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.