They all can't be "easy" runs.

8 hood route to legacy trail, over the SWOM bridge and back. 

73 deg., 46% hum., 51 d.p. Low humidity is fantastic!

4 on the trails at sunset

4 on the trails in the AM. I haven't seen high tide in Curry Creek in a long time. I saw a 6'-8' FAT gator sunning himself on the opposite side of the creek, and I had to stop and check him out. The gator became the talk of the trail, as everyone I passed said "did you see the gator?"

The tail end of last week got kind of crazy with things with my dad. It's a very long story but my dad passed away this morning. His decline over the last 12 years has been dramatic, and a couple of times I mentioned it here. In a way, this makes the "letting him go" part of the process less difficult. The day closed with my son bringing my 7 week old gransdson around to everyone. Babies are a miracle cure for the blues in this situation. 

As it pertains to running, I'll get back to it. Pop was proud of my running. For him to get on a plane (which he hated) to fly to Boston and be in a big crowd (which he hated) to see me running for, at most, 5 seconds in that race, lets me know he was proud. He was always a heavy guy, and he took up running during the late 70's / early 80's running boom. When I was a kid, he and I used to run together on what is now the Delaware Canal Towpath in Levittown PA. Back then it was just a grass levee. He didn't stick with running because sometimes life gets in the way of running. And I'm sure he was glad that I picked it up again later in my life. 

I am amazed by the Hospice folks. They were wonderful to my dad the last week. 

4 on the trails on what would have been pop's 84th birthday. 

4 on the trails

6 on the trails. 

3 on the trails. didn't have it today. 

However, in the public restroom by the soccer  fields, Homeless electric bike guy had his bike in the handicap stall, and was playing ukelele while sitting on the toilet. That was unique. 

4 on the trails. 54 degrees. The temps were great, but this year's oak pollen season is really beating me up. 

No mojo

4 on the trails. All of them I had to will into existence.

For the last 5 years, I have been trying to climb out of a running hole, almost getting there, and then falling back in. This one seems pretty deep.

4 on the trails. 

There was a woman out on the soccer fields, doing 100 m barefoot grass sprints. She must have done a significant amount of them, because I saw her as I passed on every lap. Like, her workout could very well have been: Repeat Sprints, Until Failure. Years ago, this was part of my deal. And I got to thinking, this would be a good way for me to slowly work back "speed" as part of the conversation for my running. Hmmm.

4 on the trails + (8) x 100m grass at increased effort (I can't call these "sprints" with a straight face) + 100m AR on the soccer fields. I was going to wait until I built up something of a base before I started trying to run faster again. But then at church this morning, the sermon could be linked to - If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done. (Ecclesiastes 11:4, if you're interested.) Anyhow, we'll see how long this divine intervention keeps up. I know I'm going to feel this tomorrow. 

4 on the trails + (8) x 100m grass at increased effort + 100m AR on the soccer fields. Same drill as yesterday, except today the faster stuff was run on laps 2 and 3. Feeling some tightness in the upper hamstring / lower glute, which I think indicates that I'm getting my knees higher than what I have been on regular slow stuff, which is good.