Sanity. Where does it come from?

I have just finished 3 solid weeks on the road, and am about to go back out for at least 2 more.  I have a lot of people ask me how I stay sane.  In fairness, I don't know that I do.  But I do like to take some "me" time and run.  I can do it anywhere, it allows me the opportunity to see places and things I would not have in a car and it gives me time to fall into a zone and just not think.  I know that has to sound insane, but it's true.  There is something completely zen about running and slowly gaining focus on the sounds of your footsteps, your cadence, your breath and not as much focus on everything else around you or the weird day you just had or what you have to do tomorrow.  It's a moment in time, when time can move as quickly or slowly as you want it to and nothing really matters.  Now, I cannot speak for other runners but for me, the first 3 miles are hell. 

 

I breathe funny, I feel everything, my brain is like a tornado tossing around all the OMG stuff of the day wondering if I handled this right, could have done that differently, or why people do what they do in general.  After that 3 miles though... bliss.

 

I run both road and trail.  I prefer trails, less vehicles and noise and much more relaxing in general.  Here are a couple of deer I ran across on Sunday, just before I found some turkeys who hauled butt to avoid the photo op.

 

 

Sometimes I get to see some amazing sunrises and sunsets.  This was a sunrise at a lake near where I live and it took my breath away.  I stood there staring in awe for a good 2 minutes before I remembered to pause my Garmin.

 

 

 

 

I sometimes run into friends on the trails; it is truly the BEST gift to be able to share a trail and the experience with a friend.  I may go into a trail without knowing a single soul that will be there and come out with new friends.  Every time, it never fails. 

 

 

Road running is just as fun and social.  I can go to an event with 1 person and leave with a few new friends.  I love when I meet people who will run either road or trail, it's nice to have a consistent group to change the scenery with.  Running with a group is amazing anyway, even if you are like me and the slowest in the group it's nice to know there are people ahead of you who know you are there and will look out for you.  It's also very motivating to run with people of different skill levels.  I have a friend who can carry a 6-7 minute pace.  Compared to my 9-10 she is a speed demon.  When I run with her I find myself running faster but focusing more on my heart rate and breathing and controlling them better.  I have another friend who carries a 12-14 minute pace, I learn stamina from her, how to go the distance without exhausting myself in the first few miles.  I am motivated and inspired by everyone I meet running.  So many different lives, stories, reasons - and they are all beautiful.

 

What about safety, right?  I mean I travel places I've never been, surely this isn't safe!

 

I DO run when I travel.  I either find running groups nearby, a contact in one of the running groups I belong to, people from work who are down for a casual couple of miles OR worst case I will run on a treadmill.  I never run outdoors alone or, on short runs, without someone knowing where I am, the route I am taking and when I will be back.  Depending on what state I am in, I may have a taser with me.  I am too paranoid to run with pepper spray or mace.  I am the kind of idiot who will be downwind and get a mouthful of the very spray meant for my attacker.  I don't typically run with headphones, you'd be shocked at how calming it is to hear everything around you but you would definitely hear a car or person coming up behind you.  If it will be dark out, I run with lights on an arm and leg and I never leave without my RoadID to identify me or contact family should I be in medical distress.  Then there are the usual precautions, keep your hair up if it's long, make eye contact with anyone you pass, and do not be afraid to scream and fight if you need to.

 

I look forward to every run I get to do - group run, 5k, 10k, half marathon, road or trail - doesn't matter, I love them all for every reason.  I learn more about myself, my friends, people in general and this world each time.  I push myself further each time than I ever thought I could and strive to do more "next time".  

 

Running makes me happy, running gives me sanity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Kansas City, MO

I've spent a great deal of time in the Kansas side of Kansas City, last week would be the first time for the Missouri side. 

 

I didn't get a lot of time to snoop around town like I would normally like to; I was traveling with a larger than normal herd this time but we did get in some good local eats so let's get to that!

 

Stroud's, where they choke their own chickens.  No, really.

The portions in this place are insane, no one should ever ingest that much fried anything in one sitting!  That said, the dinner servings and side dishes are served family style.  Not many places in this area serve sweet and unsweet tea, and Stroud's offers both!  The fried chicken and country fried chicken are really awesome.  The mashed potatoes and green beans were just like your granny used to make.  To end the meal, each person gets a piping hot cinnamon roll.  I really didn't care for these, they were like fried dough bathed in cinnamon.  Not bad, just not my thing.

 

Next, we have Smokin' Guns BBQ. 

This place is in an industrial side of town, fairly easy to navigate and find.  Be VERY careful crossing the multitude of railroad crossings, there are some intersections where there are no yield or stops for any direction - you run the risk of being annihilated by a semi truck.

Food!  The lunch portions are perfect!  I had some turkey and pork, both tender, well smoked - cooked just right.  They seem to only have 2 sauces, regular and hot.  I love hot sauce, theirs was really mild in my world.  There is a large selection of sides to choose from.  My top notables were the fried mac-n-cheese nuggets and potato salad.  You also get a pickle with your meal, and a pickle always makes a meal complete.

 

Finally, we have The Corner Cafe.  This is a bit "chainy" for me but MAN the food is awesome.  I will admit I nearly dismissed this one because the first thing you smell when you walk in the door is sugar from the pastries cabinet at the host station.  I love sweet stuff as much as the next girl, but this was a bit too much for me.  The food here was fantastic!!  The french toast was perfect, my coworker had an egg poached over medium and said it was exactly right.  The spaghetti and meatball/sausage meal was ok, a little bland but still good.  Portion sizes are perfect, not too much or too little.  Oh and they have corn nuggets... fried balls of corn goodness.  Holy deliciousness.

 

I will note here that I stayed at the Hampton Inn by Worlds of Fun.  If there's ANYTHING I have learned in these years of travel, it is not to stay in hotels near amusement parks because they are typically trashed.  This location wasn't the worst I've stayed in, but it was far from the best.  The "crowd" you get there is loud, it's right next to a highway and there's a biker bar across the street - noise is just a bit high for my liking.  Also, the air conditioning in the gym doesn't work.  It just doesn't work.  There's a remote control on the wall that management will tell you to use to adjust the temperature, but about 3 minutes after you turn it on and get back on the treadmill the ac goes out again.  Not ideal, but it was nice enough to run outside for a while so no big loss.

 

Oh, just a note for those traveling through KCI.  This airport is small and set up a little strange.  Security is at each gate or section of gates instead of the terminals.  Depending on where you are, you may or may not have access to anything other than a little convenience kiosk that is really overpriced.  I travelled on AirTran/Southwest this time, so I was fortunate enough to have access to the kiosk and a Starbucks (still overpriced).  It's very unfortunate that there are still airports that get away with price gouging like they do.  $4 for a 16oz bottle of water is robbery.  I've made more effort to carry a reusable water bottle with me to refill at water fountains to avoid the excess cost.  Some airports seem to be encouraging this, Atlanta for instance has a water bottle space above most of their fountains now to fill bottles.  This is also great when you are in an airport before concessions open or after they've closed.

 

Anyway, that's all I have today!  On to the next trip. 

 

 

 

Clarksdale, MS

Clarksdale... this was a shock to my social system.  To get here I had to fly into Memphis and drive down.  Memphis is... well, it's still Memphis.  The visible state of the area is heart sickening.  Clarksdale doesn't get much better than that, though there WERE some unexpected highlights.

 

Clarksdale is pretty much all cotton fields, with the occasional gas station and business peppered about.  While that could be boring, it is really pretty!

 

 

 

You will find a lot of stray animals in Clarksdale, and Batesville.  Dogs mostly.  We found a sweet bag of bones we named Dusty and fed him before a huge storm rolled into town.  It's crushing to see how many dogs are running around fending for themselves and the locals really don't seem to notice it at all. 

 

 

 

 

While driving from Clarksdale to Batesville we were almost hit head on by someone swerving to miss a turtle in the road.  The turtle, who I named Franklin, survived with a small cut in the bottom of his shell.  We stopped and got him out of traffic.

 

 

Let's talk about food and such, shall we?

 

Slim pickins in this area, but there are a few gems if you really look.  One notable was Ground Zero Blues Club.  It's tucked away in a small alley in downtown Clarksdale, but you really couldn't miss it - very distinct, it will catch your attention.  Walk in, park your butt and enjoy the atmosphere.  It won't take long to notice that everyone here knows each other and they either love or hate those of us who aren't locals.  One of the co-owners walked around to every table to meet and greet patrons, got our stories, where we are from what we were doing in Clarksdale.  I like that, that hospitality has become a bit rare really.  The food.  I had the fried green tomato sammich, it was freaking AWESOME.  I sincerely doubt they have a bad meal on the menu!

 

 

 

 

OH!  Worth mentioning, pretty much every where we ate in MS still allows smoking in the place.  I guess that's a state thing??

 

After you've eaten and soaked up some of the local stories, take a little stroll through the streets downtown.  It looks and feels like you've stepped back about 50 years, buildings haven't changed much and people are genuinely polite - please, thank you, ma'am and they won't let a door shut in your face. 

 

Now, my favorite part of this trip.  The Shack Up Inn.  This place IS AMAZING and something you really need to see with your own eyes, I don't think I can do it enough justice in this blog.  It's in the middle of no where, well, in the middle of some fields near or maybe even on, Hopson Plantation.  It's unique and almost majestic out on the plain and much like Ground Zero, you couldn't miss it.  It will catch your attention.  You will either find it charismatic and want to see more or horrific and run screaming about the hippies who must inhabit this compound.  Me?  I could freaking LIVE there.  History, art, musicians, beer, adults 25+ to reserve shacks  - what more could a girl ask for?

 

 

 

 

Nearby on Hopson Plantation you will find one of the first mechanized cotton pickers.  This is a HUGE piece of history for this part of the country and dramatically changed the social and economic landscape at the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the long stretch between Clarskville and Batesville (where we stayed) you will find more fields, less businesses and more charm.  I fell in love with this old church and it's cemetery located right on a piece of swamp with a lot of old cypress trees.  Hauntingly beautiful...

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you ever find yourself traveling through this part of the Delta, don't dismiss it completely as backwoods and boring.  There really are some great things hanging out here - you just need to open your eyes and your mind and take a look around.