Spooky and SPike love to run through mud fields. Dutchie would have some amazingly fast times if it weren't for the mud field deviations by Spooky and Spike. Haven't heard much about Spike lately. Hobbes and Daisy send all K9's a high paw.

Oh sorry, Perfesser, always such a bummer if you have to drop out of a race. Did you train for it or did it just fit in with your schedule? HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Here's a question for anyone who's bored: I seem to feel more and more unsafe, whether I'm running early mornings, or biking home in the dark from work. Now I know I've had a couple of encounters with unsavoury characters in the past while running early mornings in Summer, never (!) in Winter, and it never bothered me till this Summer. And about the biking. Well, my job has me working "late". I don't get to go home on my bike till 6h30 PM sometimes later and by then it's pitch black outside. There's this guy standing on a deserted, dark smallish wooden bridge around 6h45PM. He's there every evening for the past two weeks that I rode by. He makes me feel very uncomfortable. Yesterday evening he was there, in the rain, smoking a cigarette. There's no dog around, no other people. I feel very unsafe and previous experiences with dangerous situations have taught me to trust my instincts. I could ride another route, but it would add at least 10 minutes and in the cold, the ever present wind and often the rain, I really don't want to do that. I just don't understand why I feel more and more unsafe. Things like this never used to bother me before. Is it "old age"? Am I more aware of how vulnerable I am out alone in the dark?

The TV guy Randy was a tool. That's funny though. 5.6 miles before meal. Awesome weather today.

Dutchie, could you call the police? It certainly seems suspicious to me. OTOH, maybe he can't smoke in his house. Anyway if a policeman had a chat with him he might move on. I still couldn't run today but did manage 30 minutes on the hotel elliptical. Darn, in San Francisco and I really wanted to run across the Golden Gate Bridge. Maybe next time.

Very cold morning, ground's frozen solid. My R-foot is still tender, but not painful. I'll hop on the TM later today. Not looking forward to that. But the second my foot starts to hurt I'll just have to step off and I'm done. If I go out for a run, I still have to walk back. And it's a softer surface, so that might help too. So the TM seems the better option. I'll probably run on the TM all week. I guess once I've put in my first TM run for this Winter, it won't seem so bad anymore. I've been avoiding it like the plague. Rather skipped a run then use the TM. Upside: I can use my xmas running cd's again and "watch" tv at the same time. Saves time that. Someone should invent something where you can run on the TM and do the ironing!

Dutchie - do you carry pepper spray? Please consider it if you don't.