Preparation For The USMRC

July 19th (Friday): Made myself a bowl of Oat Bran in my boxers because Goupil wasn't home (not like that makes a difference). Work 7:30am-4pm. Nonstop day because we were short staffed. Burrito mix for lunch.

Down to Clifton Park for a haircut. I hadn't received one from a barber since graduating college. I decided to pamper myself and get a clean look for the big race on the weekend (Cranmore, US Mountain Running Championships). Solid work on the dome piece. Straight razor on the neck for the 1st time. Fresh to def.

Immediately after, I swung into Sleepy's (right next door) to take a 2nd shot at mattress hunting. Worked with Don to find the right one. I left my wallet in the car to ensure I didn't put any deposits down or make any impulse purchases. Don tried real hard, but no budging here. Found the one single mattress that tickled my fancy. Left with an invoice, but no sale for Don. Over to Metro Mattress (visited the same places in the same order about 6 months ago) and checked out their selection (and obviously prices). Same guy I didn't care for much so I chatted a bit before peaced out.

Final stop was Raymour & Flanigan Furniture (last time was the less than knowledgeable guy with a limp or hitch in his step). Worked with a new guy (Greg) and he sold me on it. Checked out the same mattress and it was the cheapest price. I told him I would be in next week to followup with the purchase. We had an honest conversation and let him know I would sleep on it over the weekend (no pun intended). Focus on my racing and come back with a clear head on Monday. He responded with he works off commission and he has Monday & Thursday off. No worries.

This is what sealed the deal.  

From the parking lot. It was a sign to buy it from here.

Easy 5.5 miles (36:22) at 8:30pm on my own. Cruised right through and feeling good. More burrito mix for dinner (in a wrap this time) and a protein shake. Chilled and bed at a decent hour.

Looks gross, but so good.

July 20th (Saturday): 6:45am wakeup. Out of bed wide awake. Double serving of Oat Bran. Whipped up a couple chicken wraps for the car ride. Filled up the Nalgene bottles with Gatorade. Stocked everything up in the freezer to chill it all off while I cleaned up and packed my stuff.

Boom.

Right before I left, I ran the dishwasher. We were out of dishwasher detergent so I used dish detergent.  Wrong choice. Suds all over the floor. Resolved the situation fairly quickly with a cup of cooking oil (Googled it) and suds disappeared. After a couple towels and a trip to the grocery store to pick up the right stuff, I was on the road. Everyday you learn something new and learn from your mistakes.

Over to Madison, NH to Jim Johnson's house. 4+ hour ride that went smoothly. Devoured both of my chicken, avocado, and black/pinto beans on the ride. Arrived at DoubleJ's by 2:30ish. Out for an easy 3 miles (23:58) on my own around 4pm. Back to Jim's for some stretching, foam rolling, sticking and relaxing. Napped for about 45 minutes because it was a long day of traveling. Ian stopped by to interview a couple of the Colorado guys (Andy Wacker and Brandon Birdsong) along with Jim and I. 

Jim and I hit up the local spot for some dinner. Chicken parm sub and a small vanilla milkshake. Home to eat, chill and head to bed.

Local. Dessert.