Quicker than the human eye

 5.0 @ 12:39 pace on bike path.  

Well, I have been jogging a month and feel pretty good.  I’m not any faster, but I am 8-9 pounds lighter and have started to even out the rough patches.  I will not be doing much in a couple days as the BWCA annual excursion begins.  Every year I go buy more fishing tackle and realize I already have this stuff.  I guess it is the FOMO reaction. 

My current trajectory has me gaining a mile a day of running in a months time.  So around the end of October I will be near 7 miles in the morning hobby jog.  I’ll probably change things up at that time…however I will be retired and my disposition might change from lovable, humble shoe shine boy to hong kong fuey cubed.

Not hardly

 5.0 @ 12:25 pace on roads.  Felt heavy legs at first, but  the run started smoothing out.  A benefit of running every day.  You pick up on the subtle messages of when to hang in there.  I enjoy managing the effort.  Years ago when I was able to get higher mileage in without taking so long, you knew if you stayed out there that eventually you could find a hotspot.  That’s why I was partly not interested in back to back long runs.  I’m already in that mode and I could just bury myself for a week doing that.  This is how I account for that.  I was always a believer in the collapse point theory.  If you average 10 a day for an extended period of time then the number would be 30 miles.  If you add the occasional long runs, and either go slow or add walking you extend the number.  In marathoning I could only train to 23 miles no matter what I did when racing.  The last 3 miles are on you.  Same with a 50-mile.  If you’re going for time then you have to figure out the last 10 miles yourself.  It can get pretty grim out there.

Stand aside!  Can’t you see what got the damn ballgame on here?

Frito bandito

 4.9 @ 12:48 on roads.  Again took it as it came…slow and easy.  I seemed to have smoothed out in terms of energy output.  Go out slow and taper.  I think at some point I will have a day where I do a run/walk.  I can then mimic a cadence that is appropriate for a longer event (if that ever happens) and it could serve as an easier day if my mileage increases.  Honestly, if I did a run/walk now the paces overall would be about the same.

Getting out consistently has been good.  I know there is a limit somewhere, but now that I have no ambition of achieving a set pace maybe I could reach a 2 hour hobby jog in the morning.  It’s all about mastering the time continuum if you want to do ultras.  Don’t be afraid to lean into it and good a good whiff of the jalapeños.

Pick up the pieces

 4.9 @ 13:25 on roads mainly.  Took it easy purposely.

As I look to the future activities I can see lots of options.  Thing is there is only so much good energy a day and I believe jogging helps.  However, if you’re a long distance runner there is a tendency to invest too much into it and become someone who has to fake your way through the rest of the day.  What’s the boundary?

Maybe I take up napping soon?  I’m already at a world beater coffee level.  And…loving it.

Coaltown

 8/13 - 4.8 @ 12:39 on bike path.  Felt good last mile.

 8/14 - 4.9 @ 12:14 on bike path.  Felt good last mile.

The reason the blog is called how far to the barn is because it is the verbiage we used in college when out on training runs.  The barn was the field house.  A big building where there was the basketball court, pool, and indoor track amongst other things.  Slippery Rock, PA is rural so there were numerous back road runs.  Some came within 4 miles from where I lived back home so I knew the area.  How far to the barn?  Five miles back to the barn…pack a lunch.  Which meant someone was about to put the hammer down.  Good times.

I think we’re done here

 4.8 @ 13:18 pace on roads.  Just a steady slog.  That’s the pace I had to execute to get it in the bank and leave a little on the bone for tomorrow.

26 actual work days left.  Medicare seems all in place.  We will do COBRA through work for the wifer when I’m done.  Need to finish the paperwork on my pension benefits.  I’ll have to move my company 401K to a new place.  There are a few other things, but mostly on top of it.  Have to clear out my computer files, phone, etc.  I’ve deleted like 150 phone numbers.

I’m staying for September to work with the new hire.  I’ll take him around and introduce him to the customers, lay out what is in progress and hopefully go make some cold calls to show the process.  This will go fast.  Then I am done cold turkey after 42 years brohan.

Low neck sweaters

 4.8 @ 12:54 pace on bike trail.

Was a time I had a checkpoint about .3 miles from wherever I lived at the time.  I’d glance at the watch and I a good idea how the run might go for the day.  Not always, but after hundreds of times it tells you something.

Habitually, I’d slowly go faster per mile and after 2 miles was pretty loosened up.  For the most part it’s definitely a negative split.  Now I am learning to be cautious.  I’m not in good enough shape to pull from the well.  It is good to be out there and after 3+ weeks I’m starting to feel like a runner.

It’s just so bloody slow.