9/8/2012

Our long drive on day one paid off yesterday, as we were able to make it to West Point by 1:00 and we had plenty of time for lunch before going on the 2:30 tour of campus. The tour was very interesting and it was fun to have Jack tell me his stories about being a cadet, oh so many years ago.

The most impressive building we saw was the non-denominational chapel. It was a beautiful old building with gorgeous stained glass windows, each one donated by a different graduating class of cadets. I would have loved to hear the pipe organ in action, it was impressive!

I also liked Trophy Point and the Battle Monument. Battle Monument was funded by regular army soldiers for their fallen comrades in the civil war through payroll deductions. It is an impressive testament to the sacrifice these men made for our nation. Payroll deductions (in the 1860s) ranged from $7 to $27 a month, or 6%of one's pay, for officers, and $1 per month for enlisted men. The single largest donation from an individual was $100.

We were lucky enough to get to see some cadets parachuting onto the parade grounds, so that was an extra treat. I feel like I got to know Jack a little better yesterday, as he regaled me with all of his West Point stories.

Yesterday was another reasonable food day. I estimate that I ate 1593 calories. I forgot to tell our waitress at breakfast no butter on my toast, so I didn't eat any toast for breakfast. Lunch was a grilled chicken salad and dinner was sole stuffed with lobster and crab. I try to find high protein options on the menu that are not fried and don't have any breading. The sole was a good choice, though I know there was a little breading holding the stuffing together. The biggest disappointment was that it was swimming in butter. As soon as I received my meal I rescued the fish from the pool of butter and set it on my dinner plate before cutting it up. I added an extra 100 calories onto my estimated calories for the dish for any butter that was absorbed by my fish before I rescued it!

I also got my exercise in yesterday in the form of a 5 mile run. It was hard...too hard. I don't know why running is so difficult for me. I hope it gets a little easier as I lose this last 22 pounds. As I was running yesterday I was thinking about the triathlon Ruth and I are going to do next summer. I know running must get much easier for me before then. That knowledge made me push a little harder and tackle the hills with a little more vigor. This isn't just about losing 20 more pounds, this is about finishing a tri in good form! The cycling and the swimming are a lot easier for me than the running, though I don't know how different an open water swim is going to be. I feel like swimming laps has got to be a lot easier than an open water swim, particularly in a 25 meter pool, since I get to push off the wall with every lap. If I'm not traveling for work in late October I am going to spend a weekend at a swim clinic with Ruth. Perhaps I need to look for a running clinic, too!

The scripted portion of our vacation is now complete. From here on out, we're taking it as it comes. We have a reservation for a campsite at Moosehead Lake for tomorrow, so that is our only "have to," to drive the 400 miles to the lake by later tomorrow afternoon. We plan on staying off the interstates from here on out, until we point the car west and head for home. We hope to find interesting places to explore along the way, without any expectation of what those places might be. I'm sure we'll stop at a flea market or two, as we both enjoy "junking," and we'll definitely stop for beautiful views and interesting buildings along the way. Once we get to the lake we'll set up camp and explore the surrounding area from there. It's all good!


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Location:Highland Falls, NY