No Running at the State Fair

Apparently this never got posted. Enjoy!

Day 55: 5 miles.

Yesterday and today I felt the first twinges of my body saying "Hey.  We need to talk about this running thing."  I'm not sure if 5 miles of running or 5 miles of walking at the State Fair are to blame.

I love the Fair.  The smells, lights, sounds and people combine to create something that I've yet to find anywhere else.  My fair traditions, through the years:

• Walking through the livestock buildings
• The Village of Yesteryear
• Walking the midway
• Watching the fireworks. 
• Visiting the creepy-yet-awe-inspiring animatronic Smokey the Bear
• Lumberjack competitions 
• Games and rides
• Food

When I was younger I went during the day on a weekend or on one of the obligatory teacher workdays North Carolina schools are required by law to schedule during the Fair. With only an early release in Wake County this Friday I'm surprised no lawsuits have been filed.  Day-time hours dictated day-time things hence the lumberjack shows and the village of yesteryear.  One year there was a touch tank full of aquatic critters brought in by the aquariums.  Every year there was something new at which to marvel.

Now my wife and I go after sunset when the lights are especially bright and the crowd is decidedly younger. I still insist upon seeing cows and seeing the silversmith at the Village of Yesteryear (who happens to be a family friend) but the real focus of our efforts and where most, if not all, of our money goes is the food.

We have our favorites, our just-can't-leave-without's: Al's Fries, NC State Howling Cow ice cream, italian sausage with peppers and onions.  Every year we try to add something that's new. One year we braved the fried candy bar and discovered it wasn't nearly as scary as the name suggested. Last year we searched high and low for chocolate covered bacon but couldn't find it.  This year we found it with a little help from the NC State Fair app (there truly is an app for everything).  Believe it or not, Katie wanted the chocolate covered bacon more than I did.  Unfortunately for her it didn't rise to the expectations.  I thought it was good enough to finish so I did.

Another great find this year was the Gobblin' Gourmet. Funnel cakes like you've never heard or seen and my wife chooses the plain old regular funnel cake.  Take note because I think this might be the first time she's ever turned down the chance to eat something called "Chocolate Obsession.  A big bonus at this stand was discovering its owners and operators are Robin Smith and Adrian West, long time friends and supporters of Camp Kanata.  A pleasant surprise to say the least!

Did I mention I ran 5 miles yesterday?  We all need our releases and moments of indulgence.

Ryan