Kevin: Day 3854

Day 3854. So.... I had a baby. And a new streak of daily unbridled attention to Serafina Maria Rapp has taken over my life, sine her arrival on June 1st, 2018. It's been amazing. She is sweet, smart, adorable, you name it; she's got it. Such a ridiculously proud dad. 

As with many things in life there are trade offs. With the baby, my trade off has been taking part in any activities past 7pm on most nights. The streak has survived and I am more thankful for it than ever. Distances have been abysmal, BUT... after acquiring a BOB jogging stroller for $100 on Craigslist 2 weeks ago... there is hope. Serafina loves going out on runs and the weather is getting warmer. Dad is about to get back in shape. 

I've started to do some Facebook Live videos for our wine company and was about to say maybe I'll do some videos for the blog. But... mid type I thought to myself; ehhh... I mean, maybe I'll do a video here and there, but who am I kidding? This is my first blog post since last May! It's April!!!

Oh man. I often say to myself, you can do it. You can get back to blogging everyday. And then, almost a year goes by without blogging. Not without running though! I have one neighbor, Jordan, who doesn't believe me. He loves asking me like a second and third time in a row with his head cocked to the side making semi-extreme eye contact, "Come on... have you really never missed a day???". Yes, Jordan, it's really only 1.5 miles. 

Anyhow, today Serafina and I went for a quick 2.3 miles or so into The Truxton Circle area near 1229 New Jersey Ave NW. Decent trot in a light drizzle. 

9 dogs

2.3 miles down

Kevin: Day 3527

Day 3527. There is definitely one home on my street acting as a base for dealing drugs. I alerted detectives in early April. Maybe the cops are observing and trying to dig deeper into the operation. Or... maybe there just doing nothing. On the days that the house is open for business, it is clear by the parade of sketchy individuals who park in front of my house, walk a few doors down, go inside the drug house, return, and drive away within 10-15 minutes. 

Our new neighbors are renters and installed security cameras on the front and back of the house. They also removed the back door and installed a new one. Totally normal......

This morning I ran west on U Street for a bit and then across town to the Georgetown waterfront. I called my friend, Tommy, one of our wine producers. I wanted to record a quick Facetime video with him, a Q&A about one of his wines. We talked for a bit, and scheduled a chat for tomorrow. 

Pretty tired. 

8.3 miles down 

15 dogs

Kevin: Day 3524

Day 3524. Good run this morning. Somewhere in the 13 miles range. Needed it. 

Long runs are magical. It's the combination of the literal physical results with the psychological satisfaction from the accomplishment. No matter how many times I go for an 8 plus miler, the enjoyment never dissipates. 

The streak has been solid as of late, but nothing to write home about. The past few days I have been aiming to get up at 5am for my runs, but have messed up due to alarm problems or simple laziness. When a habit or pattern hasn't been set in stone, it can be s difficult to get it started. Especially when it comes to perceived short term pleasure; whether that be indulging in food, tobacco, excess alcohol, or... in this case, a few extra minutes of shut eye. 

The key, easier said than done, in all of these areas; is engraining in yourself the ability to understand in these individual, short lived moments of weakness, that they will pass. And, if you don't give in, most of the time; you're better off. I have seldom regretted waking up early and heading out for a 5:00am run. Yet, it's not always so easy to convince myself at 5:00am that I'll be happy I got up from my warm cozy bed. 

13.4 miles down

19 dogs

Kevin: Day 3283

Day 3283. Started the morning with a call to AAA, for an injured beast. Yes, our beloved 1997 Dodge Ram 3500 12 Passenger Cargo Van, had some mechanical issues. The towing company gave me a 45 minute or so window, which I used for a quick jaunt down towards the White House. 

I was exhausted this morning, after a long day with friends at FedEx Field, which culminated in an 0-1 start to the season, and a strong sun burn on my face, particularly on my temples. Strong burn. But, in a few days, it'll look great, right?

Nothing tremendous to report, but the legs and lungs do feel solid at the outset of year 10. That extra mile is so important. If you can just push yourself to go for another mile or another 10 minutes, it makes all the difference. A lot of times, after I have pushed for that extra mile, I find the flood gates open, and I go for several more. I yearned for a long run today, but... had to cut it short to meet the tow truck driver. 

If I had only known... the tow truck driver would arrive and say that the lift on his tow truck was malfunctioning. He said he would call in another driver. An hour later when I called AAA, they said a call to another driver had not been placed and they would reach out to another company. 4 hours later, the Beast was off to the shop. Fortunately, the initial diagnosis points to a minor injury, and the Beast may be back on the road as early as tomorrow afternoon! YESSSSS!

3.2 miles down

8 dogs. 

Kevin: Day 3278

Day 3278. That's 9 years, folks. 19 to go. The year 2036 seems infinitely closer and more attainable than it did 9 years ago, not that I have ever had any major doubts throughout the streak. Though I have more doubts today, than I did on Day 1. 

I'm getting older. My body doesn't recover the same way it did in 2008. I have long stretches where I just get in the minimum 1.5 miles. And then, something will change and I'll be back to 5-10 miles a day averages. It's astonishing, the difference in my overall well being when I am on a good stretch of long runs vs short ones. It's like night and day. 

The streak has become very routine. Whereas once it was a focul point of my life, now it's just a small blip on the radar screen. I didn't even recall at the outset of today's run that it was my streak anniversary. But once I did, it brought a smile to my face. Milestones are great for perspective. 

11.9 miles

17 dogs

Kevin: Day 3061

Day 3061. When you run everyday little tasks are occasionally woven in. A stop at an ATM, dropping a letter off in a US Mail Box, returning a friend's cookware, and often a quick pop-in to the local grocery store. Today, the last little task, was on the agenda. We needed milk. It's funny when you grab a gallon of milk, continue your run with said milk in-hand, and then literally run into a friend or acquaintance. That seems to usually happen. You look weird, but is it really that weird? 

I enjoy bumping into friends on my runs, and it happens very often. Yesterday morning I ran into my wife's co-worker. Sunday I ran into a friend who had just returned from his first swim lesson with his newborn. Today, I ran into two people, one of which was a friend who lived in the same apartment complex as me in 2005, in Florence, Italy. 

Great way to get the day going. 

As I side note, I saw 2 hawks today at different locations on my run. I also saw one last Thursday outside my house. This is unusual inside of the city in Washington, DC. I feel as if there might be some secret rat animal control program that is releasing hawks in DC....

5.9 miles down

6 dogs

Kevin: Day 3060

Day 3060. Super exhausted. And it's only 9:45pm. The decent distance streak continues. My legs are incredibly tight and sore, especially at the end of the day. It's not unbearable, but a massage would be remarkable right now. 

Ran to The Washington Monument yesterday and around 14th Street and Dupont this morning. the business is evolving. We're growing in knowledge and presence. Tonight was potentially a big night. We've yet to bring on any spirits. We were sent and tasted a craft bourbon out of Kentucky, this evening. It's very nice. Nicole is thrilled. I have a good feeling about it too. Time will tell. 

3.8 miles down

8 dogs

Kevin: Day 3052

Day 3052. Where do I begin? That was the most captivating, raucous, tension-filled weekend I have experienced in my life. There have been moments and events in my past that were enormous in their effect on society, like 9/11; but the largest of these moments have been unifying. I hope when all is said and done, this election, these tensions, this animosity turns into understanding. 

This isn't just about the election. I think that is where people go off on the deep end a bit. This is about women in society in general. Women are underpaid. Women are under appreciated. Women are desperately seeking out equality. If this was just about the election, and everything else was fine; there would not have been 500,000 people marching on our National Mall. This was the tipping point.

Let's look at the positive here. Women aren't afraid to stand up. And I know that sounds simple and naive on the initial read. However, when you dig deeper into that sentiment, you realize; in the past 30 years and well before that, women have been fearful to speak up. Women are still scared to voice their real concerns for unprovoked mistreatment that they experience in our country every single day. Because more often than the majority of us men fully realize, when women do stand up, their real issues and words fall on deaf ears. The people they are voicing their concerns to either don't care, are scared to act, or will find a way to punish them for standing up. It's not always easy to provide literal proof of mistreatment. Even incredibly wrong and immoral actions can be nearly impossible to prove. 

Throughout the course of my life, being a feminist, has been frowned upon. Largely in part because the individuals controlling our country, our businesses, our society, have been males that don't get it. 

And I would be lying if I said I always get it. I don't. I'm a man. I don't face the same struggles that women do. But, that doesn't give me a free pass. It just makes me ignorant. It makes me apathetic. It makes me ashamed of myself. When I say I believe that women deserve to be treated equally to men in every way possible, I mean it. But that meaning loses it's value when I know that discrimination exists, yet I stand on the sidelines twiddling my thumbs. 

So thank you to all of the women out there, for kicking me in my ass. I feel terrible. And I deserve to, until I join with you in a tangible way. 

6.2 miles down

2 dogs