Ms. Alex, my current kick-ass hostess, joins me for the first of today's miles into Auburn. She's going to her friend's house, who lives just over a mile away, and she's enjoying walking it for the first time!

Walking through Auburn University this afternoon, a very run-living college town, and alma mater of scores of famous alumni, including: Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley, Lionel Richie, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, NFL star Cam Newton, and many, many others. Students from the engineering bldg, pictured behind me, treated me to dinner at Mama G's, a local student favorite.