You’re just supercargo here

 I’ll get in around 250-260 mile for June.  I do intersperse walking.  Mainly a .35/.15 or .4/.1 run/walk combo.  It allows me to extend the miles covered and have some juice for the next day.  I did run 11 on Sunday and averaged 11:14 which is high end for me.

 Getting out every day is very enjoyable.  Sometimes I run into my 76 year old neighbor and cover a walking mile together.  It is good to get fishing tips and such.  My running routes are very limited.  Plenty of dead ends out here in Old Florida as some of the locals call it.

 I’m definitely more of the hillbilly ilk.  Everyone has a story and I’ve been fortunate to make some acquaintances.  People are helpful with ideas and suggestions, but for those who know me I can be stuck in my ways.  That applies to running as well.

 I did tune in to the Western States 100.  I found it interesting when I had time to stop and ponder the event.  I’ve never been there.  Such a huge production.  It did spark interest as usual to look at potential 100 milers.  Been saying it for years.  Looking currently at the Long Haul 100 in January.  It’s maybe 50 miles down the road.  10 x 10 segments with each segment having 3 spurs.  I have one 100 mile finish from 2003.  Honestly I’m intimidated by the distance.  It just seems the trotting and walking I do is ideally suited for patty caking around for that long.  Perhaps it is vanity.  Whatever it is it gets me out every day.  Hope… I think they call that.

 I have no business entertaining such a foolish idea.  It’s the training and idea ping pong with myself that assists in playing this out.  Not only has the ship sailed, but the tickets I’m holding are several years old.

He grins like a baby

 Some men you just can’t reach.  It felt like this on Saturday as I attempted my 20th finish at Ice Age.  Knowing it was going to get into the 80’s I went out very conservative.

 My training partner Crawford was gracious enough to let me stay at her place on Friday and Saturday.  We went out Friday with her, Ryan, and my two kids met with us at Olive Garden.  It is relaxing to be around friends and family, though I wasn’t really that concerned about power shuffling a 50 miler the next day.

 Ice Age has always been one of my top runs to attend. Great organization, volunteers, and you know so many of the folks there.  Andy and Parker were aiming for their 30th finish, and Deb and Bill going for 25.  Stuart, Angie, and myself gunning for 20.  

 Getting to the race, I never had it from the start.  I was under coffee’d and felt like the line in Phantom 309.  “He was a big man, about 210.”  It wasn’t long before I was very near the back of this crowd.

 I’m not going to do an agonizing report of some random guy finishing in 11:57:31.  Here are some memories from the day.

- Dewey was excellent as crew and had a whale of a job that day.  He had an iced down towel that I really looked forward to.  No Dew Man no finish.

- Andy and Parker finished their 30th together.

- Bill passed me at about 44 miles and offered strong encouragement which I needed.  He finished #25.

- Stuart nailed #20.  He was way up there.  Joey, Crawford, and Robert finished well.

- Bill H had a strong run.  At the beginning he told me Jimmy Carter was his favorite President which is a Jedi move.  Meaning he is one of the solid 11 who read this blog.

- I requested coffee at 12 down and a random lady had a big jug.  That was needed.  Dewey contacted the state champ and he rose from the ashes and hand delivered me a second cup at 12 back.  It got my mind right.

- I was at Easterly when Pat Gorman dropped.  His brief words just before 25 miles had started to become my thoughts.

- Duffin back is 30.5.  This is the place doubts were high as I can read a watch and am excellent in math.

- I did not drop at Horseman’s 37 because I knew Dewey only had access at Emma 40.3 miles into it.

- I forecasted at about 33 miles that I had to get out of Emma 9:20 into the race to have a chance and I got in at 9:19 and left a minute later.

- Arena and Fred were at Young Road 47.4 and ran down what needed to happen.  I had 40 minutes and they seemed confident.

- I knew in another half mile I would make it and struggled in with the now famous lean.

- Everyone cheered.  Thanks Jason for the kind words. Thanks to all the people who looked after me at the end, or came over to say hi.

- Thanks Jeff, Angela, Tina, Jose, Sam, Joel, Julie, Bruce and especially my gracious hosts Ryan and Crawford for taking care of me.  Basically delivering and extracting me from the course back to their place.

- I wanted to enjoy the day and I did.  Maybe not in the way one feels like they want to, but in a way that was deserving of the Ice Age 50 mile adventure we all look to in May.

Tight lines

 We have been in Florida for almost 2 weeks now and we are really enjoying it.  The wife has been working hard planting flowers, unloading boxes, and setting up services.  I’ve been assisting and still doing my regular job.  I skipped the run this morning and went for an hour kayak.  Just unbelievable scenery and peace of mind.  The same thought entered my head as it does when I’m running.  Where is everyone?  I did not see anyone else doing anything on the water.  I ran 13 miles on Sunday at Flying Eagle Preserve and saw a grand total of zero folks.  What?  Fine with me.  I kicked out a wild boar and he scampered off.  Caught a little push back from the wife who had to extract some tick’s, but it is that time of the year for that.

 Getting outside about 2 hours a day for moderate exercise is something I enjoy.  It is sad that many do not entertain the idea of doing this on a regular basis.  

 Talked with Grubby and he has been doing some hiking, biking, camping adventures for a few days at a time.  That is where I want to get to.  After the dust settles here I want to take my clunker kayak and go for an exploratory half-day fishing exploration.  I’ll be aiming at bringing back panfish to eat.  The current kayak sessions are intended for me to know where I’m at, get in kayak shape, and scout out places one could get out if needed to facilitate.  I have not found any of those yet.

Clean up to the elbow

 The running routes are limited here.  You have neighborhoods that are sealed off and do not go through.  The more popular roads are not super busy and you can generally get off into the sugar sand shoulders.  I found a decent lollipop loop that incorporates the bike trail.  That’s 8 miles.  Most runs will probably be out and backs of 6-7 miles during the week.  That’s my typical style no matter where I have lived.  I’ll keep working at it and exploring.  People are friendly here.  Some have no problem waving and only moving over 6”.  

 So much to accomplish yet on the move as our items arrive on Friday.  Also getting at the yard, looking for a job and vehicle and many other tasks.  No rush.  I’m here all week.  Try the veal.  We bought a cheap grill and I have grilled the past 4 evenings.  Hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken.  Pork ribs soon.  When Subway is $11 for a foot long it is time to reevaluate.  

 I’ll probably fly up for Ice Age.  Need to get that done.  I’m busy working remotely.  Only 23 work days remain on this job.  I believe I am a simple man.  In the future I want a job which keeps it simple.  The thing about aging is you’ve seen how stuff works.  What’s all this other stuff that gets mixed in?  One gets tired of saying this is a total waste of one’s time.  Wife wants to know about the TV placements in the house.  Honestly I could care less.  That’s another thing that went down the priority list.  Have a great day!

The Orange Blossom Special

 We arrived Friday afternoon to our permanent home in Inverness, Florida.  This is way different country and living arrangements from the 1984-1997 era.  That tour was Palm Beach County and I watched them build all the way out to the Everglades.  I went back once in 2004 for a job interview.  That was that.  We just did not have a taste for it.

 We bought a quarter acre in 1989 in Port St. Lucie with hopes of maybe building there.  That never came to fruition.  Now there is at least one gopher tortoise den on the property and they have more rights than I do.  Everybody twist, or better yet At the Hop by The Juniors.  Was that Danny Rapp?  That was my Mom’s era.  She graduated high school in the 60’s and I in the 70’s.  You read that correctly.

 I did my last big weekend of running last week, 4 weeks out from Ice Age.  Ran 17 Saturday and the 27.2 on Sunday.  I’m old and big, but I’m confident I will get number 20 in that day.  Hope to keep coming back, but one never knows.  I have turned the page.  This is my last Eddie the Eagle run at life.  There is much to do here, plus I want to get a job.  Inflation has made me rethink a few scenarios.  Such is life.  Been here before.  My favorite president of all time is Jimmy Carter.  You read that correctly.

The powers that be

 Running has been fine.  No inflammations or strains to report.  I have really been enjoying the solace of the 306 acre camp I run through several times a week.  For 5.5 years I lived here I often wondered how this would make for some great connector runs.  Nobody is out there.  Honestly the animals and birds are completely surprised by my presence at times.  Except the deer.  They always come across like you are there to finish the job.

 We pull out of here April 21st for Florida.  There is a 700 acre woods there called Fort Cooper State Park.  I’m sure I will pony up the $60 a year so I can breeze through there often.  But they don’t open until 8am.  Travesty.

 Ran Saturday’s of 26.3 and 25.4 the past two weeks.  Yesterday I pulled into a BK afterwards for a Double Whopper.  It was not meant to be.  One guy working.  Not wanting to add to the load I bolted.  Common occurrence these days.  There is not a bigger proponent of fast food than this guy.  Say what you want, but that stuff has powered me for many years.  Later I picked up a loaf of bread and baloney.  Something magical exists with those combined with mustard and a handful of green onions.

 So not much to report.  I’m slow and cover 50-60 a week at 5 miles an hour.  My blood juice is lower, but that is the goal for my condition.  Sometimes when my mind drifts off, I see myself taking over someone else’s body and running the hell out of it.  Putting it to the floorboards and see how she holds up.  Then I’m pulled back into reality as I watch the cashier get their mind blown because I handed them 16 cents with my cash payment.

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.