Of Olympics and great weather

Love, love, love the Olympics this time. This is the first summer iteration I've experienced since I've gotten more serious about my running. Watching bodies perform at the peak of their physical abilities makes my trips to the gym for strength training that much more rewarding.

I admire the accomplishments of those who run for a living. However, my heroes are the amateur runners who pound pavement early in the morning or late in the afternoon and work full-time jobs in between. People who log miles when no one but them is keeping count. People whose greatest motivation is the feeling of being alive and in good physical health.

If I'm going to spend a post complaining about weather, I suppose I have to acknowledge these exceptional August mornings, especially compared to the 100-degree-plus days of last year. Even though I'm back at my teaching job, up and out the door before 5 a.m. for my workouts, I love the feeling of cool air on my skin. The Tomato Art Festival 5k was beautiful--my first race in East Nashville and a joy to run. Here's to a beautiful late summer in Middle Tennessee!