running parallels

This morning at 5am I stared bleary-eyed at the GMaps Pedometer website as I tried to quickly create a 10 mile running route. A few clicks later I had created a course that would fit the bill. I loaded up a bottle of Cytomax and stumbled onto the Denver streets. It turned out to be a great run, and it marked the beginning of a new workout program for me. The streets were still asleep, and I was able to greet the new day. Of course, as I was running I was comparing it to my regular 10 mile route in Durham. Here are some things I noticed:

First the differences...

• There was a fresh half inch of snow covering the streets. If I was in Durham, the grocery stores would have been sold out of water and non-perishables and the city would have been in lockdown mode. Here in Denver, it appeared to be business as usual.
• It was 17 degrees this morning. I'm not sure if the thermometers in the Southeast even read temperatures that low. It reminded me of training for my first marathon six years ago in Michigan. During that winter, 17 degrees felt balmy.
  
• The route here was close to pancake flat. The Durham route had some hills.
  
• The number of parks and playgrounds I passed today was remarkable. Junie is in for some treats.
• In Durham, 3 of the 10 miles were through the woods. No woods here.
• I passed 2 lakes in Wash Park (how do the ducks tolerate sitting in water when it's so cold?). Not much water to be seen on my Durham route.
• It was overcast this morning, but in the future I think I'll be able to glimpse the mountains in the distance. No mountains to be seen in Durham.
  

And some similarities...

• In Durham, I'd regularly run past Duke Chapel. About a mile into today's route, I passed the John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization (houses the Archdiocese of Denver Pastoral Center, the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary, and the Archbishop Vehr Theological Library). The Duke Chapel certainly takes the cake for awe inspiring beauty, but the campus and tower at the John Paul II Center isn't half bad.
• In Durham, I'd run through DU (Duke University). Today I ran through DU (Denver University).
• In Durham, my 10 mile route took me around a golf course (Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club -- 18 holes). Today's route also took me past a golf course (Harvard Gulch Golf Course -- 9 holes, par 3)
  

After the run, we headed to Mass. Junie couldn't have been better. She listened, used a "whisper voice," and was always ready to say "Amen!" You should hear her say the Hail Mary and the Our Father. It's too much.

From church we headed out to brunch with Mike, Jenny, and Emmett at a very popular restaurant, Lucile's Creole Cafe. Despite an enormous waiting list for seating, we had our table within minutes; Lucile's has a policy of seating pregnant women immediately-- genius!

After brunch, we drove down the street to the world's largest model train store, Caboose Hobbies. Needless to say, June was well entertained.

Soon we were back home for a family nap. So far, so good. Not bad, Denver.