They all can't be "easy" runs.

@ 4 miles near the finish line area in La Crosse WI. 6 am start. 35 degrees. I wanted to make sure I'm set up for these kinds of temperatures. I think that went as well as could be expected. My toes are colder than I'd like. But not much I can do about it.

Great Race. Spouse and I had a lot of fun sightseeing in the area. I'm pretty happy with my time, as it is about what I expected. 

This is a flat point to point race, that goes from east to west (never facing the rising sun). 6 am start. 21 miles of crushed limestone trail, then 5 miles of asphalt, then 0.2 miles of concrete. We stayed across the street from the bus pick up location. I got on the bus at 4:30 am. and was dropped off at the Start in Sparta. 35 degrees and shivering. I bought some warm clothes to shed before the race at goodwill. It is a beautiful course, next to the La Crosse river for a while, finishing at the Mississippi river. 3 freight trains passed while we were running, geese honking, agricultural lands and bluffs in the distance. Very pretty, but also, 3.5+ hours of it. So it could be kind of redundant. There was much less water stops than I expected. I think there were times that I went 6 miles without water. I would say that was the only thing I would change, if I controlled such things.

I talked to a couple of guys at the start, because we had a long time to wait. One I think was the overall winner. And he talked about what it was like to be a senior in high school in 2020. Also, right before the start I talked to a 78 year old guy from Georgia that said this was his 698^th marathon. He said he did the 50 state thing 6 times over. He said he was running another marathon the next day, and then 3 more the next weekend. Crazy stuff.

I figured I would do 8 minute miles for 16-20 miles, and then just see what I could come up with for the end. I did, almost exactly, 8 minute miles for 16, then slowed a lot, without ever stopping. I knew there were 3 overpasses to run over, each 30-40 feet of climb that happen after mile 21. (I’m really glad I included hill runs in my build up for this super flat race).  Then, because I ran the last 2 miles of the course the day before, I knew I could give some extra effort here, and had a really strong finish. Then I punished my stomach with brats and beers and bananas and curds.

The vacation to a place we’ve never been was great. 

4 on the trails. I have felt good since the race, like I could have run the day after. But I waited until today for some reason. 

5 on the trails with the shirtless tire dragger. that guy can talk. I had a few dizzy spells early on, which was embarrassing. It caould have been many things - He had me running trails i'm not familiar with, with more trip hazards to watch for, the amount of talking, "feels like" 93. I'm not going to worry too much about it. 

6.8 miles on west venetian waterway park. "feels like" 97 degrees

1.65 mile North Bridge Loop, then 5 miles on the West Venetian Waterway Park (47:30). Then 1.65 mile North Bridge Loop. 8 am start. hot and humid. 

Is there a law requiring the homeless to smoke in public restrooms? 

Venetian Waterway Park. 76 deg., 92% hum., 74 d.p.

0.9 up, 2 @ 14:42, 1 easy, 2 @ 14:19, 0.9 down. 

Boy #2 wants to be in the USMC band. He's been a musician his whole life, and this has been his goal to play in the best band, in his opinion. So his recruiting process has been different from most people. There has been multiple audio and video music audition submittals. Today, they flew in somebody important from USMC band for him to audition in front of at USF. According to him, he was nailing every piece they asked him to play. On the 4th piece, one of the valves on his horn broke. He explained to them that he had a back up horn at his apartment, if they could give him a few minutes to go get it. He came back, and performed the remaining requests to the best of his ability. The audience was educated enough to know that this was not the horn he was used to playing. But they told him he did well enough to get into the music program. They were particularly impressed with his ability to adapt to the situation and continue on, when his horn broke. They said some applicants would have just stopped at that moment.

So I guess that's it. He's going to do Spirit of Atlanta for one more summer. Then he's off to 3 months of basic training in October, then 1 month of combat training, then music school in the USMC. 

4 on the trails plus (4) x 100m+ sprints and jog back on each of the laps. 8 am start. 85 deg., 60% hum., 69 d.p.

trails. I had to really squeeze this run in. 

2 on the trails. but I'm going to try to get more later today. We're moving son # 2 out of USF in Tampa today.

I didn't finish that run yeaterday. Boy #2's apartment was on the 3rd floor, so it was a couple of hours lugging stuff up and down stairs. 

Today, 6.8 miles on west venetian waterway park. maybe 10 minute pace-ish. I tried to get out for the storms, but I managed to run in between the storms. full sun, no breeze, and super hot. 

Looking ahead - Tomorrow Boy #1 turns 21. Wednesday - 32nd wedding anniversary. Saturday- drive Boy #2 to Atlanta. Sunday drive back. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. 

Venetian Waterway Park. 6:30 am.

0.9 up, 2 @ 15:37, 1 easy, 2 @ 14:51, 0.9 down. 

5.9 miles on west Venetian waterway park in all kinds of rains. I had intended to do my usual Tuesday bridge hill routine, but it wasn't the rains that stopped me. My stomach has been in awful shape all day from too much sugar ice cream cake last night. You know the kind with the blue icing that permanently stains everything in a 5 foot radius? Yeah don't eat that, kids. My whole family, except baby, and birthday boy, haven't been able to eat today. It feels like someone is standing on my belly button. But me making poor diet choices is nothing new around here.

5.9 miles on west Venetian waterway park. 8 am. I wanted to do the 2 mile interval thing today. I did the first on in 15:57, which is not great. But then the wheels came off on the second one. My stomach is still not right, although I am eating again. I hate pulling the plug on workouts, but I just didn't have it today. 

trails

8 miles. Hood route to Legacy Trail, over the SWOM Bridge, and back. Emergency POP stop at mile 2. "Feels like" 97. 

Next, I'm driving to Atlanta, to drop off Boy #2, for his 3rd Spirit of Atlanta summer.

I drove back from Atlanta. 

I've been watching this guy's videos, and waiting for him to post one about the Legacy Trail, which I run on a lot. Well, he finaly posted one:

https://youtu.be/Y6Ln18ZDC68?si=jH1bgyTnVlSvBTye

I haven't run all of the northernmost part of the trail. That part is relatively new. The part I run the most starts at 5:15 in the video, when he goes over the SWOM bridge. 

7.5 Miles Hood Route to Legacy Trail over the SWOM Bridge and back. "Feels like" 94. I was pressed for time, and didn't run the planned run today.