Excalibur

 Saturday morning before dawn I packed a few peanut butter sandwiches in my shorts.  Then I grabbed a handheld and jog/walked 35 miles in 7:23:24.  Using the water fountain at Liberty Park on the 6 mile trek to Whispering Pines (WP) and then using the two fountains in WP.  It was the easiest effort one could wish for.  No stress, no low spots.  These are rare efforts.  I could have covered 50 miles if warranted.

Big confidence builder for Ice Age.  I’m not sure if anyone has figured out why and how these runs magically appear.  I guess that’s why some of us run.

Camptown Race Track

 Enjoyed a day off from everything.  Beautiful day.  About 76 for the high.  This might be my last Ice Age. I’m old, other things appeal to me, and honestly it is a hassle traveling back and forth.

 But we shall see.  If you are going to be a bear…be a Grizzly.  Not so easy anymore.

Little Angry (Gene Clines)

 23.2 miles today at 10:56 pace.  Time for a few easy days.  Pirates are just crushing the Marlins and I am loving it.  It’s been 45 years, time to dominate in the World Series.

I’ll be back

 Tried to get out moving today just to shake the pummies out.  I actually felt reasonable so I jogged and walked at a pace that was under that needed to finish in 12 hours.  Got in 7.7 at 13:56 pace.  That’s what I have to do to be able to move around tomorrow and hopefully have a run near 12’s.

 At this point the whole strategy is on the weekly long run and losing weight.  I can’t try and grab too many extra miles, or I’ll be in the funk.  I also plan on taking Friday’s off to at least have a shot at a decent Saturday.  I would much rather pile up miles even if I walk a lot to get them.  However, I need to run more than walk to have the confidence needed to beat the clock.

 A person can cover more miles with executed walk breaks.  You need the right combo of maximizing rest and achieving the best pace per mile.  The challenge at Ice Age is it is constantly shifting topography.  No gigantic hills, but continuous rollers, turns, and terrain.  Hard to get a rhythm with the walking, but I have as good a chance as any with my course knowledge.

The 4 rail fence

 The past week I contemplated not running Ice Age.  I received a bit of wisdom from Spider and State Champ.  The event is 7 weeks from today.  So out I went today after light walking, a bit of slow jogging, and Friday off this week. I covered 21 miles in @ 12:29 pace.  All of it jogging.  The last 4 miles were difficult and I was in the mid 13’s the last couple of miles.

 I checked in at 182 pounds.  I only took water.  On the next effort I believe I will conduct a run/walk sequence and take in calories.  I am setting a goal to be at 172 pounds for Ice Age.  Now it is calorie counting time.

 There is no sound plan as it seems dependent on my energy level.  I went to the Doc for the kidney discomfort and they think it may be muscular.  They gave me some type up muscle relaxer, but I only pop that before racking.

 So don’t dance on my grave yet.  My hope is this is not being right at the cutoffs all the time.  

Butch Patrick

 Having to re-tool for Ice Age means going back to more miles with a lot of slow jogging and walking.  Back to 15-20 hours a week of slogging along in hopes of a good day, some tasty waves, and walking skills for May 11th.  Crawford has mentioned she would fist fight the course with me if necessary.  Very honorable gesture.

 With the time change it is back to the headlamp.  The sun didn’t come up to 7:35 today.  Dang.  Perhaps it is better this way so folks don’t have to see me with the Al Lewis shuffle.  

...and loving it

 Oh special bikers, many thanks for gracing the paved trail with your presence.   Thanks especially to those free wheelers who clip by unencumbered by any rules or manners.  Please...many times bowing to clear the path so your peak of athletic harmony is on display for us to see.  So special.  Please forgive those of us who might not be looking up and down the 46 mile paved trail about 12' wide to triple check if you may be asked to squeeze over 1' 4" and divert the straight path.  You are truly the Golden people and I get a little tingle as you go by in your uniform.  

 11.5 miles today at 13:45 pace.  I am contemplating going ham (wicked hard) for about a month to achieve close to 50 miles a week of 13 pace and then doing a trail 50k by feel.  If 13:30 pace isn't achievable then I may have to drop Ice Age.  I'm going to do whatever I can to do it, but I'm not going to go if dropping is a higher probability than finishing and I think I know enough to determine this.

 Everything is good.  The issue is it takes me about 1:30 to cover 7 miles in training.  Do the math.  I need to consider getting near 15 hours a week of training to move the needle as 15-20 of this is walking.  Not by choice.  Not that my watch is super accurate, but I burn 1000 - 1500 extra calories above my base metabolic rate a day and am gaining weight.  I put 4 pallets of sod down last week, worked my job, kayaked, and still gained weight.  The Sargeant Carter lifestyle is quickly losing its appeal.  If it sounds like I am whining it's because I am.  I feel healthy,  but can't as Red Buttons used to say, "Can't get a dinner. "

Here’s looking at you

 I am going to attempt a long run tomorrow.  For that reason I took today off.  Taking days off is something I don’t like to do a lot for the simple reason it is difficult to hit 50 miles a week.  Two days off this week is above average.

 When you spend time around folks near the end one tends to hear comments like they did real well today, or things seem to be getting better.  This is common when one is at the stage you can’t care for them any longer.  It’s reality.  The same thing happens with aging pets.  The thing is, you don’t end up mastering this time continuum.  The process does not reverse.  It is a very real situation and decisions have to be made.

 That’s where my running is.  I’ll always lumber a few miles a day.  I have to balance the value versus the other things in life.  I was unsuccessful in the 100 mile.  I was jogging and walking 15-20 hours a week and did like 367 miles in December.  I averaged 50 miles a week last year.  It takes too much time when I have to walk so I can accumulate more miles.  It’s not going to get better.  To much effort to hit the 12 hour cut off for 50 miles.  My last 6 of them have been 11 hours plus.

 I don’t live my life laying around all the time.  When running leaves me too tired then everything else is a struggle.  I usually pass out before 7:30pm.  I’m that guy.  He looks better today.  Freakin’ guy looked like Ivo Van Damme on those 800’s today.  Well…it might have felt like it, but I end up feeling like an old wash rag that’s been wringed out and left like a scourged pile of nothingness.

But other than that things are awesome.

Fire and rain

 Covered 6.5 today at 13+ minutes a mile.  Good to be out.  The increased dosage must be working.  I guess that’s a good thing.  This might be the last Ice Age.  The training is too hard just to make cut offs.  Perhaps I’m just in a funk.  Time will tell.  Cut me Mick.

Skin’em up Pilgrim

 A day off from running is in order.  Tired all day physically.  No matter.  Twern’t no grizz left anyway.

I’m a runner not a brick layer

 In a funk right now.  Covered 6.5 miles today in an hour and thirty minutes.  I have nothing…just beat.  All I can do at this point is rest up and see what tomorrow brings.  

Get out of my mind

 Tough day.  Wanted to stop after a half mile, but ended up jogging 6.8 and walking a mile with Wayne.  The average was 13:30.  Just wore out.  Perhaps tomorrow will bode better results.

Sleep faster

 The workout today was going to be a bit difficult as I was fairly worn out.  The warmup was 3.5 miles.  The total effort was 10.5 miles and within this were mile repeats of 8:22, 8:16, 8:00, and 7:51.  The good news was when I wound up the big engine I actually didn’t feel bad legging it out.  All the slow miles were clunky, slow and uninspired.  Not sure what this is telling me, but honestly the repeats really weren’t that difficult except a bit on the last one.

 It was a decent week.  Running with a purpose, along with the other parts of life is draining at this age.  Sometimes you just bull through it and other times you compromise.  For the first time in quite awhile I am napping on the weekends.  I put in almost a 2 hour nap yesterday.  In the past they were 15-30 minutes.  Now when I awake I start the coffee routine just to get the brain some clarity and make arrangements with the rest of the body to get cracking.  I expected to be tired.  It was this way 20 years ago.  Back then if I just kept running I could rally at some point.  Today I can effect a mini rally, but it borrows from the reserves.

Come one, come all

 On March 10th the clocks move forward, crushing much of the daylight the early AM runners enjoy.  Though I enjoy the longer evenings, it is more of a challenge always plunging into the darkness.  It is the coolest part of the day.  Soon the heat and humidity will also triumph over us early folk.

 I struggle running after work around 5PM.  My body is just wasted by then.  So I don't.  I quickly learned any side deals with myself to run later does not happen.  And because there are no cool people to meet up with and get myself out later, it makes it a bad option.   

 Today was as expected.  I ran 10.7 at 9:53 pace and it was a bit of work.  I then walked 1.6 miles for the cool down.  Otherwise I might have stayed out a bit too long as I want to get in 4 or 5 mile repeats tomorrow.  I just want to do the work.  They will be a solid effort off the watch.  I won't be keeping track of the time.  Ten weeks to Ice Age.  Can't get motivated to lose poundage.  Going to the Strawberry Festival today.  I'll be knee deep in Carney food.

Dewey Rock

 I was surprisingly clunky today.  My left leg was like a tire low on air.   It was about 80% compared to my right leg.  I am a lefty so that is my dominant leg.  By the end of my 6.2 mile jogfest it was 85%.  It is clear that the 10 mile tempo did take a toll on me.  That's okay.  It can't always be blue skies and hamburgers with bluegill filets piled on top.  More commonly known as the Butternut special.

 Looking forward to a solid effort of around 11 miles tomorrow.   Hoping to feel good averaging sub 10 pace.  It is starting to warm up.  I was soaked today and it was low 60's.

Forever Man

 Busy with work today and was tired.  It was nice to do zero today.  February 29th is a free one, so I treated it as such.   The weather is starting to be great.  

Miles to go

 Today is an easy day so I walked 2.5 miles early and then got out on a 2.5 mile kayak at daybreak.  A super nice day with the sun breaking through the chem trails. The birds were singing and the water was calm so I took a few minutes to just soak it in.

 Again, not another person was out and enjoying this resource in my vicinity and I was out about one hour. In many regards this is okay.  Why have I learned to seek these quiet moments and so few others have?  Perhaps I will join these ranks in the future, but I doubt it.

 There are many different bird calls out in the morning.  I must admit one of my favorites is the common red wing blackbird.  I have much to do today.  Enjoy your Wednesday.

Spitting high tension wires

 I blasted off at past 5:30am into the darkness.  A bit creaky starting out, but after the 2 mile warmup I cranked up the big engine and averaged 8:28 for the next 10 miles.  It wasn't until the last mile until work was required to maintain form.  This was a good workout for me and I will now go easy for a few days.

 I'm at 181 pounds.  No improvement there.  It's a shame I let myself get that big, but I do feel like twisted steel.  Big guys in two's little guys in bunches. 

...and here comes Rusty

 Real slow effort today.  Even though I have the day off and had plenty of time to coffee achieve, it was not going to be anything else.  5.8 miles at 12:03 pace.  I drove out to some country roads and just bone chipped along.  Tomorrow is going to be one of those hard runs.  After a warm-up it will be a 10 mile tempo effort.  Not quite sure what to expect,  but hoping near 9:00 pace.  For me at this stage, that would be ahead of schedule.  I'm not going to expect improving much more than that if it happens.

 We all like to see gradual improvements.   What's the sense of working so hard if they don't come?  I'm past that.  Anytime I'm near 9:00 pace for 10 miles or so that is work.  They don't even call the firetrucks out anymore as I can't kick up any flame.  

Is that you Dave

 Today was to be an honest effort.  Not over taxing, but a little bit of rump behind it.  I got in what I expected within my pre-set time allowance.  Like many runners, it is easy to get carried away and not save a little bit for tomorrow.  I put in 7.1 good miles and tomorrow is going to be an easy day.

 As previously mentioned, the runs have been better than normal.  Anyone who has known me for awhile has seen I am streaky.  Sometimes the body allows me to have periods of clarity and other times it does not.  My thyroid used to be the main culprit.  Since 2008 it has been the blood issue and aging.  Prescriptions change, volumes change, and my body changes.  It is an easy to follow equation.  When my hematocrit is low, runs are difficult to the point of walking.  When I get close to 45% this is good for running.  The problem is when 45% is reached or even exceeded, we begin beating it back down with phlebotomy and increased meds that basically work on making me anemic.  My main concern is my very high platelet count.  I have to keep this reasonable and my reasonable is well over the normal range.  High platelet count increases risk of blood clots.  Now you know the rest of the story.

Blue Moon Odom

 I fell asleep yesterday at 6:33pm.  I am not much for the time change, but brother I need it so I can stay up later.  Once it is dark the power grid shuts down.  

 The goal for today's run was to get in around 10-11 miles at a solid pace.  I never always know what this will look like until I split through the first mile.   When it was 9:34 I knew a good run was in order.  The run was 11.1 miles and I averaged 9:18.  The splits for the halves were dead nuts even.  Looking back the runs from this time last year were slower.  

 Back in the day I'd roll out for my run when I lived in Waukesha and would check my split about a third of a mile from the house when I stepped on this one segment of sidewalk.  It just became a habit.  After awhile you almost always knew what kind of run was in order.  I'm not sure if biorhythms was ever a proven, but let me tell you pretty boy that was all the science I needed Rizzo.

 The sun don't shine on the same dog's a$$ everyday.  Catfish Hunter was dead on.  That was real barbecue wisdom right there.  Like the Chief said in Apocalypse Now (not the real Chief who was Art Rooney), "Don't get off the boat."  Enough said.  And that's what I have to do.  Not get carried away thinking a few good runs mean this is permanent.  I have to be sure to go easy on easy days.

Bobby couldn't fly

 It is dark at 5:30.  I was up at 3:04 AM so it wasn't difficult getting out early.   I jogged a little over 6 miles today.  Almost all my moving around is on the roads.  I like the trail, but don't always like to drive 15 minutes.   Plus moving at a faster rate is much easier on the flat surfaces of FLA.

 I just read Jeff's note on Ice Age from a month back.  There are 6 people this year who have over 20 finishes that are signed up.  Parker, Bill, Pat, Joel, Gail, and myself.  Three from WI and three from IL.  Not sure where Stuart and Julie are this year.  I have to tell you, the neighborhood has changed.  I see people I know, but every year more and more drift away.  I get it.  I'm almost there and because I live in FLA the chances of me going to watch from the sidelines is zilcho.

 You know what's nice.  Putting a training regiment together and telling yourself you'll be running hard at times, but if it is oppressive then get 'em the next time.  I weighed 180 today.  If I could get to 172 I would be ecstatic.  It saddens me to go off the hot fudge and mashed potato diet.  Perhaps if I start watching more TV I can find a nice drug that has me dancing and singing its praises in the streets.  That sounds like a good way.

Mama sang tenor

 Today was another good day with the temps nice and cool at 38F.  I had 6 x 880y planned with a .25 jog between.  From the start I felt good.  The general haze was not there today which means I would not need a 3 mile warmup just to break the ice.  I could approach the endeavor without fear and feast on the rewards after.

 The watch has a feature that measures the zones you run in.  I have them set at sub 8:00, 8 to 9, 9 to 10, 10 to 11, and over 11:00 per mile.  I don't time the 880s for obvious reasons.  They are blasted out according to the Kentucky windage the day gives me.  After completed, I did see I spent 19:19 of the time at 8:00 or lower.  That's good for me and good for you as well because if you are near me the last half mile you are toast.  In fact I might change my whole resolve to sandbag it the first 49 miles and blast the last mile.  The idea comes from at least one guy in HS I ran with in XC, who despite his ability to run, stayed way back and then did the Lee Evans move the last 400m.

Lee Evans.  Great runner.  Look him up.  A true sprinter with great range.

Four eleven gears

 I lit out today on another 1:30 effort.  The kidney was hardly noticeable and right away I knew it was going to be a good run.  You just know.  I ended up averaging 10:16 pace.  I hit a couple of the end miles at sub 10:00 and just Barney Rubbled it the last mile.

 Of course I am always analyzing pace.  What if I could do this, or what if I build up to that.  It doesn't mean anything, but it's what I do when Ice Age is on the horizon.  For years when I would see someone ahead I did not have to make a conscious decision to go after them.  The divining rod came out on its own.  Plenty of times they'd put in an effort to stay in front (I did the same thing) of me.  You just kind of let them play it out.  I mean there is only 20 miles left.

 Now at the back of the pack you manage things differently.   You can't have too many bad spots or you hemorrhage time.  You have to make hay when you can which means no camping at aid stations.   Get your 3 ounces of Coke, a dried P & J square and keep on trucking big momma down the highway.

Billy keep your head low

 The plan was to get a moderate 1:30 in if the kidney was better.  It is significantly better.  Just barely improved yesterday, today was 60% better.  I was able to lumber 8.5 miles.  Need to have a bit left for tomorrow which is the same workout.  I’d venture the last 5 miles were around 10:20 pace on average.  That is really good for me.

 For the kidney I have hydrated a bit better, taken in some apple cider vinegar and popped 220mg of ibuprofen the past 3 days.  Is the diagnosis correct?  Not sure, but at least I’m making mistakes at full speed.

 The speed work and tempo portions will soon follow.  Pretty sad that anything under 9:00 minute miles will be a success.  I have not made any weight improvement because…well I haven’t tried.  I’ll try and get on the scale this week.

 I’d really like to get under 11:00 at Ice Age.  It can be all but assured if one doesn’t have to walk 80% of the last 10 miles.  The 11:02 last year was mostly due to far less walking at the end.  I purposely took random walk breaks last year, even when on flat surfaces.  This year I want to work on running more.  Can I increase my cruising speed so the jogging seems easy?  Hoping so.

Working at the car wash

 I have a framework to follow for training.  The overall look of it does not look daunting.  Based on previous experience, it looks practical.  Sometimes hard and sometimes easy.  Today I wanted to put in around 6 miles easy and I did.  The thing is it wasn’t easy.  My self diagnosed kidney ailment was again a big factor.  It takes time to form some type of semi-fluid forward movement.  I will say this formed after 2.5 miles today and not after 3 like yesterday.  Even then the miles were slow.  I averaged 12:16 and that’s what I have to work with.  Not sure what qualifies as speed work these days.  Perhaps it is all relevant.

Everybody twist!

 I put 5.5 in today and it was high 50’s and rainy.  My left kidney area is very sore and sort of painful.  It has been this way for a few days.  Not sure what else it could be.  After about 3 miles I can start maintaining some form, but the soreness/pain does not go away.

 Perhaps there is some sort of infection.  Not sure, so the plan is to stay hydrated, take a bit of ibuprofen, and drink a shot of apple cider vinegar.  One sure thing about getting old is there is always some hurdle to get over.  

Open the bomb bay doors

 Twelve weeks from Ice Age 50 mile today.  The body takes a few miles to smooth out the rough places.  Once loosened up, the mojo wasn’t really there.  It was cool and rainy and I just kept after my goal of 22 miles.  Somewhere around 15 miles the body was doing okay so I ended up jogging the last 7 miles about a minute a mile faster than I had been.

 I won’t do a lot of long runs.  I’m stiff a fair amount.  My wife mentioned before I went out that I was leaning.  We will see how sore my back is tomorrow.

Last year I incorporated speed work.  I almost have to to beat the 12 hour cut off.  My last 6 efforts of 50 miles have all been in the 11 hour zone.  Last year I hit 11:02 at Ice Age.  I guess if I was to have a goal it would be to break 11 hours.  To do this I will have to increase my cruising speed.  So I will wind it up often, take many easy runs and do a long every 3 weeks.

December

1 - 10.8

2 -  27.1

3 - 14.9

4 - 8.5

5 - 17.8

6 - 17.5

7 - 0

8 - 18.0

9 - 26.0

10 - 11.4

11 - 5.8

12 - 10.0

13 - 15.0

14 - 0

15 - 40.0

16 - 2.5

17 - 0

18 - 7.6

19 - 9.0

20 - 10.5

21 - 8.6

22 - 0

23 - 27.0

24 - 18.1

25 - 4.0

26 - 7.5

27 - 10.0

28 - 10.0

29 - 12.5

30 - 12.5

31 - 5.2

Total - 367.8

Cut me Mick

 - 2,607.9 miles for 2023

 - 11 days to the 100 mile

 - the jog/walk strategy is confined in quarter mile segments 

 - early December I had to rely on more walking because of pain issues and by end of December I had to rely on jogging because of walking pain issues

 - I estimate the percentage of jog/walk to be near 50/50 for the 100

 - I'm trying to beat my brain into understanding the real need to be super conservative.   Need to not get sucked into the blue skies scenario and then suffer from the Mike Tyson observation