How Much Discomfort Can I Tolerate?!

Weather - 35 degrees, cloudy.

Knocked out by a cold today, I ran 1 mile home from work, knowing I did not want to have to go back outdoors after getting home.

I feel like this won't be gone for about another week. At least my legs are feeling really fresh.

#381

Weather - 28 degrees, cloudy.

Still sick, but I was able to run to the arboretum and then do 3 sets of strength exercises.

My legs feel great with all the rest I am getting.

#382

A picture of the railyard a few days ago :

Railyard with Tripod
Digital Capture 2008

Weather - 36 degrees, cloudy.

Every day I feel worse than the last day. The thing that feels good are my legs, so I am managing to still get my daily run in. Today the same as yesterday, to the arboretum and then some strength exercises.

#383

An alley  3 blocks from my house :

Weather - 20 degrees, sunny, windy.

A cold day, but it does not seem to bother me anymore, I learned last year the more layers the better. Wore 4 layers today, and it felt like 70 degrees while I ran to the arboretum. I did 3 sets of strength exercises after the run.

#384

Weather - 15 degrees, clear.

First time in a while I had to wear a face mask to protect myself from the cold. Today I finally made it over the hump, and am feeling a bit better, but kept the run short and very easy. 

#385

Weather - 25 degrees, snow, windy.

I'm beginning to recover from my illness, so I decided to run 2 miles to work to catch up on some things. I'm probably 5-7 days away from being able to run farther than 5 miles.

#386

Weather - 20 degrees, cloudy.

Feeling a little better day by day, the cold is still in my lungs, but not as bad as a few days ago, so it is getting easier to run. Nice and easy 6 miles today, felt good to run more then 2 or 3 miles. My legs feel fresh and strong, so the lay off was probably a good thing overall.

Also did 3 sets of strength exercises and stretching.

Last year I went to Brookens gym quite a bit to do my strength exercises, so far this year I am doing them outside in the cold. I will try to keep this up, as it saves time.

#387

Print made yesterday :

Rawley's Bay, Door County
Printed 2008

Weather - 42 degrees, cloudy, windy.

The warm weather felt good, and although I am only 80-85% recovered from my illness, I decided to do a full South Farms loop. My legs felt strong and fresh, that is one reason I believed it would be not very difficult to cover the distance. 

There was a stiff head wind on the South Farms road, so I had to trudge patiently until the turn-around. The final 5 miles were mostly with the wind, so that made things feel good.

#388

Print made recently :

Railyard, Winter Study
Printed 2008

Weather - 47 degrees, cloudy, raining.

Today I became a different runner, reaching a new level of endurance and stamina. 

The weather was perfect for running, although quite windy when out in the open areas. Only wearing shorts and 4 shirts, I was 3 pounds lighter than normal, and this made me feel quick and strong.

I noticed I was running faster than usual during the first 5 miles, but I tried to keep the pace moderate, because I wanted to do the usual full South Farms loop.

When I reached the South Farms road a heavy wind slowed me down, but the somber gray clouds and some fog rising near the copse made for some beautiful scenery to gaze at.

I was hoping for rain, as I have grown to love running in it, but it did not start falling until 400m to the finish of the 1st loop. I was planning to stop at Jimmy Johns and call it a day, but I noticed that I was not tired, my legs were still fresh, and I felt I had not worked hard enough to deserve the sandwich.

I decided to continue running, as the rain, and everything else, felt good. I was looping back to Busey Woods, but realizing I could be on my feet for another few miles, I stopped at Strawberry Fields and bought some Bolthouse green juice, a hummus sandwich, and some chocolate almond energy chunks. The checkout girl eyed my muddy legs and dirty shirt and asked if I was out running. I told her I was on mile 14, and needed some food because I was probably going 6 more. She told me she liked to bike, but usually not when it is cold. As I was leaving she suggested I sit down in the cafe to eat. I told her I was going to eat on the run, and she could not believe it. "No Way! Won't you get indigestion?!" I laughed and told her no, I wouldn't, and waved goodbye.

I decided I would run until I felt tired or sore, whichever came first. When I reached the arboretum at mile 18 or 19, I looked up at the hill, closed my eyes, and started doing knee-ups. I concentrated on my form, and also how I was feeling. My legs were going up and down easily, not too sore, and my energy was still good. Amazing, I thought, and a wave of inspiration/adrenaline rushed through me - I realized I had a chance to complete a full second loop, for 26 miles. I smiled, opened my eyes, and attacked the hill.

When I got to the South Farms road for the second time the crows did not even bother flying away as I ran by, they just looked up, then continued pecking at the ground. I was still feeling good, and I knew in 1 mile I would have the rest of loop with the wind at my back.

When I reached MBK I stopped at a bench to stretch, and just as I was finishing I looked up to see a group of 6 or 7 lean and mean runners approaching. When they passed I started running at their pace, about 20m behind them. I noticed their gear, and how easy they were running at 7:00 pace - they were Univ. of Illinois runners out for a leisurely slow run. However, 7:00 pace seemed REAL fast to me, but I was handling it ok considering I was on mile 23. They started to move the pace up after 800m so I let them go, I had no choice, 6:45 pace on tired legs was not going to happen. But they got me through the tough part of MBK, the uphill, so I was thankful for their timely appearance.

The final 3 miles felt pretty good, although the last mile seemed to drag on - I must have been pressing up against the wall right about there.

When I reached Jimmy Johns for the second time, I knew I had earned my sandwich. I walked home in a wet glow of happiness, eating my sandwich, feeling the rain, and thankful for having such sturdy legs to carry me such a long way.

#389

Weather - 30 degrees, cloudy, windy.

I was unsure how my legs would feel after yesterday's run. The first few steps are usually an indicator, and I felt loose and energetic, like yesterday had never happened. 

I needed to buy a headband so I ran to Champaign Surplus. I felt pretty good, not much soreness or stiffness, just a usual run.

After I bought what I needed I ran to Busey Woods, then did 4 sets of strength exercises. I still felt good so I ran another mile. I was at a point where I could walk home, or run to the arboretum. I knew once I got to the arboretum the South Farms road would be hard to resist, but a 12-14 mile run would not be smart, so I stopped at 7.75 miles.

#390

Weather - 20 degrees, clear.

I am runing 13-14 miles tomorrow, so just a couple of easy miles today.

#391

Weather - 22 degrees, cloudy, snowing.

An unusual run because of the park district Christmas party. I ran 7.5 miles across town to Jupiter's Bar and Grill, played scrabble and pool, ate pizza, received $50 for 5 years of service, a $20 gift card to the local grocery store, and a $25 gift certificate to my favorite Thai restaurant. I then ran 6 miles back home. 

My leg strength has increased since the 33.5 mile ultra in October. I can now run longer distances without getting sore. Today I had no remaining stiffness from the 26 mile run a few days ago, and running 13.50 miles was not a problem.

I love being this fit and strong, and it only took 1 year of dedicated running to achieve it. What am I going to be like next year?

#392

Weather - 35 degrees, cloudy, windy.

4.5 miles around the park and woods, then 3 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 45 minute walk home.

#393

Weather - 43-47 degrees, cloudy, misty, very windy.

Another magical day. When I'm running in the fields and woods for 4-5 hours, a lot of thoughts come and go. One thought was this : the strength of my body has finally caught up with the strength of my will. The reason I believe this is because there is a serene sense of satisfaction when I finish these long runs, as if my will is finally at peace.

I have been having running dreams lately. I usually have these types of dreams when I am injured or sick, and therefore not running. So it is unusual for me to dream about running when I am running everyday. But these recent dreams have been me running fast, something I have not done since August. So maybe the dreams are giving me a cue to start running faster.

Today, being warm, I dressed in 4 shirts and shorts, and felt light and energetic. The first 5 miles I was running quicker than usual, pushing in places, then pulling back, as if I was on a 7-8 mile run. When I got to the South Farms road the 20-25 mile headwind slowed me down. When I made the turn to go north, I saw a speedy runner about 50m ahead of me, and with the wind at my back, I decided to go for it. I was running 6:20 pace, but could not gain on the runner. After 800m I turned off the road and into MBK, slowing down to a trot, as I was beginning to go anaroebic, which is not a good idea at this point in my training.

Miles 11-13 I was changing paces, having fun going fast, then pulling back. When I got to Jimmy Johns to end the run, I felt too good to stop, so continued running to Strawberry Fields, where I stopped to buy a Cliff bar, some chocolate almond energy chunks, and Bolthouse blue juice. I had not eaten yet for the day, nor taken any fluids, so I was ravished for food and drink.

I was not sure how far I was going to go at this point, I guessed maybe 4 or 5 more miles for a total of 18-20, because it was going to get dark in about 45 minutes, as I had started at 1:00pm.  After eating on the run I started to pick up the pace, and my legs still felt strong and somewhat fresh, and before I knew it I was back on the South Farms road, battling the wind, as the sky grew very dark and gray. When I turned east into the corn field the horizon was dark and looked very far, making it seem as if I was entering into a black tunnel. I imagined I was running a 100 mile ultra at night without a headlamp.

I was still feeling good at this point, even though the past 5 miles had been into a strong headwind. Now I was about to turn with the wind, the sky black, but with an orange glow at the northern horizon, which made me feel calm and happy. I ran through MBK pretty quick, the wind aiding my pace, and I passed a pack of 3 runners with flashlights. The final 3 miles I was in a running zone, feeling strong, good, invincible. When I reached the final 800m straightwaway, I sprinted at 6:30 pace, not wanting to stop, and contemplated running 30 miles.

I was starving, however, and reaching Jimmy Johns for a second time, I decided to stop at 26 miles. I walked home, eating the sandwich, refreshed by a cool mist.

One of the greatest runs of my life.....

#394

 Print made a few days ago :

The Baraboo Hills
Printed 2008

 Weather - 11 degrees, cloudy, windy.

Not as pleasant as yesterday, but wore layers and managed to stay warm on my run.

Last year in similar conditions I ran at the arboretum, which offers no wind cover, and froze my groin (euphemism).

This year I planned better and decided to run loops at Busey Woods. However, around mile 5 my groin froze.

My legs felt pretty good, a little stiff and fatigued, but nothing to prevent me from running easy. I even managed 800m at 7:30 pace in the middle of the run.

After the run I did 3 sets of strength exercises and stretching. My eskimo mittens were able to grip the pull-up bar, so weather should not prevent me from doing these this winter.

#395

Weather - 16 degrees, cloudy, windy, snowing.

An unusal day for 2 reasons :

1) This is the first time since September that I have entered a mile that was not easy - today 1 mile at threshold pace :)

2) I ran the first 3 miles to the dentist in a snowstorm. The nice lady who cleaned my teeth laughed when she saw my long eyelashes covered in melting ice.

After the cleaning I ran with a numb mouth to Busey Woods, where I did 3 x 1 mile loops.

Last night I had a dream that I was running a 5k. I was feverishly pursuing a runner ahead of me. I broke through my sluggishness and started to really move. Just then the course went down a stairwell into a subway station. The other runner and I stopped when we got to the dark platform because we did not know where to go. Dejectedly we shrugged our shoulders and called the race off.

When I started the 2nd woods loop I recalled the 5k dream, and knew I had to finish my race, so I picked it up, flying just like in the dream, the 1 inch of snow on the ground not slowing me down. I was smiling, laughing, it was all too beautiful, too strange - starting a 5k in an unknown city, stopping in a subway station, and ending in a desolate snowy woods.

#396

Digital picture made yesterday on my walk to work :

Melinda's Alley

Weather - 18 degrees, cloudy.

Another unusual day. I had to attend a park district all staff meeting at 2:30pm, so I planned to run loops at Busey Woods for 2 hours until 2:25pm. The meeting was at the Nature Center, which is adjacent the woods.

There was 1-2 inches of snow on the trails, creating a nice cushion. I ran moderately, but every mile or so I would do some bounding drills for a minute or two. I also did some skipping, which I had not done since I was 7 or 8 years old. I tried to skip last year, but could not remember how to. Today I finally caught the right stride rhythm and it felt great to skip along. My bounding stride seems better than last years, as I am more relaxed and take longer and higher steps.

I appear to be slowly adding more intensity to my running as the days go along. I still feel like doing a lot of slow running, but I also feel the urge to begin building strength through drills and hills. I will probably start hill workouts in February.

I have been running a lot of miles this week, but my legs are fresh every day. It is a good state of affairs right now.

#397

Weather - 28- 30 degrees, cloudy, sleeting.

I am starting up my winter meditation studies, so I ran 4 miles to the Zendo. Unfortunately the ice storm made everyone stay home, and so the Zendo door was locked. I had to reluctantly continue on with my run and ran 2.5 miles back to town and walked the rest of the way home. 

#398

Digital picture made on my run 2 days ago :

121 West Goose Alley

Weather - 38-33 degrees.

Walking to work this morning I photographed the ice storm with the digital camera, I made 25 exposures. 

Lincoln Square on my Way to Work

When I got home I went out for my run at noon. The temperature had risen to 38 degrees, the snow and ice becoming a slop of cold wetness.

I wanted to wear shorts today, but the wind made it seem colder than 38, so I wore a funny outfit of black shorts over black long underwear, with 5 shirts. As I was leaving Rachel said she didn't have to worry about anyone hitting on me :)

I knew it was useless to try keeping my shoes, socks, and feet dry, and by mile 2 everything was soaked.

I stopped at mile 3 to do some strength exercises, which took about 30 minutes total. 

I trudged through the snow, getting a good workout for my hip flexors. The miles passed quickly, and I found myself going long, looping around the South Farms.

When I reached the end of the loop at Jimmy Johns, I felt a pebble in my right shoe. I found a place to sit down and removed the shoe. I saw a small black object protruding through the flimsy shoe insert. I removed the insert and saw that a rusty nail had punctured my shoe. I examined the bottom of the shoe and saw that the nail had gone in vertical, which is pretty amazing. I checked my sock and did not see blood, and felt no pain.

I was 1.25 miles from home, so I jogged gingerly, forefoot style, about 1 mile. I could feel the nail on my heel, so I walked the final quarter mile. When I got home I wanted to get a hammer and smash the nail out of the shoe. Fortunately my wife is smarter than I am, and she got some pliers and easily removed the nail. She looked at my heel and could not see any puncture wounds, so I felt good to go.

I ate some nuts, pretzels, a kiwi, and drank some kefir and water before heading back outdoors. "13 miles down, 13 to go" I said to Rachel while walking out the door.

I was partly joking about the 13 to go, I was not sure how far I would make it today because the melting snow and ice was making running more difficult than normal.

By now I had grown accustomed to cold, wet feet, and it did not appear to  hinder my running. I ran through Busey Woods, then the park, across town, into the arboretum, then hit the South Farms road as the sun was setting. I did not see the sun because the sky was a beautiful mass of gray, with strange looking clouds roaming and mingling in the sky.

As I reached the midpoint of the road I saw many geese flying in a V shape, then another flock, and another, and another. I had never seen so many geese, and then I watched as the second flock merged with the first, and the shapes and the beating of the wings was curiously beautiful and sad, and it made me cry.

Perhaps I cried because I knew that soon I would be turning into the wind for the final 5 miles, which did not seem fun, because my legs were struggling to get lift from the snow.

At mile 22 the sky in the north turned a dark, rusty orange, surrounded by the darkening gray. The beauty of the sky helped me forget my struggles, as I had now reached a low point with my energy.

Even though I was tired, I was still strong enough not to lose my form, and I handled the stress of feeling low on energy well enough, and by mile 24 I was starting to feel good again, and was able to finish relatively strong.

I was so hungry, and I ate the Jimmy Johns sandwich in about 5 minutes as I walked carefully home. It was getting colder, and the slush was turning back to ice.

#399

Weather - 29 degrees, cloudy, snow, wind.

Rough conditions, and a tough run today. 

I dreaded getting out of bed this morning because I felt I had a chance of being sore from running 26 miles yesterday in the snow. However, I felt no ill effects, and when I started my run I was unusually loose and flexible. 

I ran to the post office, mailed a few Christmas cards, then continued with the run along my normal 13 mile route.When I got out of Busey Woods and was running in the fair grounds field I tripped on a large snow covered rock and fell to the ground in a heap. I laughed as I lay in the snow, it has been a year since I last fell, and that fall was also due to snow. When I got up I walked 100m and felt fine, so continued with the run.

I had no intention of running the full route, but when I ended up at the arboretum I still felt good, so why not? I was feeling as if I had run 6 miles yesterday, so I was not going to complain or question the logic of my recovery.

But this good feeling soon faded, and once I got to the South farms road I felt the stinging 15-20mph wind and my energy disappeared in  a hurry. I made the mistake of eating and drinking nothing before I left for my run, and now I was paying the price. My legs felt fine, but I was so low on fuel I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. I wanted to lay down in the corn field and fall alseep.

I had no real option other than to continue running, because I was out in no man's land, and 5 miles from Jimmy John's. So I trudged along in the snow and ice, slipping quite often, but fortunate not to do any more falling.I was running on guts, and it felt good to struggle so much, it was like I was running fast, but in reality I was probably moving at 9:00-9:15 pace.

The final 3 miles were as if I had hit the wall, each step felt like 3 or 4 steps, and the run was never ending. Once I got out of the arboretum and hit the streets, out of the wind, I picked up the pace and sprinted the final 800m, as I could not wait to eat that sandwich!

#400

Digital photo made yesterday on my walk to work :

Bunny's Tavern Parking Lot

Weather - 0 degrees, cloudy, very windy.

I ran 4 miles to the Zendo this morning, straight into a 25-30mph wind. It being 0 degrees, the wind chill was off the charts.

I wore many layers, 2 hats, face mask, etc, so it was not too bad. In some open areas of the run I was almost at a standstill from the wind pushing me back.

I saw 2 other people outdoors, and a few cars.

At mile 2 my groin started to hurt from the cold, even though I had 2 pair of long underwear on. Seeing that there was nobody around, I ran for 5-10 minutes with my right hand covering my crotch. It worked, the pain went away for the remainder of the run.

After meditating for 2 hours, I ran 4 miles back to town. It was much easier, the wind pushed me along, and I did not have to worry about frostbite.

Last night I realized that my fall yesterday bruised the center of my left knee cap.  It is a bit tender when I walk up and down stairs, but when I run I don't notice it much. I am hoping it is just a bruise, and nothing serious.

I iced the knee last night with a frozen bag of corn held in place with 2 rubberbands. Will do the same today.

#401

Weather - 8 degrees, clear.

Because there was no wind 8 degrees seemed warm in comparison to yesterday. I know I'm getting tough when 8 degrees seems easy to work out in.

Since it will be warming up for the rest of the week, I decided to run short today, and do some strength exercises along the way. The final mile was high intensity, it felt good to run fast and get the heart rate into the red zone.

My knee did not bother me on the run, and although it is still a bit sore, I think it is nothing serious.

When I was in my early 20's I used to run at a local forest preserve. I had never heard of ultra marathons, and was not aware that people were capable of running longer than 26 miles (these were pre-internet days). But when I was out running the trails, an idea kept nagging at my heart. It seemed that if a person was capable of working 8-12 hours in a warehouse or factory day after day, why could not a person be capable of running for the same amount of time? It seemed like a sensible idea, but because I knew of nobody who did this, I thought perhaps that it was not possible. But if it was, I believed it would be a great thing to run from sun up to sun down. I remember trying my best to do this during the long summer days of 1988/89, but I always stopped running by late morning. I would get some lunch, return to the forest, do some strength exercises, then run up and down the large hill for a couple of hours as the sun set. Although I never achieved my goal, being outdoors all day exercising was a great way to spend a weekend.

Today I signed up for the McNaughton Park 50 mile Trail Race on April 11, 2009. It is only 2 weeks after the Clinton Lake 30 mile race, but McNaughton is close to home (2 hours away by car), and a few   local runners do both of these races. I am guessing that it will take me 10-12 hours to complete the race, which is pretty close to running from sun up to sun down.

20 years after setting the goal, I just may achieve it in 2009. I can't wait for the fun to begin!

#402

Digital picture made a few days ago :

Night Alley

Weather - 28-30 degrees, cloudy, sleeting, windy.

Today's run was more difficult than usual, but also more satisfying because of the multiple challenges which I had to confront.

The one positive thing - the weather was warmer, so I did not have to concern myself with frostbite.

The roads and everything else were slick and icy. Even though the air seemed to be below freezing, the sky refused to snow, and instead dropped devious ice pellets during the entire run.

The wind was not so bad in town, but once I got to the South Farms road it was unhindered, and blew directly into my face at 25-30 mph. The ice/rain also seemed more intense out on the road, and this is when my clothing became saturated with wetness. I wore a lot of layers today because of the wind, and each layer eventually became soaked.

Every mile or so I stepped into a deep ice puddle.

My hat was covered in ice, but when it started to rain harder, it became a wet, heavy headband which sometimes dropped over my eyes.

The ice/rain stung my eyes.

I never hit a good running stride because of the icy pathways and roads.

I slipped and fell atop the arboretum hill, landing on my already bruised knee.

When I got off the South Farms road my mind and will disintegrated, and I decided I could not finish the route, as I was too miserable.

I entered MBK and decided to turn off onto Anderson for a short cut home, but when I reached the female statue, my body felt strong and good, and tried to convince my will that it could finish the full route if my spirit could stand the elements. 

This was startling because usually my body is the weak one, never reaching the expectations of the will, so my will got to eat some humble pie today when it realized it was the weak link.

I spurned the short cut and completed the full route (minus 800m which I cut short on the South Farms road, when I could not stand to go any further into the wind).

It took me almost 3 hours to go 12.50 miles.

My body felt fresh after the run, and desired more, but my mind was fatigued from its constant attention to the dangerous elements.

Today my will became tougher, and it will need to become even stronger if I am to have a chance to finish the 50 mile race in April.

#403

Digital Picture made last week :

Main Street, Urbana

Weather - 28 degrees, cloudy, windy.

The ice on the roads cleared a bit, but it is still treacherous, so I decided to go easy and just run a few miles.

My knee is slightly sore when bending, but not while running, so taking it light today and tomorrow will hopefully help.

#404

Weather - 26 degrees, clear.

No wind today, it felt nice to go out for a few short miles followed by some strength exercises.

Knee seems ok, it will probably take another 5-7 days to heal if it is nothing serious.

#405

Weather - 37 degrees, cloudy, misting, windy.

A rare, beautiful day and night.  Ran my usual South Farms loop. There was a medium grade fog with a light mist. The South Farms road was a sheet of thick ice. The corn fields were flooded with icy slush. The trees wee isolated in the pearl gray fog.

After running I had an hour of daylight left, so I quickly ate a banana and nuts, then headed out the door with the digital camera and tripod. I had a spectacular time, making about 50 photographs, everywhere I looked a new picture surfaced for my eyes.

Running free and photographing with passion - things are moving nicely along....

#406

Night Alley Study

Weather - 62-55 degrees, cloudy, rain, heavy wind.

A respite from the cold today! I dressed in shorts and 2 light technical shirts, which meant I felt light and energetic. 

I ran the usual South Farms loop, there was a big difference from yesterday, as the sheet of ice on the road had melted, and the corn fields now had ankle deep water in various places.

The wind on the South Farms road was the heaviest yet, 30-35mph, it felt like running up a mountain. On the turn-around I went from crawling to sprinting, as the wind pushed me to a fast pace whether I liked it or not.

I stopped at home to end the 13 mile loop, ate fruit and nuts, drank juice and water, then headed out to run another loop.

After getting through Busey Woods the wind direction changed and now pushed cold air from the west. The temperature dropped about 10 degrees in 5 minutes, and it began raining heavily. I was dressed too lightly to withstand the temperature drop, so I called it a day at mile 18.50.

The previous 3 weeks have been the highest mileage I have run all year (73.50, 98.50, 64.50), so next week all runs will be under 1 hour, most days probably 4 miles or less. My left knee is still bothering me, and although I can still run big miles on it, it is probably best to get it 100% healed before beginning another cycle of medium and long runs.

#407

Digital Photograph made last night :

Self Portrait in Someone's Yard

Weather - 35 degrees, clear.

3 miles and 4 sets of strength exercises.

#408

Photograph made a couple of nights ago :

Bakery Thrift/Red Bud

Weather - 44 degrees, clear.

A nice day for a long run, too bad I am on a low mileage week. 

I ran to Better Image today with a digital file of a recent photograph. Since I am now working with a digital camera, I might as well see what these screen images look like on paper. Maybe they will be a mass of ugly pixels, or the contrast and colors will be too garish.

I had not been to Better Image since 2000, before digital photography was a dominating force. Then the store was a thriving place, clean, bright, and offering a variety of photographic printing services.

When I walked into the store today I found it to be dingy, small, dark, cluttered, shelves which used to hold film were empty and dusty. The store is now comprised of a few computers for its seeming only business - digital printing.

I talked with a photographer at the Market at Lincoln Square last Saturday, she sells her prints in a little stall. She told me she takes her digital files to Sam's Club because they do a good job for a cheaper price than Better Image. 

If Sam's Club can make prints just as good as a professional printing service, I guess that tells me why Better Image probably won't be around much longer.

I will pick up my lone 8x10 print tomorrow. 

After I left the shop I ran to Crystal Lake park and did 3 sets of strength exercises, then walked 35 minutes home.

#409

Bedroom Window - Outside In

Weather - 48 degrees, clear.

A mild day, but still running short distance.

Ran to the arboretum, did 5 sets of strength exercises, then ran .75 miles barefoot on the grass loop. The mud and puddles numbed my feet, and the ground felt harder than in the summer. It was good to run without shoes, though, as it strengthens my feet.

Each day of short running I can feel my body getting stronger, the energy expanding. By the end of the week I should be feeling really fresh.

My knee is feeling better, no stiffness, so I am happy about that. 

#410

Small Winter Day

Weather - 25 degrees, clear.

Ran to FedEx this evening to pick up a package, not much else to report.

#411

Photo made last week :