Mr. Long's class

Again, Michael Long's kids are hanging out with me for the trip. They sent me some questions:

-Did you see any exotic animals in Lebanon? Christine & Maria
You mean like fifth graders? Nope. No other animals either except a few stray cats.

-What did you NOT like about Beirut? Rocco & Daniel
I don't like that so many of the buildings have been bombed due to the political stuff between Israel, Syria, and Lebanon.

-What kind of food do they have in Lebanon? Shawn & John
It was pretty much like what we get at home.

-What was your best time for an Asian marathon? How many marathons have you ran in Asia? Justin & Kyle
I've done three marathons in Asia now--Israel in 1998 in about 4:40, South Korea last March in around 4:35, and this one in Lebanon in 4:57.

-Did you see any wild animals in Italy? Brandi & Rachael
No. I was in downtown Florence. I did see a lot of artwork though.

-Have you ever run a marathon in Italy before? If so, where? Vicky & Crystal
Nope.

-Are the people friendly in Italy? Would it be a nice place to live? Noah & Julius
Yes, I thought they were friendly. If I were going to live there I think I'd work on my Italian a bit though. :-)

-Is the pizza in Italy different from the pizza served in America? Sean & Taylor
It's thin crust, and I never saw anything with pepperoni on it.

-Is there anything you didn't like about Italy? Emily & Natalee
Trying to get out of the country. The check in people at the airport left me quite frustrated.

-Did you like your finisher medal in Florence? James & Trenton
Yes, it was pretty nice.

-Is that blood I see on your shirt after the Florence marathon? I bet the medal is not as nice as the GR marathon! Mr. Long
Yes to the first question. And you're right--GR Marathon medals are MUCH cooler!

-How many marathons have you ran in Africa? What is you PR for Africa? Sandy, Chris & Dominik
Two so far--in Tanzania and in Egypt. Best time was in Egypt in February.

-How much money does it take to do a marathon on all 7 continents? Miranda & Julie
Won't know for sure until I get all my credit card bills. What would it cost you if you didn't live out your dreams????

-How did you start running? Caitlen & Cierra
I started with my kids at the beginning of track season one year.