2022: Not so bad

 

I've had worse years. Like 2021 for instance. 2022 was better; I was on the upswing for most of it, and that always feels good. The highlights were surely the Akron Marathon, where I got back under four hours, and the Loop the Lake 50K, where I got back to the ultramarathon distance. I could also talk about my pretty-decent half-marathons and my pretty good overall mileage...

But I won't. I'll just leave it there, except to say that I ran most of those miles and races with friends, perhaps moreso than ever. And that was the biggest part of my success this year, such as it was. I'll take it.

We thought it would be easy

"Running: We do this not because it is easy. We do it because we thought it would be easy." Channeling my inner JFK here. I like this one. It ranks right up there with, "Any idiot can run a marathon. But it takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultramarathon."

I have been running a fair amount of miles lately, and I am still waiting for it to get easy. Luckily, I have friends with whom to share the misery. I honestly don't know where I'd be without them.

Today's friendly run began alone, at Medina's wonderful Square. I ran out towards Roscoe Ewing Park, and promptly got lost on the streets located at the far end of the trail. Once I found myself, I had to rush back to the Square in order to meet everyone. Now we ventured out through the park once again, this time with folks who knew their way. Then it was back to the Square again, to drop people off and pick up one more, before heading out through Roscoe Ewing one last time.

Those final few of my eighteen miles were not pretty. You might even say they were pretty ugly. But they're done, and so is this episode of... We do this because...

Not not running today

It's Christmas, and I cannot not go out for a run. By the way, did you know that in some languages, double negatives cancel one another and produce an affirmative; while in other languages, doubled negatives intensify the negation. Although English is generally in the former category, there are inconsistencies even within this here language itself (for example, "I don't owe nuthin' to nobody" is an example of a double-negative that's still a negative.) But in today's context, the "cannot not go out for a run" means that I do indeed have to go.

Out is the key word here. It's always possible to bang out a few miles on the 'ole dreadmill. But (once again) it's Christmas. I cannot remember a Christmas in which I did not go out for a run. Oh okay, maybe back in the seventies, before running was a thing. Thus, it's possibly been as many as fifty years since I've spent a Christmas day without a run. I like to think of the run as a gift I give to myself.

One possible reason to not not not run is that it's cold outside. So cold, that I haven't run outdoors since last Thursday, three days ago. This morning's weather is actually an improvement: the temperature is +9F and the windchill is up to -17F; positively toasty. In preparation, I unbox my new Adidas Terex trail running shoes, and I don my silver mid-1980s Adidas Gore-tex running jacket and pants. Along with my balaclava, hat, ski gloves, lighted vest, and several additional layers, I'm ready to go. 

The roads in my neighborhood are covered with packed-down snow. I get decent traction with the new shoes. At first, it doesn't seem cold at all. But then whoa: a gust of wind hits me from the side. Hooboy, that wakes me up. I quickly re-learn how much of a difference it makes whether I'm running with the wind, or into it. 

The gore-tex, the gloves, the shoes, etc. are all doing their jobs. It's me that can't get moving. I trudge through the subdivision, not seeing a moving car until the start of mile four, my last. It's quiet, dark, and peaceful. Just like Christmas is supposed to be. I find myself enjoying the whole experience at least as much as anticipated.

Having said all this, it's nice when it's over, and I can get back into the house to warm back up. It took over an hour to do those four cold, snowy (and at some points, icy) miles. But I'm happy I did it. And, as they say, the best part about the run is..... it's over!

Merry Christmas.

Wholly Unholy: a First Breakfast

Brown rice, cinnamon, canned pumpkin, plain greek yogurt, honey. These are a few of my favorite things. It may sound awful to you, and believe me, it actually looked even worse. But... (and it's a big butt) I did indeed like it. That was first breakfast today. You know, the one before the run. Second breakfast is what comes after. And no, I did not forget elevensies. 

If I eat anything at all before a run, it's often just an apple or some other fruit. But when the run will be a long one, it's good to have something more substantial. (Debbie would refer to this as needing some 'substinance.') Today's unholy mess of a breakkie would surely do the trick. Wouldn't it?

It was just two days ago that I got my long run for the week done: eighteen miles on Lester Rail Trail. First breakfast before that one consisted of a couple leckerli (Substantial Swiss cookie) bars. Fast forward to today. I was thinking of doing another lone ong, this time on the treadmill due to the 0F temperatures and ridiculous wind chills With the leckerli now gone, it was time for the rice-pumpkin-yogurt concoction. 

It wasn't pretty, and it was even slower than Thursday's Lester run. But (most importantly) it's done. Now, it's time for second breakfast.

Storm's a-comin'

 

Description

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM EST SATURDAY... ...WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM EST SATURDAY... WHAT...Multi-hazard winter storm with a combination of strong winds, very cold temperatures, snow, and blowing snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches. Winds gusting as high as 60 mph. Dangerously cold wind chills expected. Wind chills as low as 30 below zero. WHERE...Portions of north central and northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania. WHEN...For the Winter Storm Warning, from 1 AM Friday to 10 AM EST Saturday. For the Wind Chill Warning, from 4 AM Friday to 10 AM EST Saturday. IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility and potentially cause hazardous travel. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning and evening commute. Very strong winds could cause extensive damage to trees, power lines, and blowing snow. The cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.

We've been hearing about this oncoming storm for a week, but now it's just about to arrive. What's a runner to do? Get his/her miles in while we can. And that was the plan for today.

Actually, the planning began last night. Realizing that Friday through Sunday are not going to be good for running, I decided that Thursday would be my day to get a long one in. A couple of my friends would already be running on the Lester Rail Trail; all I needed to do was arrive earlier to get enough extra miles in to call it "long." (That's by my definition - 18 or more miles = a long run. It would be no more than that this time around, but hopefully, no less either.) So I contacted Andy Wolff to see if he'd like to be my early companion.

Andy and I ran one six-mile loop from 4:30 to 5:30. It went pretty well. At that point, Andy had to head off to work, but Chadwick Sunday and his dog, Ella showed up for my second six. That was nice as well; I hardly noticed the miles going by. But now that it was 6:30, Chadwick (and Ella) had to leave for work as well. Of course, that's when Michelle Wolff showed up to accompany yours truly for his final six.

Yours truly was beginning to get a little tuckered out, but Michelle was okay with that, having just completed a strenuous strength workout.

We finished up around 7:30, just as it was beginning to get light. We beat the approaching bad weather by twelve hours or so. And I got my long run in.

Me and Connie and our racing flats

I found myself telling this story to some friends during our Wednesday morning sojourn at Lake Medina. So now, I'll tell it again here. It's an oldie but goodie.

~

The year is 2010. I'm working at Second Sole Medina with Connie Gardner. She had ordered a pair of yellow (with sparkly laces) Mizuno Ronin 2 racing flats and is excitedly trying them on. "They're way too big," she exclaims. We determine that the shoes are sold in unisex sizes; women's are 1 1/2 sizes smaller than the corresponding men's, so they would need to order them accordingly. But since Connie didn't know this, she is now stuck with big shoes. She begins to consider whether and how to return them.

"Just for the heck of it, let me try them on," I say. And they fit like gloves. 

I don't usually wear racing flats. I consider myself too big and lumbering for them, and I figure I need the cushioning and support that normal training shoes provide. But I figure that in this case, I'll make an exception: "I'll buy them from you," I say. They definitely are comfortable, and who knows, maybe they'll help me run faster.

"You have a half-marathon coming up, right?" she asks. "Stomp the Grapes, this Saturday," I answer. "Wear them, and if you can run a minute faster than your last half, then I'll let you pay me," she says.

Wait a minute. This is just the opposite of the type of incentive that I would have thought up, had I been in her shoes (so to speak). I would have thought that if I run well, I should get them for free, and if I run poorly, that's when I should have to pay.  As it is, you might call it a negative incentive. 

Yet I'm not really surprised. I just consider it 'Connie logic.' If I run well, I will earn the right to pay her and keep the shoes.

What happened, you ask? You can read the old race report by clicking here, but I will summarize it by saying that I did indeed earn the right to pay Connie.

P.S. Funniest part of all: I STILL HAVE THE SHOES! I wore them for a few races back in the day, then placed them in the garage where they became buried by other old running shoes. They appear to be in very nice shape and still fit like gloves. The laces even still sparkle. But I most likely won't be wearing them again anytime soon. I'm even more big and lumbering than I was in 2010.

The laces still sparkle

UAE

I managed to do two runs on dry land during the past ten days. The rest of the time, I was stuck on the Good Ship Nautica, where it was deck loops or dreadmill, or both. Mostly both. One piece of good news about that: through careful consideration and analysis, I've determined that it's best to extend the deck loops to include two hallways, making the distance about seven laps per mile, versus the usual thirteen. 

But let's talk about the dry land runs. They weren't particularly fast or far, but they were done. One was in Abu Dhabi, and the other was in Sir Bani Yas. The latter is a United Arab Emirates island. Did I mention that they weren't great runs? 

Oh, and don't forget about my pound-a-day cruising rule (something I am proud of). I'll be close.

A run on Sir Bani Yas

Medina Turkey Chase 4-Mile Race Report

It's the first annual turkey trot race here in Medina and 'twas tons of fun. Everyone who's anyone was there on the Square.

Pumpkin pies went to the first 50 gobblers and the top 50 hens. I managed to not win one (I was 63rd). There was also a raffle for running shoes for anyone who outran the turkey today. I did beat it, but alas; no shoes either, The race did not include any age group awards, so I was out of luck here as well. I did, however, come away with some good memories of a nice race.

It was a picture-perfect late-November morning in Medina: cool, but warming up with the rising sun. After the first two downhill miles, I had hopes of keeping my overall time under 32 minutes. Alas, this wasn't to be, either. I slowed down a little for mile 3, and then a lot for majorly uphill mile 4. Still, 32:10 or so seems like a good finish time, so I will take it.

Now, it's time for some premeditated gluttony.

I may not be my usual speedy self today

Excuses don't age well. They're best when fresh. Thus, when I say, "I may not be my usual speedy self today" (followed by my myriad of reasons why) at the start of the run, it's much better than trying to express those excuses afterward.

Today, at the start of our long run on the Lester Rail Trail, I say, "I may not be my usual speedy self today," and I get the usual moans and eye rolls. (Not that I can see their eyes rolling in the early morning darkness, but I can feel it happening.) "But lookyahere," I say, "Besides the ridiculous cold and the stupid early hour, and the fact that my muscles are still sore from last week's Loop the Lake run, my feet are absolutely killing me." "Yadda, yadda, yadda," they say. Or at least think. (It doesn't matter which; I can hear it either way.)

About that my feet are killing me thing: it's mostly toelio (an impacted big toenail that's turning black). Of course, it began at Loop the Lake. But instead of improving over the last week, it's gotten worse. That big toe is now extremely sore. I'm trying to treat it by soaking it in hot water and applying antibiotic cream. We'll see where all this takes me.

Running wise, my toe did manage to take me through today's 18 miles. Now it's time to soak it some more.

Failure to Launch

There were two goals today. 1) Get ten miles in at the track, and 2) Do something of substance. Goal one happened, but it wasn't pretty. In fact, it became less pretty as time went on. But at least I can say mission accomplished for that one.

For goal 2, not so much. I had every intention of doing 400-meter repeats, or any other distance, for that matter. It just didn't happen. Me (and my compions, for that matter) never actually began our speedy stuff. Instead, we simply ran around in circles, talking as we went. It was cold, my feet are still killing me, and I'm still sore and tired. How's that for a list of excuses? Not so great? Too bad.

Loop the Lake 50K race report in backward order

On occasion, I like to write a race report in backward order. Why do this, you ask? What’s so special about forward order, I retort. Maybe it will be fun. Or not. 

Mile 30.8 – I can see the finish line, so I suppose I might make it. This, despite the painful feet, feeling unwell most of the past week, and the general fatigue I’m sustaining from running my first ultramarathon in two years. The worst thing is, I’m sure the pizza will now be cold.

Mile 30 – It’s awfully lonely out here. Many of the 25K and relay runners are done, so most of what’s left are the 50Kers like me. It’s funny, but I thought most of them would be finished by now, but maybe they took some breaks. I’ve slowed down a little (from about ten-minute pace to about ten-thirty pace), but that’s not so awful. It appears that everyone else has slowed as well. At least I won’t be dead last. Maybe not even in the final five.

Mile 29.5 – My feet are killing me, especially the right one. I’m not going to try to fix it; I’ll just zoom through and run the final (of 20) 1.55-mile loop of the lake. I think I can make it, despite the fact that my foot feels like it's being stabbed with little knives.

Mile 27 – It’s snowing. Not a lot, but the thing is, the flakes are coming down sideways. The wind, which hadn’t bothered me much until now, is picking up. The temperature has not made it out of the upper 30s today. I’m okay with all of that.

Mile 25 – My feet are killing me, especially the left one. The oncoming blisters will knock me right out of this race if I don’t do something. I grab some bandages. The trouble is, I don’t know whether I can get these compression socks off without scissors. Much less, get them back on. This wardrobe adjustment takes a good chunk of time, but eventually, I get back on course, a new man.

Mile 23.5 – This is the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life. But it doesn’t go down easily. That’s because I’m trying to consume it whilst running. Which makes it hard to chew and swallow. The reasons I’m enjoying such cuisine at this junction are 1) they’re out of energy gels, and what better substitute? 2) the pizza will likely be quite cold when I finish in an hour and a half when I finish, and I prefer it hot, and 3) I’m hungry. ((I later learn the it’s Jets Detroit-style pizza. No wonder it’s so good.))

Mile 19 – Rim to Rim to Rim? That’s amazing. Ultrarunners do some amazing things, but they never cease to astound me. I’m running a couple of the loops with Danielle, whom I’ve just met. Danielle only got back from her Grand Canyon adventure a few short days ago. And here she is, guiding me along. I never get tired of stories like this.

Mile 15.5 – I’d best zoom right through. I’m ten loops in, and I have the option to quit at this point. I’d get credit for completing 25K, and I’d even still get my medal. And I’ve been telling anyone who would listen that after being sick with a bad cold all week, 25K would be plenty for me this day. And on a loop course like this, it sure is easy to quit. On the other hand, I’m feeling pretty decent at this juncture. Maybe I can finish the whole enchilada after all. I zoom right through.

Mile 2.7 - It’s awfully lonely out here. Most of the 50K runners are ahead – way ahead – and I am only seeing three or four behind me. What’s that noise coming from further behind? Some of the fast kids are lapping me already! I try not to let that bother me; I’ve got to run my own race today. It’ll be a miracle if I make the entire 50K, but at least I made it to the start.

P.S. Munroe Falls Metro Park is nice and peaceful. Race Director Nicole Gareri and her crew did a wonderful job with the race. Although the 50K was small, the 25K and relay were well attended and the whole event was a lot of fun.

My overall time was 5:25, for an average pace of 10:30. It’s a decent time for me, even though it’s still fairly far down the list of finishers. But had you asked a week or two ago, I’d have told you that just finishing a 50K, not to mention with a time of under 5:30, would be an accomplishment. 

Yes, the remaining pizza was cold.

November Sky

There were plenty of objects in the sky to observe this morning, during our Tuesday Track workout. First, there was the usual Orion show; always a crowd-pleaser. Then, there were all the other stars and constellations; they're great this time of year. Today, we had a shooting star, aimed (apparently) at the star, Arcturus; that was a sight. But of course, the main attraction today was the lunar eclipse. It reached totality at about 6:00 AM, just as it was beginning to get light, and as we were completing our run. Lastly, I was treated to a wonderful sunrise. Neat stuff.

Eclipsed moon setting

Nice sunrise a little later

The Longest Mile(s)

The longest miles of any run are nearly always the final ones. And such is the case today.

People (runners, that is) come and join the fun - 

At first it's just Dan, Chadwick, and Ella. Ella happens to be a four-legged runner, not that there's anything wrong with that. They run South from the Medina Square, out and back on the Champion Creek / Roscoe Ewing trail. Now there's a bunch more that join: Michelle, Andy, Harold, Debbie, Kelly, and Beth. (Note that last names are not being used here to protect the innocent. Not that there are any of those.)

People begin dropping like flies - 

After a four-mile sojourn on the new Medina Turkey Chase course, they return to the Square once again. "Sojourn" is probably the wrong word. This portion of the run is actually quite fast, at least for Dan. Beth has to go, but the everyone else does the Champion Creek / Roscoe Ewing trail out-and-back once again. Now, it's time for Harold, Debbie, and Kelly to take off, leaving Andy, Michelle, Chadwick, Ella, and Dan. A couple additional, final miles, and it's time for everyone to leave.

Alone again, naturally - 

Everyone, that is, except Dan. Dan has to do at least three more in order for this to be considered a long run. Why is that important, you ask? Dan wouldn't be able to articulate an answer. Maybe because he needs one to train for next week's 50K. How hard can just three additional miles be?

Quite hard - 

Yes, Dan struggles trying to run alone after everybody else is gone. On extremely rare occasions, he can turn these final (longest) miles into good ones. Today is not such a day. Today, they are long. He gets over to the Claggett Track, where they will at least be on a soft surface.

Get back - 

It's not all quite as bad as it seems here, but getting back up to the Square is still a struggle. Dan manages to get there, somehow.

Rock Hall Half Marathon Race Report

It's wonderful when you are able to finish strong. Today was not one of those days. 

But it wasn't completely awful, either.

I've been doing a lot of my training with John Hnat, so it made sense that we ran more or less together through mile eight or nine. This is the most scenic part of the course, through Rockefeller Park. Most of the mile splits had been in the 8:30 range, give or take, but by about halfway, we'd picked it up a little from there.

John kept it going, and he finished strong. I did not. The slightly faster pace was just a bit too much for me, and I had to slow things back down. But I didn't die completely; I managed to keep the last few mile splits in the 8:40's. My time was 1:51:55, good for first in my ancient age group.

It was a perfect Autumn day for running in downtown Cleveland. After Rockefeller Park, the course took us along Lake Erie, and this part was nice as well. It's also fun to start and finish in front of the Rock Hall. It was also nice to see so many friends before, during, and after the race. It's definitely a keeper.

Road Trip Running

We're on a road trip to visit the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Hot Springs Arkansas, and Vicksburg National Battlefield in Mississippi. 

The first run is in Vandalia, IL. It's an hour outside of St. Louis, and there ain't much happening. Not in the small town, or in regards to my brief run. But at least I get a couple of miles in.

Here in Hot Springs, AR, I had planned to get more than a couple of miles in. As usual, I'd examined the charts using Google Maps. As usual, I'd looked for nice and safe, yet adventuresome places to explore. And guess what? The roads around the lakes and rivers actually worked out today. It winds up being a pretty decent, albeit slow, run today. I only hope I can get up to double digits tomorrow.

I'm running in circles. It stinks of 1) a dead animal, 2) diesel fumes from trucks far and near, and 3) some kind of pervasive bad smell from paper mills. The thing I'm running around is dead, itself: the Pines Mall in Pine Bluff, AR. It's spooky and scary in the darker areas, which are many. And yet, it's going fairly well. I've managed to finally get down to something like tempo pace for four of the last five miles, and I'm going to get ten, total today. The pollution probably made the run more health - harmful than - helpful, but I'll just choose to ignore that concern. It's the best run of the bunch.

Vicksburg would probably be a nice place to run. If only I could get down to the river, but I just don't have the time today. Only enough for a short run toward some ball parks. Okay, it'll do.

One final run: Elizabethtown, just a stop on the way home. After I get away from the large assortment of chain hotels, fast food joints, and gas stations, I discover an actual park. Of all things. It's almost as if there's a real town here. I'm only running a couple miles, so I don't do all that much exploring. Maybe next time I come through.

Tooting my own horn again

This marks two consecutive Sunday Hinckley runs, although today it was only one 9-mile loop, compared with last week's two. But today's run follows the long one I did yesterday, so I was happy to be able to run at all. Not only that, but I was able to finish strong. Even though the final two and a half miles are downhill, it still feels great to be able to do it.

The Hinckley nine is run clockwise. Blue is slow; red is fast. The hills help (and hurt).

While I'm tooting this horn of mine, permit me to go on a little further. Someone mentioned in passing that I must have good age-graded running results. I had seen my age-graded percentage in the past, but haven't considered it recently. Until today, that is. It appears that the Akron Marathon calculates this data and includes it in its results.

I'm only near the bottom of their top 50, with an age-graded percentage of 68.5%. Using this factor, my 3:59 marathon equates to 2:59. That's just one minute off my 2:58 marathon personal best. Also, I think my age-graded percentage has been in this same range even in the distant past. So, all in all, not too shabby.

Akron Marathon age-graded results

Okay, enough tooting. I'll go back to my usual humble self now.

The What's the Point Award

It's the early 1990s, and home computing is still somewhat new. Newer still are "windows" with a small 'w', part of a 'Graphical User Interface.' At an Apple user conference, one guy proudly displays his ability to get a screen saver to run within a window. Previously, screen savers would only exist on entire screens. The other conferees subsequently give this person a "What's the Point Award." This takes the form of a six-pack of Caffeine-free Diet Mountain Dew.

During a break between today's six-mile loops on the Lester Rail Trail, my friends see me drinking a Mountain Dew, one that is caffeinated and sugared. They are surprised that I would consume such a disgusting thing. I explain that I don't usually partake; the last time I had one was at the 1996 Towpath Marathon. I don't think they believe me.

I also explain that the only reason I have this one was that it came free with last night's Little Caesars dinner that we shared with the grandkids.

The 1996 Towpath Marathon occurred after that Apple user conference. It is one that I remember well. I drank two 16-ounce high-test Mountain Dews before the race. It was a beautiful fall day, and I ran well. It was the last of seven times that I broke three hours. I'm not sure how much credit I should give to the soda, but it sure didn't hurt. Regardless of its value as a running hack, I hate the stuff; it truly is disgusting. I really believe that I haven't had one during these past 26 years.

Once again, however, I can say that it does not hurt my shot at getting in a decent long run today. With the help of my friends, I get three plus loops done, for twenty miles. It's not super fast, but it's at least decent, and I will take it.

Now, I'll have to recover in time for tomorrow's hilly Hinckley run. I'll do it without Dew.

Those slings and arrows

Slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are the very worst kinds. Today's outrageous fortune includes being still tuckered out after Sunday's Hinckley ordeal, yesterday's two runs, and today's weather. Yup, it's cold rain again. And wind as well.

4:02 - It's my first of 10 800s, and it's not too awful. I thought I'd be alone in this pitiful weather, but Frank Dwyer has made a surprise appearance. Not that he's doing the same workout as me, but it's nice to have company on the track. Except that now I'll have to remain honest.

4:05 - Whoa. That's going in the wrong direction. For Yasso workouts of yore, the first one was allowed to be slightly slower than the rest. Just a few weeks ago, my conditioning was such that, like today, the first might be just a little bit slower than four minutes, but then the next nine would all be in the 3:50s. Looks like that won't happen today. But maybe I can still turn this into a halfway decent workout.

4:07 - Whoa. Slower still! I didn't even think that would be possible.

4:10 - Okay, this is getting ridiculous. I'm dying here, and the cold rain just started back up. Enough suffering these slings and arrows. Better to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them. (That means I should probably quit.) Let me try to at least do five. That would be fairly respectable, right?

4:11 - I think I really got in under 4:10, but my cold fingers malfunctioned when I tried to engage my watch's lap button. I'm still suffering, but now I'm thinking that I ought to at least try to do six today. 

4:14 - Well, I'm slowing down even more, yet I think I may be able to continue this nonsense even a little bit longer.

4:12 - Hey - real improvement. Woohoo. Now that the rain has subsided a little, I'm going to try to finish all 10, and I'm even going to try to decrease the recovery, taking that all the way down from 400 meters to 300. Why do that, you ask? Because it will enable me to finish faster and get the heck out of here earlier. Feels like I haven't left since last week's run here.

4:18 - I guess a 300-meter recovery wasn't such a good idea after all. But let me try another.

4:32 - Now, I'm absolutely sure that shorter recoveries are not a good thing. Not when all the other slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are also against you. But lookyahere: there's only one more 800 to go! I run a full lap along with Frank, and we talk a bit.

4:23 - Somehow, I've done it. 10 800s, in spite of everything. 

Hey, maybe I should keep these things going?

The Second Loop

About a month ago, Dan ran the Hinckley 9-mile loop (the one with the hills from hell) for the first time in over a year.  John Hnat, had joined him then, and later suggested a two-loop attempt. That's crazy-talk, thought Dan, but he nevertheless went along with the suggestion for today's run. That's one thing you can indeed say about Dan: he abides.

The first loop had been run mostly with Theresa Wright. They'd fought the wind and rain/sleet/show mixture to crawl back to the Spillway. Now, along with fellow two-loopers John and Julie Boggs, as well as fresh, new folks Harold Dravenstott and Bob Pokorny, it's time to do it again. Dan had barely completed that first hilly loop; how the hell can he do it again? 

The intrepid group ponders their way up Bellus once more. They're all breathing hard and heavy. This shit is getting real. Despite the pain and fatigue, Dan doesn't fail to notice the splendid fall foliage that's apparent in the morning light now that the sun has risen.

After Bellus comes the downs and up (big up) of Parker Road, followed by the rollers of Ledge Road, and then, after five miles of torture... ((drum-roll))... Effie. Dan can only manage to run up as far as the MIA flag, and then he has to walk. But he continues to notice the beautiful autumn leaves as he slowly makes his way up.

At the top, he feels surprisingly good. He begins to run again, and he even enjoys it a little. Just a little. Soon though, he's running as fast as he has for the entire day. There are three and a half miles to go, but it's mostly downhill from here on. He catches up with John, and they talk and talk enough to complete the journey without further pain or mishap.

That second loop wound up being much faster than the first. Daylight helps. So does abiding.

Mindlessness

Mindfulness is the self-help topic du-jour nowadays, and it is the subject of many a book and article. But today, the subject of this post is the opposite thing: Mindlessness.

I'm running around on the track, circle after circle. After circle! It's arguably the most mindless of all of my running, and that includes all those mindless mill miles. This beats those because there isn't even a TV to distract me.

Dan Stock had met me for the day's Tuesday Track session. Although we've had several additional folks for some of these runs, today it's Dan and Dan, and that's it. After a warmup, we ran 10 x 400 meters, with 100-meter recoveries. I like this workout because you get to run exactly 5K, and besides the 400s,  you can check this overall time when you're done. We do manage to get through the ordeal, so now, we're truly done.

But done ain't the half of it. Dan left after a mile cooldown, so now it's just me and the track. Oh, did I say I was done after that interval running? Well, I surely was. But... The bad part is that I desired my total mileage to be ten miles or more today, and that means I still have three to go. Three more mindless miles around the oval. Three more miles after I was done.

Somehow, I do it. Now I'm well done. And as mindless as ever.

Moonset - photos on the run

The sun was rising whilst the full moon was setting. I had returned home to get the camera, and was now back out, running around nearby Heritage Farm. To sum the morning up: lousy running, but pretty vistas.

Almost

It was almost a runner's high run today. After everyone else left (we did a couple back-and-forth loops along Lake Medina), I was on my own to get my total up to ten miles. Steam was rising off the warmer-than-air lake and it was beginning to get light. Even though I was running painfully slow, it did occur to me that it doesn't get much better than this. At least almost never. It just don't.

Enough

When is enough enough?

Of course, the answer is, when it's enough.

It was today after about five and a half miles, but I went on to do a couple more. It probably was, after yesterday's morning run, but I went on to meet some folks for a short evening run as well. And it probably was, after yesterday's evening run, such that I hardly needed to show up at all today.

But, it turned out that I did get Something of Substance done on the track. 10 x 400 with 100 recoveries, for a total of 5K of fun. 

SOS. It's better than nothing. And it's enough.

Danielle's run on the Towpath

Hello. Gender-fluid Danielle here. You can call me Dan, Danny, Daniel, Danielle, Daniella, or anything else you wish. My preferred pronoun is Shithead.

A little more seriously, I suppose I’m really binary (male, I think), and not gender-fluid. I do enjoy the company of other binary and non-binary people, although I don’t know very many of the latter. I like to have a little fun with pronouns and such (my spouse provided mine) but I mean no disrespect to anyone having usual or unusual pronouns or genders.

What does all this have to do with today’s run? Absolutely nothing. Here’s that story.

Shithead and Larry Orwin show up at the Station Road parking area at the same time and fight it out for first dibs on the restroom. They then take off toward Peninsula in the early morning darkness. It’s been a long time since they’ve run together, and there is a lot to catch up on. Larry talks about recent travels and an upcoming race. Shithead relates travel and some running stories as well.

After a little more than an hour, they arrive at Lock 29 in central Peninsula. There, as they’re about to turn back, they bump into and talk with Jim O’Connor. Other runners also come and go along the way. It’s now getting light, and Shithead realizes that Shithead is doing most of the storytelling. Too bad for Larry, although he doesn’t seem to mind. Shithead supposes that Larry abides, just like Shithead’s other running friends.

With another race coming up soon, Larry decides that 14 miles is enough for him this day. Shithead bids him goodbye and then continues running. Shithead planned on twenty miles today, so six more will do it. But Shithead’s legs are still sore and tired from last week’s effort. Can Shithead do it?

Shithead does! It wasn’t completely pretty, but twenty miles is twenty miles.

Now, next week starts the big push.

Reflections

When it takes you an hour and a half to run your six-mile route, you have a lot of time to reflect on things.

Why so slow? It’s what happens a couple days after an all-out effort, like Akron. So let’s start with that.

Effort: Boy, was that hard. I would like to be able to say that at least the first half (which I ran faster than my recent half-marathon only efforts) was easy, but even that wasn’t. It was hilly, and I would have to say that it took much more effort than it should have. The next 3-4 miles on the Towpath were okay, but then the hills got ridiculous. I still don’t know how in the world I managed to do it.

Speaking of the World: I’ve been walking this planet for many decades now. In that time, I’ve traveled to downtown Akron perhaps a few dozen times. I swear that none of those times – not one – has seen the city without any major construction projects. When I say major, I mean BIG. And it’s not just the freeways (although they’re still part of this mix), it’s also the important downtown city streets.

The Akron Marathon: Having said all this, the folks at the Akron Marathon do have their stuff together. The race is well loved by runners, and that’s for good reason: they do a great job.

Friends: If you’re away from the racing scene like I’ve been, for any period of time, you may forget how much you’ve missed your friends. Until you make a comeback and see them all once again. I do see some friends during my weekday and weekend training runs, and that’s all great. But I see all of them and many more during a big race like Akron. And it’s wonderful.

Sub-Four: I’m not sure how sub-four-hour marathon times became a goal, but I suppose it’s for the same reason that sub-three times were two and a half decades ago. In fact, it was Fall, 1996 when I did my last sub-three at the Towpath Marathon. Now, I’m quite happy and proud with being an hour slower. Oh, how the times can change.

Where from here (1): My left hip hurts. The pain is hard to describe because it seems to be deep inside. Sometimes I feel it when I run (I did in Akron), but moreso other times. Like when I put my pants, shorts, or underwear on. To do this, you have to bend over and lift each leg up and forward a little in order to get that foot through the hole. This started to be a problem for me little by little over the past couple years. A big running effort like a marathon seems to exacerbate the pain. I’m trying to fix it the best I can with core exercises. But I’m aware that it probably won’t go away completely. And of course it will slow me down some, at least for a while. Wish I knew what it was.

Where from here (2): I’m registered for Loop the Lake 50K in November. And now I just signed up for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Half-Marathon at the end of October. Should I try to do some others as well? I do know that I need a rest. Maybe right now is the best time for that.

Akron Marathon 2022 Race Report

Mile 24: I began my Erie Marathon Race Report at mile 24, so why not do it again? Lots of things seem to happen at that point.

It's about this point where we make the turn onto West Market Street in order to move on to the finish. I suddenly notice that something about my shoe is scraping the ground, no matter how much I lift my feet. Those $250 Nikes must be falling apart. I don't think it's a problem, but I'll have to lift my feet higher still. Not my usual style, but I will have to deal with it.

What does seem to be a problem is that I don't think I'm going to make it. According to my watch, I hit mile 24 at 3:38:20. That should be plenty fine for my goal to get under four hours today. But maybe not. There's always the rest of the story.

Julie Boggs, Maureen Oblander, me, Michelle Wolff, Theresa Wright (photo: Julie)

The weather has been nearly perfect: 50s and 60s with a lot of clouds and no wind. I'd been a little concerned that that 13-day-ago Erie Marathon would slow me down, but I don't know whether that can be a legitimate excuse. 

What definitely can be a legitimate excuse are these here Akron mountains. Around halfway, the course turned onto the Towpath, and I remarked to Theresa Wright that it seemed like the old course. Theresa, who ought to know, indicated that it was. Oh oh. Although the first half was hilly, we'd come through in a stellar 1:57, but I now knew that the best was yet to come.

Just like in old times, we emerge from the Towpath somewhere after mile 16, and then make our way up through Sand Run Metropark. Up is the key word here. There definitely be mountains here. Big mountains. They ease up a little, and then they start again. And again and again. They don't quit until we run through Stan Hywet at about mile 23.

Said hills had slowed me down a whole heck of a lot. But now I know that the final two-plus miles are mostly downhill. Yay. 

My Nikes

The thing is, I don't know whether I can pick up the pace again. And I know that I have to pick it up a whole lot, because, much to my dismay, my mile 24 is a good 0.2 miles from the Akron Marathon mile 24. I always try to run the tangents, but things like this happen, and the extra distance can mean a couple of minutes added to my overall time. A couple of minutes that I do not have.

All I can do is try. Maybe picking up my feet due to the dragging shoes is a good thing. I run a 9:01 mile, then an 8:29 mile, and then, turning onto South Main Street for the final 0.41 mile, I manage to keep the pace up enough to just barely run sub-four hours.

What a relief.

Nice to see all my friends though!

Julie, me, and Theresa (photo: Theresa)

Weather or not

 It's Friday night, the eve of the Akron Marathon. As I've stated here about my previous race, the Hay is in the Barn. It applies here as well; preparation is over and there's nothing more to do. There is the concern about the weather, however. The problem? It may be too good. WHAT am I going to do for excuses?

Running in the U.P.

Munising

We're up north once again. This time, our mission is to visit Isle Royale National Park and to take the scenic boat ride to see the Pictured Rocks. Today, it's Munising and the Rocks. 

I am on the watch for aurora borealis. It's cold, and unfortunately, mostly cloudy. From the Holiday Inn Express, I run southwest towards downtown Munising. I reach it in 3 miles, then continue through town towards Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. I make it to the visitor center and entrance just when I need to turn back at 5 miles.

It's beginning to get lighter now. I pick up the pace a little on the way back. Coming back through town, I stop for another photo with a nice fellow I find on the corner.

As I get back to the HI, I'm treated to a nice sunrise over Lake Superior.

The other part of the journey doesn't happen. Our trip to Isle Royale is canceled due to bad weather. So this run is it for this trip. 

Maybe next year.

Erie Marathon Race Report, Beginning at Mile 24

Mile 24: 

Less than optimal. That's what a coworker used to say in reference to a situation (or project, in some cases) that didn't go quite as well as hoped or planned. I can say that today's weather is less than optimal for a marathon. The rain has been constant, sometimes lighter and sometimes heavier, but always one or the other. And now there are puddles galore. But I suppose it could have been worse. Although the rain includes humidity, I'm happy to say that it never got much warmer than around 70 degrees.

That said, I'm doing fairly well. Sub-four hours had somehow become a goal, and at 3:37:00 for Mile 24, I'm right on pace. All I have to do is maintain the current 9:00 to 9:20 pace for the final two-plus miles. And although it seems to be getting a little difficult, I firmly believe that I can do it. Unless, that is, something goes horribly wrong.

Mile 24.1:

Ouch. Well, that's interesting. I feel a minor tingle of pain in my right hamstring. It's the slightest sign of a cramp. But I'm not worried. I just have to keep on moving.

Mile 24.2:

Ouch. Another tingle of pain. It occurs to me that a smart runner would read these signs and slow down a little in order to avoid any major cramping. But no one has accused me of being smart. I've got to keep this pace going.

I should say that I was smart enough to take electrolyte pills throughout the race. I'm not sure why they aren't working, but I'll just figure that out at the finish. I should also mention that I've enjoyed seeing many new and old friends here, but many of them have been reduced to less-than-optimal performances, mainly due to the weather. What is working for me are my new Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% 2 shoes. They feel great, and I believe they've helped me get this far at this pretty-good pace.

Mile 24.4:

Okay, I've gone more than a tenth of a mile without any leg cramp issues. Maybe it's a non-issue. 

I reflect some more on how well things have been going for me. The Erie Runners Club puts it on, and they do a marvelous job. It's become a big race, but they attend to every conceivable detail. And the course itself is also a star. Presque Isle juts out into Lake Erie, and the route takes runners around two times. I wrote about it when I ran the 2017 edition, so check that out here.

The classic course: two 13-mile loops

 

Mile 24.5:

EEEEEOOOOW! My right hamstring ties itself up into a very painful knot. I have to completely stop all forward motion. People run by and provide encouragement. They include the 4:00 pace group. "Stretch it out, they say as they go by." Stretch? I am going to die; what's the point in stretching? And it's not just my right hamstring, it's now the left one, too. Within a couple seconds, I've gone from "I think I can run under four hours," to, "I don't know if I can finish at all."

Mile 24.6:

Okay, I am managing to walk a little. Just a little. I find it interesting that some other runners are experiencing the same thing at the same point in the race. I think others have hit this point earlier, so I should consider myself lucky. 

But I don't.

Mile 24.7:

After what seems like forever, I begin to jog once again. I can still see the 4:00 pace group way up ahead. But they're pulling away even more now.

Mile 26.0:

I believe I ran all of the previous mile. But it was pretty darn slow. 

Even though I fully recognize that a marathon is 26.2 miles, and not 26.0 miles, I still try to get under four hours for this milestone. I miss by around 30 seconds.

Mile 26.4:

Yes, that's a little long, but that's typical for an accurately measured course. I cross the line with a chip time of 4:04. I did not place in my ancient age group.

Just for fun, here is my pace info. Notice the point where I stopped completely.

Hay in the barn

You've done all the training, and now the Big Race is only days (or perhaps a week or two) away. More hard training would likely not provide any further benefit, and may well hurt your chances of optimal performance during your Main Event. Runners refer to this situation as the hay is in the barn. 

It's in the barn for me, and that's why I'm not concerned that yesterday's long, hot, group run was somewhat of a stinker. Today's run was similarly less than optimal. Everything is fine. More hay couldn't be stuffed in my barn anyway; it's full.

Erie is a week away. The long-range forecast is for a high of 73 with a chance of rain. I'll mostly be concerned about the humidity. Not to mention the humility.

Tuesday Track

Everyone knows that Tuesdays are for track workouts. And everyone knows that they begin at 5:00 AM at Claggett Middle School. But does everyone know how much fun these runs are? 

Some do. There are seven of us today, so count us among those in the know. Seven is around average, but it's surprising today since there's rain in the forecast. Assuming said rain occurs later rather than earlier, Dan the Overachiever shows, but arrives a half-hour early. He doesn't want to miss this one.

Although the rain has indeed held off, you can cut the humidity with a knife. The Wolffs (who have also been known to overachieve) arrive as Dan is completing his warmup. Today's agenda calls for a Yasso workout: ten 800s. Dan's been doing these every other week. It's always a challenge.

The first one is always a shock. Today, the second, third, and all the rest are as well. The humidity makes it very tough. Dan the Overachiever takes his time in between the 800s; he needs the rest. But somehow, he manages to complete all ten. His times are consistent; all just under four minutes. It's what he was aiming for.

Today's tip-top track tempo training trot

It's my first run in the new Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% 2 shoes. I start out by wearing them around the house. Feels like I want to bounce my way forward. Getting out of the car at the Claggett Middle School track is fun as well. Once again, forward seems to be the direction the shoes want me to go. And with a bounce in my step. Do they really make you faster? Google sure thinks so. We shall see.

The new Vapoflys

After a two-mile warmup, I'm ready to try to take them to tempo pace. Those three miles go well, and they feel fairly easy. After an easy mile, I decide to do one 800 at about the pace I've been doing during previous Tuesday Track sessions. Once again, it feels pretty easy.

Now, let's talk about perception vs reality. My heart rate during the fast portions of today's run was in the neighborhood of 144 (avg) to 152 (high). Looking back at my heart rate for previous speedwork was... almost exactly the same! So my perception is that they felt good and they made me feel fast, the true impact was tough to quantify. As they say... more study is needed.

That said, there won't be a whole lot more experimentation. Maybe just one more training run. I'm saving them for the Erie Marathon.

Volume

In my research for this post, I only just realized something that I must have misremembered: that there were two, not one, First Citywide Change Bank commercials on Saturday Night Live. It's like there were two parts by design. The first fake commercial is the setup, and the second one delivers a great punchline. It goes like this. "How do you make money (giving exact change all the time)?" The answer: Volume! 

Volume is the name of the game for me so far this Spring and Summer. I'm now up to 70 miles per week, including long runs of 20 miles or more. Pretty good, eh?

We'll see about that. Erie is in two weeks.

The best deadly sin of all

Sloth: the avoidance of work. I like it. Okay, maybe lust would nudge it out from the top of the list of Seven Deadly Sins. Oh, alright; gluttony ain't bad either. But the rest aren't nearly as much fun.

I engaged in some sloth by not running yesterday. It was my first day off in several weeks, but I think I earned it. I earned it by running 71 miles in a week for the first time in forever, and by running 21 miles the previous day.

Said day off enabled me to wake up energetic and ready for a good run today. I burst out the door, and although my run started off fast, I increased the pace as the run went on, and I finished strong.

Nothing - not one word - in the above paragraph is even remotely true. At least I did make it out the door, I'm hoping tomorrow's run will be less slothy.

Distant Thunder

The sky is clear (I had just pointed to Betelgeuse for those who wanted to see him), yet we can still see intermittent flashing lights near the horizon. It is lightning from a faraway storm, perhaps over Lake Erie. There really isn't any thunder to be heard, but for some reason, I like the post title Distant Thunder better than Distant Lightning.

What's the occasion, you ask? Why it's none other than our usual 5:00 AM Wednesday run at Lake Medina. We've been pretty consistent about these mid-week jogs, and consistency is vital for running success... I think.

For this particular Wednesday run, we have a slightly larger than usual gaggle of runners. There's Andy and Michelle Wolff, who (to no one's surprise) somehow managed to start even earlier than the rest of us. We have Debbie Hicks and Mallory Bergstresser, educators just beginning their new school year. Harold Dravenstott is here to discuss his upcoming work day along with yesterday's speedwork session. And then there is the surprise visit from Michelle Kelly-Daum, who is training for an ultra, yet has to finish fast to get home to get her kids off to their first days of school.

Back and forth we go, doing the lower and the upper trails near the lake. It's a great morning for a run. Yet it's difficult for me; yesterday's Yasso 800 workout is still in my legs. I think the same is true for a few of my companions, especially Michelle Wolff. As we keep returning to the trailhead, we keep losing folks. Eventually, it is just Michelle Kelly-Daum and me running the final few miles. 

We finish as it's getting light. My watch tells me that I've completed the planned ten miles. That should get me through. Until tomorrow.

Akron Goodyear Half-Marathon Race Report

I am usually pretty even-tempered about my running, and I also don't generally like to brag, but just let me say one thing: Yipeeee!

The Akron Goodyear Half-Marathon Race was a keeper, for all the best reasons:

• Great organization for a fairly big race.
• A Swenson's burger and two (2) beers at the finish.
• Great company (my friends, Theresa Wright and Julie Boggs traveled with me).
• Absolutely perfect running weather.
• A blimp.

Julie, Theresa, and Dan before the start. Oh yeah, and the Blimp too

With the blimp overhead nearly the entire race, I managed to keep my pace fairly steady at around nine minutes per mile. After the nifty start at the Goodyear Proving Grounds, Julie and Theresa pulled ahead, and I settled into my groove. Just like last week's race, I had some trouble in the middle miles (mostly due to the slightly rolling hills) but then found my mojo again for the last few. That downhill finish helped. 

My time was 1:58:28, good once again for second in my ancient age group. Yet another 65-year-old kid beat me once again. Oh well. This run felt way better than last week's brain-baker. I will take it. Gladly.

Autumn is Coming

Yes, I spotted it this morning, rising in the Southeast, as it is wont to do each August. I didn't hesitate to point it (my first sighting of the Orion constellation) out to my running companions, who gave a collective, enthusiastic. "Meh."

When I see Orion coming up in the morning, I know that Autumn is on its way. I know I can also do this by looking at the calendar (only to see that there's really still a month of Summer left), but sometimes I like being old-fashioned.

It's been a long, hot summer, so this is welcome news.

Hofbrauhaus Half-Marathon Race Report

It's mile 10, and I'm just getting over a bad patch. 

But wait: bad patch seems to imply that that slowdown will be followed by some sort of recovery and subsequent speedup. Unfortunately, my experience with bad patches is that they're almost always followed by worse patches. It's hard to imagine anything else on this HHHH (Heat, Hills, Humidity, and Humility) kind of day. Okay, the hills aren't so bad on this course, but the excessive heat, humidity, and humility more than make up for that.

This is my first experience with the Hofbrauhaus Half-Marathon (I'd been attracted by the offer of free beer),  Other than the not-so-serious Brunswick Half-Marathon last January, this is my first half in a year and a half. I averaged around 9:30 per mile at that Boston 2.1 race, where my overall time was 2:06. Picking up where I left off seemed like a good idea, so I started today's race at that pace.

Did I mention the heat and humidity? It was oppressive even at the start. As the sun rose higher, things would go from bad to worse. All of my miles were at 9:30 or better until about halfway. Those middle miles are on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, through Rockefeller Park, along Cleveland's Cultural Gardens. It's relatively nice and shady, but that's where I lost it. Could I get "it" back?

Somehow, with three miles to go, I do. I start running at about the pace I went out at, and now I'm passing people once again. Some of them had recently passed me. A lot of runners are staying in shaded areas, even when they're out of the way. Me? I'm running tangents, despite the hot sun.

That final 5K turns out pretty decent; about like the first 5K. I guess I did get over the bad patch. I finish in about 2:04, good for 2nd in my age group. I suppose the electrolytes and multiple gels I took helped. Not to mention the promise of the free beer at the finish.

Consistency and Comfort

The 60-plus mile weeks are coming fast and furious, and now, so are the long runs and interval workouts. And yet, I'm still in a kind of comfort zone of my own making. Consistency is essential, and comfort is nice. But improvement requires at least some amount of dis-comfort. To that end, I am:

1) Running a couple half-marathons, including one this Sunday. This will require a slight disruption to my weekly mileage and rest-day routines.

2) Working even a little harder on the speedwork. This week's 800s were my best yet. Since the surgery, of course.

3) Running on trails occasionally. Often, this is on the trails in the field behind our subdivision. Other times on nicer, easier trails like LRT.

4) Picking berries. I did this today whilst trail running behind our sub. The slow pace was comfortable, but stopping to pick amidst prickers, poison ivy, bugs, and more bugs was not.

My I.Q. vs my weight

The weight wins, of course. But both the I.Q. and the weight are coming down. That's a good thing for the latter; not so much for the former. 

The scale showed 160 this morning. That means that I've lost about 18 pounds since the Achilles surgery a little over a year ago. It also means I'm approaching my fighting weight.

But I don't usually fight; I run. I'm trying to improve that as well. But although my weekly mileage is now in the mid-sixties and I'm working on quality, I still have ways to go.

Finish Strong

And now, I'm alone. It's been a pretty good Saturday-morning run, with a pretty good group. We've come and gone from the Medina Square, time and time again, all for the purpose of dropping people off or picking them up. But this is the last time. It's a little before 8:00, and everyone else is done. Except me.

My watch tells me I've got four and a half miles to go in order to hit that 20-mile mark. I'm hot, sweaty, and very tired. How the heck am I going to make it all that way? I say goodbye to everyone and start my slow, dragging slog for this final leg. Suddenly, a thought occurs to me: I can head over to the track and finish up there.

Tracks are wonderful things. A quarter-mile of soft, bouncy surface where you're never too far away from home: just what the doctor ordered. Best of all, I can better concentrate on my pace to ensure that I'm not losing form or function. I wind up running my fastest three and a half miles of the day. 

Of course, I slow way down during my slog back to the Square, but I'm very pleased with the way this run wound up. It feels great to finish strong.

The Next Level

60 miles per week. Check. One day off per week. Check. One long run per week. Check. One speedwork or other Something of Substance run per week. Check. The 60-mile weeks have been a thing for me for a good month and a half now. The long runs, the day off, and the occasional speedwork have been gradually worked into my weekly routine. Today's goal: take it to the next level. At least by a smidge. My usual 18-mile long run would be a 20-mile long run. And the total weekly mileage would be up from around 61 to 65 or so. Nothing Earth-shattering. But the next level, nonetheless.

It's raining here at Plum Creek. We needed the precip, but did it have to happen during this run? I only manage to get a short two miles in before Andy and Michelle Wolff show up. We run North on the new and the under-construction trails until we emerge at Mooney park. From there, we head West, do a loop, and then return in order to meet the 6:00 gang. Now I'm up to six and a half miles.

Now that Harold Dravenstott, Mallory Bergstresser, and Chadwick Sunday have joined, things get serious. Not really. But we've got a pretty good group now. We go back to the North, back on the same trails, back through Mooney park, but this time we continue North and go all the way around Brunswick Lake. We return via a different route. Now everyone is getting ready to go home, and with 14 miles, I still have six to go.

It's back to the North once again. This time I head West out to Mooney park, but I take a slightly different route from the one we did earlier. When I return, I'm a little over 19 total miles (and 64 for the week), but I have to quit. It's past time to get home and take care of my daughter's cats.

Yeah, I know. As far as flimsy excuses go, that one was particularly so. Maybe we should say that I only made it to the next half-level.

Today's Tempo Trot in backwards order

Mile 10: This is just awful. Will I even be able to finish? I'm sure it's my slowest mile, and the tiny little final uphill portion on my street is nearly enough to make me stop and walk. Okay. I finally make it to the house.

Mile 9: Even though I've got some downhill portions, this is not going well at all.

Mile 8: I can't believe how much I slowed down. It seems like the moment I started back home from the track, it got bad. Then, step by step, it got worse. Then, much worse. I wish I could just stop, but I've got to get home anyway.

Mile 7: This mile is not nearly as fast as the last three, but it's still going to be under ten minutes, so I can still consider it part of the tempo portion of the run. I'd been worried that I would get kicked off the track, but I'm still the only one here. I've got no excuse, and it seems that I need none. But that run home for the final 3 will probably be a challenge.

Mile 6: This is shaping up to be the best of the 3 tempo-ish paced miles here at the track. After it's done, I'll take it easy. Okay, easy-er.

Mile 5: For some reason, this mile starts slower than the last one. I have some catching up to do, but I manage to speed up and do it. The time (8:46) is identical to Mile 4.

Mile 4: The track is OPEN!!!! I hadn't expected that! I'd figured on running around Brunswick, and I'd been wondering whether I would be able to make that into a tempo run. But now that the track is available, I can do it here. This is great! Perhaps over-enthusiastically, I run this mile not only faster than ten-minute pace, but even faster than nine-minute pace. It doesn't feel too awful. But... Will I be able to continue?

Mile 3: It's time to decide whether to head towards Brunswick Lake or North Park. I pick North Park. My pace is improving.

Mile 2: It's humid, but I'm slowly picking up the pace.

Mile 1: I am out the door. It's later than I'd have liked, but I'm feeling pretty good. Maybe I will be able to get that tempo run in after all. I decide to head up and across 303. That way I can put the decision off (at least for a couple miles) as to whether to go to Brunswick Lake, North Park, or whatever. I hope it will go okay.