze and a little cloud cover. I started out slow to get the kinks out and see how my body would react after the previous night's activities! lol It usually takes me about 5 minutes or so to tell if I'll have a good workout, and it turns out I was feeling pretty good.

I was having a pretty good run, and It didn't take long to get a runner's high. (Or was it the Long Islands?? LOL) I was just cruising along enjoying the sights. It was high tide and I saw 2 dolphins in the distance. One day I'll catch them closer to the shore & get some pics of them...

In addition to the dolphins, I saw some other cool unexpected sights. Bayshore is in a high class neigborhood, full of million dollar mansions. It's nothing to see new Mercedes, Lexus, Porsche,and BMW's cruising along. You'll even see Rolls Royce & Benltey's out there too. But this time I saw quite a few classic cars as I was jogging along. I didn't think much of it, then I saw where they were going. A car show!

I'm a car nut. Love cars. Hot rods, luxury cars, sports cars, and classic cars. I just HAD to stop and snap a couple quick pics!





I came up on this 30 minutes into my run. I was hot & sweaty, so I didn't stay long. I literally walked by the outside of the car show, snapped some quick pics and kept it moving!




This just another reason I like running outdoors. You never know what you'll stumble up on!



I ran for 93 minutes today, but truth be told, I'm not sure how far I ran. I was just enjoying the day, and actually had a great run. I was still bummed about not going home and seeing my friends, family, and The Federation, but I did see some old co-workers who I consider friends also.

I may not see my Chi-Town peeps as much as I'd like/should, so I have to stay in touch other ways. Thank goodness for Facebook, unlimited texts, and free weekend minutes! lol A cousin I haven't talked to in 20 years called me. I'm looking forward to catching up with him. That's gonna be a long call! lol

I think I'll have 1 more "easy" workout week before I take it to the next level and get ready for my 2nd half ironman of the season. I'm injury free and anxious to start training.

But before I do, I think I want 1 more week of eating some good junk food! I see a Double Quarter Pounder w/cheese large fry, and chocolate shake in my near future!lol

Thanks for reading! Till next time, peace!