Iowa City Wrap Up & Grinnell Running Recap

Iowa City Wrap Up

I had a really grand week in Iowa City.  Was blessed with a safe 55-mile run from Davenport and my body recovered quickly (lots of rest and lots of icing my tendon).

I got to share the Awake My Sole journey 16 times.  A lot of speaking, but really enjoyed every minute of it.  

On Wednesday spoke 11 times at the new Borlaug Elementary in Coralville.  

Yes, stopped by the Iowa Hawkeyes stadium.  I'm still undetermined which Iowa school I should attach myself too :)

Of course, ate at Chipotle a couple times during my stay in Iowa City.  Is the last town on the journey that has Chipotle, I will miss it greatly: Chicken burritos are the best

On Thursday evening, got to speak at the Uptown Bill's Coffee Shop.  A community neighborhood coffee shop revolving around the story of Bill Sackter.  A really cool place with really cool people.  THANKS to TOM for being so kind to me on my journey.

On Friday, I spent the day at the Iowa Mennonite School, near Kolona Iowa.  I got to speak at chapel to the all the students, then to Lee's biblical studies class and finally to the Cross Country Team.  Awesome students and faculty.  I really enjoyed my day at this school.

After speaking  all day Friday, went to a beautiful frisbee golf course.  If I lived in Iowa City, I would visit this place frequently.  Thank you Paul for bringing me here.  

Saturday, went to The Java House Coffee Shop in downtown Iowa City.  I couldn't help but take a picture of the Cuban Macchiato I ordered.  Spent the afternoon catching up on reading and just enjoying the afternoon.   

Saturday evening, in heading to HyVee to get some Cliff Bars, I had a wild hair to make my own Cliff Bars.  Thanks to google there is a recipe, So I made some blueberry Cliff bars.  Took about an hour from start to finish.  HERE is the RECIPE.   

The finished product.  FYI, they taste like CLIFF BARS, not only that but I got the satisfaction of making them myself.

Sunday morning, attended Grace Community Church.  Thought their banner was very pertinent to the Awake My Sole journey.  Got to meet the teaching pastor, Brooks and the community life director, Dan, super friendly people.

I really enjoyed my time in Iowa City.  Every week when Sunday roles around, I get this feeling of "I don't want to leave," which I think is healthy, but the Awake My Sole journey calls me to the next town.

Grinnell Running Recap

• Start Time: 3:00a 
• Finish Time: 5:30p (14.5 hours of running)
• Total Mileage: 42+ miles (stopped 22 miles short, due to mental and physical exhaustion)
• Weather: %100 humidity till about 8am, and very humid the rest of the day.  From about 11am onward there were scattered clouds.  Very hot the whole time.  
• Lots of hills, hard to push gear cart up them.  Just walking up them, would be drenched in sweat.
• After Willamsburg, it was all gravel.
• Hot, hot, hot!!!  

Leaving Iowa City at 3am in the morning.  There were no cars on the street.

Awesome pic before the sun came up.  Lots of FOG made parts of Iowa look like it had islands in the clouds.

Welcoming the sun rise. 

Anet, Andrea, Michael & Marty joining me after Williamsburg.  They ran 5-miles with me.  Each one of them got to push the gear cart.  Also, Anet ran barefoot 5-miles in the gravel.  

Thought I would try running on a LEVEL B road again.  Last time it didn't turn out so well, but this time, it was great.  

Marty and Anet found me later in the day, thanks to the GPS unit.  They brought me some freezer pops.  I used them on my face.  It felt so good.  About an hour after this pic, I decided to call it a day.

Getting a ride to my host home.  It was a long, tough day of running.  I had every desire to finish this run, but looking back I"m glad I stopped, cause I would have been seriously ill.  

Day after, Charley is resting well.