2025-W27 — Washington DC to Memphis: Speed Tourism, BBQ, and 5:00am Workouts

Enter Fun Mode!

What happened this week

After our time in Washington DC, we traveled to visit my best friend and his family for the Fourth of July celebrations. The trip shifted from museums and city walking to something more personal: time with people I love, plus a very American mix of food, heat, and big experiences.

We spent quality time together, went on a river cruise, saw Memphis landmarks (including the famous pyramid), and ate BBQ in the way you’re supposed to eat BBQ in Memphis: repeatedly, enthusiastically, and with no illusions about moderation.

The travel + wellness thread

Even on a trip like this, I kept my simplest routine intact: I continued doing fasted runs and fasted training sessions. Travel is always a test of consistency, and I’ve learned that my best approach is not to aim for perfection—it’s to protect the one or two habits that keep the whole week from drifting.

The surprise this week was how much training became social. My best friend and I met up with a group of locals for 5:00am workouts. We trained three times during the stay—running and bodyweight work—early enough that the rest of the day could be family-focused.

There’s something special about working out before sunrise with other people. It feels like a quiet agreement: we’re here, we’re doing the work, and we don’t need to talk about it.

Food, celebration, and reality

This was not a “clean eating” week, and it wasn’t meant to be. It was a celebration week.

We had pulled pork (my friend’s famous version), tasted BBQ at several Memphis institutions, and enjoyed the kind of meals that are memorable because they’re tied to moments, not macros.

One of the most surreal highlights: I got to drive his Shelby Cobra—my dream car. That’s the kind of moment that doesn’t need a caption. It just sits in your memory as proof that life is sometimes wildly generous.

A family moment that stuck

During the stay, my oldest son had his birthday celebration. We took him grocery shopping for a birthday cake, and both boys were overwhelmed by the amount of junk food in the store.

It was one of those moments where you see your own environment through fresh eyes. When teenagers are shocked by the options, you realize how intense the food landscape actually is—and how easy it is to normalize it when you’ve grown up around it.

What I learned

This week reminded me that wellness isn’t about avoiding celebration. It’s about having anchors that keep you steady when life gets big.

For me, the anchor is movement—especially early movement. If I train early, everything else fits more naturally. I’m more present later. I make better choices without forcing them. And I don’t feel like I’m constantly “resetting” after travel.

Next week’s tiny focus

On celebration weeks, choose one anchor: a morning walk or workout before the day starts, even if it’s short.