Seeking a better country...

After my daughters tennis banquet (where she was awarded "Most likely to lick Lexi's armpit"???)  I treadmilled while everyone else watched Biggest Loser upstairs.  2 miles at 6 mph 1.5 incl.  Then 5 @ 7.5 mph 1.5 incl. and 1 mile cooldown.  Go blue team.  I broke out my last pair of Omni 9's for this run.  They are so shiny.  Oh yeah, and last week I got rejected for wear testing for saucony because my feet are 10.5 instead of 10.  Imagine my horror.

Jack fussed at 2:30, 5 and 6.  By six it was my turn so we got up.  Ash heard the noise we made (none) and joined us.  We watched He-Man for a while.  Jack settled down, so we put him in the swing, and he quickly fell asleep.  I left her watching, and went for 6.5.  1 mile warmup, then 5.5 at 7 mph 2% inc.  "24" kept me entertained, along with the parade of kids going back and forth to their rooms and the bathroom getting ready for school.  My 15 yr old was on her cell phone all morning.  I wonder what's so important it can't wait till school?

Random routes about town dropping off bills, checking on road closures and high school football games.  I couldn't resist this run with temps in the mid 50's.  I came home to a pot of wonderful soup my wife made.  It's a bit spicy, so many of the kids don't like it, which means I get to enjoy much more than my share.

Cool to cold miles on Legacy with Andy and Tara.  We headwinded the first half, and had a mile of flurries at the end.  Good run and company.  The only improvement I would recommend for this run would be an absence of low clouds and fog that obscured the fresh snow on the hillside.  On  the plus side, there were several large bird tornados.

1.5 mile warmup, then 3 @ 7:00 pace with .5 recovery, 1.5 mile cooldown, all to the stylings of Jack Bauer.  Halfway in I noticed the incline was at 2.  This was a groovy workout;  definitely more interesting than the usual 7 mile slog on the treadmill.

The snow is melting.  I should be able to get in some killer cross training with my leaf rake by the weekend.  Driving to work in the light was great this morning.  I love the end of DST.

Temps in the low 20's pointed me in the direction of the treadmill this morning.  I ran too long and didn't make it into work until 9.  It occurred to me today if I want to run faster I need to run faster.

Once again, on the treadmill.  3 faster miles were at 7:15, 7:00 and 6:53, no incline?  I can't remember.  Total time 63 minutes.  My wife says she likes me running in the morning rather than after work, cuz then I'll eat dinner.  My employer would probably prefer the evening runs.  I think I'll acquiesce to Tami.  "Keep Mommy Happy".  It's such a good family motto.

Ash came with me in the afternoon.  We ran down 400 W and found a very tasty apple tree.  Then we climbed to Freedom Hills.  She sat on her bike and resisted the urge to use brakes while I pushed her up the hill.  Once there, she played at the park while I ran some laps.  I did two trips up and down the switchback trails, 1 mile round trip.  Those got me pretty gassed, and we still had a 5k to get home.  At this point I began to reconsider my oatmeal cookies after church fueling strategy.  Nevertheless, we made it home; to wit, I'm on the computer typing this report.

The day was gorgeous.  All the snow melted, leaving the earth thoroughly scrubbed and shining.  There are leaves everywhere.  My company was fantastic. It is so good to get some sunshine.  Despite spending all of Friday and Saturday outside, this was the only time the sun poked through. 

I tried to run this morning, but the treadmill needed dismantling.  Why didn't I go outside?  There's an issue with the incline, but I can disconnect the motor that raises the deck, and run on the belt just fine.  Perhaps the 2x4 method of incline is in my future.

p.m.   So I took it all apart, and fixed the thingy, but a plastic sleeve that forces the lifting mechanism onto the splined pulley is broken.  I should be able to laser cut a steel one and form it up, or machine one from some acetal; enough of the bits and pieces remained.  What I still don't know is why the lift mechanism malfunctioned in the first place.  The main motor still works fine, so I did 8 miles with no incline.  1 warmup, then 7:03, 6:53, 6:43 and 6:33 with .5 miles in between and a one mile cooldown.  The faster miles felt fine, even controlled, but I still enjoyed the .5 miles of slower running. The crocs work well on the treadmill.  They keep me running light, whereas the sauconys have me bang-slamming away on the deck.  This is a cheapo treadmill that's loud and squeaky, so I can really hear a difference in running light and heavy.

6.5 on the treadmill.  I made my replacement part at work, but didn't install it just yet.  This indicates my level of optimism.  I'm skipping my regular job today so I can do my other job.  The weather today looks fantastic, and tomorrow will be rainy and windy.

Long day.  5 hrs abs/upper body/intercostals raking leaves, dragging tarps, lifting heavy tarps.  Repeat endlessly.  After a weak dinner of french toast made from highly processed white bread dipped in factory farm eggs, I got an hour of racketball with my sons.  I got worked.  I spelled it that way because it's so noisy in those rooms with the ball caroming all over the place.  I was supposed to pick up my daughter at dance at this point, but the warm south wind blew all thoughts from my mind except running home.  I sent the boys in the car, and savored a dark run accompanied by dry leaves skittering along the pavement.    

Sick.  Work, work and a crazy baby were too much this week.  Minor coughing, feels like the kind that'll clear up in a couple weeks, but won't be much more than a minor annoyance in a couple days.  I need to be a better sleeper and worse tv watcher.

What a great run!  I planned on my usual route on BST.  I felt lazy, so my son dropped me up after the 1st mile ascent.  After one mile, I turned right instead of left, and meandered around on the mountainside for a couple miles.  Game trails would appear and recede.  I mostly avoided snow, scared up a few birds, and found a nicely scoured animal skull still attached to vertebra on a flat.  Getting back down to the typical path to cross the canyon was sketchy.  I guess the rednecks have less to do now, as there were lots up shooting skeet and targets.  I'm glad none of them took a shot at me.  Temps were around 40 on an overcast day, with brilliant trees shimmering yellow in the valley.

Work tomorrow, where 9 people have quit or been laid off in the last week.  It's a nice week for a short week.  Happy Thanksgiving. 

Fixed the incline and broke it again.  Rev B tomorrow.

I was unfaithful to my ailing treadmill.  My son wanted to shoot hoops, so I drove him over and jumped on at the rec center while I watched.  The tv at home is much larger with better selection of shows.  I forgot my headphones, so I listened to my heavy breathing.  After running a varying incline program for 3 miles, I threw in a couple mile repeats, at 7:03 and 6:44, then cooled down.  I'm glad I don't spend much time there any more.  

My birthday is tomorrow.  I become a masters runner.  I feel old. 

What a difference a year makes.  364 days ago, I ran this race in 11 degree weather.  Today it was 55.

After a wild birthday yesterday, and three overnight interruptions from Jack, I awoke feeling anything but refreshed.  Entertaining thoughts of bagging this "fun" run, I solemnly prepared my oatmeal.  After finishing, my running ancestors whispered, "Eat more food" so I had a chaser of Cocoa Puffs.  The start is 1.5 miles from my house, so I set out 20 minutes early to get in a bit of a warmup, and have time to visit the bathroom.  Nothing felt right in the warmup; I stopped and walked thrice.

I found my mom and sister at the start.  We visited while the bureaucrats sorted out the same day registrants.  15 minutes late, the race began.  

2 miles down, followed by 2 miles of rollers, then 2 miles up with a nice little downhill finish, complete with twists and turns.  I felt good for the first 2 miles.  A highlight: while drafting on a guy with headphones, he turned and blew a snot rocket on me.  Miles 3-4 include 6-8 turns through neighborhoods.  I must have run some fantastic tangents, as I measured the course at 6.15.  (6.17 last year)

Just like last year, I was feeling like taking a break around mile 5.  Somehow, I soldiered on.  I ran from semaphore to semaphore, convincing myself not to walk.  I didn't have a mantra, but Radiohead's "15 Step" came at a good time...the cadence is perfect.  I'd run myself into no-man's land around mile 3, and I didn't want to see any of those runners again, especially snot rocket-man.  In the last mile, the course rejoins the 12-15 minute pace 5k racers.  I spent a mile dodging and weaving around these determined competitors.  I rolled across the line in 41 minutes flat, surprised at a 45 sec. improvement on last year's time.  It must have been the warmer day and the lucky baby blue crocs.

splits:  6:27 (6:29),  6:30 (6:45),  6:44 (6:51), 6:45 (6:42), 6:52 (6:59), 6:51 (6:53), 0:52 (1:04)  --the kick was better because there was no ice to navigate

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! 

The results are just posted...Age group win, 8th overall.  There were some timing screwups, cuz I don't think three guys ran sub-30 minute 10ks.   

5 hours yard work cross training followed by BST out and back around sunset.  Shorts and long sleeve t with gloves was perfect...until the sun went down.  I was glad to get home and have a hot shower.  I couldn't feel my arms.

8 miles 9:13 pace.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  It's beginning to look like Jack Bauer will never stop the terrorists.  I need to run earlier than 11 p.m.

Progression run without much progress.  I started at 6.5 mph, then added .3 mph each mile.  Mile six was 8 mph. Everybody at my house is sick.  I'm sick of it.  Poor Jack, he's all pus and boogers.

The evening streak continues...Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse for Jack Bauer, they did.  On the bright side, baby Jack is much improved.  Everybody stayed home today (except me- looming deadline at work) because of high winds.  Trees are down everywhere, roofs are missing, soffits are flying through the air.  A day off school might be just what the dr. ordered.

My legs feel pretty good.  I'm not going to do anything crazy like run 8 miles every single day, but I feel the allure that draws one down that dark path.