Dirt Trail Runner

8/20/11

2011-08-20T14:34:00.001-04:00

today: run 8 on 1/2 trail 1/2 road. overcast early, about a 3 minute cloudburst followed by humidity. tired legs, have work to do.

8/18/11

2011-08-18T18:22:00.001-04:00

yesterday: run 4.5 on dirt trails. hot. easy pace.

today: run 3.5 on dirt trails. hot. dusty. easy pace w/ 2 minute pickup in mile 3 just for fun.

have already lost fitness from mid-summer, just happy to be out there.

8/13/11

2011-08-13T17:17:00.000-04:00

run 7.5 miles, part trail, part road. hot again.

8/11/11

2011-08-11T21:49:00.003-04:00

late dusk run. 4.5 miles trails and grass around lake. a bunch of deer feeding in the floodplain with a sunset backdrop over walnut creek.

8/9/11

2011-08-09T17:12:00.002-04:00

run 5.5 this morning @ 6:10 a.m. streets around eureka. a bit less hot, a bit less humid. tomorrow looks simply amazing.

8/7/11

2011-08-07T16:02:00.000-04:00

run 3.5 on dirt trails in the hot midday sun. thank god for the ability to get out in the woods. even for the black flies.

8/6/11

2011-08-06T18:06:00.002-04:00

run 7.5 1/2 trail, 1/2 road. humid, all too humid. (nietzsche joke)

nice to be running, however.

more chunk:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rRIMY3nHRg

8/4/11

2011-08-05T08:04:00.003-04:00

yesterday: run 4/5 miles trails. less hot. nice.

in summer music, superchunk, mode. superchunk tastes good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot0ViPMkNKo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwdG52iQkZA&feature=related

old 97s

2011-07-11T19:29:00.002-04:00

uh huh. roll on blacktop highway, circles towards the sun, springfield's in the distance, and that's the last big one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsvks2ojjJ0

7/11/11

2011-07-11T10:44:00.002-04:00

yesterday: run 6.5 humid, decent run, slightly tired legs.

today: 5:15 a.m. incredibly frickin humid. run 4.5

the pacific northwest knows how to do soccer. sounders 3-2 over timbers.

props to usa women, also.

7/9/11

2011-07-09T17:24:00.003-04:00

today: run 8 miles. hot, not too hot. nice run. just trying to stay loose. not easy at my advanced age...

7/8/11

2011-07-08T11:17:00.001-04:00

milo aukerman holds a ph. d in biochemistry. he's also lead singer of the best bands ever, the descendents. bonus cups for everyone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7WanzlOvGg&feature=related

7/6/11

2011-07-06T15:41:00.001-04:00

today: run 4.5 miles or so fartlek trail run. felt a bit tight, but got it done. hawt out. that's a given.

no, i don't just sit around and surf youtube for nostalgic pop-punk videos. that said, enjoy the stylings of the mr. t experience:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5rVQg_C7Xw

7/6/11

2011-07-06T09:18:00.002-04:00

yesterday: run 5.5 miles followed by 3 hours of landscaping.

a gem from the east bay pop-punk scene of the mid-90s. tilt was a great band--largely due to the gravely beauty of cinder block's lead vocals:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkVS0aqK0QE

7/4/11

2011-07-04T17:37:00.002-04:00

run 6.2 miles on dirt trail, roads, and paved trail. a little less humid this morning. carried handheld and felt just ok for duration.

7/3/11

2011-07-03T12:46:00.002-04:00

run 4.5 mi. 1/2 trail 1/2 road. warm, but nice.

caught the first two sets of djokovic/nadal. djokovich looked like an all-time great. caught the san jose/new york mls replay this morning--good match, if chippy. i'd like to see more of steven lenhart, fun player to watch.

7/2/11

2011-07-02T11:50:00.001-04:00

5:25 a.m. run 4.5 easy. muggy and such.

in the 90s there was emo, we were there. gauge helped start it all:

http://gauge.bandcamp.com/album/soothe

7/1/11

2011-07-01T16:51:00.002-04:00

blast furnace, sore back, run anyway. 8 miles easy on roads this morning. one handheld water bottle. amazingly, back feels better now. god is good.

remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw5Gl28Xe5o

or this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCsmIHLjM_o

no?

6/29/11

2011-06-29T15:53:00.003-04:00

run this morning. hotter. 8:00 warmup followed by 7 x 1:15 @ hard effort with 2:00 recovery followed by 10:00 cooldown.

yeehah.

6/28/11

2011-06-28T07:21:00.002-04:00

early morning run. medium effort 4 miler. warmer but manageable. samian on the headphones.

don't break me, but the acoustic version. electrified version here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqcciVm-hTk

on the avenue

2011-06-27T21:01:00.001-04:00

an oldie but a goodie from the potatomen. some of the best music is from the unheralded. side project by the lookout records crew who put out some good acoustic stylings. enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLwvL4_odPA

6/27/11

2011-06-27T10:37:00.003-04:00

yesterday: run 8 miles easy. another cool morning.

today: run 4 miles easy. another cool morning, stormed last night.

lincoln/douglas 3 mile 22:34, 7:31 pace, 33/165

6/25/11

2011-06-25T12:37:00.002-04:00

1.5 mile warm up. raced lincoln/douglas 3 mile in metamora. 22:30 somethingish. first short race in...in years. fun time, although my back has been tight lately. happy with the effort, need to keep working.

beautiful morning to race.

6/24/11 or Comment allez-vous ce soir? Je suis comme ci comme ca.

2011-06-24T10:25:00.002-04:00

no running today.

the strike was a good band:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19WUcFxJeMU

the weakerthans are really great, too. something about the cold north?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rvKD2PDeik

6/23/11

2011-06-23T16:57:00.001-04:00

run 4.5 miles. another cool, overcast morning. some back tightness, survived. lincoln-douglas 3 mile on saturday morning. first 5k-ish race in years. stoked.

6/22/11

2011-06-22T10:31:00.001-04:00

cold front with storms last night. ran this morning: 5.5 miles w/ 6 x 1:15 fartlek pickups @ 70-85% with 2:00 recovery and cooldown.

watching venus vs. date-krumm. good match.

6/20/11

2011-06-20T11:27:00.003-04:00

saturday: off. watched baseball, kj's little league game, then cornbelters in the evening. no running, a bit of beer, some food.

yesterday: 6.5 mile tempo run, first half in light rain. felt solid for the entirety.

today: 4.5 easy. muggy again, overcast but rain held off.

catching a bit of the schiavone/dokic match at wimbledon before class.

6/17/11

2011-06-17T10:19:00.002-04:00

early morning run. 8.5 miles, roads, relatively easy pace. thank god for the ability to get out there.

6/16/11

2011-06-16T16:11:00.001-04:00

ran 4.3 miles (approx) on paved trail and grass around lake. a few hills thrown in. easy pace. and why not?

6/15/11

2011-06-15T17:05:00.002-04:00

serious storms last night/early morning. still got workout in this morning on grass soccer fields and paved trail. 7:00 warmup, 4x 1:00 at 85-100% effort, 3x 1:30 at 70-80% effort. 7:00 cool down. went fairly well, cool temps and only slight mud and standing water in the low spots on the bike trail.

6/14/11

2011-06-14T16:45:00.001-04:00

another livable, cool morning conducive to running. run we must. 5 miles on dirt trails and paved/road trail along the north side of lake and lower lake park. felt ok.

6/13/11

2011-06-13T15:25:00.002-04:00

run 5.5 miles trails and grass around lake. nice easy run.

mavs win! diiiiiiiiiiirk!

6/12/11

2011-06-12T20:21:00.001-04:00

beautiful morning for a run. some days are blessed. run 10 miles in low humidity. felt good.

6/10/11

2011-06-10T17:10:00.001-04:00

today: run 5.5 miles. 62 degrees, lower humidity. felt average, got it done.

last night: mavs beat heat, i promise have been a huge dirk fan prior to this series! have the shirt to prove it.

fire draw sporting kc nil-nil. did not look offensively at all. narrowly missed a goal off the top of the post, but honestly didn't deserve the win.

6/8/11

2011-06-08T18:40:00.002-04:00

a.m. steambath. 5 miles or so w/ 9 1:00 sprints, 2:00 recovery between each interval. done on grass soccer field and a couple on paved trail. solid workout.

6/6/2011

2011-06-06T17:16:00.002-04:00

this morning: 5 miles. first 5k was a tempo run on a measured course through town. tired legs, managed a 24:12 3.1 mile and two mile "cooldown." dog butt tired afterward.

6/5/11

2011-06-05T14:02:00.001-04:00

5:30 a.m. run 4 miles plus on roads. held up ok. storms looming on western horizon.

6/4/11

2011-06-04T17:22:00.002-04:00

today: run 7 on roads, wanted 10. used new ultimate direction handheld bottle. wasn't enough. just didn't have it today, way hot, legs betrayed mind, tough run.

watched germany take a 2-1 win over austria. really a sloppy game from die mannschaft, only a gomez goal in the 90th minute salvaged the win. didn't need, handily controlling their euro qualifying division, but still could have shown more sharpness. schweisteiger and klose out didn't help.

usa trails right now in the 40th minute 3-0. it is spain, so no shame.

li na v. schiavone started badly, second set was entertaining tennis, na wins it.

i'll take rafa over federer tomorrow in four sets. paris belongs to nadal.

6/3/2011

2011-06-03T10:00:00.002-04:00

yesterday: walk a bunch in heat, up and down stairs, etc. getting too old for coasters?

today: run 4.5 miles around lake. when is that first frost again?

john wesley harding, anyone?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntKf9ixflcI

6/1/11

2011-06-01T07:43:00.001-04:00

today: 5:50 a.m. 7 min. warmup, 8 x 1 min intervals on grass field, 7 min. cool down. good workout.

5/31/2011

2011-05-31T16:21:00.003-04:00

ran 5.5 miles roads. hot and overcast. felt average, just good to run.

french open, my favorite on the men's side, monfils is out, picked schiavone to repeat and she won an incredible comeback match against pavlyuchenkova in three sets. playing great tennis and is tough on clay. love her game.

off to st. louis.

5/30/2011

2011-05-30T11:44:00.002-04:00

yesterday: run 4 miles around lake on roads w/keegan tagging along on bike. almost got home in time--sky opened up a half mile away. massive downpour. they feel good when running on a warm day.

today: just two easy miles for fun and to loosen up.

last night there were skinheads on my lawn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1UgeOKN1DE

5/28/11

2011-05-28T15:55:00.002-04:00

had a slight chest cold the last few days, decided to run today anyway. felt sluggish, but not totally awful. 10.5 miles or so at a comfortable pace on roads. a welcomed cooling rain for the last 45 minutes. put the miles in and am happy about that.

mug of coffee, watching barca/man u. 2-1 barca at the moment. rooney and messi have each scored. just brilliant players, both.

5/26/2011

2011-05-26T16:34:00.002-04:00

another march day. 50 degrees, windy, overcast. did a get a run in after a busy couple of days. about 6 miles on paved trail and road. threw in 6 or 7 surges of 1:15 to 1:30 each. Felt good to get out.

in news about faster people: usain bolt narrowly held off asafa powell in the diamond league 100m. no idea if he's clean or not, my guess would be no, but still love watching bolt run. relatively slow start to his season here, though.

5/23/2011

2011-05-23T12:45:00.002-04:00

today: run 6 miles. part trail, part road, part soccer field, part dirt road. been a bit tired lately, decent run, though.

other stuff like...

basketball: my pick of bulls/thunder has taken a minor blow, 2-1 down in each series. i honestly would love to see dirk get to a championship. one of my all-time favorites. any 7-footer who can shoot 3's like that is a hero in my book.

soccer: fire fall to union 2-1. ugh. blackpool falls to an already qualified man u. team, relegated to the second tier. need a new team to root for in premier.

5/21/2011 or Robin's In the Metaphysical Section

2011-05-21T14:56:00.006-04:00

a good 10+ mile run, on roads with the exception of about 1/2 mile. most enjoyable. trying to work more on form, staying upright, etc., not always with success, work in constant progress. just thankful i can actually run.

soundtrack is poi dog pondering:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XC4Vu1hofU

5/19/2011

2011-05-19T22:59:00.000-04:00

run 5.5 or so mostly on road, a little trail thrown in. ideal spring-like day.

5/18/2011

2011-05-18T21:15:00.001-04:00

given a perfect running day. sunny, 60, no humidity. 5 miles or so, intervals on trail and grass soccer field, 8 x 1 min. fast, fast, full butted fast.

that is all.

5/16/2011

2011-05-16T19:34:00.001-04:00

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Isaiah 40:31

nice mid-april day today. run. run 4.7 miles or so. my mind is my garmin. easy pace.

5/15/2011

2011-05-15T18:49:00.002-04:00

today: cold, overcast, like seattle without the great coffee, hipster vibe, and well, just about everything else. go run. 4 miles easy.

anyone remember the the?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isUCQIvOplA

5/14/2011

2011-05-14T19:07:00.002-04:00

panera. too much coffee? scrabble.

rainy. 50 degrees. went for a run just as the rain was stopping, overcast skies, great running weather. 8.5 mile tempo run on streets. too much coffee? perhaps.

5/13/2011

2011-05-13T23:53:00.001-04:00

Dean Andrew Zimmerman 8/30/45-5/12/2004

yesterday: 5.2 miles easy on trails. hawt.

5/11/2011

2011-05-11T17:30:00.000-04:00

yesterday: 4.5 miles trails. heat. heat.

today: 4.5 miles trails, 6 x 1:00 intervals with 2:00 recovery, most on trail, one on soccer field. heat. heat. heat.

Quivering Quads

2011-05-10T16:11:00.001-04:00

results from first ever ultra. dang slow, dang fun:

QUIVERING QUADS TRAIL RUNS 50K

Overall Finish List

November 08, 2003

Results by FLEET FEET Sports (www.fleetfeetsports.com, 636-939-0161)

Place	Name	City	Age	Age Group	Time	Pace
1	TIM MEYER	ST. LOUIS MO	34	***** M 1-99	4:17:23	8:17/M
2	THOMAS WHALEN	ST LOUIS MO	38	***** M 1-99	4:22:18	8:26/M
3	JOEL LAMMERS	OCONOMOWOC WI	41	***** M 1-99	4:24:20	8:30/M
4	CHRIS ARNOLD	SAINT LOUS MO	34	***** M 1-99	4:27:36	8:36/M
5	DAVID NAUMAN	MASON CITY IA	47	***** M 1-99	4:35:25	8:51/M
6	KEITH TIMMINS	GRANITE CITY IL	48	***** M 1-99	4:40:46	9:02/M
7	LARRY SCHMIDT	SPARTA WI	50	1 M 1-99	4:48:36	9:17/M
8	BRAD DARNELL	OFALLON MO	34	2 M 1-99	4:55:48	9:31/M
9	BECKY LEAHY	FLORISSANT MO	29	***** F 1-99	5:09:23	9:57/M
10	CHRISTINE CRAWFORD	WHITEWATER WI	34	***** F 1-99	5:10:18	9:59/M
11	MIKE MCNICHOLAS	ST CHARLES MO	42	3 M 1-99	5:10:20	9:59/M
12	SYLVAN ADDINK	IOWA CITY IA	61	4 M 1-99	5:13:08	10:04/M
13	STUART JOHNSON	SHAWNEE KS	44	5 M 1-99	5:13:22	10:05/M
14	MIKE FITZGERALD	ST. LOUIS MO	35	6 M 1-99	5:16:24	10:10/M
15	BRAD MARTINI	O'FALLON IL	40	7 M 1-99	5:25:24	10:28/M
16	DOUG HANSEL	CINCINNATI OH	44	8 M 1-99	5:25:24	10:28/M
17	JERRY FROST	ST LOUIS MO	48	9 M 1-99	5:25:54	10:29/M
18	MARK WILLIAMS	ST ANN MO	45	10 M 1-99	5:27:41	10:32/M
19	ROB HILLS	ST CHARLES MO	37	11 M 1-99	5:28:28	10:34/M
20	BILL NICTAKIS	ST LOUIS MO	43	12 M 1-99	5:45:23	11:06/M
21	CARRIE BESSELMAN	TROY MO	42	***** F 1-99	5:45:49	11:07/M
22	STEVE BLANCK	BRENTWOOD MO	44	13 M 1-99	5:46:41	11:09/M
23	KELLY ZEIER	ST CHARLES MO	28	***** F 1-99	5:47:00	11:09/M
24	JOHN TOWNSLEY	ST. CHARLES MO	41	14 M 1-99	5:47:22	11:10/M
25	CARY OBRIEN	ST PETERS MO	40	15 M 1-99	5:49:48	11:15/M
26	CLINT TREADWELL	ST LOUIS MO	36	16 M 1-99	5:52:19	11:20/M
27	DONALD LOVE	FLORISSANT MO	40	17 M 1-99	5:53:18	11:22/M
28	STEVE HAMMANN	MUSCATINE IA	48	18 M 1-99	6:00:44	11:36/M
29	JOHN QUICK	ST. PETERS MO	46	19 M 1-99	6:02:10	11:39/M
30	JOSEPH NEUBAUER	CHESTERFIELD MO	56	20 M 1-99	6:03:18	11:41/M
31	JIM STROUP	ST LOUIS MO	56	21 M 1-99	6:03:36	11:41/M
32	ROBIN KOKJOHN	FARMINGTON IA	47	***** F 1-99	6:05:08	11:44/M
33	TIM BOTT	GODFREY IL	33	22 M 1-99	6:07:30	11:49/M
34	PETER FRIDDLE	EAST PEORIA IL	30	23 M 1-99	6:18:57	12:11/M
35	DON RYAN	ELDON MO	54	24 M 1-99	6:23:51	12:21/M
36	CHRISTA WARNER	ST. LOUIS, MO	36	1 F 1-99	6:26:15	12:25/M
37	DAVE SHANLE	SHERMAN IL	45	25 M 1-99	6:26:58	12:27/M
38	DAN CARNESCIALI	BALLWIN MO	39	26 M 1-99	6:28:55	12:30/M
39	KAY MCVEY	ST. PETERS MO	50	***** F 1-99	6:29:21	12:31/M
40	STEPHEN RECHTIEN	FLORISSANT MO	49	27 M 1-99	6:29:27	12:31/M
41	MICHAEL GRIFFIE	ST. ROBERT MO	31	28 M 1-99	6:29:30	12:31/M
42	CHARLES WOOD	EUREKA MO	33	29 M 1-99	6:31:23	12:35/M
43	BUD STRAUMANN	BALLWIN MO	48	30 M 1-99	6:31:24	12:35/M
44	LEE HESS	ST LOUIS MO	53	31 M 1-99	6:31:33	12:35/M
45	CAROL IZADI	FENTON MO	44	2 F 1-99	6:34:23	12:41/M
46	ALLEN WARNER	ST. LOUIS MO	38	32 M 1-99	6:35:38	12:43/M
47	DICK HOGAN	URBANDALE IA	57	33 M 1-99	6:41:56	12:55/M
48	GARY MCGOWAN	FOREST PARK IL	48	34 M 1-99	6:42:52	12:57/M
49	RICHARD HENGST	CAPE GIRARDEAU MO	53	35 M 1-99	6:48:47	13:09/M
50	TONY BIERMAN	EFFINGHAM IL	48	36 M 1-99	6:49:23	13:10/M
51	ROB APPLE	MURPHREESBORO TN	42	37 M 1-99	6:53:33	13:18/M
52	GLENN EZELL	ST CHARLES MO	45	38 M 1-99	6:56:17	13:23/M
53	JENNIFER STRUNA	ST. LOUIS MO	26	3 F 1-99	6:59:37	13:30/M
54	STEVEN KULLMAN	COLUMBIA MO	43	39 M 1-99	7:00:49	13:32/M
55	AL MAIURO	ST CHARLES MO	58	40 M 1-99	7:04:10	13:38/M
56	WAYNE JENSEN	LA CROSSE WI	48	41 M 1-99	7:04:12	13:38/M
57	PAULETTE ARNS	CAMANCHE IA	50	4 F 1-99	7:10:17	13:50/M
58	RANDY NORRIS	MANCHESTER MO	44	42 M 1-99	7:12:04	13:54/M
59	DANIELA KACAVENDA	O'FALLON MO	17	5 F 1-99	7:17:57	14:05/M
60	TIFFANY HERBERGER	WENTZVILLE MO	17	6 F 1-99	7:17:57	14:05/M
61	JASON ZIMMERMAN	EUREKA IL	29	43 M 1-99	7:17:59	14:05/M
62	CHERYL ANDERSON	CHESTERFIELD MO	43	7 F 1-99	7:22:48	14:14/M
63	BETH GORMAN	CHESTERFIELD MO	37	8 F 1-99	7:22:48	14:14/M
64	GENA BONINI	CHESTERFIELD MO	40	9 F 1-99	7:22:49	14:14/M
65	STEVE BUSHONG	SAINT LOUIS MO	33	44 M 1-99	7:23:11	14:15/M
66	ANGELA WILLIAMS	WRIGHT CITY MO	31	10 F 1-99	7:24:13	14:17/M
67	NICOLE LONG	MAPLEWOOD MO	31	11 F 1-99	7:41:58	14:51/M
68	JANE BURLESON	WRENSHALL MN	45	12 F 1-99	7:49:19	15:05/M
69	JEFFREY BURLESON	WRENSHALL MN	54	45 M 1-99	7:49:20	15:05/M
70	TODD HASTINGS	FT LEONARDWOOD MO	34	46 M 1-99	7:51:09	15:09/M
71	OLLIE NANYES	PEORIA IL	44	47 M 1-99	8:11:52	15:49/M
72	DEBBIE COLLETTA	ST CHARLES MO	46	13 F 1-99	8:30:34	16:25/M
73	RICK BENDER	CHESTERFIELD MO	55	48 M 1-99	8:43:52	16:51/M

5/8/2011

2011-05-08T14:48:00.001-04:00

mom's day.

sunny and 64. awesome

run 4.5 miles, part trail, mostly road. if i was a "real" runner i'd call it a shake out run.

felt good.

5/7/2011

2011-05-07T21:01:00.001-04:00

today: picture perfect may day. ran 10 or so miles, mostly roads, little bit of grass. first really warm day to do a longer run. a tad dehydrated. still got it done. decent pace.

watching fire vs. caps. nil-nil as of this moment.

5/5/2011

2011-05-05T19:54:00.003-04:00

today: run 5.5 miles or so. trails. leave my trails alone. stop making them wider, don't care if your cross country kids can't pass. run faster out of the gate. and surely don't pave them. you wouldn't do that, would you? nah.

listen to more j-church, please:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbmJDUtKk84&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=AVGxdCwVVULXeXz1LrFOOxSxc_l_O84KCy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eP3DgCBI0c&feature=related

5/4/2011

2011-05-04T19:55:00.002-04:00

bin laden elimination celebration run:

5 miles bike path and soccer fields. speed pickups. 8 x 1 min. with 1.5 to 2 minute recovery. saw tapp and robinson.

5/2/2011

2011-05-02T20:03:00.002-04:00

sat: 9 something cruger loop. good pace, but brutal headwind out of the south. almost comical trying to run back into town

sun: 3.5 miles road. easy pace, cool afternoon

today: 3.5 miles trails. bluebells, violets, other pretty stuff. spring.

4/29/11

2011-04-29T08:03:00.002-04:00

yesterday: 5 mile road run, relaxed. night run. still really cool in the am and pm. perfect running weather. all good.

4/28/2011

2011-04-28T10:31:00.000-04:00

yesterday: still cool and cloudy. good running weather if nothing else. 41:00 fartlek. 8 pick-ups of about a minute apiece. this qualifies as a "speed" workout for me. felt nice.

i admit it, i've become a fan of the nba this year. the playoffs are awesome, just about every matchup is a good one. here is my take going forward from today:

East:

Bulls vs. Atlanta/Orlando: Atlanta is the better matchup for the Bulls. Rose will simply be too much and stylistically they should be easier even than Indiana was. Bulls in 5 if this happens. Orlando is tougher because of Howard, but I still think the Bulls win. Orlando is a very streaky shooting team and honestly they don't have the perimeter speed to handle Chicago. Bulls in 6 against Orlando.

Heat vs. Celtics: Boston is old and fading, Miami is young and surging. I really don't think Boston has a chance here. Miami in 6.

Bulls vs. Heat: This will be a great series. Ultimately I believe that Chicago's team defense and cohesiveness will win out. Noah and Boozer have also shown that they can neutralize Bosh and Rose is every bit as dangerous as Lebron. Bulls showed in the regular season that they can beat the Heat. Great matchup and really a coin flip. Bulls in 7.

West:

Thunder vs. Spurs/Grizz: Do not sleep on Okla. City. This team is dangerous. I honestly think they dispatch either one of these teams. Westbrook and Durant are deadly and they have the interior defense with Ibaka and Perkins to negate Memphis' post strength should they hold on and win. Thunder in 5 over Grizz in 6 over Spurs.

Lakers vs. Dallas: We'll look ahead here. I think this will be the matchup. I really love Dallas and am a huge Nowitzki fan. The Lakers are there to be had this year, the problem for Dallas is that they don't have the tools to get it done. They can't defend Kobe, and although Chandler has had a great year, Bynum and Gasol are too much. This will be more competitive than people think, however. Lakers in 6.

Thunder vs. Lakers: Time for a changing of the guard. Kobe has lost a step, Westbrook's time is now. The Laker's frontcourt advantage is blunted by a solid Okla. City line and Durant feasts from the wing. The youth of the Thunder finally matures and makes the Lakers look like what they are, old. Thunder in 6.

Championship:

Bulls vs. Thunder: We're assuming Rose is healthy, which he looks to be. The Rose/Westbrook matchup has us salivating. Thibs' commitment to defense rears its head again, Rose shows why he's MVP and leads the Bulls to a title. Bulls in 7.

Kerouac and Japhy...

2011-04-26T15:22:00.001-04:00

hiking Mt. Tamalpais in 1955, just prior to Japhy's (Gary Snyder's) excursion to Japan and before Kerouac leaves for his season as a fire lookout on Desolation Peak. If you hike or run or whatever, this rings true still:

“Trails are like that: you’re floating along in a Shakespearean Arden paradise and expect to see nymphs and fluteboys, then suddenly you’re struggling in a hot broiling sun of hell in dust and nettles and poison oak… just like life."

-Jack Kerouac in The Dharma Bums

4/25/2011

2011-04-25T20:44:00.001-04:00

6 1/2 miles or so on streets. relaxed pace. felt generally good, this time got the run in before the rain. not sure if that is good or bad.

4/23/11

2011-04-24T00:09:00.002-04:00

saturday night run. 10:00 or so. watched the chicago fire draw a game they should have won against the dynamo. why not go out and run? 4.5 miles or so. easy. air was beautiful, a few people out around bonfires. the world is peaceful after dark. at least my world is.

4/22/11

2011-04-22T14:36:00.003-04:00

wed. night: ran on the streets after dark. 41:00 fartlek with eight pick-ups. light on my watch not working, i'd guess between one and two minutes each. so fast, oh so fast. feels fast at least. slowly gaining a little quickness back.

fri: today. 8 1/2 miles or so, stupidly in the rain. started light, downpours later. lady stopped at 4 miles and asked if i needed a ride. no ma'am i'm dumb enough to choose to be out here. no matter, fun effort despite the storms. oh, it's perfect clear out now. something about building character?

Dharma Bum

2011-04-20T12:35:00.001-04:00

Re-reading my favorite Jack Kerouac novel, first read 18 years or so ago (yikes), Dharma Bums.

"The secret of this kind of climbing, is like Zen. Don't think. Just dance along. It's the easiest thing in the world, actually easier than walking on flat ground which is monotonous. The cute little problems present themselves at each step and yet you don't hesitate and you find yourself on some other boulder you picked out for no special reason at all, just like zen.~ Japhy"
— Jack Kerouac

race with yer heart

2011-04-18T16:45:00.002-04:00

saturday: race with yer heart 4 mile. benefit for heart house womens' shelter. cool, 40's, windy, as in straight-up headwind the first two miles out heading west, wind at back the two miles heading back in (that's logical). 30:57.4, 7:44/mile, 31/108, 1/3 fat guy division.

sunday: nothing. oh wait, celebrate bday with bbq chicken, and pie. that's not a run.

monday: run 41:00 roads around lake. 7:03 a.m. cool. 42 F. easy pace.

April of Eleven

2011-04-15T09:08:00.002-04:00

monday trail run. stuff is coming out, just in its infancy. buds and such. 48 minutes out my back door onto grass, down the floodplain, short loops thru the woods. warm, 60 F. sun. sun. foot feels ok. hip feels ok. i feel ok.

tuesday road run. 6:24 a.m. air feels warmish on skin. maybe it isn't. 36 minutes. "speed" pickups. five or six of them just because i felt like it. andrew wheating is my favorite track runner. six foot five, one of the fastest in the world. i am not one of the fastest in the world, still i can do "speed" pick ups. fartleks if you're swedish. hip doesn't complain much.

thursday road run. 6:11 a.m. chill in the air. 43 F, i guess. no objections, bodily or spiritually. pace of leisure through the streets. i enjoy running past my grandparents' graves in the morning. something refreshing and renewing about that. something like 48 minutes total. sunrise over a maple while running east down harrison. worth the early wake up.

Howl at the Moon 2010

2010-08-16T11:50:00.005-04:00

After a decent summer of training I figured HATM would be a nice reward. If you haven't done this race before, it's 8 hours on a 3.29 mile loop, some double track trail and some short road sections, run/walk as many miles as you can. Race is at Kennekuk County Park near Danville, IL. Goals for this were just to cover ultra distance. I just don't do that well in the heat. Forecast was 95 degrees with high humidity, not conducive to huge miles.

Race started at 7:00 a.m. under cloudy skies, an advantage. My strategy was to push a bit early and get some miles in before the sun and heat of late morning and early afternoon, leading to some relatively fast early loops. Three and a half hours in the, out came the sun, instantly making things considerably more difficult. I was pushing fluids heavily, essentially drinking two bottles of water/gatorade mix every loop, sometimes pushing straight water, and s-caps about every hour. Was able to maintain a good electrolyte balance, there were some very slight twinges but never cramped. Kept a decent running pace for about 5 hours then slowed down quite a bit in the heat and with some slight blistering on the bottoms of my feet, attributed to sweating into my socks causing my feet to slide around. Still, felt pretty good most of the time. Lots of folks looked to be way worse off than I was.

Ended up getting in 10 loops plus one slowly walked out and back 1/2 mile for a total of 34.40 miles. I'm happy with this. Postrace is great at Howl; we're talking catered chicken and green beans and beer. Surprise beers this year were Killian's and Sam Adams. Felt ok enough for a Killian's.

So, good race for me considering I'm still about 15 pounds over ideal ultra weight. This summer has been good, have built up to decent miles and long runs in the 4-5 hour range. Also feel that incorporating some swimming into the mix helped with overall fitness.

If you're looking for a fun, "easy" ultra in terms of terrain and support, Howl is a great one with a total party atmosphere. Mad fun.

McNaughton Park 2010

2010-04-13T12:28:00.002-04:00

Fat. Out of shape. Wishing I hadn't played that pickup game of basketball and f'd my back up for a month so I could run McN this year.

Oh yes, it was 75 and sunny. It was dry. It was trail running heaven. Oh no, I didn't sign up for any actual race cuz I have no fitness.

At least the slackers can always pace. So I paced my buddy Stan Zygmunt from Indiana (he's a Physicist, wow.). Ok, didn't really "pace" per se, Stan didn't need "pacing," but I ran along for 19 miles. 19 glorious miles of trail running heaven. We know spring is early, the bluebells are popping, it's fricking 100 shades of GREEN, the creeks were perfect, not too high, not too low, not too cold, you get it. At least selfish me got to run for 5 hours or whatever it was. Some in the day, a little at night. Not enough.

Stan, well, he finished the 100 in 28 hours and change. Congrats, Stan.

FreeRun

2010-04-05T15:24:00.003-04:00

My grandfather bought this farm 55 years ago. There is a plot of 20 acres where Mill Creek flows under the barbed wire from the cattle ground. Once hardwood forest, then years ago cleared and pastured, now an area of 50 foot locust, orange osage, bur oak, a few big cottonwood. We've cut a fun little mile and a half trail system up and down the creek bluffs. Bluffs is used loosely, we're talking 20-40 foot climbs. This waterway is young. Spring is the time to run there. No itchweed, the bugs aren't out yet, no breeze in the valley is ok when it's 65 degrees.

Blossoms just hinted at on the dogwoods, maples, shrubs in the underbrush I can't name and don't need to today. Sun. I start on the south end, across the creek at a spot where it's only a couple feet wide. Chilly water welcomed after the winter we've had. Short loop around the back section, something enveloping, comforting about skirting through the thickets, no humans to be seen or heard, even if they were, they couldn't see you even from the ridge top. Back across the creek, scramble the muddy hill past the fallen apple tree that doesn't know it has fallen and still gives fruit despite. Around and into the creek bottom where clover is planted for the deer. They die in October. Run this now before it grows to seven, ten feet tall in a few months with the onset of the summer heat.

The train of the valley opens here, a re-entrant, slight but visible if you look, it's where the stream enters the land from the north, valley train running the other way like it forgot for a second where the water was flowing, too late to turn back. Multiflora rose, raspberries, thorns waiting to prick and pierce. Easter was yesterday. Over the fence, soft run through a now green pasture, cattle trails crisscross. Pick one that heads west and follow. The hills roll here, although you wouldn't know it from the road, prairie we have, sometimes rolls if you know where to look for them, if you are patient enough to understand what you've found.

A lightning bolt shape, the creek bed here. Most trees stripped long ago by hands I can't be angry at, now a few osage the only sentries. Up the hill and scale the gate. Fields, field edge. The valley widens out into wooded bramble. Wider still, expanding, a Gordian Knot complication of underbrush, trees, another world away from the one down the dirt road. Around the serpentine contour of the bean field. Cut into the knot on a slight game trail. Duck under the branch. Out the other side. Maybe an eighth of a mile wide here. A labyrinth. Nah, you couldn't really get lost, but it feels like it and that's all that matters.

Running. Scrambling. Churning up some loose mud from last night's rain. Mud, yet it doesn't grab at you. The kind of mud that is soft and forgiving on the shoes. It's ok you're here, please don't linger. Around the next bend the woods disappear, the creek narrows, opens up as small prairie streams often do, into really just a ditch, not a creek by any definition we would apply.

Turn and run it again. This time I cut south at the cattle crossing, up the hill behind the old barn. First week of April and the grass is green, so green as to banish gray for a season, that gray that's all we've had for months. That gray. But not today. No pasture here, just woods now, a ford, water only a foot deep here, cross, back on the connector trail that connects the deer, coyotes, me, back from the hardwood forest to my little patch that used to be Oak hardwood forest and now can't be. To the south is a hissing, sounds like a cougar, but can't be. A feral cat? A bobcat? A badger? Don't know. An interesting sound for noontime sunshine, usually relegated to deep night.

Pace quickens slightly up that last slight rise ( I admit it). Back to the four wheeler, water. Only four miles, but renewed. A FreeRun.

February May Well be the Cruelest Month

2010-02-15T11:36:00.003-05:00

Cold, gray, Illinois. Not a whole lot to write since this has mostly been a blog about my running and frankly I haven't been running a whole ton lately, for reasons that you wouldn't really care about. My last really good "long run" was sometime early last fall. I'm ecstatic to get out for an hour here or there. The plan is to work back into shape and do some fun stuff in the summer. There are indeed miles to go.

Cold, gray, Illinois. All of those things, yet I still miss the trails for hours and hours even on bleak, frigid mornings. One thing I do love about winter is the sense of hibernation, the atmosphere of burrowing in and having free time to think or read instead of do. About the time that wears off, warmth is coming and outdoors becomes home. All the burrowing has allowed to sneak in a few books. All read over the last couple months and recommended:

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford: A good basic study of the Mongols, but flawed in his over-the-top revisionism and recasting the Golden Hordes as creators of everything from accounting to the postal system. Still, worthwhile.

Go East Young Woman - A true story about 125 years of life in the Russian steppe of Bessarabia by German farmers, and how it ended during World War II by Karl Horst Schwarzer

The Emigration from Germany to Russia in theYears 1763 to 1862 by Karl Stumpp

From Catherine to Khruschev-the Story of Russia's Germans- by Dr. Adam Giesinger

Tracing Romania's Heterogeneous German Minority from Its Origins to the Diaspora- by Jacob Steigerwald

Yes, I have an obsession with Eastern European and Central Asian history.

Tales From Out There by Ed Furtaw-- Really cool new book with everything you ever wanted to know about the Barkley Marathons

Flurry

2009-12-07T16:22:00.002-05:00

So it flurried last night, a half inch of powder on the trails by the creek. I guess this is sorta how those lucky bastards out west feel upon the first snow when the slopes are reopened.

The last few months have been sporadic running-wise. Soft tissue leg thing due to a dumb newbie training error, teaching two new classes, life stuff. Haven't run "long" since September. This really is ok, I kinda like free-forming it with the runs, just short stuff, nothing over five or six miles. That injury hasn't flared in a few weeks. Fitness lost, but not completely vanished. There are runs where things are hazy-- those moments of reuniting after some time away are awkward. "Where've you been??" This used to be easy, now we labor up that hill and over that log. No matter, I'm running in the snow and really loving it again.

Dances With Dirt--Devil's Lake

2009-07-12T14:14:00.002-04:00

Ran the full marathon ++ of this one yesterday up in Baraboo, WI. DWD, Hell, MI is one I've wanted to do, but Baraboo being closer to IL made this an easier commitment. They advertise the DWD races as "insane terrain," and while is there is a smattering of truth in the marketing, there are runnable spots here. Still, make no mistake this is a tough course.

The early section is a nice steady uphill which eventually crosses a glacial deposit area, meaning rocks and lots of them. There is some really nice single track until you get to about 10 miles, where it's straight up I'd guess about 600-700 feet on rocky trail to the ridge overlooking Devil's Lake. There are some big, more steady climbs after this, then about a two mile bushwhacking section right around 12 miles.

While the trail is marked with ribbon, it is a bit confusing, as you have white, pink, and blue ribbons depending on the course you're running. The turns also aren't marked well and if you're looking down it's easy to go off course. I veered off course after the Steinke Basin aid station and stupidly didn't backtrack soon enough, adding two plus miles to the 'thon. The turn wasn't marked well, but then again, I should have been looking up. Ended up getting a bit dehydrated and draining my bottles before I realized my error. Finally made it to Tower aid station with 2.7 left and ended up hammering it home sheerly from being pissed off about going off trail. Word after the race was that I wasn't the only person who did this by a long shot.

My finish time was somewhere around 5:50, good for 8th place overall and 3rd place age group. 8th sounds impressive, but overall there were only around 30 some thoners. They had around 150 half thon and then a pretty good crowd of 50k and 50 mile. 50 k was an option, but didn't want to plunk down the extra 40 bucks for 5 more miles. As it stands 28+ miles is going down in my book as an ultra finish anyway.

I would recommend this race. Not being a skier, I didn't know the area was so cool. The race starts right at Devil's Head ski area and I think the 50 k course concludes up on the trails around the top of the "mountain." The only possible drawbacks are A. You have to really watch the markings or not be as dumb as I am. It is possible in spots to lose the course. B. A few spots are unrunnable bushwhacking through off woods terrain. If you are for some reason racing or running this for time, that could be annoying. I just thought it was fun. C. There wasn't a lot of grub postrace. Again, a minor complaint. On the positive side, the park is really gorgeous, the aid stations are great, and the shirt is one of the best I've gotten from a race.

There aren't too many better ways to spend a Saturday.

Colorado 2009

2009-06-30T18:35:00.003-04:00

This trip wasn't about me and my running addiction. Despite my uncharacteristic selflessness, I still managed some nice runs in the foothills. No San Juans this time around, unfortunately. I did get in a nice eight mile trail run at Red Rock Canyon in Colo. Springs. This park is the stepsister to Garden of the Gods. Heartily recommended if you want a less touristy place to run. I was out there at 6 am on a weekday and saw no other humans on the entire run.

Other runs were on the Pikes Peak Greenway trail, paved but a nice course along the creek in north Springs. Highlands Ranch is cookie cutter suburban, BUT they do have an awesome open space trail that rises up to Castle Rock Rd. and gives a great view of all the 14ers off in the distance. Put in 8 and 7 miles here, respectively. We drove partially up the road to Evans out of Idaho Springs to fish a trout pond, but no runs.

Next year: San Juans hopefully, Leadville thon' possibly, somewhere else cool. I'd still love to attempt the pack burro race at Fairplay.

Devil's Lake

2009-06-10T07:44:00.002-04:00

I decided to sign up for the Dances with Dirt, Devil's Lake marathon version in July. I've wanted to do the DWD Michigan for quite a while, but never made it up that way. DWD DL is in Baraboo, Wi, a relatively close drive and should be a fun course. There are ultra versions of the race which I'm opting out of for a marathon training run type thing.

Preparation has gone relatively well. I've managed to get in several runs close to four hours out at Farmdale and some nice distance during-the-week road runs. I should peak this week for the season so far at about 60 miles, high stuff in my world. Will be in Colorado next week and already have some trail runs lined up, although there is little doubt that mileage will be down since this is a family vacation after all. Still, mountains are mountains.

Rite of Spring/J-Church

2009-05-15T12:12:00.006-04:00

Yeesh, my legs are still tired a month after McN. Tired legs on the trail and a spring tradition.

Sunshine, seventy and no humidity dictated that I just had to get out to Farmdale the other afternoon for a few miles. It's the heat, stupid. It wasn't that hot, yet those first few long runs in warmer temps require the body to adjust. This means drink, drink, drink, hydrate, hydrate. I know this, same routine every spring, and yet I didn't drink enough. First two hours were great, hour three honestly sucked. My legs suddenly went south, I knew I was dehydrated. Ran into Dexter toward the end of my run and from 20 yards out thought he was Mike Klop. Was shot for the rest of the day. Still, you know, they say two outta three ain't bad. I'll take two good hours and one crappy one on the trails over no trails at all any day.

Oh, I made up for it last night with an awesome midnight run in the cool air and J-Church on the Ipod.

Speaking of J-Church...if you like pop punk, these guys are oen of my favorites. Be warned, very politically tinged stuff, but in a situationist, personal way, not dogmatic. Lance Hanh's songs are like reading journal entries. Really great, catchy stuff. J-Church was also one of the most prolific rock bands of all time.

Look:

http://www.j-church.com/records/singles.html
http://www.j-church.com/records/albums.html
http://www.j-church.com/records/splitsingles.html

I nearly went broke in the mid 90's trying to keep with collecting all of their 7" vinyl singles. If you're interested, I'd rate their studio albums in descending order of greatness as follows (but they're all really, really good):

Quetzlcoatl
The Drama of Alienation
Camels, Spilled Corona and the Sound of Mariachi Bands
Prophylaxis
Arbor Vitae
One Mississippi
Society is a Carniverous Flower
also, Nostalgic for Nothing is a great singles collection.

One of the best live shows I ever did see.

RIP Lance

PS: Oh how I wish I was doing Berryman this weekend.

Laurent Fignon

2009-05-13T10:02:00.004-04:00

Screw Lance Armstrong. Laurent Fignon is my guy. My memory of cycling goes back into the 80's when Professor Fignon was dueling with Greg Lemond on summer afternoons on network tv. We'd immediately head out on our weighty ten speeds and have tour de neighborhood. Is it weird to admit that I still sometimes fantasize about being the Prof. when pedaling up a grueling hill on a "BIKE RIDE?" Ok, that is kind of weird.

Which brings me to me my point.

I just don't get the whole "CYCLING" thing. Last week I cracked out the bike while nursing a slightly tweaked toe. Still needing some sort of physical activity, figured I'd CYCLE for a bit. My bike needs an "I'd rather be frickin' running" fender sticker.

Before I took off I told myself I'd: A. keep it in the highest gear B. never take my butt off the seat C. Take the route around E-town with the most hilly sort of things.

So I did that for an hour and you know what? I still didn't feel it was a workout. It was a nice BIKE RIDE, a way to break a slight sweat and see the world a bit differently for an hour, but it wasn't much in terms of CYCLING or what felt to me like exercise. Why? Here's what I can come up with:

-My bike is old and heavy. A 10 year old Specialized hybrid bike. I like it, but it's a bit clunky, sits upright, and I'm sure it's not a real CYCLING bike. The whole gear head CYCLIST/Triathlete scene just isn't for me. If I had 2 g to drop on a bike, maybe I'd feel more Lance-ish.

-Hills. Yeah, they go up, great, my quads feel it a bit, but what about down? Coasting ain't a workout it's...coasting. You can pedal all you want to give the illusion of exercise, but coasting is coasting and it's easy. Pfft.

-Spandex. I don't wear it unless it's Under Armour under da' shorts on a long run. You can't be a real CYCLIST without spandex. Science and God both say so.

-Gears. They make CYCLING easy. It's like cheating, and I'm not down with that.

My heart may still be with Laruent-- he's forever cooler than that corporate ho, Lance--and I'll still invoke his name while grinding my way up that quarter mile climb on 117 (Woodford Alps), but bet your $5000 tri bike it will be on a BIKE RIDE and not while CYCLING.

Rain

2009-04-29T12:59:00.002-04:00

Tears from the sky, i'm satisfied that i can't stop the rain,
Can't justify, and i can't define, and i can't stop the rain, rain

We only dream to float downstream, reminded by the rain,
Tied to a tree, cannot break free, reminded by the rain

from J-Church, "November"

Water is elemental to our existence. This we know. Rain is not elemental to good trail running. It is April, it has rained for hours and weeks on end. This is ok with me, I need a break from the trails.

Post-McNaughton has been a combination of probably drinking a few too many beers and eating a bit too much, not running enough, and working on busy end of the semester stuff at the new gig. It's easy to justify a lull as a recovery from a big effort and in some ways I think this a wise philosophy. I fully commend and in some ways envy the folks who do a lot of big, long runs back-to-back-to-back-to-back with seemingly no ill effects. I am not one of them. Dropping the mileage down, targeting only a few races for fun, and going for some shorter runs, are all good for the psyche and hopefully for long term participation in this stuff.

It's been two weeks and the only lingering effect from Mcn is a bit of forefoot pain, maybe a slight case of tendinitis. This is nothing new and new shoes will most likely help. In the last three days I've gotten out a few times for six mile road runs. Last night's was in drizzle and chilly air. Does early March never end?

Still, running in the rain is better than not running at all.

Recovery

2009-04-17T11:03:00.002-04:00

So far, so good. Had some soreness for about two days, feeling pretty good now. First run was Wednesday, a gentle three miler on trails, it's way too nice today not to get out, so planning on a six miler later. The occasional Fat Tire doesn't hurt.

Long runs may wait a few weeks, still Farmdale calls when the sun is out like today.

McNaughton Park 50 Mile 2009 Version

2009-04-13T12:52:00.004-04:00

The weekend started on Friday at noon as I went out with Andrew to watch the 150 and early 100 starters in the cold rain, particularly Adam and Mike K. and S. Let me just say right off that I'm in awe of those guys and gals cranking the 150 or 100 on that course. It's just cool watching them launch off the start line then coming up Tanner's Pass, knowing some of these folks will be out there over two days later cranking out miles.

Lined up at 6:00 a.m. the next morning for the 50. First loop was good, maybe a bit fast at 2:16, ran most of it with Dex from Deer Creek and Stan Zygmunt from Indiana, who we were with most of the way in last year's race. Stayed steady on loop 2, felt good. The course, I thought, was actually very runnable. The rain had stopped Friday and most of the hills had dried out. Still, there was pretty severe mud in the usual low spots which made for tough going in stretches, but absolutely nothing like last year.

Loop 3 was my slowest at 2:32, hit a mental low spot from about 24-27, came out of it with some calories and never really dipped low again for the rest of the day. Picked up the I pod (Jayhawks) for loop 4. Music really isn't something I like on trail runs or in races, but in this case I sort of just tuned out, went inside myself and ran. Ended up pacing this loop off of a woman that passed me, tried to catch her for the rest of the race as a mental game, but was always 30 yards behind or so. Strong runner, whoever she was. Oh, she was doing the 100, demonstrating how slow my "running" actually was.

Loop 5 more of the same, actually picked it up a bit after totem pole and kept a solid pace. Was tired by heaven's gate, but m and m's and Pepsi cured it.

Ended up coming in at what for me is a good time in those conditions, 12 hours 7 minutes, with the family there to greet me.

Analysis:

-Training: I think it was good, could have probably been better. Got some good consistent long runs in in the preceding months, and I really think even the McNabb Fat Ass was a good jumping off point. I would have liked a few more weekly miles, but this is a time issue with family and such, or maybe that's just an excuse.

My mileage in the last few weeks leading up to mcN was fairly low due to life changes, basically an extended taper. I think this turned out to be beneficial. My legs felt really rested for mcN. That Illinois slam is tempting, but for me personally I just don't feel a 30 miler two weeks before something like mcN is what I want to do. Perhaps off of a better training base.

-Strategy: I had one and executed it pretty well. Going back over previous efforts and looking at other results, my conclusion was that it's really easy to go out too hard on this kind of loop course, thus the overall strategic goal was just to stay controlled and aim for more even paced loops. Even with the strategy in mind, went out a bit quick at 2:16, fading to 2:32 by 30, but then got back on track. Splits for 30-50 make me happy.

-Tactics: I consider this in-race stuff. Big guy=sweat a lot=drink a lot. I did this. Never got dehydrated. Took s-caps at the rate of about one per hour, added a few when little twinges came up. Never got too close to cramps, a possible issue for me. Adding gels this year was a help, I think. More easily absorbed into the blood, maybe? Added solid food like potatoes, peanuts, etc. when needed. No stomach problems at all except a bit of sloshing from a bit too much fluid at one point.

Knowing this course well from training out there so much helps tactically with being aware of when you want to run and when you want to walk. Some of this is dictated by the hills, but not all. I feel that I kept in a good rhythm, used the downhills to an advantage by running them, and ran more of the flats than usual. I honestly don't like the field sections at mcN and don't train on them, would rather be hill climbing, but this time having more flat miles on the road helped me run the flats better and took minutes off my finish time.

-Conclusion: This was a good race for me. Everything fell into place and I'm happy with the result. What's next? I'd like to jump off into a 100, although I'm not sure about mcN. One of the fall 100s holds appeal for several reasons. It's been a slow process, but I think with a little more training and the right buildup, it'd be possible. What form that takes, not sure yet. Going to enjoy this one for a few days.

Not Every Run Is In The Sun

2009-04-06T15:20:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I haven't bloginated in a while. Life, new job, etc. Not like anyone reads this dreck anyway.

BUT, it is Mcnaughton Week, and that means life must be good. Training, what's that? No, actually I do feel like I got in some decent trail time. Cobbled together a few 5-6 hour runs on the course, filled in with some decent weekly mileage. The last three or four weeks has been on the low side, but am considering that an extended taper. After some lagging motivation, mostly due with just adjusting to new work conditions and other life stuff, I'm fired up now to go out and attempt fifty miles on those trails.

Weather for the weekend is looking decent, so far. "So far" has to be the qualifier because, as we all know, conditions are subject to change with no darn notice. I love running in the rain/mud, but I gotta admit that it would be a luxury to have a nice dry track to run on for a change after the last two years.

The word on thedirt is that Andy has called this the last McNaughton Trail Run. I certainly hope it isn't and that someone will carry the banner for the race into the future. What a great event for central IL for those of us that LOVE ultras and trail running in general.

Really started running the trails out there in 2002 I guess it was, but didn't do any official distance until '04, when it was the fun run. Leg fracture in 2005 but volunteered deep into the night to see Eric Clifton rip up that course. 2006 was 30 miles. 2007 was a failed 50 miler that turned into a 20 training run in the rain for Berryman. Vindication in '08 for the 50 mile DNF. Who knows what mysteries '09 holds? I just hope they aren't the last.

If they are the last, boy we had mad fun while it lasted and the philosopher in me always remembers that, like the race itself the last two years and last night's run in the pelting sleet, not every run is in the sun-- yet even the one's that aren't are always worthwhile..

McNaughton Training Oh Nine

2009-02-28T14:18:00.002-05:00

Since McNabb it's been running a little here, running a little there, doing some long, some short, a few weights. Low key.

One thing I've tried to be conscious of is keeping my weekday mileage fairly consistent, meaning a continued diet of 6-8 mile mostly road runs with plenty of recovery days. Despite the cold of winter, have been fairly successful at this.

Long runs have been ok. I feel like the Fat Ass gave me a nice baseline long run and since then have shifted exclusively to McNaughton for hill training. In the last three weeks have gotten in two runs of five hours plus, both going really well.

Yesterday's run followed a day of heavy rain and storms. Still, by the time I took off at 9:00 the trail was in really good condition. I ran a bit with Pam until she went home at about 2:15 in, then did the rest solo at a bit quicker pace. The only spots that were really boggy were the low areas in the open. Even the downhills after golf were in good shape.

So, next weekend will be in Florida and will hopefully get in some warm beach runs, then two more long runs here before McNaughton.

McNabb Fat Ass 50k 2009

2009-01-12T16:30:00.002-05:00

Drove up yesterday morning to McNabb for the annual Fat Ass 50k. This is a no frills, no entry fee race up in rural Putnam County that starts at the jr. high, goes one half mile out and back, then five miles out and back three times for the 50k distance. I ran 15 miles here in 2006.

Ended up being a good run for me. It snowed a bit the first two hours, coating the road with about an inch of snow and thus softening the impact of the pavement. For not being a trail, the course is great. There are two decent sized hills at each end of the course where you come up out of the Clear Creek valley, but the middle miles are sheltered by being down in that valley and by the timber on each side of the road.

Got to run a bit with Mike Siltman and Jerry Davison. Overall, had a good run, stayed consistent for the most part and ended up running a 6:03. Bob Rehn does a great job with this. The aid stations were good ultra fare and there was (fresh) pizza at the end.

Good time.

I've been reading up a bit on the North Africa campaign after getting through "Land Warfare" by Thomas Dougherty. Dougherty's book is basically a historical overview of land combat in the 20th century, pretty straightforward, but got re-interested in N.A., which was an interesting theater of WW II for numerous reasons, not the least among them the tactics employed by Rommel and Montgomery, the unusual circumstances of desert combat, and the use of special forces, particularly by the British, particularly the Long Range Desert Group.

So far I've ready "Desert War" which is a part of the really, really great Time/Life series published in the 70's, "Desert Raiders: Axis and Allied Special Forces 1940-1943" by Andreas Molinari, and am currently plowing through "Killing Rommel," a novel largely about the LRDG. I have about five more books on my list--I'm particularly interesting in Popski's Private Army memoirs. Good stuff.

Cooper's Defeat Creek

2008-12-22T10:52:00.002-05:00

Got in a nice 13 miler on Saturday morning, but nadda yesterday other than 20 minutes of elliptical work. Major props to those who braved it; i'm not that tough.

In honor of our great start to winter, I thought I'd paste a local story from a winter day almost exactly 177 years ago. In Stark County, just south of Bradford and running west to the Spoon River is a creek called Cooper's Defeat Creek. The story behind that name is interesting. And we thought a winter run was tough:

“The winter of 1831-32 was the winter of the deep snow. The weather before Christmas being pleasant a party of four men was equipped by a trader by the name of John Hamlin, then of Peoria, who was buying furs for the American Fur Company. Fitting them out with an ox team of two yoke and provisions for their journey from Peoria to the Winnebago swamps, with goods to trade to the Winnebago and Pottawatomi Indians, they started on their journey. Soon snow commenced to fall, the air grew colder, and continued to grow more so as they went along, until they were compelled by the fierce cold and driving snow to abandon their team. In fact the snow was so deep that the cattle got swamped and they were left to their fate. With Boyd’s Grove in view, the men started, guided by a large tree and a light at the grove. A man named Ridgeway was the only one of the party who succeeded in reaching the grove. The other three, two of whom were William and Jerry Cooper (the other name forgotten), perished on the prairie near a stream southwest of Boyd’s Grove. The bones of the men and the cattle were seen in the spring following, also the sled, as the soldiers of the Black Hawk war were marching, all mounted, 260 strong, to make battle with the Sac and Fox Indians. The stream where the men perished has since been known as ‘Cooper’s Defeat.’”

Gee, It Snowed Again Last Night

2008-12-17T21:12:00.002-05:00

I could say it was the same old route through town, but it wasn't. The roads were snow covered. I believe it to be a universal truth that the world is quieter after a snow. There may be some physical explanation for this, maybe the snow blanketing the ground is a sort of soundproofing like shag carpet in your parents' basement while your garage band played, but I'll cling to the belief that the reasons are more metaphysical and thus undefinable. My proof for last night were the dogs behind the fence baying like wolves. Echoing off of everything. Piercing. Definitely metaphysical.

If you're on road it has to be before they plow, this way you get to pick the best route through the slush. Maybe semi-frozen tire tracks, maybe fresh cover that hasn't yet been defiled, maybe pavement where the tracks have worn all the way through. This is likely to change every few minutes. That paved trail at the edge of town was indecipherable despite the fact I run it all the time. My tracks were the first.

The world was quiet, the dogs were loud, what usually takes an hour even took an hour and six minutes.

Tomorrow night is supposed to be an ice storm. Can't wait.

Farmdale Run

2008-12-16T15:07:00.002-05:00

Four hours forty-one minutes of actual running. Well, running, with some walking mixed in, but not too much walking. Temps started cold, ended cold, cold being relative. Twenty-two degrees to start, twenty-four degrees when finished. First hour and a half were run in an ever-so-slight snowfall, enough to dust the trails, not heavy downbursts. Startled up a possum on Eagle Ridge toward the end of my first loop, sort of a rarity in daylight hours.

The trails were in pretty good condition, just enough snowpack to keep it really fun, but not real icy underneath in most spots. Snow running is so great, very doable even in road shoes. The only time it gets tough is when there's a thaw/refreeze and that sheen of smooth solid ice forms. This day there was only one spot where that was the case, just past the creek crossing on the east side of Farm Creek in the low spot.

Creeks are not frozen yet, made it a bit tricky, ended up slipping on one of the feeder creeks coming down horse hill and smashing a hand on the ice. Small price to pay. Felt good with the exception of a small energy lag at around four hours, pretty typical.

Ate three fruit/nut bar things, part of a banana and had both bottles of water filled on each loop. Overall a good run. Had planned to do the McN Fat Ass that was cancelled on the 13th, this run was in lieu of that.

Running goals: short term is McNabb Fat Ass 50k, some miles there, maybe/not full 50k. Keep upping my mileage increasingly, don't slag off due to weather. I believe there is mental toughness to be had in these conditions, plus it's just damn fun. Recover from McNabb then make a push for McNaughton. That be all for now.

Night Run

2008-12-02T15:30:00.004-05:00

I wasn't scheduled to run last night, but 20 degrees, 6 inches of snow and some nice west wind are just too hard to pass up. Last August my luck was to win a free pair Inov-8 trail shoes at Dave's local trail 5k. The shoes were ordered then promptly took up residence in my closet, forgotten.

I'm not given to change, and wear my road shoes on both road and trail; however, last night I remembered the Inov-8's and figured snow would be a good condition to try them out in.

Out the door for a short night run. No headlamp. One of the great things about running after a snowfall is that the ambient light gets reflected on even a cloudy night, making even the most covered trail runnable once the eyes adjust. And unfortunately it was cloudy last night. Venus and Jupiter were in conjunction with the crescent moon, which I'm sure was brilliant, but not visible with our cloud cover. Still worth looking for tonight.

Despite not having this view in the sky, was still a great run. Walking out my back door and down across the open field where the wind was leaving 2+ foot drifts, postholed past the organic farm into the timberline.

Even the familiar becomes extraordinary in the dark. Our second round of snow stuck nicely to the branches, especially so on the bending row of pines along one short stretch of trail. Flushed some large bird in the thickets along upper trail...wild turkey? pheasant? Couldn't see. Had a decent pace going on the less covered spots.

Three and a half miles later finished standing by the small grove of osage orange just down from my house, enjoying the wind blowing through their tops. The Inov-8's were pretty comfortable and the extra traction welcome. Change isn't always bad. Night runs in the snow are always good--that never changes.

Folepi River Trail Classic and First Snow

2008-12-01T16:45:00.004-05:00

Saturday was the Folepi four miler. Caught a ride with Dave and Whisk. They decided to run up the River Trail to the starting line for a few extra miles. Then we ran back down faster. This is a big race and really pretty fun, considering that three out of the four miles are greatly aided by gravity.

My time was somewhere around 30 minutes even, 7:30 pace. A bit faster than the last time I did this race seven years ago. A complete lack of speedwork catches up with you in the shorter races, brain couldn't make the legs turn over so much. Too much trail? Yeah, but to me that's a good trade off since I'm not winning anything in a four mile race anyway. Just a nice change of pace.

I enjoyed the concept of trying to run fast for a change. And they have pizza at the postrace. I always find it funny that shorter races usually have folks standing around the postrace eating pizza, cookies, etc., but it's only like 10 in the morning--Steamboat for example--yeah, 8:30 a.m. is a great time for a beer, thanks. Love that about runners.

It snowed yesterday. E-town picked up 6 inches or so. Had to go run in it. The late morning was spent with Keegan sledding then taking the 4-wheeler out to do donuts in the field and ride the trails by the creek, but was able to get out and do five easy miles in the woods. Seems like yesterday, was a year ago today, ran a hard four hours at McNaughton in an ice storm. The cycle turns, winter running returns. Good thing we love it.

Chasing Cardinals

2008-11-22T14:25:00.002-05:00

A trail run at Farmdale.

The nuts and bolts of the run, the stuff that goes into the running log, are time (four and one half hours), temperature (21 to start, 29 to finish), distance (don't know), and maybe some notes on how I felt, what I ate, etc. (good, but with some slight back pain the last hour).

The guts of the run are things like:

- noticing the last vestiges of greenery in the shrubs along the creek, many with red fruit still on, apparently they don't look good to birds. Couldn't I.D. the plants.

- wondering what sort of building that big concrete pad supported? Surely someone knows. While you're at it, fill me in on the stone bridge footings over Farm Creek.

- hearing shotgun shots ring out in the woods bordering the reservoir. Opening day of shotgun season. Some of the deer along the trail are skittish, some don't move at all. Perhaps they the know the fate they're avoiding by hanging out with me. Oh, didn't see anyone hunting illegally or driving deer. Not to say that doesn't happen.

-falling hard on TNT late in the run for lack of foot lift and not caring. A curse word followed by a dust off. Contemplating whether it speaks ill of my personal character that my snap reaction is to cuss.

-loving running on the thick pine needle bed on roy l. and to a lesser extent on schroll's. Almost makes you long for the north woods.

-being surprisded to see four cardinals criss crossing in front of me from tree to tree, a shade of red that seems to intensify with the coming winter and embelished further by the skeletal backdrop of leafless trees. Chasing those cardinals for 100 yards or more down the trail, looking down and regretting that the run was almost over.

Ultrarunning Quote

2008-11-14T17:01:00.002-05:00

Ran across this today while reading a race report and I think its very well stated:

"Perhaps the genius of ultrarunning is its supreme lack of utility. It makes no sense in a world of space ships and supercomputers to run vast distances on foot. There is no money in it and no fame, frequently not even the approval of peers.

But as poets, apostles and philosophers have insisted from the dawn of time, there is more to life than logic and common sense. The ultra runners know this instinctively. And they know something else that is lost on the sedentary. They understand, perhaps better than anyone, that the doors to the spirit will swing open with physical effort. In running such long and taxing distances they answer a call from the deepest realms of their being -- a call that asks who they are ..."

- David Blaikie

Mystery of Chessboxin

2008-11-12T19:12:00.002-05:00

Chess. I've played for years, sometimes well, sometimes not, often obsessively, at times with just a passing interest. I've been playing online correspondence for a few years with some decent results, blitz even longer and to the point where I'm probably in the 90th percentile for aggro blitz, 5 minutes and shorter. Correspondence and long games are more what the game is really about, though.

A few of my better recent games (play as "runninfiend"):

[Round "1"]
[White "Antonius Block"]
[Black "runninfiend"]
[WhiteRating "1702"]
[BlackRating "1565"]
[WhiteELO "1702"]
[BlackELO "1565"]
[Result "0-1"]
[GameId "2442968"]

1. e4 Ng8f6 2. e5 Nf6d5 3. d4 d6 4. Bf1c4 Nd5b6 5. Bc4b3 dxe5 6. Ng1f3 exd4
7. Nf3e5 e6 8. Qd1f3 Qd8f6 9. Qf3e4 Bf8c5 10. O-O Nb8d7 11. Bc1f4 O-O
12. Nb1d2 Nd7xe5 13. Bf4xe5 Qf6e7 14. Nd2f3 f6 15. Be5xd4 Bc5xd4 16. Qe4xd4 Rf8d8
17. Qd4h4 Qe7c5 18. c4 a5 19. Bb3c2 h6 20. b3 a4 21. Ra1c1 axb3 22. axb3 Bc8d7
23. Nf3d2 Qc5g5 24. Nd2f3 Qg5xh4 25. Nf3xh4 f5 26. f4 Bd7e8 27. Rf1f3 Rd8d2
28. Rf3f2 Rd2xf2 29. Kg1xf2 Ra8d8 30. Kf2e3 g5 31. fxg5 hxg5 32. Nh4f3 g4
33. Nf3e5 Kg8g7 34. h4 Kg7f6 35. Ne5d3 Nb6d7 36. g3 Nd7e5 37. Rc1d1 Ne5xd3
38. Bc2xd3 Be8g6 39. Rd1f1 e5 40. Bd3b1 f4 41. gxf4 Bg6xb1 42. Rf1xb1 Kf6f5
43. h5 exf4 44. Ke3f2 Rd8h8 45. Rb1h1 Kf5g5 46. b4 Rh8xh5 47. Rh1xh5 Kg5xh5
48. b5 Kh5h4 49. c5 Kh4h3 50. c6 bxc6 51. bxc6 f3 52. Kf2g1 g3 53. Kg1h1 g2 0-1

Decent tactic in this one, although it should have been caught:

[White "burvm01"]
[Black "runninfiend"]
[WhiteRating "1740"]
[BlackRating "1565"]
[WhiteELO "1740"]
[BlackELO "1565"]
[Result "0-1"]
[GameId "688109"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. Ng1f3 Nb8c6 5. c3 f6 6. exf6 Ng8xf6
7. Bf1b5 Bc8d7 8. Bb5xc6 Bd7xc6 9. O-O Bf8d6 10. Rf1e1 Bc6d7 11. Bc1g5 h6
12. Bg5xf6 Qd8xf6 13. a3 O-O-O 14. Nb1d2 g5 15. Qd1c1 Qf6f4 16. dxc5 Bd6xc5
17. b4 Bc5d6 18. a4 g4 19. g3 Qf4f7 20. Nf3d4 Rd8f8 21. Re1e2 h5 22. b5 h4
23. Qc1f1 hxg3 24. fxg3 Qf7h5 25. Qf1b1 Bd6xg3 26. hxg3 Qh5h1 0-1

I tend to play a defensive style, oftentimes even go so far as to use the KID as white or just set up a Reti type fortress with 1. Nf3 or 1. g6 against superior players. Prefer to play 1. e4 into Ruy Lopez systems against players of = or < strength. Not a big 1. d4 fan as white, though. Not real familiar yet with the Queen's Gambit as white, don't mind it as black, however.

I quite enjoy playing slow, grinder, drawish type games. Not sure if that means anything. Maybe oddly, I'd list Tigran Petrosian, Gedeon Barcza, and Aron Nimzovich as my foremost chess heroes. An example of a draw out of 1. c4:

[White "runninfiend"]
[Black "davidmacc"]
[WhiteRating "1565"]
[BlackRating "1739"]
[WhiteELO "1565"]
[BlackELO "1739"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[GameId "2628830"]

1. c4 c6 2. e4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. cxd5 Qd8xd5 5. Nb1c3 Qd5d8 6. d4 Ng8f6
7. Ng1f3 e6 8. Bf1c4 Nb8d7 9. O-O Bf8e7 10. Rf1e1 O-O 11. Bc1g5 a6
12. Qd1d3 h6 13. Bg5h4 b5 14. Bc4b3 Bc8b7 15. Ra1d1 Nd7b6 16. Nf3e5 Nb6d5
17. Nc3xd5 Bb7xd5 18. Bh4xf6 Be7xf6 19. Bb3c2 g6 20. Ne5xg6 fxg6 21. Qd3xg6 Bf6g7
22. Qg6h7 Kg8f7 23. Qh7g6 Kf7g8 24. Qg6h7 1/2-1/2

Oh, went for a nice run this morning. Gee it was almost warm, 45 degrees at 6:30 a.m., nice partial sunrise over the corn and bean stubble. six and one half miles at something something pace.

If you want to know what Mystery of Chessboxin is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl6jwab3HWk

Parental discretion advised. Like life.

Pages Turn

2008-11-11T15:50:00.002-05:00

How quickly turn the pages of our world. Last Saturday, 70 degrees, sunny, S caps at McN-- this Saturday, 31 degrees, gray skies, all the leaves off, fewer S caps at Farmdale. Cold, but a good reminder of why winter is a primo time to run the woods. Out of the wind, no crowds, harder to dehydrate. Got in a good four hour run.

Mike Siltman is hosting a Fat Ass 30 miler at McNaughton on Dec. 13th. If you don't know what a fat ass is, it's a free run with no awards, no shirts, etc. It's bound to a blast, especially if we get some snow before then. More info on fat asses: http://www.clubfatass.com/memberbenefits/faq

As for me, planning on running Folepi River Trail Classic 4 miler on 11/29 (haven't run that since 2001), doing a long run on 12/6, some miles at the McN fat ass, maybe McNabb fat ass in January, then hopefully some ultras in '09.

Election Day

2008-11-06T15:39:00.002-05:00

Is always a good day for a run, right? Seven miles in the a.m.

Marvin Doyle organized a "tour" @ McNaughton last weekend, essentially a group run with a few folks who know the course and a few who didn't. Nice to get back on that trail, warm day considering we started at 9 a.m. I ended up doing a 10 mile loop in 2:07, then a partial loop with Mike Siltman for around three and a half hours total. Trail was in excellent condition, there's a spankin' new bridge in the ravine before totem. Very nice bridge, if you like bridges. Me? I like ravines.

Corn

2008-10-27T16:54:00.008-04:00

David Foster Wallace, a far better craftsman than most of us, once wrote that the wind in the cornfields by his B/N home sounds "roughly the way light surf sounds when you're two dunes back from the shore." I figure this to be an apt metaphor. It was 16 miles on country road. The field corn stands browned by the season, by the changes in light and temperature that visit us, a sound not unlike Wallace's description is all that's in my hearing range. Undulations here like the last few seconds after you've shaken out the bed sheet. That is to say, not rolling so much as wavy. Not flat, as they that don't turn off the main road would have you believe. In the next field stands a solitary, majestic bur oak--the old timers call these "plow trees," left for shade in the middle of crop rows. Most are gone, yet a few of these old, huge trees still hang on.

It's a solid run early, these are the runs of the new season, the ones that steel you for the winter to come. 40's, clouds to start. At an hour twenty I turn down the county road towards the river. Sun emerges, dancing off foilage. Then shadowed out. Partly cloudy, partly sunny, mostly cloudy, I've never understood. Over the bridge, the river is up, but not enough to challenge the banks. Where it should be, really. Healthier than it is during those evaporative summer days, but calmed from last month's floods, back in a natural rhythm, at least what passes for one in these times. I drink this in in the few seconds it takes me to trot over the bridge.

Up the hill, definitely a hill here. No waves. Past the elk farm, then the tree farm, water at the turnaround a mile of rolling (not wavy) hills later. The way back for runners is often into the wind; today is no different. Fifteen minutes of headwind then back into the river valley. Mostly sunny wins in this stretch, for that I'm grateful. Trees dance again. Your fingers don't freeze in the valley, not on days like this. Back into the headwind, I don't really mind, past men undoubtedly hunting in these bluffs. Not me, not today. Just running.

Energy lags a bit, small snack, then homestretch. Here's that small bridge, you know, the one that doesn't look like a bridge anymore but just a road with guardrails over this small section of creek, the real bridge was ruled too risky, so they hauled it wholly into town and put it over a section of this creek with no traffic, car, foot or otherwise. A real bridge to nowhere. I'm glad they kept it, but there is something sad about a worn out, depression era bridge left to just sit, not allowed to serve its purpose.

This thought carries me up that last swell of former prairie, those last two dunes open up into ocean, my ocean--the one where the wind sounds like surf, but isn't really.

Rain

2008-10-24T17:00:00.002-04:00

October nights get longer, it rains, and when it does the rain is colder. Rains of summer are no problem, they're refreshing. Sitting on the concrete garage steps, running shoes at my feet, hearing the pelting on the driveway. If I run, it will be cold, I'll get wet, maybe soaked through if this picks up. It isn't 80 anymore. Showers don't refresh, they just penetrate.

There's a world series game on, a good live title fight coming on VS. I can get up early and do miles before work tomorrow. Back inside. Round one is good. Is the rain letting up? Basement sliding door open to check. Eh, maybe a little, but still a soaking patter. Round 2, this is heating up. Two Mexican fighters is almost always good and I am a fan of Cruz. Bell rings. Sliding door again. Slight letup? Maybe just imagination.

If I run, it will be cold, I'll get wet, maybe soaked through.

Thiry minutes later back in the garage removing wet shoes. Thirty minutes I'm glad I was out in that rain. Even made it back in time for round 12. Cruz won a split decision.

View From Devil's Cliff

2008-10-24T00:02:00.004-04:00

Pics courtesy of Marvin.

Farmdale 2008

2008-10-22T20:36:00.002-04:00

The Farmdale Trail Runs are my buddy Dave's races that he puts on each year--8 and 33 mile versions. This is the third year I've helped out, running the Devil's Cliff aid station. Dave puts in a lot of work on this race and it's top notch. For me it's really just an excuse to hang out with ultra folks and be in the woods all day.

I went out Friday afternoon to help, but really most of the work was done already (funny how that happens). Ended up hanging out a bit, and we rode up on 4-wheelers to Devil's Cliff to stash supplies. Race morning I hung out with my friend Pam at Devil's Cliff until 10:30 when Marvin Doyle showed up to run things the rest of the day. I ran backwards from the start/finish on a fun run, ended up hooking up with McNaughton buddy, Jerry Davison and pacing him on his third loop. Jerry is a big dude who has lost a ton of weight and is really stoked on the whole ultra thing.

It was darn near a perfect fall day. I didn't run the race proper, but had my fill of fun working the aid station and running in the afternoon. Devil's Cliff is always a joy.

Night

2008-10-17T11:57:00.002-04:00

Running after dark on the first really chilly night of the fall. The first night I've worn two layers on top. Something about the coolness puts an extra spring in the middle miles. Glancing up at that nearly full, perfectly luminous moon doesn't hurt either.

I pass an old man out for a late night walk on the edge of town. He smiles and says, "What a night, eh?" "Indeed, look at that moon." Words of recognition in passing. At the nursing home I run by the embers of a small fire, table with roasting forks, the smell of hot dogs still in the air from a weiner roast. Another mile further and the first smell of woodsmoke of the season. Comforting. Warmed up by mile five, but fingers cold regardless. Home to warmth, high from the night.

Autumn Comes Ripping

2008-10-14T17:24:00.002-04:00

Chlorophyll departs and we discover the color underneath. In what seems like but a night's time, out come the reds, oranges, oh the yellows, all the indescribable shades in between.

So I ran Saturday with Dexter from Deer Creek out at Farmdale. I did two hours and fifteen minutes, he did more. Saturday was hot, but we started early enough to avoid any of that mess. The afternoon was Eureka College Football and a bonfire/hay rack ride outside of Hanna City. Beautiful

Sunday morning's run was one hour. We run when we can, but fall mornings may be the best runs of all. Pumpkin hunting at Ackerman Farm outside of Morton in the afternoon, then taking in the foliage at my favorite spots in the Mackinaw River Valley. I swear I'm going to put on a road ultra out there someday, maybe a fat ass type race with little aid. Lots of dirt roads with little traffic.

This Saturday is Farmdale. One of my favorite days of the year. Helping Dave out on Friday, captaining Devil's Cliff on Saturday during the race, then running the course a bit in the afternoon. Conditions look to be perfect.

Almost forgot this morning's run. Slightly overcast, dark to start, forty-nine minutes. Jayhawks on the Ipod.