"GREAT" is spelled D-A-V-E-'-S D-A-Y

Today has been one of the best days I've had so far at Wesleyan.  First, like I've said in my last three posts (or so it seems), my morning class was cancelled.  Thus, I slept in until 9.  I went down to the cafeteria and had a large breakfast (and by large, I mean more than fit for human consumption at one time).  I always eat large breakfasts when I have a race in the afternoon or evening, which was the case today, but I'll get to that later.

Second, my younger brother Dan (and by younger, I mean I'm older than him), along with Mitch Vandiver and Dan Zimniack (I know I spelled that wrong), both good friends from Morton High School, were in town for the Illinois State Madrigal Festival on campus at ISU.  Seeing as I had nothing to do, and they didn't either, they walked down to Wesleyan (after several unsuccessful attempts) and ate lunch with me in SAGA, the same place, if you'll remember, where I ate my large breakfast.  (That last fact has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the story, but when I throw random facts like that into the story, you, the reader will subconsciously assume that it is a small piece in the larger puzzle of a the post, kind of like a mystery novel.  Don't believe me?  Keep reading and try to NOT think that the cafeteria has something to do with the plot of this post).  After lunch, I showed them to my dorm room before walking with them back to ISU and making them late for their next required Madrigal event.  

After leaving ISU, I went and visited the Bloomington running store called "Often Running."  It's called "Often Running" because that is what reads on this big sign right above the door, so it really wouldn't make sense to call it anything else.  I went in hoping to look at several different pairs of cross country spikes to hopefully wear for Regionals next Saturday in Davenport, Iowa.  However, due to the season being almost over, they had sent back most of their CC spikes.  Seeing as I was out of luck, I tried on the only pair they had (believe it or not, they were called 'Waffles') before heading back to campus.

My afternoon was awesome because the mail went!  Normally, this wouldn't thrill me to pieces, but it did today because the music I ordered came in.  I am now the proud owner of Chopin's Waltzes and The Greatest Hits of Billy Joel for Piano and Vocals.  (I was a little more excited for the latter, but Chopin wasn't that at piano himself.)  My afternoon was thus spent whittling away at "Piano Man" and "She's Always A Woman To Me" and "Chopin's Brilliant Waltz in Ab (pronounced  AYE-FLAT, not AYE-BEE) Major.

This evening was an evening to end all evenings.  It was Illinois Weselyan's 4th Annual National Invitational 2-Mile on the track under the lights.  The purpose of the race is simply a fun inter-squad friendly competition to cap off the season.  For some of us, it's a tune-up before Regionals next Saturday, for others, it's a great way to end the season with a fast 3200.  Coach divided us guys and girls up into 4 teams.  I was on the "Rockin' Oxen" (good rock band name, or no?).  The ladies ran first, and two members of the Rockin' Oxen grabbed places 3 and 5!  Then, in the guys' race, things got fun.  In the following I will describe my race in the more detail.  If you are not a running person and are overwhelmed by such running terms like 'fartlek', you can feel free to skip it.

The race went out very fast and immediately two packs formed.  A large group of us wanted to try to go under 10,and several of those guys formed a pack and went out at sub-5 minute pace.  I was aiming for sub-10 too, but I didn't trust my speed to carry me there if I went out at sub-5.  I decided instead to go out slower and try to catch people on the 2nd mile.  Thus, I stayed behind the front pack and led a 2nd pack that went through the 800 in 2:31 and the mile in 5:05 (the fast group was between 4:45-5:00).  I had wanted to go out no slower than 5:05, so my strategy was working perfectly.  For the remaining 4 laps, I tried to pick it up at each lap.  As the guys in the front pack, I began to move up the field.  My strategy worked well, and I was able to have a good last 400 to bring me in at a 10:03.  I was 3 seconds off my goal, but I'll definitely take that time.

After the race, Coach treated us to a Monicals Pizza Scavenger Dinner.  The term "scavenger dinner" means that Coach took multiple Monicals Pizzas and spread out across the gym.  Like vultures, we flocked to the boxes and ate like scavengers until all the pizza was gone.  It was perhaps the greatest night ever.

Just so you all don't think that I wasted my day completely, I spent the last hour and half at the piano working on Beethoven, Debussy, and Gottschalk.  I hope that you will all see why my day was great, but the great thing is that the weekend is only get greater.  Tomorrow is the IHSA State Cross Country Finals at Detwiller Park.  If you're not on board, you're going to miss this awesome train of high school talent.  After the meet, I am going to spend some quality time with my family, which is always great in itself.

I think I may have set a record for my longest post yet.  Congrats if you read the whole thing.

By the way, did you find yourself thinking about my cafeteria?