My Ode to Lincoln & We Adopted.....

Ok, I know that title grabbed the attention of at least one or two people ;p

I was notified yesterday that my application to adopt a US soldier had been accepted and I received the name and brief story about "my" soldier. I am the proud "adopted supporter" of a US Navy Officer. I am already considering a second "adoption" as I feel pretty strongly that the troops need us now more than ever. I may not support WHY they are there, but I do support THEM and we cannot let their sacrifice go unnoticed. For too long we have taken them for granted. If you are interested....it is free and there is no commitment other than getting in touch with your soldier either via e-mail or post.

http://www.adoptaussoldier.org/

In typical fashion I had another rousing conversation with myself during a run. This time it was about running in Lincoln. I have been pretty lucky to have found at least 5 or 6 different running routes that net me anywhere from 3-20+ miles. It's decent terrain with rolling hills and I have to say, it's pretty nice. However to appreciate where I am running now I had to reminisce about places I have run.....

When I started running in EG it was "suburban running" with no real views to speak of. I would almost always recognize or know someone that drove by me. Not to mention the memories of friends who lived in different areas I ran through. It was ok, it did the job for me at the time. Back then I was running 5 miles max, so the routes were pretty short and I didn't mind being bored or trying to hide me face, since it was a quick run.

While I was in Oakland, I "city-ran" from the dorms down to Lake Merritt which put me pretty much running directly through downtown Oakland. Yes, I made friends with the transients....crazy as they are. Literally. I knew that "Charlie Brown" (I wish I knew why I named him this) would always be near the Buick dealership....usually asleep in some bushes or standing in a corner talking to himself (sad, but true). I also knew that "Crazy Mary" may or may not be fully clothed sleeping on a bench and I was careful to run light on my feet when I passed her so as not to wake her.

I've run on vacations.....Seattle, Mexico, Las Vegas and hope to run many other places. For now, I can say that I am happy and content running in Lincoln. I have good routes, I feel *mostly* safe and I get to see the clouds pile up over the Sierra's, the Sutter Buttes, and even downtown Sacramento. I certainly can't complain and do look forward to hitting the streets in good 'ol Lincoln.