Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Food Culture U.S.A., spices tent. 6.26.05 photo credit: Bex. 

I sauntered in the sweltering heat through the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the Mall today. The themes this year are Food Culture, U.S.A.; Oman; Latino Music; and the U.S. Forestry Service. I saw a cooking demonstration by chef and entrepreneur Jose Andres (for you D.C.'ers, of Jaleo/Zaytinya/Oyamel fame), attended a talk by women forest rangers (these chicks rock), and listened to a beekeeper in an enclosed tent talk to us about the health benefits of honey as hundreds of bees swarmed around him.

Running Update: Well, I didn't wake up super-early on Saturday morning and run with my running club at 7 a.m. I am a weenie. However, thinking, "Well, it's now or never," I did run this evening.

10 miles, baby. It was still over 90 degrees and the sun still scorching. I sweated so much I must've lost a few pounds. But I knocked down the miles (visions of ice cubes and cold showers dancing in my head), one by one, with a steady, 8:57-minute mile pace. Though the last couple of miles weren't pretty.

I had to concentrate on keeping my stride long and relaxed, as my calves were tightening up. My pace was surprisingly a touch faster than race pace for the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler this spring. Huh.