Most days, I’ve been doing part of my run down a rarely-used dirt road. I run through the spider webs. The next day, the spider webs are back and I run through them again. Today, it occurred to me that in the mythology of the local spiders, I am Tramps, God of Destruction. And amidst their population is a Job-spider wondering plaintively why the righteous suffer. Tramps moves in mysterious ways. Today he moved for 7.1 miles.
Most days, I’ve been doing part of my run down a rarely-used dirt road. I run through the spider webs. The next day, the spider webs are back and I run through them again. Today, it occurred to me that in the mythology of the local spiders, I am Tramps, God of Destruction. And amidst their population is a Job-spider wondering plaintively why the righteous suffer. Tramps moves in mysterious ways.
Today he moved for 7.1 miles.
Thanks for the giggle!
Nice pace, OM!
Glad to have you back, Mary.
I was up at 4:00 and out the door by 4:30 so I could get to work early. 7 miles this a.m. with 6 x 100m strides toward the end. My legs were pooped afterward. I'm surprised at how tired my legs still feel, but I did do a decent amount of strength training yesterday. Yeah, that'll be my excuse for now.
I think Cisco likes the egg/carrot mixture. Am trying cantaloup today. (The word "cantaloup" looks weird.)
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
Am trying cantaloup today. (The word "cantaloup" looks weird.)
cantaloupe.
does that look better?
Tammy
I ran 6 miles. 3 before a conference call and 3 after. I saw a hawk like bird swoop down and land in a tree right above me. I am guessing a broad winged hawk. This is a picture of what it looked like in my feeble memory brain cells. Not a picture I took.
But I wouldn't place any large amounts of money on my identification.
I heard that some volunteers were being verbally abused at the NYC IM. It is NYC after all so it shouldn't be surprising. Glad you weren't one of them OM.
Ribs, I know what you mean. The answer is "because life is unfair". Period.
Tramps, there is a spider camped out between the rhododendron and the camelia tree stretching across my front walkway. I break her web every morning. I try not to think about whether she is going for a jog with me every morning too.
I guess I had too much (and it doesn't take much) white wine last night as I was feeling a bit dizzy this morning. I get vertigo fairly easily every since that bout of labyrinthitis over 3 years ago. I sucked it up and did 3 easy miles, 61F, was planning on 6, but an extra 30 minutes of sleep was taken instead.
"During a marathon, I run about two-thirds of the time. That's plenty." - Margaret Davis, 85 Ed Whitlock regarding his 2:54:48 marathon at age 73, "That was a good day. It was never a struggle."
Good rant, Ribs. It sucks to hear of good folks suffering. I suspect it happens just as often to the SOB's. It's just that nobody's there to care.
Tramps, there is a spider camped out between the rhododendron and the camelia tree stretching across my front walkway. I break her web every morning.
She is Enke, Goddess of Destruction.
Be safe. Be kind.
MM #6177
That's because we were stationed on the NJ side of the river.
{{{Ribs and all the other good people in the world}}} {{{spiders}}}
Thanks for all the kind words on my improved running ability. Steady as she goes, that's all I can hope for.
50 minutes on the bike in the testosterone playground, reading Tim Noakes' Waterlogged on my iPad. Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the name of the author of a book about overhydration rhymes with "soaks"?
who says life doesn't have a soundtrack?
(((busy spiders everywhere)))
3 miles jog 'n talk at the track this morning with a friend.
Found $20 on the ground this morning. Hey everyone, I'll buy the pizza!
Carolyn
Average was 3:50.9, which if I understand correctly, when I can do eight of these, that would predict my marathon time to be 3:50ish?
I believe Yasso 800's call for doing ten @ 800 meters, with equal time recoveries in between (i.e. 3:50). You sure are getting speedy! Nice that your coach actually gave you a compliment!
Hey Tramps (aka god of destruction) - I'll bet those spiders are conspiring to make a really strong web that will fling you backwards when you hit it! Or maybe they'll capture you, like Shelob.
Holly, those 6 tempo miles were pretty speedy! Sounds like the last 3 miles weren't so good, though - hope you do well at your HM this weekend.
I ran 5 miles this morning at a 9:12 avg pace, and threw in a couple of faster half miles just for grins - 8:03 and 8:23 pace. This was on a relatively flat, smooth trail, but probably not equivalent to a track workout. Maybe I should have done a few more but I don't want to hurt myself! Haven't done any speedwork in ages.
Spareribs, sorry about your friend. Life isn't fair.
I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.
It sounds like they're going to sack the NYC Ironman altogether. OM got to enjoy the one-time only event it looks like.
Most communities love these big events and all those athletes descending on their communities - with their dollars. NYC not so much. Apparently there was a 10 PM quiet time and the Director couldn't even do his "You Are An Ironman!" shout that he does for every single finisher. (I understand that he did personally greet each finisher though at the finish line to offer his congrats.
Bill
"Some are the strong, silent type. You can't put your finger on exactly what it is they bring to the table until you run without them and then you realize that their steadiness fills a hole that leaks energy in their absence." - Kristin Armstrong
I'll jump in here for the first time in a week or so. Our trip to MN went well and our niece's wedding was nice. On the way back, we took the carferry across Lake Michigan from Manitowoc to Ludington. About 9:00 am last Sun, we drove by Green Bay, WI. I stuck my head out the window and yelled "hi" to jlynne as we went by.
In Ludington, two of my three siblings and I moved our mother from her senior apartment to a nursing home/dementia facility. Breaking the news to her and moving her went well. We didn't know what to expect and were concerned it would be traumatic but it ended up not being bad at all. I plan on going back in a few days to see how our mother is adapting and see our fourth sibling.
This weekend, we hope to get together with our son and his wife to celebrate their birhtdays. This afternoon, our daughter called and asked if I could come to Flint on Friday with my truck to move some mulch for a garden project she's involve in as part of her job.
I'm looking forward to our lives returning to their normal boring and quiet ways.
While we were out roaming, I got in several 4 mile runs in 3 states.
I hope that good and exceptional things happened with my RA friends while I've been AWOL.
A good day and good runs for all.
TomS
cantaloupe. does that look better?
No, but thanks!
Marathon Maniac #957
Snork!
TomS - good to see you back. I'm glad that your mom's move was not traumatic, as that can often be so in that situation. I love to hear how involved you are with your family - you are very blessed.
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."
Tom White, I hear that a lot too. My response usually is, "I was smart all day yesterday". My response usually is a lie.
Ribs, those miserable SOBs may very well not have many people who ask how they're doing. Then die alone and people don't realize until, maybe, another person says, "What ever happened to that nasty SOB?"
Econo, How's Ben? The dog's been bugging me about him.
TomS - I love to hear how involved you are with your family - you are very blessed.
DD#3 picked up her wedding dress today.
SteveP
It's been a busy couple of days. I'm pretty much all packed and waiting for my ride to the airport. It's really sad to see how much my father had declined over the past couple of years. Today was a particularly "not good" day. He almost fell a couple of times, and if I hadn't been there to catch him and hold him up he would've gone down. He's been denying his condition for awhile now, but today muttered to me "I think I'm getting worse." It has been a very exhausting trip with appointments to specialists at the Univ of Washington Medical Center and Harborview, but I think we've got more information for going forward, including another test he should have to rule out (or diagnose) another condition. Mom has her appointments tomorrow, but DS1 is coming down tonight to spend the next couple of days helping them. We might meet in the airport.
TomS, I can totally understand what you're going thru; we just helped my folks move from their home of 52+ years to an apartment in a retirement community. I hope we don't have to take that next step for a few more years.
I ran on the road to Green Lake Park today, for three laps around Green Lake. About 2 miles there, 3 x 2.8 mile laps around the lake, and about 2 miles back with a stop at Safeway for yogurt and bananas. DS1 will be in my room the next couple of days so got him some stuff to tide him over till mealtimes.
Ran this like a pace/tempo run, with the first two laps around the lake at a consistent strong effort, and the last lap at about tempo pace. The run there and back had some good old Seattle hills so a bit slower. 12.3 miles, looked like this (I've never been so consistent as miles 4 thru 7!!):
8:40
8:05
8:10
8:04
7:47
7:52
7:35
7:51
8:01
8:28 for the last .3 mile
I'm happy with this run, even though I stopped for water at each lap (I stashed a bottle) so had a mini-rest every 2.8 miles, and at street lights to wait for cross walk signs. Other than that, I just settled in and ran. Nice confidence booster. Now to add some serious hills...
About 9:00 am last Sun, we drove by Green Bay, WI. I stuck my head out the window and yelled "hi" to jlynne as we went by.
Disappointed you didn't stop Tom. Come back again and we'll do lunch!
Must be the day for spiders. I was up and running at 4:30 this morning and hit a web in some shrubs that were hanging over the sidewalk. Got a big wad of the stuff stuck all over my wet, sweaty face. Nice.
It was good to see your post Mary, even if you're searching for your running mojo. You've been missed.
Tom W - please, don't screw anything up.
You are so spot on, Ribs. I found out last week that a good friend has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and only has a couple of months. She's declined the chemo and radiation as her doctor said it would only give her a few extra months at best and she just wants her last days to not be ones where she's feeling the effects of those things. Why does The Big Guy always take the good ones? Maybe it's because the bad guy doesn't want the bad ones....
That coach is paying off big time, OM. You are running so well!
I've been sitting on the pitty pot the last few days, bemoaning the fact that I'm not running as fast as I was a few years ago and wishing my sore back and other assorted aches and pains only occurred once in a while. But I'm 60. I'm running. I've got my health. And I pray that when I kick the bucket no one says, "well, that SOB is finally gone."
5 miles this morning, 9:35 pace.