MM #5615
Hello everybody!
I will go for a run later, but I thought I’d start off the daily by wishing everyone racing, today, good luck. I know milktruck is doing a half marathon and SubDood is doing a 25K. Good luck to them and everybody else!
I have a ton of stuff to do, today, and one of those things is to pack plastic eggs for an Easter Egg hunt for tomorrow’s invasion of the grandkids. I cannot see, hear, or think about an Easter Egg hunt without remembering the one I was in when I was 10 years old.
My family did not have a whole lot of money. We lived paycheck to paycheck and, sometimes, the paychecks seemed to be spread pretty far apart. One Easter morning, after going a few days on eating what was ever left in the fridge and cupboards, my sister heard on the radio about a big Easter Egg hunt…with a special golden egg that was worth $100! Right away, she said, “We have to go to this Easter Egg hunt! Mike will find that golden egg!” Well…I had never felt so much pressure in my whole 10 years of life. My family was counting on me to find that $100 egg so we could eat and make it to my dad’s next payday. I ran around that stupid park like a mad man…but I never found the golden egg…I let my family down. 46 years later and I’m still haunted by that stupid Easter Egg hunt. Stupid story…sorry.
Oh…and now… a confession. A few years ago, I gave up ice cream, candy, cake…stuff like that. Well, every holiday that rolls around, Debbie—my dearest wife—puts out bowls of candy. I have always been able to ignore it…until this year. Over the last three days…and this day has just begun…I have eaten…three black jelly beans! That’s right three! Not one…not two…but three black jelly beans! Two were eaten in one night!
Okay—that’s it—gotta go!
Good luck racers.
Seriously 3 jelly beans Mike and now you've gone and put it on the internet for all eternity.
As a military NCO's family there were lean times for us and hotdogs and hamburger helper with and without hamburger were staples in the house. It's those things that make us who we are and why you cherish those around you. You seem to do well at that mike and that surely is a blessing.
16 miles at 7:42 this morning. I'm ok with finishing Boston and it looks like I found my race pace. Oh what a poor training cycle but it was still a cycle.
Sunshine abounds here so yardwork calls.
Cheers.
3 jelly beans (shakes head). Oh the gluttony of it all.
"He conquers who endures" - Persius "Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel
http://ncstake.blogspot.com/
It's those things that make us who we are and why you cherish those around you. You seem to do well at that mike and that surely is a blessing.
+1
Less than ideal training cycle for me as well C-R. I've put in some long miles, but the focus on pace and speed just didn't happen---couldn't with work and family stuff, but I am excited and grateful no less. Pin that number on and do our best on the given day we shall.
Ran 22 miles yesterday morning with Iron J and it was nice to have it 30º warmer than last week! Today was a weight lifting and easy run day. 45 minutes of weights and core work and then a six mile trot. Sun is out and wind is whipping around like wild.
Three whole jellybeans?! Oh. No. Locusts next.
Happy Passover and Easter and Spring all
Carolyn
Here in Greece, it's not Easter till next Sunday - they follow the Greek Orthodox calendar. I ran another huge 3.1 miles today, my second run since getting a sore throat. Feeling much better. We've done a lot of walking every day, so I don't think I've lost too much running fitness, although I'm sure when I really try to run long, I'll feel it! Anyway, today I ran around a lovely little port town called Ermione (pronounced like like Hermione). I stopped at a store on the way back and picked up wine and coffee - two of the most important food groups! Then I had to run up a big hill carrying them.
Mike, just say no to those jelly beans!
I'm getting excited for the Boston racers. Hope it's a blast!
I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.
This has been a tough winter for training here in the NE. No doubt about it. Tough enough that I am likely to bag my prior plan to do an early May marathon and find one a few weeks later. In the meantime I am going to have to lay off of the jelly beans!
Today's run was 17 with 5 at MP. My first long run where I actually managed 5 at MP! Normally my goal would be to easily hit 10 for an early May marathon. Such is life.
Live like you are dying not like you are afraid to die.
Drunken Irish Soda Bread and Irish Brown Bread this way --> http://allrecipes.com/cook/4379041/
Three jelly beans? Were they like the size of a potato? If not, I think you burned the calories off just posting about them Mike! That's some serious self-control you've got. My strategy when buying candy is always pick out things the grandkids like that I don't. Then, I'm not tempted to eat the stuff. But I do like jelly beans. I'll save all of the black ones for you when you come to GB for the Cellcom Mike. Then when you win your AG, I can take full credit
Speaking of the Cellcom, I ran their training run with some friends this morning. 10 miles at a hair over a 10:00/mile pace. They get such a huge turnout for these training runs. Pretty cool.
Nice to see Norm posting again. Glad all is well. And enjoy your the rest of your vacation in sunny Greece Carolyn.
The weather forecast for tomorrow morning is snow/freezing rain. Looks like the grandkids will be hunting indoors.
Good luck to all who are racing today, and have a blessed and happy Easter everyone!
Holly, good job on kicking that infection. Nice long runs for Twocat, C-R, CNY, and jlynne.
This morning, it was in the low 20s with some wind. I got in 6 miles at an 11:08 pace.
A good day and good runs for all.
TomS
I love jellybeans! and Swedish Fish! I include them in my carbo loading program (along with Pop Tarts). I was recently scolded by a woman I work with who saw me grab a handful of jellybeans at my desk and toss them all in my mouth. She scolded me, not for being gluttonous, but for not segregating them by color/flavor. I was eating black/red/green/yellow ones, all mixed together willy-nilly!
Your story about the Golden Egg brought a tear to my eye, Mike. Next time we run together, I am bringing a golden egg full of jelly beans for you!
25K on a hilly race course today (named after Ron Daws, a Minnesota Olympian) -- 7:06 pace surprised the heck out of me.
Happy day before Easter everyone!
Marathon Maniac #957
TomSelbs - good job to you as well, getting out there regularly in spite of the MI cold and wind. Soon now, spring will get here with gusto and give us some cold relief.
DD and I snuck out yesterday in between rainstorms to hit a couple buckets of balls at the local driving range. That girl can now drive as far or farther than I can, at 12 years old! It was great fun to watch her. We have an 11am tee time for our family to play 9 holes tomorrow, our first outing.
After getting my okay to begin running again after 4 weeks, I of course decided I needed to do 20 miles today. I knew it would involve a run/walk strategy, but just wanted to cover the distance, since I have the Carmel Marathon in 2 weeks and needed some sort of long run before that. Boy I have no stamina whatsoever, but two of my running teammates joined me for most of it, even knowing I was going to be doing a lot of walk breaks, and that really made the time fly by.
20 miles total in 32-36 degrees.
Now to do a little cook prep for tomorrow's Easter dinner and then off to the 4pm service at church. Happy Saturday!
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
King of PhotoShop
A great story Mike and a touching memory of tough times. Many of us had them and I like to think they made us better people.
A tradition in our house will end this year. Hudson will be at U of TX next Easter and there will be no more hiding clues from the Easter Bunny to help him find his basket. Today I wrote this year's clues after going back and re-reading the ones from his childhood. Of course they were easy. Here is what I wrote him for tomorrow:
The Bunny stops to shed a tear,
Because this will be your final year.
He learned that you are off to college
So he made these clues to test your knowledge:
1 Desiccation is drying so I'm thinking the dryer. 2.. Sapo is soap, maybe the bathroom sink under the soap bar. 3. Volume of a sphere. I'll paste the clue behind his globe. 4. Volume of a cone. He has a traffic cone in his car. 5. Microwave oven.
Ran 4 at easy pace with the Saint today and felt just great. Who would have thought iron deficiency would be such a big issue. Glad I figured it out though. Thank you all, and happy Easter. Spareribs
New skirt in town
Mike E posted a terrific reflection. I, too, grew up in a family with some hard times, and I think the lessons I learned during those times were really important. I'm torn between feeling lucky that we don't face similarly tough times now in my family vs feeling worried that my DS isn't learning those same lessons. You simply can't absorb those lessons deeply unless you live through that and it imbues your daily life.
I had a terrific 10.8 mile on Thursday, with 9 of those miles at marathon pace. I felt energetic and peppy all day long. And it was a long day! Yesterday was just a walk to the gym and an hour on the elliptical. And then today's 15-miler was...ROUGH! The wheels fell off at mile 12, and I just slogged myself home, in time to get my son to his cousin's super fun birthday party, and now I'm settling in for a good 2 weeks of recovery, glycogen repletion, good sleep, and repairing all of those muscle micro-tears before Boston.
--Robin
NO MO MELANOMA! Help me run 26.2 miles and raise $5000 for the Melanoma Foundation of NE. Visit this page to learn more: http://tinyurl.com/NO-MO-MELANOMA
Good runs happening today!
Robin, that probably is a predictor of a really good race coming.
Interesting story about the golden egg, Mike! Funny how those things hang with you all these years.
And seriously, only three jelleybeans?
I got some of your clues, Ribs.
The gang this morning only went out for around 6 miles, but I peeled off and got in 12. Trail was mostly ice and mud, but at least the temps were low enough to make some of the mud semi-frozen. I'll take it!
.....Nancy The road to hell is paved....... run trails!
It's a good thing I'm not Ribs' son...I would never get my Easter Basket.
Nice race job, today, SubDood...and, when are we going running together again?
Yeah...I'm done with the jelly beans. As I went through my day, I could tell people were talking about me. I never actually heard anybody but I could see it in their eyes..."Look at that chubby little guy"...and..."That guy should stay out of the jelly bean jar!" Yep...I'm done.
Looks like the Badgers and Blue Devils.
I went 8 miles, tonight, in 1:02:33.
Okay--gotta go!
Mike - Thank you for sharing. And I think you deserve more than 3 jelly beans. And I'm with you on Ribs' clues. Not a snowball's chance . . .
Holly - Glad your 20 miler went well and your mouth is healing well.
4 hrs on the business end of a mower, rake, and a blower this a.m., helping The Hub at a couple of his places. The big one is an apartment complex and, if he was by himself, would probably take him close to 5 hrs. without the other place thrown in.
Not only is it a good workout, but I'm also buoyed by the fact that my hammies pretty much behaved themselves. They're still "there," but all the walking and pushing doesn't seem to have made things worse. *fingers crossed*
My biggest problem at this point - - - I'm wanting to eat everything I can get my hands on. Ugh! Good thing there's no Easter candy in our house. We'll have my Pops up tomorrow, and Shorty slow cooked a pork roast with which he's going to make enchiladas. Mmmm . . ..
If I don't get in here tomorrow, have a Blessed Easter, my friends ~
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
It's a great story Mike. Not a happy one, but an important one.
Thank goodness the three jelly beans were not in one sitting.
SubDood, you're another wild one. chaotic lifestyle there.
Happy 20 miles, Holly.
Ribs, Holy Brain Teaser.
Mike E posted a terrific reflection. I, too, grew up in a family with some hard times, and I think the lessons I learned during those times were really important. I'm torn between feeling lucky that we don't face similarly tough times now in my family vs feeling worried that my DS isn't learning those same lessons. You simply can't absorb those lessons deeply unless you live through that and it imbues your daily life. --Robin
DW round up a costume again.It was supposed to be a gag a few years ago when one of the kids put up a trail cam. I was going to do the normal middle of the night run, but suit up for the camera. As it was going to rain all night and day that Easter, I decided to do a daylight run in costume the Saturday before. and a new tradition had been started.
Today, the Easter Bunny started at 8:30 AM at our neighbor's (grandson & granddaughter). Noah yelled while waving from the porch. The EB danced in a circle one footed. Stopped to wave back. Danced while scattering the rest of the loot. Then ran into the pine forest across the street. After I was out of sight, I ran back home for a quick costume change. (Thanks to years of Batman, this is a science now). Grammy and I got to the drop site about the same time as the kids. Grampy had a stick because a creature was littering in our trees.
Out of the places we stopped, only one family's kids did not come out. Michelle picked up extra things in case we saw kids around. We did.
We stopped at a friends' party store and gigged for two hours. I'd have done it for free, however, they pushed money on Michelle saying it was a write off. Out of 50+ kids, only three didn't warm up to EB. One little lady danced from across the room with EB, but would not come over to shake hands. One little girl finally waved and yelled a teary"bye bye" across the store. The third child was curious but no warming of any kind. A sweet little one was scared at first, then would not quit hugging on the rodent.
At 5:30 we landed at Jude's and he loved EB.
74 miles on the odometer. Yikes. What a day.
SteveP