Indiana RunBlog

I just got back to the hotel after a 12 hour nightshift at the cement plant in the middle of nowhere, Indiana. I’m tired, but a little run would probably be good for me to release the stresses of the night and help me sleep while it’s light outside. It’s also a good idea to get out of the room long enough for it to be clean when I return. So, two or three miles should be perfect.

I chose a direction on the main highway, it just happens to be the opposite direction of the cement plant, and start running. About a half mile away I decide to turn onto Longtree Ln, a nice country road and gets me off the main highway. One of the few things I enjoy about being in the middle of nowhere, Indiana, is the country roads with the little houses and the front porches where I envision an elderly couple sipping lemonade in the summer or the killer in a slasher movie chasing his prey.

The next street I come to is called High Street Road. No kidding. It’s both a street and a road. Since I’m trying to reach my runners high I decide this is a great streetroad to be on. Then I come to Broadripple St. and think I have run here (when I looked on a map it was just called No. Co. Rd. 450 E but I saw the street sign so I’m calling it Broadripple). So now that I’ve found my runners high on Broadripple, I’m looking for more fun street names. I come across Waterfront Road and wonder if I’ve reached the ocean already or if there is a magical hidden lake but then I saw the muddy river and a scene from Deliverance jumps into my head so I stay on Broadripple. Next I see Brainsway Rd and think this will certainly make me smarter but when I get closer I realize that I misread Briansway and that’s not nearly as educational. As I continue on Broadripple I come to a barn with two bulls that stare me down – I stare them back. I get the impression I’m the highlight of their day. Realizing I’m more than two miles from my hotel, I decide to make it a five mile roundtrip. That should give my room enough time to be cleaned when I get back (it didn’t).

Also on my mind during this run are my girlfriend, Jill, and her mom who are participating today in the Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk in San Diego in memory of my dad. I wish I could be there. As always, I encourage everybody to donate the Lung Cancer Alliance, or your favorite charity. You can also check out DesCon Sports Memorabilia (www.shopdescon.com), where we give 10% of our profits to the Lung Cancer Alliance.

As I write this it is after 10am so I need to get some sleep. Another long night shift looms.