Based in a necessity to return to Charlottesville, VA and pick up my belongings, this was my schedule for the 72 hrs that followed the Texas Relays Mile:

- Cross the finish line
- Long cool down/Icebath
- 2 1/2hr. Drive to Houston
- Drinks with the family
- Bed
- Church at 7am
- 2 hr. long run
- Flight to Philly
- Get delayed in Philly
- Flight to Richmond (arrive at 2 a.m.)
- 1 hr. drive to Cville
- Sleep for 4 hrs.
- 45 min run
- Pack and load truck for 5 hrs.
- Depart Cville in Uhaul truck
- Drive for 13 hrs. non-stop (through snow/sleet/rain)
- Pull over in Tuscaloosa for 3 hr. "nap" in the truck in a Hotel parking lot
- Drive another 5 hrs.
- 40 min. run on University of Southern Mississippi Campus (nice run!)
- Drive another 5 hrs.
- Arrive in Houston
- 1 hr. run at dusk
- Unload truck into garage
- BREATHE and RELAX!!!

Key points and tips from my long road trip ...
1. I anticipated the long drive and slept heavily on both flights.  I was so out of it, that the stewardesses made comments as I deplaned BOTH flights!!!
2. I'm very thankful for my roommate Michael picking me up in Richmond, even after I got so delayed.
3. It takes a LOT longer to load a truck than it does to unload ...
4. The key to driving straight through without stopping for anything but gas is to be prepared.  You have a large truck cab, so fully stock it with:
     - Non-refrigerated, easily eaten foods such as trail mix, apples, bananas, bagels, peanut butter, etc.
     - Outlet adapter, an already measured and filled coffee pot, and a coffee mug.  The smell of coffee brewing in the cab is enough to keep you awake, but a warm cup when its snowing outside is simply indescribable.
     - LOTS of water and Gatorade bottles!  Good for hydration/energy and then double as a toilet when finished!
     - Good tunes courtesy of my loving girlfriend!
     - Pillow and blanket for "nap" (although could have used more since it was snowing outside and the cab got REALLY COLD)
     - Change of clothes and a toothbrush for gas station restrooms while fueling up
     - Phone charger and iPod charger.
     - Gnarly cowboy hat and sunflower seeds to get yourself in the trucker mood.
5. Mid-drive runs are key to staying energized and seeing new places.  The University of Southern Mississippi (home of Brett Favre) happened to be in the perfect spot for one of these runs and I was pleasantly surprised by the campus.  Mississippi surprised me all around actually.  Alabama (Roll Tide) was beautiful country, so when I first got into Mississippi, I was a little disappointed (other than saying M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I over and over and over again), but that soon changed.  The welcoming center was VERY WELCOMING and even offered to make me bfast.  Then after the nice run at Southern Miss along the Rails to Trails path, all of a sudden I felt very comfortable in the Dirty South.
6. Louisiana was flooded like crazy.  I almost felt bad pointing it out after the Katrina tragedy, but this was far north of New Orleans and it was REALLY BAD!  There is definitely the need for civil engineers in that state ...
7. The last leg of the trip was the worst and, of course, I arrived in Houston just in time for 5 o'clock traffic!  I spent the last 2 hrs. of my trip within the Houston city limits ... ugh.
8. The smell that continuously gets worse along the way from 48 hrs. without a shower, packing, 2 runs, and being closed up in a truck cab is something that needs to simply be accepted ... I stunk when I got to Houston ...
9. The run at the end of the trip was less scenic than the ones along the way, but was sort of a relief because it was the last thing I had to do before I could just sit down and RELAX with family, friends, and my significant other ... glorious!

Phew ... glad thats done and GLAD to be back in TEXAS!!!