Atreyu!!!

You owe it to yourself to check out this link to Falkor, the luck dragon:
http://falkor.ytmnd.com/. (Turn on speakers for full effect). You're welcome.
In case you're truly in the dark, Falkor is a hero in "The Neverending Story," and the only way to travel in style is via luck dragon. Catch up on the full movie script here: http://www.scifiscripts.com/cartoon/never.htm. Anyway, enough... to the training log!:

M: 27-Mar (9)
15.5 min Warmup to Haverford.
33 min workout; consisting of 8X800m, 2 min rest (2:18.5, 2:21, 2:19.4, 2:18.9, 2:18.9, 2:20.0, 2:20.6, 2:19.4).
15 min cooldown. A little windy today. I clicked through this workout like a fine Swiss watch.

Picked up the parental units from the Philly airport in the afternoon, fresh from their trip to Arizona. I parked illegally on the side of the highway for a while waiting for the plane to land. I'm so naughty!

T: 28-Mar (9.5)
60.5 min, around 9.5 miles. Pretty good run, around Haverford probably.
After class, around 8pm, I hopped on a train to NYC. The trip was relatively painless, although I had to wait an interminable time for one of my subway connections. Pete was surprised to see me asleep on the floor when he got home. Must have been a dream come true.

W: 29-Mar
0. No running today, not enough time. I had to wake up early and get down to Fordham Law School. Fordham is located right by Lincoln Center, in a marvellous section of Manhattan. The day's events included a number of talks, panels, a mock class, a tour, and a nice catered lunch. I met a number of prospective students who seemed like pretty good peeps. My tour guide wan't overly enthusiastic, and seemed to be mostly in it for the free lunch. There is a definite impression that most of the students would rather be at Columbia or NYU (Note--Villanova essentially nullified my Columbia application by not sending out one of my Dean's forms. I am nauseated by their unprofessionalism). In any event, Fordham's strong points for me are their location in NYC, and their strong network of concentrated alumni. Major downsides are very high costs, and a potentially less enjoyable law school experience. The loan costs would be minor upon landing a "big law" job after graduating, but one really should be in the top 20% for this feat (risky to bank on).

I hopped the Amtrak back to Philly and made it to class just in time, as a well managed, Japanese-inspired operations and supply management chain.

R: 30-Mar (8.5)
15.5 WU
23:23 4 lap tempo run (laps in: 5:48, 5:48, 5:48, 5:56). Cut tempo a little short, as I convinced myself I'd be locked out of the house if I didn't hurry home before Tom left. I had my key, as it turns out, hidden in my normal spot. The tempo averaged under 5:20 pace.
13.5 min cooldown.

In a continuation of my busy travel week, I drove into North Philly to interview The Village, a nonprofit organization, as part of my Net Impact consulting project. Here is the introduction to my report:

"As I stepped out of my car, I overheard a man telling his neighbor how his brother was just shot the night before. This was on the outskirsts of an area of North Philadelphia known as “The Badlands,” where people are rumored to come from 100s of miles away to buy drugs. But the Village of Arts and Humanities, founded 20 years ago by Lily Yeh, is helping this neighborhood to learn and build through the arts."

And a little bit mo':

"The Village has made a profound impact on its North Philadelphia neighborhood. When Lily Yeh first embarked on the project at the request of a friend, she had only a $2500 grant to support a simple vision to clean up a barren industrial lot in a neighborhood overwhelmed by drugs. The Village, which now has over a $1 million budget, serves as a combination art school, social services agency, and economic development project. It has blossomed into a model for community building."

After a great interview, I hopped into my car and headed South, to the land of Baltimore. Luckily, the car was still there...

F: 31-Mar (11-11.5)
75 min. Got in a good run today up past Hopkins and around the reservoir at Dru Hill.

After my run, I headed further South, to Williamsburg, VA and William and Mary Law School. Stacy was disappointed that I left her behind. The drive was actually atrocious, as traffic around DC was more clogged than Ronald McDonald's aorta. Finally, I made it to my host's apartment and we were off to a welcome reception, followed by a birthday party for someone I definitely did not know, and a few bars. It was a fun night, though maybe a smidge too late. I felt very poor getting up early the next morning for a full day of W&M activities.

S: 1-Apr
0. No running.
As mentioned, I did not feel tip-top today. By mid-morning, I came around. Another day full of talks, panels, tours, and a nice lunch. I got a very good feeling from the students that I conversed with. The student body seems friendly and close, active in extracurriculars, and the quality of life seems high. Overall, my feelings for W&M were warmer than Fordham a few days earlier. Also working in W&M's favor is the generous fellowship that they have offered me. The major downside is the schools location... pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Williamsburg is a funny tourist town where people dress up as Colonial people. That actually intrigues me...

After a long day, I made the 200 mile drive back to Baltimore. Exhausted, I collapsed.

S: 2-Apr (15.5mi?)
1 hr 46 min. I managed to get in a long run today around Druid Hill Park. I added on a few minutes near the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, where a streetcar had just departed with 15 or so people on a "ride." This tour seemed pretty weak, as I was running faster than the streetcar. Oh well, bad timing I guess, for them.

Weekly Total: 54 miles, 5 days. Oops, the running slipped a little this week, but I had some important business to attend to. My achilles was actually sore, so perhaps it was for the best. I drove over 550 miles this week (not to mention travelling over 200 miles by train). Quite a dynamic week. Also, I got into Maryland Law School, but don't give them good odds.