Elon

Another couple of days, another official visit, this time to Elon University.  I'm tired and ready to be back home, so I know JP feels the same way.  After all, he's been the one on display for the past four days, having to turn on the personality as much as possible as he meets new people - possible future teammates - coaches, etc.  That's a lot to ask of anyone, particularly someone like JP, who tends to be relatively quiet and understated most of the time.  I know he will be glad to finish up our trip and get home, although I'm sure he has a ton of school work to get to, since he will have missed two days of school.

Elon is a beautiful campus.  Bigger and more spread out than Davison College, there are huge, old growth oak trees everywhere.  It's bucolic to be sure, and very peaceful.  It helps, of course, that we're visiting on two of the most gorgeous days of the year at the very beginning of fall weather, after a almost four months of summer heat that it felt like would never end.  As I told someone yesterday, it felt like August lasted 7 1/2 weeks this year.  

JP's hosts, Peyton (Charleston, SC) and Luke (Boston, MA), have been great to spend time with.  Very friendly, smart, and outgoing.  Honestly, just very nice young men that I know their parents are proud of.  Certainly, they're the type of boys I could say JP hanging out with and developing lasting friendships.  Of course, that seems to be true of most of the places we've visited.  Distance runners seem to share certain personality traits.  Easy to get along with but competitive.  Disciplined.  Serious about getting the work in, athletically and academically.  Supportive.  Unselfish.

I'm going to finish up my coffee at the on campus coffee shop and bar, The Oak Room, and hustle over to meet with JP and the coaches for a tour of the athletic facilities and a meeting.  Afterwards, we'll drive to the Raleigh, NC airport, return the rental car, and fly home.  

Home.  It has a nice ring to it, especially with the fall season upon us and Halloween around the corner.