Kevin: Day 9/10220

Gameday. Normally I would be headed to watch the Skins run wild on the Saints, but today I have the pleasure of coaching my 75lb Pony B's at 12:45. Great re-scheduling job....

I decided today to knock out 50 push ups right off the bat. I hit the road and got in a quick 1.5 + miles.  I have to leave for my game soon and still need to update my fantasy line ups. Starting Tim Hightower?

I saw two dogs today. I also went to Gonzaga.

Kevin: Day 8/10220

Saturday morning jogging, the best...

I woke up this morning around 6:30. I was kind of half awake and then I heard my phone vibrating its ass off on the wood bed side table. I had received a text message from a good friend in Cleveland. Guess there's not much to do there. I got up around 8 and drove home.

At 8:30 I was at the door, on the floor, completing 25 measly push ups. NBD. Just seconds later in my blue bike to the beach tee and black Nike shorts, I was back on the pavement. I thought it was going to rain today, but no. It was gorgeous. There were plenty of people out. Saturday morning joggers are serious yet happy and plentiful.

My jog took me into the heart of Bethesda. Today I elected to hit the Capital Crescent Trail. I took the path that goes underneath Wisconsin Ave. towards Connecticut. I received a text message from Zach half-way through the tunnel and stopped to respond. While I was texting away a BCC cheerleader in full uni came bolting by in a dead sprint. I couldn't let her get away with that so I quickly finished texting and sprinted past her. After I knew she had bit the dust I slowed down a bit. Then bam! a dad with his jogging stroller passed me at a blistering pace. Sadly, I could not keep up.

I arrived at the intersection of the trail and Connecticut Avenue at Chevy Chase Lake and headed back up Connecticut towards home. Today I noticed a few things. One. People are getting lazy about mowing their lawns. This must happen at the end of most summers. I myself was super stoked in spring to get out and mow the lawn, but now am guilty of lawn mowing procrastination.

Two. My dream house is for sale. 3911 Bradley Blvd.

When I got back home I hit the floor for 30 more push ups.

I saw 9 dogs today. TBC

Zach: Day 3 of 10220

    Still sweating from the two mile run along Pawleys Island that I just completed.  Today is a big day.  A wise man named Jay Laura once told me that you develop habits over the course of three days.  Well this is Day 3 so it shold be habitual by now.  I admit that I did not get as early a start as I would have liked.  I overslept a little, but that was remedied when I got a text from Kev this morningaround 9:00.  I immediately arose from my slumber and threw on my khaki Columbia swim trunks, and a yellow Sam's Corner cut off t-shirt.  I then proceeded to bang out 25 perfect pushups.  I can start to feel those burning in the pecs.

   I hopped in the Avenger and began my drive to Pawleys Island, all the way listening to my new Vampire Weekend CD.  Great Band!  They're playing in the District the weekend of the skins-giants game.  If you're in the DC area you should check em out.  I have to get my music fix on the ride because I have chosen to never purchase an ipod.  That is someting that will most likely change in the very near future.

   I began my run at the town hall/police department which is located in a building on the marsh about the size of my apartment.  As soon as I started today I felt like I was surrounded by people, at least compared to my two previous days, which have both been afternoon runs.  The only fellow runner I encountered on today's journey was a great shirtless old guy who looked kinda like Pauley from the Sopranos(lots of white chest hair).  I wonder if he's been running everyday for the last 28 years?  As I began my run down the marsh I passed three guys atop a roof.  I tried to say hello, but they couldnt hear me over their boombox, which was blaring Brad Paisley's hit song, "Alcohol".  I then turned the corner, ran to the northern most part of the island, and then turned around to begin my trek back to the car.  On the way back I encountered four little girls on bicycles with training wheels who I chose not to address, as well as a nice older black lady wearing a bandanna who saw me and shouted "Alright!"  Today's run was fairly basic, but enjoyable, and even though my legs are sore, the runs seem to be getting easier.  When I got home I had no choice but to do 27 more push-ups just to one up Kevin. 

   Tommorrow is Day 4 and will be a new challenge in and of itself.  Running on gameday is when you know you are truly commmitted. It will no doubt be an early morning run.  I can't wait to get to Columbia and see Leah the barber.  What a great lady!  I'm off.  Don't forget to pack your tennis shoes.

Kevin: Day 7/10220

Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz , time to run! I awake and toss on an old school cotton ash grey Gamecocks tee, black Adidas shorts w/ white trim, one short black sock, one long white sock, and white Nike shocks. I have a new roommate as of last night. His name is Spanky. He is a red eared slider. What is a red eared slider? A water turtle. I have one.

6 am. It is really dark when I wake up and I don't want to bother Spanky too much so I bumble around for a bit. I use my ipod as a light to navigate around my room and out into the hallway. We have 4 couches in the TV room right outside my door, two of them are occupied. One by a babe, one by a dude. I do not say hello. They are sleeping. My ipod guides me to the front door. Once outside I pop my headphones in. "Mi amor" by the Gypsy Kings is playing. Motivated by this, I hit the pavement for 25 solid push ups. As I take off for run 7/10220 an ambulance screams by on Wisconsin Avenue . Red alert, it's Friday!

I feel pretty damn good from the outset of the jog. There are a lot of cars on the road, but few joggers. I will see no fellow joggers this morning. I do see 3 or 4 people who got up to speed walk. "I'm gonna get up this morning and walk as fast as I can!!!" I respect that.

What I do not respect is that these people are not friendly. I try to make eye contact or at least get an acknowledging head nod, but nothing. They are focused. One foot in front of the other as fast as possible without crossing into the realm of running. Committed to excellence.

I meander my way past Barnes & Noble and hang a right at McCormick and Schmick's. I swing by McDonald's, the smell is intoxicating. When I get home I hit the sidewalk and do my second set of push ups. This time I do 26. I head in the door and notice the dude from the couch is up. It is young Mikey. He is cold. I grab him a tiger stripe pattern blanket. He is warm.

I saw two dogs today.

Zach: Day 2 of 10,220

       Ahhhh...What a great day for run.  I was going to go for a sunset run, but for the last two days I find myself growing more excited about the next 27 years and 363 days, and I am unable to contain my urge run at least a mile and a half.  This leads to spontaneous runs at random times throughout the day.   However, tommorrow I will be going for an early morning run, because I am going to Charleston in the afternoon to pick up John Stafford Brinson III so we can head to Columbia to watch the cocks beat Georgia.

     I had just gotten back from getting the worst haircut of my life when i decided to go for today's run.  FYI:  Don't ever get an $11 haircut from a guy in his sixties named Jerry that has dragon tatooed on forearm.  I should have known better.  That's what I get for committing barber treason.  I had to call and schedule an appointment for tommorrow with Leah down at King's Row so she can straighten out Jerry's mess.  I decided to go with the Columbia khaki swimsuit and khaki Sam's Corner shirt for today's run.  My goal is to become a sort of running billboard.  It can't hurt my business.

   I started my car's odometer at the south end of Pawleys Island and began driving north.  I found out that it is exactly 1.4 miles from the south end of the island to the tiny church where my friend Bob is getting married.  So I parked the car, got out, and began day 2 of the journey.  It was about 4:30 in the afternoon and hotter than hell.  Pawleys Island is bordered on one side by marsh and on the other by the Atlantic Ocean.  I started on the marsh side, which accounted for the majority of the run.  Today's run was very eventful, with alot more human interaction than yesterday.  I got a couple of waves from people passing by in their cars (always encouraging), and I saw an old man catch a fish.  All I could think about toward the end of the run was the how hot it was, but then out of nowhere I spotted the stop sign where I had started my odometer.  I immediately began to pick up the pace, and when I hit the stop sign I rounded the corner and the ocean breeze hit me in the face.  It was kind of like that movie, "Chariots of Fire",  I just kicked my head back, caught my second wind and ran what I estimate to be about another half a mile.  So I think my run total for the day was roughly two miles.

    After my run I did a little cool down walk back to the church where I parked the car.  On the way I passed three middle aged women riding around on beachcruiser bikes, one of which was a blue bicycle named Sunflower.  Coincidentally the lady had on sunflower flip flops and an all blue outfit.  They were all smilling and seemed to be having a wonderful time.  I stopped and walked out to one of the long marshwalks on Pawleys Island and completed my second set of 25 pushups(I did 25 perfect pushups before I left the house), and then I got up and ran back to the car. 

     The more I think about this great 28 year run the more I think it might be one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life.  I've told several of my friends about it, and most of them laugh and think I'm an idiot, but their have been a few that say they wish they could be so committed to a goal.  I tell them that they can be that committed, but I need to show them through action.  I won't let those few down, and I will show the naysayers that it can be done.  Never stop running.  Go Cocks!!!

Kevin: Day 6/10220

Hello again, and welcome to ALL of you first time visitors. The journey continues. Only 10,214 days to go.

This morning I was woken at 5:45 by my cell phone alarm, which I silenced twice before getting out of bed. Once up, I hit the floor and enjoyed 25 fantastic push ups. I slept fairly well, besides being awoken sometime during the night by my roommates. They were celebrating, and rightfully so. They won the DC intramural softball championship for the entire city last night. Their MASSIVE trophy was on the coffee table in our T.V. room this morning. Congrats gang!

I elected to go with a long sleeve white Adidas micro mesh shirt, blue Adidas pants w/ white trim, white bandanna, black ankle socks, and white Nike shocks. (please endorse me) Today was a relatively slow paced romp through Bethesda. It was nice and cool baby, but after about 5 minutes I regretted the long sleeves brother. There were few joggers to be found, but nevertheless I received a terrific head nod, wave, and "Good Morning" combo from one fellow. My chest was surprisingly sore from my 50 push ups yesterday. It has been quite awhile since I worked out the old pecs. I couldn't help but smile and I even laughed out loud at a few points during my jog. It's only day 6 and I'm thinking to myself, "Can this really be done." I know everyone else is thinking, "there's no way in hell he's going to do it." I figure the further along I get the more I have to lose. I can't wait to hit the "one month" mark.

I tackled 25 more push ups, decent form with my head up for about 20/25 upon returning to the concrete palace. I saw no dogs this morning.

Zach: Day 1 of 10220

   I'm a hotdog maker by trade.  So naturally I was in the middle of the lunch rush making a a few footlong hotdogs for some guys that just got off the course,  but my mind was consumed by the task at hand.  Today is the first day of the next 28 years.  As soon as the rush died down I ran to my apartment above the restaurant to prepare.  I started with 25 perfect push-ups. 

   The first day was an all black affair.  I was wearing my black Sam's Corner T-Shirt.   I then threw on my black gamecock shorts and and ran out the door to my car.  I could already feel the South Carolina heat beating down on me during my drive to my destination. I have to drive elsewhere to run because I live above my restaurant which is located on a major highway.  I arrived at Litchfield by the Sea shortly after 1:00 pm.  I got a good stretch in and began my journey along the 3.1 mile path that zig zags through the resort neighborhood.   The great thing about coastal South Carolina is the abundance natural scenery.  My run took me along the salt marsh where I could smell the pluff mud and witnessed wildlife ranging from diving pelicans to soaring ospreys.  The scenery was beautiful, the smell of the marsh was potent, and the humidity was brutal. 

   I unlike Kevin have not been running 4 days a week for the last 5 years.  Running is something that I do with little frequency so I wanted to test myself on the first day.  I'm in better shape than I originally thought, because I completed the 3.1 miles, but I have to admit that I was winded upon completion.  I got some relief from the humidity on the last leg of my run when it started to rain.  This was no doubt the big guy upstairs lending a helping hand, and offering his endorsement for our 28 year venture.  When I got home I did 25 more pushups, and so this begins the great 28 year run.   TBC....

Kevin: Day 5 of 10220

I woke up at around 6 am to my cell phone alarm. My room was dark and cold. I grabbed a white bike to the beach t-shirt, white bandanna, and blue shorts. I tied up my sneaks and grabbed my ipod.

Before Heading out the door I banged out 25 push ups, leaving 25 to go.

It was dark and chilly outside. The sun still hadn't come up. There was also a slight drizzle. My legs, particularly my lefty knee felt a little tight, seeing as I went for two runs yesterday. Probably about 8-9 miles total.

This all Started last Saturday, September 6th, 2008 after watching an episode of hard knocks. The Dallas Cowboy's offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's dad claimed on the show that he has run every day for the past 28 years. I have been running 3-7 days a week for the past 5 years. Most of my runs are in the 4-8 mile range, so I figured I could probably run 1.5 miles 7 days a week 365 days a year, for 28 years too. 

There were a surprisingly large number of joggers out this morning. I ran from My house on Wisconsin Avenue up to Bradley and then headed down Connecticut Avenue for awhile. I must of seen at least 15-20 joggers. Most of them had on reflective safety vests. There's an interesting difference between early morning jogs and afternoon/evening jogs. Almost everyone who you pass says hello or good morning. I love it.

When I got back to the Bradley/Connecticut intersection I had to wait at the light to cross. So I banged out another 25 push ups on the sidewalk.

The streak, as I've been calling it, has just begun, but I feel it will be a success. The only thing that could get in my way is injury. If it takes hopping 1.5 miles on one leg at some point to keep the streak alive I will. My good buddy R.Z. Baker has joined me on this quest. I'm glad to have a partner in crime, even if he is all the way in South Carolina. It will be fun to jog with him when we see each other next.