Mornin' everyone!

Aamos, our trace conference is this coming weekend, with set-up on Thursday. So we're in final prep mode, and will be starting to pack up tomorrow. The 100-miler does sound like it was fascinating. Congrats to Alyson Venti for winning the whole thing! Sometimes, even as slow as I am, I am on my way out of town after a half, and still see people coming down to the finish line. I admire them for sticking with it, no matter how long it takes.

Great quote, WC!

I don't go to wind tastings, Holly, because I don't want to feel obligated to get my money's worth. Whenever I've done that, I've regretted it later. I'm so sorry about the loss of your friend's brother.

Exotic dancing is an interesting concept for Ribs, but I'm not sure I want to see it in my mind's eye.

Hey Mike: What's the forecast for Buffalo today??

C-R, I don't believe we have a sanity clause here...

Happy belated Birthday to you too, Starr! It's always fun to look at other houses. And it is disappointing when the promise of the outside doesn't continue through the interior. Well, now you know...

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! You're great folks, you know!

5.8 RW miles at JJ o'clock in 50F temps under partly cloudy skies that eventually revealed a beautiful half moon. I started doing mile fartleks. But I met Steve (the other morning walker) at about mile 4, and slowed so we could chat for a bit. A short while after I turned back to my route and got back to my workout, the local newspaper delivery guy pulled up and gave me an extra paper that he had this morning. As I've said before, it is awfully tough to racewalk while carrying a newspaper, but it is very kind of the guy to offer them, so I always thank him and continue on my way as best I can. And that's what I did this morning. It wasn't the workout that I planned, but I appreciated the encounters I had, and am not complaining. Yesterday's wetlands delineation verification went well, as did last night's Selectmen's meeting. Gotta head back home in a while to accept delivery of a sleeper sofa so we'll have enough places for our weekend company to rest their heads. (We planned on getting a sleeper sofa anyway, but not on this tight a schedule.) Some of our visitors will be going to the trade conference with us on different days. Later today, I have to go with our Conservation Coordinator to inspect a project site and to deliver a violation notice to another property owner. No meeting tonight! We're going out to dinner with friends instead - to a French restaurant owned, of course, by a racewalker...

Have a greta Tuesday!

Jay

 

Hey Mike: What's the forecast for Buffalo today??

Temp: 52 - 72.  Wind: WSW 11mph.  Mostly Sunny.  Chance of rain: 0%

He asked...

Happy belated birthday to everyone I missed recently.  That is a really cheap way of doing that. 

I ran an easy 4 miles in some cold rain.  I usually see a number of other people out in the morning today but today I saw just one dog walker.  I guess a lot of people don't like being out in the rain.

The Buffalo trip is shaping up to be a good one.  I'm glad I didn't abandon it just because I could set another PW.  I connected up with a couple cousins and arranged to meet them and my aunt on Sunday afternoon.  They said she cried when they told her I wanted to see her and say hello.  I am going to take that in the good sense of crying in joy, and not anguish.  She was very close to my mother and they looked almost like twins.

And in the wee hours this morning my brother's step-daughter had a baby boy, Dylan Jackson, 7 pounds 7 ounces and 20 inches long.  So I hope to say hello to the little guy when I am there.

By the way. the weather in Buffalo for the race start is supposed to be 50° and sunny.

Speedy Stacey and I ran to the track today to do some speed play. I enjoy running with her because she knows how to push me beyond my comfort zone. Today was 4x800m in about 7:35 average pace and 2x200m at 7:03 pace. The lungs were screaming, the legs were on fire and my butterfly wings were sure flopping fast. She made me do the 200s to help me get the feel for a good running form .

Happy belated birthday to Jay. It is never too late for a birthday cake.

That's going to be a heck of a weekend, Leslie!

wheeeee! That looks like fun Leslie! in a 'i'm mentally unstable' sort of way  

I feel like I should just report on David's running since he's doing so well and me not so much. I've just been so busy lately. His YTD mileage exceeds mine by close to a 100 miles already.   I just need to run about 3 marathons in the next week or so and maybe I can pass him.

Last night he was invited to attend an Awards Ceremony with the HS FBLA team as they presented various grants to community organizations that they received over this past year. Our local fire dept districts were the largest recipient of grant money received by the FBLA.

Through their grant writing and speech presentations they received over 40K in grants for the fire districts. One smaller project was the FBLA bootcamp they did with some of the middle schoolers that David was a part of. David won a $500 grant for his school in a speech competition. Last night he accepted that grant on behalf of his school and had to give another small, impromptu speech (no advance warning they were going to ask him to speak!). He did great and had several adults come up to him afterwards and commend his speaking skills. He reminds me of Ribs' Hudson in that regard with his gift for public speaking. Anyways, David will be on the FBLA team next year as a Freshman (gulp!) and has already been invited to participate in the National competition in Chicago. Freshman rarely get the opportunity to attend Nationals, so he was pretty excited about this.

okay, i'll stop here. this is already turning into a 'brag on david' post. i'm just so dang proud of him. He's had some other great opportunities come his way lately and as I told him last night, I wish I could have had even half the opportunities he's already had when I was his age.

Tammy - From what you've shown of David, he seems to understands opportunities he's had thus far and doesn't take much for granted.  He has a good head on his shoulders that will take him on which ever path he chooses in life.    . . . . Just make sure he takes the path that makes him enough money to keep his parents in the state to which they should become accustomed. 

Tammy, always good to  hear David news, as it's so often good news!  (The scary thing at the school, we still want to know but that was....scary.)

Dave, sounds as if you have a lot of greta things happening around your marathon; I'm glad you decided to go!  And you and Mike are a hoot.  Say, when does the sunrise in Buffalo??

Jay, pshew, I'm tired just reading your schedule.  So keep us updated on the conference and the wetlands project, but have a nice, fun, relaxing evening tonight, and that's a directive from yer chums here at RA!  I could see Jimmy Stewart as you on your attempted racewalk this am.  Friend, paper.....you have your priorities in order, for true.

Keep staying pain free and healthy, Kevin.   Good to hear that; have fun running!  I used to carry dog biscuits for my "regulars" on my route back when I had Frank (and a supply of dog biscuits).  Now I just have cat treats and millet branches.   I don't want to retire, but when I do at least cut back to half time, I will get a dog.

Is there any fairie dust left on those butterfly wings, Nancy?  Those are some fast times!

What Holly said, Leslie: heck of a weekend for you!  Have a blast but don't get hurt (she said maternally).

So I signed up for a 46 miler at the end of August.  I'm insane, I know, but my new friend from the one ultra I did is doing it and said she'd run with me and it's really cheap, just north of here in St. Pete, and kind of an urban trail, so doable for me.  Heh heh, or so I think.

Ten miles this am at just over a 9 minute pace; first 3 were 9+ and the rest were a bit under that.  Spent about 5 miles or so at Lakes Park with the birds as the sun rose.  Running club tonight.

Lots of us doing 5Ks on Memorial Day?  There are two near me; I'm opting for the one that is closer and starts a half hour later.  How bout the rest of you?  Is anyone running a marathon?  I think someone might be.........maybe a couple of the gents?

So after today, 3 days of work; 3 days off.  It's been a while since we've had a long weekend.  Looking forward to it.

grins,

A