Next to me

 Friday night my stomach was upset.  With temps in the 20s and winds at 20-30 mph there was no doubt my resolve was being tested.  The plan was to just get in 25 miles.  No goal pace, no specific place, just show me the baby.  

 I wanted to start no later than 5am, but I was in bathroom mode.  It was a good thing I was going solo as this might end up being a beat down.  Thoughts of moving to Sunday, or just doing 3 hours both days made sense.  But I made myself a deal.  Get in the 25 and a Big Mac and fries awaits.  I quickly hustled out the door at 7am.

 The initial plan was to run at Camp Whitcomb by the house and return for refreshments every 5 miles.  I came back after 6 and after a crunch and snack I bolted. As the second tour unfolds I already know I’m going to move this from 5 to 4 segments.  However around 10 miles my watch was shouting I was Betty Whiting it out here.  Energy was low so after a few Starship Enterprise allocation of resources moves I had remembered from Star Trek I rambled into the house at 13.3 miles.

 Coffee.  Twisted Steel.  Liberty Valence.  Chaka Khan.

 Out I went.  Did a 2 mile road extension first to completely fool my brain.  Now I’m over 15 miles.  Less than 10 to go.  I round the boardwalk across the marsh to see two mink coming right at me.  Amazed, they got the hell out of the way as I bone chipped across.  Now on the top acreage of the camp I am over 18 and think about getting back for the final top off.  But I’m running better than I have all day so I just keep extending sections.  Occasionally a 1 mile road extension outside the camp is done on the rural roads and then I dive back into the shelter of the wind.

 I’m never more than 1.5 - 2.0 miles from the crib, so I just stay out there.  I have the perception that the reserves are being compromised for tomorrow, but I also know flying along without anything mile to mile is freeing.  I commit to at least a marathon and end the run at 26.3 miles.  11:49 pace about half trail and half the macadam like road surfaces used in rural areas.  It is another benchmark run that points to reaching the finish line at Ice Age.

The fighter still remains

 I am on my third day of being holed up with the dog in a hotel room.  Though she is 15 it doesn’t stop her from coming over continually and giving me the what is going on look.  I take her out about every 1.5 hours for a spritzer and a shake down.  Socially she is not aware of body placement and quite frankly I guess I haven’t been much of my life either.

 So it began Thursday when the wife said we have 8 showings the first day the house is listed Friday.  There is also open houses on Saturday and Sunday.  Great.  I’ll take the dog and you figure out the Guinea pigs.  

 The realtor said the comments mention the neighbor still having a lot of Christmas decorations up across the street.  Have people not lived in neighborhoods for a while?  Wait to they hear the gun club a couple days a week.  Better yet the chickens.  Barnaky! He owes me money.

 While out today on a dog stroll we came across an older lady who could not get her huge sheep dog named Sweet Tango into the SUV.  The dog has anxiety I’m told.  When I inquired what the solution was I soon found out it was me.  Now my dog needs help getting into my truck and she fights you on it.  She does not like the feel of her body leaving earth without her being in charge.  That’s the best I can explain it.  So after Sweet Tango and I sniffed out one another I body snatched her in one movement.  She was way heavier than anticipated with all that hair I came up just a bit short.  Of course you’re all in by that point so I just kept pushing and heaving until it was done.  Everyone seemed happy so I untied Cookie, stood in the rain and talked about our life plans and finally bid adieu.  It was a good meeting for all of us and I sincerely mean that.  

 Hope to run 7 easy tonight and risk about 15 on the trails tomorrow.  Not sure with all that’s going down this will happen, but that is my plan.

Frank Sutton

 I was tired during the week and pretty much just went through the motions.  Did nothing at a faster pace.  No run on Friday and Crawford and I aimed for 20 on Saturday on a cold/windy day.  Enthusiasm was low at 6:30am.  Really convinced myself if I could get this in then Ice Age holds nothing over me.

 Heading straight out on the Drumlin we went directly into the wind.  We brought nothing with us and just did an out and back for 20.3 miles.  Made a stop at a coffee shop off the trail at 7.5 miles and I just drank water out of the bathroom sink while people looked at us like we were Sandinista’s.  They were the beautiful people.  The ones actually making a huge difference in America.  I’m just grateful to gather up the crumbs that fall through the grating.  Crawford got even though and took a handful of breath mints before she left.  It said they were complimentary.  So with 40 extra calories available for her we powered out to the turn and headed back with an 11-12 minute negative split.

 I’m all for the gear available today.  I don’t have much of it because after 45 years of running it basically wasn’t used.  Until last year I borrowed head lamps.  A few years ago at Ice Age, John Jenk who is like 11 years older than me were at about mile 12 when this guy asked about how we run without carrying a bottle.  I said on cooler years we pick one up about halfway.  I don’t want to be carrying a gas tank around.  Stand aside.  Can’t you see we have the damn ballgame on here?

 Dewey, Tim, and I did an easy 7.2 today on the freshly covered trails.  It was nice to just be in motion.  Always good conversation.  Generally there is always a consensus on how to fix something.  In my case after I have George Lindsay’d it.  That’s who played Goober…correct?  Otherwise I’ll have to wait until Tuesday to ask the boys.

 About 55 easy miles this week.

The Four Tops

 Going to trudge out and meet Crawford for 20 today.  Cold and windy.  We will go do the paved Fox loop of 10.2 and then do a similar distance out on the paved Drumlin and back.  If it is not in bad shape we may sneak in some of the trail up on the lollipop.

 Just going through the motions.  I should say the dog and I are both going through the motions.  Sometimes she shows flashes of brilliance, but those are largely when she starts bugging you 1.5 hours before eating time and anytime it looks like you might be interested in letting her outside.  I guess that works.  Go outside equals 3 minutes x 10 times = 30 minutes of activity primarily of sniffing around.  When we get to Florida the hope is consistent walking.  I think we would all prefer this.

 My watch lies to me.  I am fairly confident in the distance and time ratios it puts together, but all the other endless stuff is useless.  Pretty sure I’m not operating at 207 beats per minute on harder runs.  If you have interest in counting steps then shoveling snow racks them up.  My fitness age is all over the map.  Someone told me they had a concern because their watch tells them they need 109 hours of recovery.  It’s all crap.  Again, like most anything else you see or hear.  

 I have about 50 work days left.  Not quite sure what my new career will be.  I talked to a lady at Ace Hardware about her job.  She likes it, but they can’t get enough people to come in and fill hours.  For years I would routinely stop at McDonald’s when on the road.  It’s still amazing how stupid I am.  Many times I will get all the way to the door to see the no inside service sign.  Okay.  If people don’t work how do they get cash to participate in society?  I spoke to Bernadette at Walmart last night.  She was taking a break to go outside and burn one.  It was a short convo, and she was wore out.  I asked her what age group you have to be in to Rep that name.  She said the cool one.  So there’s always that.  She wasn’t wrong.