Go, you chicken fat, go away!

I need to run.  I need to blog.

The last three weeks I've been in a funk.  A funky funk.  I get home at 6am after working a 12 hour shift.  All I want to do is go to sleep.  So I do.  When I get up, it's sooo hot.  I've had no desire to run in this heat.  And the more I didn't run, the more I convinced myself that it was okay to take a break from running for a while.  After all, everybody does it.  And some of my wonderful blogger friends like Steam8 can't even run anymore.  I'm sure that it willl be hard for her, but she'll move on.  She'll find other ways to be active.  I can do the same.

And blogging.  Several bloggers have said, "What would we do without you, Burt?"  In my mind I've thought, "You'd be just fine.  You'll find someone else just as funny as me, and you'll keep on blogging." 

But here's the thing.  In three weeks time my cholesterol has gotten out of control.  I feel horrible.  My diet hasn't helped.  And my legs aren't as strong.  I need to run.  It's a matter of health.  And sanity.  I also need to blog.  When I first joined the blog I was so excited about running.  More than that, I was excited about making other people excited about running.  Then I kind of became the class clown.  Which is fine, I guess.  But I miss telling people how awesome they are.  I miss reading everyone's race reports.  I miss my friends.  So, I think it's time for a fresh start.  I still don't think I'll be able to devote as much time to the blog as I used to, but I'm gonna try to do better.

2 miles, 9:06 pace, 94°F.

Don't stop me now.  I'm on a roll!  100°F!  I gotta do what I gotta do. 

Did I tell everyone that I was recently made a Ragnar Ambassador?  I don't know exactly what it means, but it sounds cool!

And I found this picture of me, RAD, Chad, and allie going to the Third Thursday Adventure Run.

I went out later in the day.  It was only 89°.  I felt good.  The magic water fountain's mystical powers were as potent as ever.

I must have been feeling chipper this morning (not the Steve Buscemi kind of chipper.)  I noticed in my first mile that I was running a bit faster than I have been the last few times I've gone out to run.  So I picked it up in the second mile.  I heard this woman chewing out her husband from the other side of the road.  I'm glad I don't put up with that kind of nonsense from my old lady.

It's cool.  I don't think my wife reads my blog anymore.

Time - 25:53

Splits - 9:03, 7:45, 9:05

Temp - 90°

I put a blast out on Facebook to go run Usery Pass this morning.  I got one person to go with me, Alyssa, RAD's new BFF.  She was up late and running a little behind this morning, so I waited for her.  But once we started running she told me not to wait for her.

I knew we'd see a lot of bikers this morning since we didn't start until 6:45am.  Most of them were pretty friendly.  The ones coming downhill were mostly in the zone.  I'd wave at them and occasionally get the slightest head nod.  If they were really friendly they would lift a few fingers off the handlebars.  The friendliest downhiller actually removed his entire hand off the grips and had a grin from ear to ear.  

Some of the riders on the other side of the road going uphill would make short talk with me.  The first one said, "I love this breeze we're getting."  I told him it would be great to have it at my back on the way down.  Another guy said I had a pretty good clip going.  I told him I'd run it faster before.  And yet another when I was close to the top told me there's no way he could run up that hill.  I told him he could.

Well, I was feeling pretty good when I got to the top.  I crossed the road and stretched for a second.  Then I headed back down.  It was then that I realized how HOT it was!  No more breeze to cool me down.  One lady who had stopped at the top on her bike offered me a drink out of her squeeze bottle which I respectfully declined.  I probably should have taken her up on the offer.  But I had some Shot Blocks.  Uh.  Yeah.  Anyway, I decided not to push the pace on the downhill like I like to do.  I still felt good and was waving to all the cyclists.  One guy had stopped 1.2 miles from the top.  I told him he had only 1.2 miles to go and I literally heard his heart break.  Not literally.  But I have never heard anyone sound so disappointed.  I felt sad for him, yet it amused me.

It wasn't until the last mile when the heat really started to take a toll on me.  It wasn't a big deal.  I just needed to take it easy.  I don't think I could have gone much further.  I finished in just under a buck 11.  Then I waited for Alyssa.  I'm not sure how much further she was behind me.  Maybe 10 minutes?  But the heat was eating her up, too.  But we both made it!

Splits - 10:06, 10:33, 10:45, 9:53, 8:50, 8:41, 9:09, 2:52

Temp - 95°