Walking In Memphis

This past Friday I flew home to Memphis to attend a reception for my high school basketball coach, who had won his 1000^th game this season and was retiring. To say he is a great coach is an understatement. Not only is he a great coach, but he is also a great man. I learned many things about basketball and life from Jerry Peters. Some of my fondest memories came while playing high school basketball. It was great to see former teammates and friends from high school, some of whom I haven’t seen in 15+ years. 1000 wins is an amazing accomplishment, especially when you consider Coach Peters did it all at one school. Imagine winning 20 games each season (which many would consider a great year) for 50 YEARS IN A ROW!!! After the banquet I headed out to dinner with my parents. I don’t get to go home as often as I’d like, so I really relish any opportunity I have to spend time with my family.

(High School Glory Days - I'm #54)

(My mom and I)

I got to sleep later on Saturday than I have in a long time, which was nice since I felt like I was running on fumes for the past week or more. It was also nice to relax and be free of stress, if only for a couple days. I squeezed in a nice (weather-wise) effort on the roads near my parents’ house before meeting my bother and his family for some good ole’ Memphis BBQ (which I still think is WAY better than Texas style). After gorging myself on nachos and a BBQ plate, it was time for a nap. After my nap, I hit the pool for some leisurely reading (another endeavor I don’t get to do too often) and time hanging out with my mom. Dinner was a seafood feast (I eat well when I am home) consisting of crab legs, shrimp, potatoes, and corn. Boy was it good.

(BBQ Nachos From Germantown Commissary)

(Seafood Feast Prepared By My Mom)

On Sunday I awoke early to grab a cup of coffee before my run. I had arranged to meet a couple local trail runners, Nick Lewis and Billy Simpson, both of whom are fast and have tons of ultra running experience. Although I was born and raised in Memphis, I was never a trail runner (or a runner of any kind) during my time there and had only run one trail in the city, usually on my visits during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Nick had graciously agreed to take me out to Shelby Forest for a tour of the more technical trails Memphis had to offer. I really had a great time on the run. The trails were beautiful, wooded singletrack, with lots of short climbs and rolling hills. Aside from the occasional root (and the fear of ticks), I had not a care in the world. The run would have been much better had I not been in the early stages of a nasty head and chest cold (which I still have 2 days later) that forced me to labor in my breathing. All of that aside, I enjoyed seeing the local trails and definitely plan on going back the next time I’m home for a visit. On the way home I stopped at Republic Coffee (per Nick’s recommendation) and enjoyed a cup of Memphis’ finest java. After a late breakfast (still my favorite meal) with my parents, I hit the sack for a quick nap before heading to the pool for one last swim. Too quickly I was headed to the airport to fly back home, a flight that only made my head cold worse.

(Typical Trail At Shelby Forest)

I had a great time this past weekend. My only regret is not getting to go home more often.