I thought it would be fun to develop a “Best Of” list from my recent eight states, eight days run. The week was one that I will never forget, and the price tag for the trip was ~$225!!  If you include the one-way flight home ($140) plus the travel pack and supplies (~$100) it totalled $465.

Worst weather for run – Des Moines

Most used item that I had to borrow – A second drawstring backpack from Brent Rauch

Clutch performer – Tillie for sending my iPhone charger to Cincy

Best building – Pittsburgh’s PPG Industries Building

Best mural – Faces, Cincinnati

Best accessory – Under Armour Headband, Baltimore

Best sandwich – “The Raven” Chap’s Charcoal Restaurant (Baltimore)

Best digs – Doubletree in NYC

Most unique digs – Man cave in Chicago

Most dangerous moment – Falling down a flight of stairs in Chicago

Riskiest moment – High life picture in Des Moines

Closest call for transportation – Barely catching the Megabus leaving Pittsburgh

Best Megabus seatmates – Iowa City to Chicago

Coolest Megabus stop – Union Station, Chicago

Kindest gesture from a stranger – Bus ride paid for, Chicago

Best homemade breakfast – Andy Tomka, Chicago

Best run – New York City

Running buddies who said, “I can’t believe I just ran that far.” – 4

Meals bought by others – 8 (For the record, I was not expecting any of these)

Most laughs over a meal – Chicago, Mindy & Marshall

Coldest run – Indianapolis

Best running path – The Canal, Indy

Best run (felt the best) – Pittsburgh

Most crucial shower – YMCA, Indianapolis

Funniest Megabus moment – Dog whistle app malfunction

Top celebrity sighting – Andy Reid (Coach of Philadelphia Eagles), Indianapolis

Most hardcore running buddy – Pauly, Cincinnati (Ran 14 miles after our 7 miler)

Biggest surprise – Generous donations from people I’d never met

Most emotional moment – End of NYC run

Best food moment – Re-introduction to Skyline Chili

Best hospitality item – Welcome sign, Pittsburgh (John & Kimmy Talcott)

# of running buddies I wasn’t expecting – 9

Best Coffee Shop – Tazza D’ora, Pittsburgh

Funniest moment – Creating haikus with Jordan Pallitto

Favorite new word – Confluence (the meeting of two or more bodies of water), Pittsburgh

Most frequented establishment – Starbucks

Best campus – Columbia University

Best Phi Delt moment – Being with 20+ brothers at end of my Pittsburgh run

Best local beer experience – National Bohemian in a market, Baltimore

Longest run – NYC, 15.43 miles

Shortest run – Indianapolis 6.33

Longest bus ride – Pittsburgh to New York (7+ hours)

Shortest bus ride – Baltimore to DC (About an hour)

Cheapest Bus Ticket – Baltimore to DC ($1)

Most Expensive Bus Ticket – Indianapolis to Cincinnati ($14)

Average Bus Ticket Cost – $9.28!!!

Best run for views – Washington DC

Warmest weather – Washington DC

Most generous transporters – Rob & Melissa Turning

Best picture I took – Washington Square

Number of ibuprofen taken – 40

Total number of miles (running) – 68.13

Total number of miles on bus – ~1,520

Coolest story – Ben Kaufman’s weight loss