4 Miles @ Folly Beach

Last night we drove down to Folly Beach, a small island community just below Charleston, SC. We stopped at Carrabba's in Columbia for dinner on the way. We're here because Gerri is speaking at the SC EMS Leadership Conference today. The conference comped her room, which make the decision pretty easy.

We stayed on the 6th floor, Oceanside, at the Holiday Inn. It was nice to sleep with the door opened and the sounds of the surf crashing against the beach. The cooler temps were also a nice change. I set my alarm for 7:15, but woke just prior to sunrise. I laid in bed listening to the surf as the sun brought everything to life. What a terrific way to start the day.

Gerri and I eventually got out of bed and headed out for a nice 4 miler. She must have been feeling pretty good because she set a steady 10 minute pace. After my poor 4 miler on Tuesday, the increased pace appeared to help me find my stride. I finished the last mile strong and was happy with a 9:53 average pace.

We grabbed some coffee and sat by the pool for a few minutes, then walked over to the Folly Beach Pier. Something about being at the beach just helps to ease the tension of everyday life. We got back to the room to shower and then got a phone call from my very upset daughter, Chelsea. She was calling from school (she's a senior at Boiling Springs) to let me know that her purse was stolen at the end of 1st block. Money, drivers licence, car keys, you name it. She was even more upset because she was supposed to be driving down to meet us in Myrtle Beach after school. Luckily I got a call an hour or so later saying that the purse had been recovered and nothing was missing. My heart that was aching for her, could get back to the relaxation phase.

We wandered up the street, found the Lost Dog Cafe and settled in for lunch. WOW! This small little local restaurant did not disappoint. I had a Black Bean Burger with Mango Chutney which was to die for. Gerri had a turkey wrap with pesto that was equally as good.

We wandered back to the hotel, and killed some time. Gerri is now doing her presentation and I'm waiting for her to get done. We'll be leaving here to drive to North Myrtle Beach for the next three days with family. Unfortunately, Heather will not be joining us because she found out yesterday that she has mono.

Heading to Hard Rock Park Friday and then a 10 mile run on Saturday morning followed by watching the Alabama vs. Arkansas game. Should be an interesting weekend.