I Beat the Heat, Jed Beat Me

For the past month, Jed and I have been feasting on delicious, healthy, and organic fresh produce from the 2703 Hanover Urban Garden. The spinach, lettuce, swiss chard, and spring kale, in true Popeye the Sailorman fashion, have been going straight to our quadriceps and hamstrings.




Not wanting to let all of that organic-produce-fueled brute strength go to waste, Jed and I decided to run in the 2nd Annual Richmond Firefighter's Beat the Heat 5k just down the street in Byrd Park.

In unfortunate news, I relinquished the 2703 Hanover running title to Jed, after having held onto it since the 2008 Monument Avenue 10k. In good news though, the nutrient-rich greens we've been consuming had their intended effect, with both of us soundly beating our times from last year and finishing with times safely in the teens.

Congrats to Jed, seen here basking in his silver medal glory:

And while I'll have to settle for bronze this time, I plan on doubling my intake of swiss chard from the garden in the coming weeks. And with the first tomatoes of the season on the verge of ripening, I'm hoping to reclaim the title from Jed before the summer's over.

For those of you wondering about Sean, don't worry. His diet of Vault energy drinks and fast food are sustaining him through his grueling hours in his office tower downtown. But without the sustenance of homegrown vegetables, he's had a hard time warrioring through the weekends. He was still asleep when we came home after the race. Poor Sean, we promise we'll share the bounty of our garden, if only you'd let us.

Thanks 2703 Hanover Urban Garden for fueling our quest to become the fastest urban gardeners in Richmond!