Seeking a better country...

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.