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Watching the Superbowl in North Carolina

Great start to the second half of the Superbowl! I’m watching it from my hotel bed in Lincolnton, NC, after watching the first half at Mike’s house. He was kind to invite me over and enjoy the game with his family and friends. Lots of nice treats and I managed to stuff myself.

Today’s trip was about as perfect as they come. I was very nervous yesterday, with the reports of airport closures all over the Northeast. Looks like the snowstorm stayed away from both Chicago and Charlotte. Both flights were on time and arrived early.

The second leg (from Chicago to Charlotte) was particularly enjoyable, since I managed to upgrade to first class. To make it even better, the guy across the aisle from me looked familiar. When I saw him read a book on running, there was little doubt. Unfortunately, a woman to my right was blocking us, so I never had an opportunity to introduce myself.

As we left the airplane, I had to chase him down. Sure enough, it was Joe Friel, the well-respected triathlon coach and author. I’ve been a big fan of his ever since I started racing, and have used his training methods to improve every year. I admit that I was a bit start struck. Cool moment!