I am on a trip to a conference in Iowa. Despite all of my expectation, I like this place (Iowa City).

I flew to the airport in Cedar Rapids (Iowa City doesn't have an airport), and I drove down here. The drive is only about 20 miles, which is how far you are from the airport if you live in central Atlanta (in the suburbs, you may be much farther). When I picked up my rental car, I saw a big green spot on the map of my GPS, and since my afternoon was free, I just picked a spot in the middle of the green, and I told the GPS to get me there. Half an hour later I was standing in front of an information table in the Lake Macbride State Park. I found nobody in the park, not even in the park office, and what was slightly more troubling, I found no water fountain or tap. I am always worried that I might be dehydrated after flying, but I decided to start my run anyway. I was planning to do only 6.25 miles.

I ran on the north sore of this beautiful lake. The area was a mix of wildreness and rural farmland. The lake and its direct vicinity was wild, with some natural (and restored) praire. That used to be the landscape all over Iowa. But you could see the farmlands and houses quite close to the trail. The trail was in great condition, just hilly enough that you can't call it totally flat. The temperature was 66 F (partly cloudy skies), and I enjoyed myself so much that I felt disappointed when I had to turn around at 3.2 miles into the run. I say "I had to", because I had no water, so I could not go any further without risking dehydration.

At one point, in a bay, I saw something on the surface of the water that looked like dirt. Ducks were swimming in it, and out of curiosity, I went down to the beach to check is out. I almost fell when I realized that I was ICE. Broken up, melting tables of ice. We haven't had freezing temperatures in Louisville for many weeks, so I was so totally surprised. Later, I saw another sign of the long and harsh Iowa winter: a patch of snow on the bottom of a ditch. At the end I realized that the mud on the trail was also probably from melting snow, and winter has just ended in this part of the country.

I returned to my car feeling great, and I already started to make plans on how to get out here on another day during the conference, and how to talk to other people into coming out here to run. I should have known that it was only the runner's high that made me think it would be possible... People sometimes envy me that I travel to many places over the World, but they don't realize that at the end, I spend most of my time in a windowless conference center.

I arrived to my hotel almost too early, and I went to bed quite early that evening. I slept 12 hours and woke up at 6:45. I had a big breakfast, then I laced up my shoes, and went for another run. This time I was in the city, and the night before, on the web page of this city, I found a bike path all the way to the campus of the University of Iowa (the place of the conference). I decided to do my run there. I was planning on running 8 miles anyway.

I was disappointed to realize that it was a concrete path. Asphalt is so much easier on the joints. The builders either meant to build a bike path, or they didn't know that runners don't like concrete. On the top of it, I always bring one of my old running shoes to travel, because I don't want to risk losing or ruining a newer shoe. The path was still very nice as it ran by a creek in a seemingly natural forest. Iowa City seems like a very bicycle friendly city. I got lost a few times, actually before I reached the woods, because the path had many branches and the signage was not good at all. A friendly guy, who was about to take his kid to school, helped me out. (He was on his driveway when I ran through his neighborhood, right after loosing the path.)

I finished the run with 8.38 miles, and I got back to my hotel just in time to have a shower and pack my stuff before I had to check out. I was moving to another hotel downtown, where I could not get a room for the first night. This is whene I'm now. Today I'm not running, I will just get exhausted from work. I'd been running for 11 days in a row, so my body may appriaciate the break and my mind may appreciate the work. :)

Tomorrow my flight leaves at 4:45, so I should be at the aiport at 3:45. The conference is over at noon, so I should have enough time to get a long run in in the state park again. I only have a 7-miler left on my plan for this week, but if I feel good and the time/weather cooperates, I migh do as much as 10 miles (and maybe take some credit for next week).