Remember that shot? Yeah… that was last fall. That was also the last time that I was fit. Training was so easy last year with the Nike+ device, because I would just login every morning and my training program would tell me how far to run and how fast to go. Since I have switched over to the Garmin, I have had a much more difficult time getting motivated to train. It was much easier to stay motivated when I had a little computer program putting another notch in the spreadsheet and telling me “good job” at the end of each run.

Starting yesterday, there are only 18 weeks until the Chicago marathon, and only a handful after that until NYC. If I were to run either of those today, it would probably be the most painful experience ever. Since I have been craving structure so badly, I broke down yesterday and decided to go with a Hal Higdon training program. Reagan has trained with his programs before, and so have several of my friends. So I figure that I will give it a shot. To be completely honest, I don’t need a “training program” as much as I just need a little thing to check the boxes and keep me organized. So Hal, you’re it, buddy!

From now until November 7th, Friday’s will be my only lazy days. Actually, I will probably take a lazy week after the Chicago race, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

To keep myself accountable, I’m going to start posting a Weekly Running Evaluation again (just when you thought this blog couldn’t be anymore boring, hehe). So far, the training has not gone well. I had a very bad run yesterday and today. I am currently as sloppy and ridden with extra body-blah as I have ever been. So, it’s a good thing that I’m starting now. I’m headed out of town later this week, so I might miss a few days. But, I’m sure that they will be replaced with some high-altitude cross training.

This is a bonus paragraph for those who made it all of the way through this post– Tomorrow morning I’m posting the biggest giveaway so far, on JNB. If you are into photography, or know someone who is, you might be interested in this round.

As a pretext, this post was originally penned before we left on vacation and was meant to post last Tuesday. As it turns out, I forgot to schedule it. As you have probably heard by now, GSH passed away a little over a week ago. Talk about crazy timing. Here you go:

Ok, I feel like pretty much everyone know who Gil Scott-Heron is. Also, pretty much everyone knows of Jamie XX (That is NAS in the photo with Gil, btw [not Jamie XX]). But did you know that they actually teamed up on an album? It has been a while now, but I’m still listening. I heard the title track on ISO50, and thought it was pretty cool. But, I didn’t realize that they had put out a whole album until my friend (and new neighbor) Jen clued me in. It is pretty amazing stuff. Here is one of my favorites “Ur Soul and Mine.”

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I had a chance over the weekend to throw together some of the video footage that we shot while on vacay. As I was going through it, I already missed being over there. We had such a great time. I kind of wish that I would have shot a bit more video, just so that we could properly reminisce. Anyway, here is what I came up with.

I also went back through the photos and had a chance to properly edit them (on a normal sized calibrated monitor). Here is a link to the Spain photos. Here is a link to the Paris photos.

Man, it was good to be back and see Piper over the weekend. She was super cute and in a good mood both days. We mostly just lounged around, had some shoulder rides, watched movies and snuggled. Good times.

This morning we went to Girona to visit our friend Stefanie. We were going to rent a car and drive the coast, but opted to just take the rail, since we would have had to turn in the car the same day (we fly out super early in the morning). It is a pretty awesome little town. There is stuff over there that isn’t much younger than the bible.

We had an awesome time and we are super stoked to do it again. We are equally as stoked to get home and hang out with the Pipster.

Unlike our other pad in Barca, this time we are staying in an apartment, a couple of blocks over from the first place we stayed. The view is about the same (other buildings, hahahah). I took a few slow shutter shots from our veranda.

Today we hit one of Gaudi’s more well known structures. The place was mind blowing. Unfortunately the outside of it was covered partially in scaffolding (which it apparently always is). But the inside was crazy. I could not even wrap my head around how much attention to detail went into designing every square foot of that place. The shot above is of one of the cathedral’s side doors. Below is a detail of the same door.

All of this came after a fun filled night of hanging out with friends. One of Reagan’s good friends is from Spain. She happens to be in town visiting. She came to Barcelona and stayed with us last night. We met up with some of her friends and went to a party, then dancing. It was a really good time. We met some really cool people and had a great sample of the nightlife.

Above, Reagan and friends at dinner. Below, clubbing

Tomorrow we drive up the coast to check out some castles and stuff.