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.

Lost on the one road through Rock Creek Parkway

There's one road through Rock Creek, and I got lost on it.

We spent a couple days in D.C. with the grandkids. Stayed in nearby Silver Spring, MD. One day, I ran to Rock Creek Park and back, and the next day, I managed to get into the park to continue the run a bit. 

The road itself is closed in parts to allow non-vehicular traffic to enjoy itself. I did. Then I got to the Rock Creek Trail, a paved trail that goes on quite a way. After turning around, I came back to the trailhead and promptly got lost. This was on the one road that went by. I guess I went the wrong way; I had to turn back after a while and go back the other way.

Other than my confusion, it's nice running through there. I think I've run the Rock Creek Parkway years ago, but it was probably a different part. Oh and by the way: most of my run was along Rock Creek. After hearing this babbling brook for a while I managed to get a glimpse later on. It's a creek with some rocks in it.

Twin Sizzler 2022

Dan arrives in Medina early enough to pick up his packet and hopefully get a few warmup miles in. But then he starts talking with new and not-so-new friends, and before he knows it, there's only time for a mile or two. Jogging a little with Ladd Clifford, he does manage to get about that far. Now it's time to line up for the 5K.

It's still fairly cool, and the shadows are still fairly long. This is all good, since it will get hot later on. The downhill start is nice, but as the course levels out and begins going uphill, it all quickly becomes real. Dan is talking with friends, and it's all a lot of fun. When he reaches mile 2, it's time to unleash the beast. He passes a few people on the downhill portion of this final mile. It's fine. Until it isn't. The last hill heading up to the Square is a killer, and it pretty much slays Old Dan. He manages to do a sub-nine-minute mile, only just manages to get his final 5K time under 28. It's still a better time and effort than other recent races.

The cooldown/warmup between the races isn't much. Dan spends too much time catching up with everyone. Again. With some, like Tom Bieniosek, it's been literally years. So it's understandable that he isn't running as much as he'd like.

The 10K promises to be tougher. Yes, it's longer, but it's also hillier and much hotter. Even in his faster days, Dan has never run this race all that well. The third mile is the most difficult and the slowest. After that, Dan somehow manages to pull himself back together enough to pick the pace back up. The shady areas and downhills help. When he reaches mile 5, it's time to unleash the beast. He passes a few people on the downhill portion of this final mile. It's fine. Until it isn't. The last hill heading up to the Square is a killer, and it pretty much slays Old Dan. (Those last five sentences may sound a little familiar. Sorry.) Dan finishes the race in around 58 and a half minutes. Once again, Dan considers this not too awful.

Later, after a cooldown mile that actually heated him up more, Dan learns that he finished third in his age group in each race. He's got a way to go. But today was fun.

Breakfast is served

Mom: "Hey kids, wake up. See that bright light coming our way? It's not a firefly, it's a human! They're great for breakfast."

Floyd Fly: "I've never seen one before. Are they all half-naked, smelly, sweaty, and noisy like that?"

Mom: "This one is worse than most."

Frida Fly: "But I'm not hungry yet."

Mom: "That's okay, Frida. He will go back the other way in a while, and then he will return again, just as the sun begins to rise - our normal breakfast time. He will even go back and forth some more after that. I remember seeing him do as many as four out-and-back loops here on the Lester Rail Trail. But he's getting old, so he will probably only do around three today. I'm so happy you kids will have a chance to dine on something other than the usual deer and rabbit. Humans are better for you, and they're also what I would call a 'fun food.'"

~

Flynn Fly: "Hey, here he comes again. I'm really hungry now."

Mom: "Okay, kids. Get ready to feast!"

Frida Fly: "Eww. What's that smell?"

Mom: "Oh no. He must have sprayed deet on himself. Now that stuff is mixed with his sweat, and he's even more disgusting than before. Try to land on a patch of his skin without so much deet smell. It'll still be worth the effort. You will have a wonderful meal."

Floyd Fly: "I don't think he likes us. Why is he waving his arms and slapping himself like that? Does he think that will keep us away?"

Mom: "Humans are stupid, and this one is especially so. If they weren't so good to eat, I would say just leave them alone."

~

Flynn Fly: "Why isn't he coming back? I wasn't finished eating."

Mom: "He must have kept going East into the Medina subdivisions where he knows we won't follow. Maybe he's not quite as dumb as I thought. But don't worry. I know he has to come back this way again, sooner or later."

~

Mom: "What did I tell you? He's coming back. Get ready for Second Breakfast."