So it's been a while since I have been back in Rhode Island.  Since graduation I have only been back for 2 days and it was over the summer.  My trip back this time, however, was for twice as long and right in the heart of cross country season.  You know how cross country has its own feel?  Its own smell?  Well I am sure that everyone who runs has their own nostalgic senses associated with cross country season.  Mine happen to be the feelings you get in late fall in Rhode Island.

Anyways, my first order of business while back was to visit Bishop Hendricken High.  I've know about BH for a while since we would run past their kids while I was training at Brown from time to time.  I also had the privilege to run with and against some of Hendricken's alums with mixed results.  So needless to say, I was excited to get out their and see what makes them tick.  

My first order of business was driving out to Warwick RI and meeting the team.  I got a little nervous at first, though, because as I pulled into the parking lot the team had me park my truck right in front of a Dell's frozen lemonade truck.  Now for those of you not familiar with Dells, as I was unfamiliar when I went to school, people from Rhody really like this stuff.  It is exactly what it it claims to be.  Frozen lemonade.  It isn't like lemonade flavored slush with too much sugar or anything, it is like mostly frozen lemonade.  Anyways, what I am trying to say is, this was some stiff competition.  Lucky for me I had some, metaphorically speaking, big guns to break out and show/give to the kids.  Nike had just delivered to me several hundred posters with the intention of giving me something to give out so that every kid from this point on that I visit gets at least something.  Giving away bags and stuff for trivia was still cool, but no one child is left behind from free schwag.  

After the butterflies in my stomach from the narrowly avoided battle with the Dell's guy settle the team hammers, and I mean hammers, me on a 7 mile run.  The team has been doing this thing every thursday where they negative split their runs.  "Cool," I say.  It was the longest short 7 miler I have ever run in my life.  We went out pretty chill then closed in close to my 5k pr.  It was stellar.  After I attempted to regain some of my pride watching the guys do abbs we went back to my truck and watched some old NTN footage and did some trivia.  All in all it was a great day.  I didn't get shown up by the Dell's guy, I gave out tons of free stuff and I got in a good hard run.  Very productive.  

Now back to Providence to start setting up for the Brown Invite.