Dancing in the Rain

Well, well, well. It's almost April and I haven't posted since... well, you can tell. It's been a crazy spring, and I feel like I'm just now getting back into a routine that involves actual life/work balance.

Our digital arts and humanities festival, CHAT, turned out to be quite the feat--toward the end, I was putting in 60-70 hour work weeks. The experience really was priceless: the skills developed, the experience gained... the lessons learned. But, I am VERY happy to be back to a normal 40-hour work week. Here are some grim life stats of what life looked like between January 1st and the end of CHAT (Feb. 20):

- I spent time with friends outside of work just TWO times. That's right. In 7 weeks, I saw friends socially twice. *shakes head in disbelief* (To be fair, I work with one of my closest friends, so it's not as if I was anti-social or isolated during this time!)

- I exercised... um. I think once. Maybe twice. Does walking 4 minutes to my car twice a day count?

- I listened to the Twilight and New Moon soundtracks, combined into one playlist, an estimated 8 hours a day. At least.

- I was pretty much eating three meals a day at work (M-F), which typically resulted in me buying 1-2 meals a day from local restaurants, the prepackaged food section in grocery stores, or Chick-Fil-A.

I think it's good to remember and recall those stats, so I never let it happen again. I don't know how much I could have changed, even knowing what I know now, but I have to believe I could survive a work experience like this with my "self" more intact at the end than it was this time.

It has been fantastic to get back into a normal routine. I'm reading again; keeping my apartment much, much cleaner; catching up with friends, slowly but surely; and making exercise and cooking meals a priority. I spent a fantastic week in Palm Beach with a good friend from college, and I got back in touch with my less responsible side. It's good to do that now and again. :)

Probably needless to say, but the half-marathon did not happen on Saturday, March 26. I did manage to run about 3 miles that day. Not too shabby considering it was the third time I've tried running since Thanksgiving break.

So, enough looking back. Moving forward, life is all about living it to the fullest now. Keeping up with friends, with exercise, with errands, tasks and chores at home. Using the knowledge I acquired during CHAT to be better at my job.

It's about grinning when cheesy songs like Keisha's "Tik Tok" play, even when I'm about to collapse during a run, and driving with the windows down and wind in my hair whenever the weather permits. Catching up with friends, and being a better friend. Increasing my commitment as an SPCA volunteer, and maybe picking up another volunteer gig that involves working with humans.

I couldn't resist buying a magnet from T.J. Maxx recently. It just spoke to me, and I'm making a conscious effort to keep it in mind as I continue to reclaim my life:

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

In With the New

The last day of the year seems like a good time to reflect on my some goals for the new year, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to jot down some thoughts. My post today is also partially motivated by my desire to get this blog back up and running. (Ha, appropriate choice of words!) See, I've signed up to train for another half-marathon at the end of March. More on that to come, but I plan to once again chronicle my journey to 13.1 to, as they say, keep myself honest. :)

2009 was a big year: I found a lot of confidence and enjoyment at my job; I ran my first half-marathon ever; I actually stayed put in one place for more than a year; my family expanded with the addition of my first nephew, Jack (one of the greatest joys in my life); and much, much more.

There were some weaker points, too. Once the half-marathon was over, I struggled to maintain a good running routine, and by the time the holidays rolled around, my fitness routine was non-existent. I'm still struggling to find my work/life balance, mostly because I'm still working on the "life" part of it--developing hobbies, fighting my introvert tendencies, branching out to meet new people. Although I love my job and recognize that it's an incredible opportunity for me to grow and develop, I'm easily distracted trying to imagine what my "career path" is--where will I be in five years? Ten? I can't quite visualize.

And, lately, I've been feeling restless. Am I living the life I want to be living? Is this the place I want to make my home? Am I cut out for a desk job, or could I be happy with something less knowledge-driven and more hands-on? (I have visions of moving to British Columbia and working at a wilderness camp or something like that.) Of course, I know that these are all things in my control. So, 2010 will be a year of living in the now and taking full advantage of what surrounds me, while also doing a little bit of soul-searching to see whether it might be time for me to move on.

I've started reading "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," and I have confidence that it will help guide me through some of this process. At any rate, I'm sure my blog will weave in threads of that conversation while it chronicles my running life once again.

So, I'm setting three areas for improvement for 2010:

1. Fitness: Train for and complete a half-marathon at a pace equal to or faster than my last, and keep up a running routine throughout the year. Round out fitness with yoga and or strength training. Most importantly, have fun.
   
2. Finances: Saving money is a major priority for me this year. With several trips I'd like to take, a digital SLR camera I'd like to buy, and an impending car purchase, I'm going to need to have as much money set aside as possible.
3. "Life": By this, I mean the "life" part of the work/life balance. Meeting new people, exploring new hobbies, maybe adding another volunteer gig. Just making sure that I can reflect with satisfaction on the way I'm spending my time outside of work.

To wrap up my very introspective posting now and end on a dreamy, optimistic note, I'll end with a quote from one of my favorite books, Anne of the Island:

"Oh, there's another bend in the road...," answered Anne lightly. "I've no idea what may be around it--I don't want to have. It's nicer not to know."

A Little Bit of Perspective

Greetings! It's been many months since I posted... With the change in season and the start of my 28th year on this planet, I decided a little accountability for my running and health would be a good thing. Hence, the first post back since I ran a half-marathon in May.

My goal for this summer was always just to maintain some level of running. I've sort of done this. I'm still running 3-3.5 miles a few times a week, but long runs are a thing of the past right now, and I'm still struggling to find a routine that works for me.

During the week, I've been setting my alarm for about 5:15am in the hope that I can get out the door for a run by 6am. So, my alarm goes off (three of them actually: buzzer alarm, CD player with dance tunes plays in my bathroom, and two alarms on my phone). I repeatedly stumble out of bed to my dresser to snooze my alarm, I have become a pro at ignoring my CD player, and I thrust an arm to my nightstand and squeeze every button I touch until I manage to snooze my phone. And the result is that I don't have time to run before work. One week (my birthday week) I ran four mornings. This past week? Um, not at all.

And here's an example of how my last two Saturday mornings have gone: I set my alarm for 7:30 or so, planning on running at 8:30 or so, so I have time to shower and eat breakfast before 10:30, when I leave to volunteer at the SPCA. But, it's about 8:30 before I roll out of bed, then 9:15 before I get my running clothes on... then 9:30 comes around, and I'm still here... then I start calculating whether I have enough time to run and shower before I volunteer, and I spend so much time calculating whether I have time to run that I run out of time. I end up changing out of my running clothes, eating breakfast, then rolling on out to volunteer (and I'm usually a few minutes late anyway).

Finally, tonight at 7:30pm, after spending most the afternoon on the couch, I realized I needed to stop making excuses and get my butt out the door. It may have gotten dark 10 minutes after I got outside, and I felt like I was going to have to walk a couple of times on this 3.5 mile run, but I pushed through it. I didn't cut any corners from my route, and I didn't walk. On the hills, I imagined myself doing the warrior pose in yoga--I focused on the determination and focus that pose requires, and I used that same drive to get up the hill.

And as I finished the last half-mile of my run, feeling great, I realized that I have become the QUEEN of excuses not to run. "It's been a long week. I should sleep in." "I'm sore from yoga. I need to rest." "It's too dark (never mind the fact that the first two months I trained for the half, it was dark in the a.m.)." "If I run tonight, I'll try to run again in 12 hours, and that's not good. I'll be too tired."

Um, hello!? I realized tonight that I worry more about the harm that will arise from running twice in 12 hours (oh, the horror... running 6-8 miles in 24 hours. Puh-lease.) than I worry about 5 days--or 120 hours!!--with only walks to and from my car for physical activity. (Which is what I did this week.) Yikes!

So with the realization that the biggest obstacle to my success as a runner is myself, I'm hereby recommitting to my half-marathon training schedule. My goal isn't to rush through it in 11 or 12 weeks. This time, I want to take my time with it, feel comfortable at my long run before I move up. I promise myself that even if I don't feel like running, I'll go for a walk to my local park (less than a mile away) and do some lunges and other strength moves. I pledge to use those long days at work when I feel too tired to run as the very reason that I need to go move around and get some exercise, running or not. And, I will do my best to chronicle what I know will be a fun and satisfying journey, here in this blog.

Excuses, be gone. It's time for some action.

The Journey Completed: From 3 to 13.1 in 11 Weeks

(Blog written Saturday, May 2, after the race)

It's official! This morning, in High Point, NC, I finished my first half-marathon! What an experience. I'm so glad that Kelly was there to share this experience with me: we had a good time.

We got to High Point yesterday around 5 or so and checked into our hotel, the High Point Hotel. The great news is that, without really realizing I'd done it, the hotel I'd booked for us was a block away from the race start/finish, which took a huge stress off of us knowing that we were so close to where we needed to be. In fact, we could see the finish area from our hotel window!

After a nice carbolicious pasta dinner, we headed back to get ready for the morning and get a good night's sleep. Knowing that our alarm would sound at 5 a.m., we managed to turn the lights off at 9:30 (halfway through a good episode of “What Not to Wear”).

After some confusion figuring out how to turn off the hotel’s alarm (hey, it was early), we ate good breakfasts (bagels and coffee!) then headed down to the start/finish area to pick up our race packets. That's when it really hit me what we were about to do. There were many runners picking up their packets (which included our race number and a timing chip that we tied to our shoes), and there was a great buzz in the air.

Pinning on my racing number bib felt pretty official (#1537). (Although, I do have to say, it was slightly disconcerting to write on the back of my bib my name, allergies, weight and emergency contact in the event of the worst-case scenario.) In addition to our numbers and timing chips, we also got goody bags with shirts, hats, pain medications, and a few other fun running knick-knacks.

Around 6:40 or so, Kelly and I dropped our bags off back in our hotel room, used the restroom one last time, then headed down to the start line! There were at least 1,000 people running the marathon or half-marathon (which started at the same time and ran together for the first 7-8 miles). Kelly and I agreed before the race to run at our own paces, so within the first quarter mile or so we had split.

At first, I worried about other runners--who was passing me? Who was I passing? I tried hard not to let others influence my pace, since I knew slow and steady would be my best option. I absolutely refused to let myself look behind me to see who was there: I didn’t want the race to be about anyone else but me.

Very quickly, though, I realized that running is the great equalizer. It's amazing. I got passed by women who weighed probably 50 pounds more than me, by men and women who were 30-40 years older than me. I passed men and women my age or younger who looked really muscular and fit. In running, appearances mean nothing. Age, gender, apparent fitness--these are all completely inaccurate predictors of pace.

Once I realized that, it was much easier for me to settle down and enjoy the race. The first half of the race, I felt amazing and strong, and I maintained a good pace--about a 10- or 11-minute mile. The course was pretty hilly, but I was impressed (if I may so myself) at my body's ability to power up most of the hills at a good pace.

We had a lot of support throughout the race from volunteers, police and locals, all of whom cheered us on as we ran past. At one house, the residents had a hose shooting a stream of water into the road for us to run through (which I loved), and on one steep hill a truck blared "Eye of the Tiger" for us as we ran past. The encouragement definitely helped.

The second half of the race, particularly around miles 8-10 were the hardest. Mentally, I started questioning myself. My breathing felt very strong, but my legs started to tire. Toward the end of the run, my calves felt ridiculously tight, and I ended up walking much more than I had the first half. (The first half, I probably walked 3-4 minutes total.) It was only when I saw the marathon 23 mile sign (our 10 mile marker) that I began to feel like I could get through this.

The greatest moments of the race came in the last half-mile. When our hotel came into sight, I gained a whole new surge of energy. In front of our hotel, Kelly was waiting to grab a picture of me. As I turned the last corner of the race, a huge crowd was waiting to cheer runners on to the finish. To be honest, I'm not sure how many.

My eyes were focused on one thing, and one thing only: the "Finish" sign hanging in front of me. I began to sprint. As I drew the near the finish line, the emotion of it all hit me, and I began to choke up and my eyes filled with tears at my sense of accomplishment. I could hardly breathe and had to force myself to gulp in air. A joyous feeling I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

I finished. I crossed the line at about 2 hours and 25 minutes. Not a record-breaking time by any stretch, but it was a good pace: 11:18 minutes/mile, much better than the pace I'd trained at.

As expected, I felt very sore when I'd finished. Right past the finish line, volunteers placed medals over our heads (shaped like armchairs in honor of the furniture industry in High Point). The organizers had water, oranges, bananas and breads waiting for us so that we could replenish our fluids and nutrients. Kelly and I met up and stretched for a little bit before grabbing "lunch" (at 9:45 am)--Subway sandwiches, cheese and cookies.

Amazingly, not too long after we ate, we started seeing marathoners coming in--less than 3 hours after the start. (Somehow I don't think I'll ever reach that level of running, but it's certainly inspiring.) We chatted with another runner who also finished the half-marathon and had previously run marathons. I do think a marathon is on the horizon for me (it is, after all, on My Life List). But I’m going to get a few more half-marathons under my belt first.

First and foremost, I’m just going to relax and really enjoy running. I’m going to have fun running hills and doing sprints and other non-long-distance runs to build up my pace. I’ll keep up long runs on the weekends, but instead of the 8-10 mile range, I’ll focus on the 5-7 mile range. It’s going to be fabulous.

So, here I am, having completed my first half-marathon. Very sore and tight, getting ready to soak in a lavender mineral salt bath and take a nap soon... very soon. For now, I’m just going to sit here and re-live those last 30 seconds: the feeling like I was flying across the pavement, the finish line banner beckoning to me, the crowd cheering, and the joy of completing a challenge.

A journey of 13.1 miles begins with many, many steps

All right... it's been ages since I've posted, which means my blog has not quite accomplished my initial goal of tracking my training progress. The half-marathon is 1 day and 14 hours away from starting (!), but hopefully it's not too late for me to provide an uber-quick recap of my last month of training by focusing on my long runs. And, if nothing else, at least I'll be able to capture my sentiments pre-race!

Let's go back to April 5... my first ever 8-mile run. I met up with Kelly (my race buddy!) at Bond Park in Cary. I mapped out a route that was supposed to be 4 miles. "Supposed to" being the operative phrase. We started off at a good pace and about 25 minutes later had finished the route. We set off at a good pace... but not that good. Clearly the route was closer to 2 miles. (Note, too, that the route itself was not ideal as it involved running through a wooded path filled with tree roots, quick inclines and declines, and lots of mud.) Lost for a plan, we decided to just keep running around other paths at the park.

My stamina that day was awful, and I soon had to resort to walking breaks as I began to experience cramping. I felt awful for Kelly, because she clearly was at a faster running pace than me, so I felt like I was holding her back. Bless her for sticking it out with me! We ended up jogging for about 1 hour and 40 minutes total, which I later figured was about 7.5 miles or so. All in all, it was a very discouraging experience for me.

The following weekend was Easter, and I was heading out of town to Charlotte, so I opted to complete an 8-mile run Friday morning. This time, the run went great. I had to walk a little, but my overall pace was better, and I actually felt good by the time I'd finished. This was definitely a key confidence builder for me... and a much-needed one. I'm still unsure what the key to my success was, but it just worked out.

April 19 was my 9-mile run... again, not a great experience. Like my first attempt at 8 miles, I experienced more cramping than normal (there's always some, but I can normally run through it), and I walked more than I would've liked. It took me more than two hours to complete the nine miles--more than a 13 minute/mile pace.

This all led up to last weekend, my last long run before the half-marathon, a 10-mile challenge. This time, I decided to do a "trial run" of the half-marathon by trying to replicate everything as closely as possible. Instead of my normal Sunday run, I planned to run at 7am on Saturday (the half will take place at 7am this Saturday) before my SPCA volunteering at 11am.

I got up at 5am to eat a bagel with cream cheese, drink a small cup of coffee, and hydrate with some water. You may remember/know that I gave up coffee in the fall, but aftering reading that it's a great performance enhancer, I decided to give it a go. I also opted to carry a water bottle with me, which I viewed as close to race conditions because there will be water stations along the way, and I took along a packet of some crazy carbohydrate energizing fluid (chocolate flavor... hmm). I wore the exact outfit I plan to wear for the race to make sure I wouldn't have any wardrobe malfunctions. (I look kind of ridiculous in this outfit... a grey running skort, white tank and white baseball cap... preppy, but it works.)

My run went really well. I finished at a 12 minute/mile pace (a great improvement!), and I walked significantly less than prior runs. I had stretches of feeling amazing and strong--I actually felt like this whole race thing could be a fun experience. It was a great boost. I still had some pretty rough cramping but worked through it. Overall, my body held out just fine. (And I got through the race in part by spending a great deal of time planning my wedding, something I've really never considered in detail at all... hey, it worked to keep my mind off running. Never mind that I'm not even dating anyone now. My dress is going to be beautiful and very classic.) ;-)

So, how do I feel? Right now, I'm honestly trying to not think about it too much or too closely. I could think about my pattern of good run followed by bad run in recent weeks... but I'm choosing to believe that the water/gel pack/food combo boosted my performance last week and will do the same this week, plus I'll have race-day adrenaline pumping to carry me through those last 3.1 miles.

My stomach is already in knots, and even as I type this, my foot is fidgeting wildly, and I can feel my heart pumping a little faster. But all I can do it breathe deeply, focus on how far I've come (I mean, really people, I could hardly run three miles 12 weeks ago), and hold on for the ride.

I'm very fortunate to have great supporters here. My friends Marty and Jeanine from work wrote me the sweetest card for encouragement and gave me a gift card to Starbucks along with a commemorative mug that I'll be able to decorate with things from my race (my number, finishing time, etc.)--a special way to commemorate this occasion. They're the greatest.

Tomorrow, I'll start the day with a very gentle, 1.5 mile jog just to get loosened up, then spend the morning pulling together my race supplies to take to High Point, NC. (Incidentally, here is the race site: http://www.ncmarathon.org/.) Kelly and I will head out tomorrow afternoon and spend the night in a hotel so we can be well-rested before our 7am race start. By 10am, it should be (God willing) all over. We'll grab some food, shower, and head home... with a very significant 13.1 miles under our belts.

I don't want to wax too melodramatic before the race has even happened, but I do want to record that this truly is one of the best gifts I've given myself. Committing to and completing the training program has changed me. In some way, I feel like if I can do this, I can do anything I put my mind to. Yoda's expression "Do or do not... there is no try" has become my mantra. And I just can't wait to see what that will look like for me in the coming months. But, I can worry about that later. First, I have 13.1 miles to go.

Of Geese and Rain

Well, friends, it's been a while since I've posted (yet again), so I'll focus on highlights again this time...

First, things have been going really well with the training runs! I've been running about a 12-minute mile pace, but last week I found my pace picking up.

My great accomplishment was my Sunday run (two Sundays ago) in the pouring rain at 40 degree temperatures--brrrr! That said, it was definitely my triumph thus far. Allow me to explain...

I decided for my first "official" 6-mile run to head back to Shelley Lake, a 2-mile loop around an (obviously) tiny lake in Raleigh. This was the site of my first real training run after I decided to train for a half-marathon, a 4-mile attempt with one of the women's running groups in Raleigh. That first attempt was dismal: I ended up walking at least half of it and felt like I was completely out of my league, and I even contemplated switching to training for a 10K instead of the half after it.

This time, a month or so later, I not only ran the full 6 miles (in the cold, pouring rain, I'll reiterate) but I managed to do it at an 11-minute mile pace. It was glorious. I was soaked to my undergarments and shivering with enormous goosebumps by the time I made it back to my car, but I felt amazing. What a triumph! (I may have lost a cell phone to the downpour, but I gained a huge chunk of confidence with this run.)

Two days later, I managed 4 miles (at 6am, thank you very much) at a 10-minute mile pace!! I know it's likely my race pace will be slower than that, but it's helping me look forward to running some shorter runs at faster paces after the big race. (At this point, my goal is to finish the half in May, then spend the summer working on 5K and 10K runs... and training for another half in the fall.)

I've started running without any music, which I think is helping my pace. I focus on keeping my breathing even and find it easier to get into a mental zone that way, whereas with music I try to run with the music's beat, which isn't always ideal. I enjoy the silence, too, and I'm finding it very therapeutic this way. I compose some great blogs while I'm running, if only I could record my thoughts and transcribe them after it would be perfect! During my Shelley Lake run, I amused myself with mental blogs about the geese that crowd one section of the path--I'm always a little nervous they'll go on the offensive ("Geese survival tip #1 for runners: run past them gingerly, and avoid flapping your arms about"). So, I'll keep my iPod with me for now as a safety blanket, but I think this is my new strategy.

And, a quick update on my trip to Florida. I didn't stick to my training schedule, but I did manage to squeak out two quick runs Thursday and Friday mornings--about 2-2.5 miles total. (Plus, I did some strength training on Friday, from which I'm still a little sore!) The first day was ROUGH, I think because of the humidity. The second day? Not so bad. I was just proud of myself for getting outof bed for 8am runs on my vacation. It was a good sign of future things to come for my lifestyle changes.

The bad news? I got three hours of sleep Saturday night (between nerves over the early a.m. flight and having to get up at 3am for the flight). As a result, I felt a little queasy and generally off on Sunday, so I didn't run then, and I took tonight (Monday) to finish settling back in and take care of paperwork. (The good news: I was only supposed to run a 5K on Sunday, so I didn't miss a long run.)

I'm a little nervous for my 4.5 mile run tomorrow morning, given the break I took, but I'm just going to go for it. If I walk for a minute or two, I walk. I just need to focus on building up to this weekend's long run: 7 miles!! (Which will officially be the longest distance I have ever run at once. Yay!)

Okay, time to sign off and get some sleep for my a.m. run! Keep active, y'all!

Runs, Lessons and Laughter

It’s been a while since I last blogged—life has been busy! There’s so much to write, but I’ll have to be selective about what goes here so this post isn’t ridiculously long.

Here are some highlights: I’ve managed to complete both of my long runs this weekend and last (5 miles). Actually, I figured out today that my route is closer to 6 miles.

Last week, I got a little lost and ended up wandering through a neighborhood of very, very fancy homes. This week, I reversed my route and was able to find the correct path. However, this path changed my route from more of an oval shape to a B shape. That’s right. “B.”

This makes me feel better about my pace, which is slow, but would be VERY slow if I was running 5 instead of 6 miles. And, while we’re on the topic of my route, can I just pose the question: How is it possible that one running route could have so many steep and low-grade hills when you run it both ways? Both times I’ve had moderate and prolonged moments of pure torture with these hills, and I’m learning that running one direction is not any easier than the other. Ah well. Better training for me, right?

Since my last posting, I’ve also realized that I can no longer run at the gym on the treadmill. Running on the treadmill has become torture. (Hm, second time I’ve used that word this posting.) Seriously, I hit about 1.5 or 2 miles on the treadmill and want to curl up in a ball and lay there, gasping for breath. Outside, it’s tough, but I can push through those moments to run 3.5 or 5 or 6 miles. Running outside, I even have moments of pure joy—my breath comes easily, my body feels strong but loose, and I feel like I would run forever if it always felt that good.

I realized last weekend after my first 5 mile run that I hadn’t run that distance since my last 10K: 2005 in Scotland, almost 4 years exactly. In fact, I really hadn’t run much more than 3 miles (if that) since then. Sure, I’d done interval training on the treadmill that brought me to 4 miles, but never a full, steady run. It was a great moment.

(Side note: DANG. The UNC/Duke game is on, and one our players just landed on another guy who was on the floor—came down right on his groin area with his foot. OUCH.)

Anyhow. Here a few things I’m learning:

• Strength training is key. Pushing up those hills is hard work that requires intensely engaging my legs and butt, and even just being able to run for more than 2 hours straight is going to require really strong legs and arms (strong arms will help propel me when I get tired).
• A good workout iPod mix is a blessing. I’ve been able to push through many a hill with the right song. Today, I finished my workout (uphill, of course) to Foo Fighters “Hero”—perfect.
• I need to purchase a fancy baseball hat that has ventilation and will wick the sweat away. Otherwise, my hat makes me feel like I’m going to overheat. And I like that the hat keeps away rain, sweat and sun. Speaking of which...
• Judging by the brown freckles that cropped up on my face during my run today (they didn’t look so hot for a while, but they seem to have tamed down a bit now), I need to invest in some really good sweat-proof sunscreen for my face. My daily SPF 15 lotion just won’t cut it.

And, to close, here are some things that, had you told me in December or early January, I would have outright laughed at you:

• I’d be training for a half-marathon.
• I’d be sticking to a half-marathon training program, making my schedule fit the program instead of making excuses for missing days. (Okay, well, except for the snow day. But I didn’t even open my front door that entire day to step outside. It was treacherous out there.)
• I’d be getting up at 5:15 in the morning to run before work.
• I’d wear spandex while I ran (knee-length “running tights”).
• I’d wear spandex while I ran in public, in broad daylight.

’Nuff said. I’ll post again soon!