Year In Review

The year started off with lofty goals of running up to ten races and reaching a mileage goal of 1000miles...I came close to the thousand miles, finishing with 903.8...besting my high set in 2007 by 150 miles...so although I came up short of the thousand I was looking for, I am happy about breaking 900m...I know what to do in 2009 to make up those 96.2 miles!

I improved in my consistency this year...February was a slow month, but the winter months are always slow for me in terms of running...I had to take a week off in March after having wisdom teeth extracted...I had another lull in summer while on my beach vacation...too much sand and beer to enjoy...September and October were Prime Time months for me...easily topped 100 miles in each month...and then I shut down serious running when November rolled around...only doing easy three milers for most of the last six weeks of the year...

Hard to explain why...no specific reason...maybe just tired from the grind...I didn't have the gumption to do any races this year...except for the Jug Bay 5K which I ran with my daughter Hannah...I was just content to run the trails at Jug Bay, and less frequently the mean streets of my neighborhood, Mutual Estates in bucolic Port Republic...I enjoyed the solitude I was experiencing on the way to my 1000 miles...good times...

But maybe the lack of races doomed me to fall justthisshy of my goal....perhaps I needed the prospect of a race or two to bump the training mileage up a bit...

All things considered though I can say I am enjoying my love affair with running the trailways...no seven year itch for me...it will be seven years come 2009 since my first marathon coincidentally...running continues to inspire and perspire me...

some other '08 highlights were running in that thunderstorm/squall in mid-June at Jug Bay the trees were swaying quite violently and water was coming down horizontally...only lasted for 15 minutes but conditions were whack! then there was the day of the floods in May when I couldn't even make it to the park after work because of the rain...the lone weed smoker on the trails in November...running at the same time a HS cross-country meet was underway...I wasn't in the way...the refurbished trail sections at Jug Bay...sweet...discovering new trail sections from time to time...I can always create new routes to run...

So it's on to a new year, new goals, and new running adventures!

Running By The Numbers

2008 Running Stats


Total Miles: 903.8m

Number of Running Days: 159 (October w/18)

High Month: October (119.0m)

Low Month: December (35.7m)

Longest Run: September 21 (13.06m)

Best Week: October 13-19 (32.2m)

Races Completed: 1 (Jug Bay 5K; November 1; 25:32)

Mileage Milestones:

100m: Feb. 24
200m: Apr. 13
300m: May 18
400m: Jun. 20
500m: Jul. 22
600m: Sep. 8
700m: Oct. 5
800m: Oct. 26
900m: Dec. 27


Of Note:

*96.2m short of 1000m
*lost interest in running races
*ran Jug Bay 5K with Hannah
*completed weekly mileage goal for October of 30m/week
*last double-digit run November 9 (10.56m)

Top Tunes 2008

In no particular order,

My Top Tunes of the Year...

Love Revolution - Lenny Kravitz

One of Those Days - Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere

Hare Krisna - Thievery Corporation

Man-Sized Wreath - R.E.M.

Go Away - Elvis Costello

Obama - Pistol Opera

Can't Come Down - Sam Phillips

What More Do You Want from Me - Al Green Lay It Down

No Llores - Aterciopelados

Scare Easy - Mudcrutch

More News from Nowhere - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Gardenia - Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

Chemtrails - Beck

Skinny Love - Bon Iver

Get Busy - The Roots

The Silence Between Us - Bob Mould

The Uptown Train - Joe Jackson

Dirty City - Steve Winwood

White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes

Funplex - The B-52's

Wilco Will Love You Baby

new concert dvd in winter...new album in spring...touring in summer...

yip-yip-yipppeee!!!

Runner Santa

Thanks to the Jolly One, I'll be rockin' some new running gear this winter...

a new vest...brooks L.S.D. thermal vest...lsd? trippy...will it blow me away, man?

nike livestrong running shorts...they're nba level baggy...best shorts ever...

and some new balance 909 trail kicks...

paint it, black as you can see...black is my favorite running color...I might be mistaken for Johnny Cash on the trails one of these days...

It's Good To Be Back

thank you for asking

It Won't Be Long

Yeah

I Hear Something

sound familiar?

Wait For It

It's coming

Out To Lunch

be back by 2

Not Going Anywhere For A While?

enjoy snickers

Technical Difficulties

out of focus

Blog Down

I shall return

Wilco Rocks

arrived in Raleigh in the early afternoon and met Cathy at her work (North Carolina Railroad), and right away noticed the pine trees all around the parking lot...in the evening BJ, Cathy and the kiddies went to see a RailHawks soccer game in Cary while Matt & I were dropped off at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre to see Wilco's show (yes, I planned it that way)...

the venue was outstanding...very well manicured, almost too nice actually...the crowd was mellow and cookie-cutterish...I think all the dudes there wore cargo shorts and flip flops...Jeff Tweedy said several times Cary seemed like a "nice crowd," great emphasis on "nice." Tweedy also made a comment about the "Crescent Cafe" located within the venue and asked if he could get a danish which was pretty funny. I had a great time...drank (too) good...and rocked out...the set list:

You Are My Face

Muzzle of Bees

Shot in the Arm

Radio Cure

Impossible Germany

Remember the Mountain Bed

Handshake Drugs

One Wing

Jesus etc.

Misunderstood

Pot Kettle Black

Poor Places

Reservation

Spiders

Encore 1 (All with Total Pros)

Hate it Here

Walken

I'm the Man Who Loves You

Monday

Outta site Outta Mind

Encore 2

Late Greats

Heavy Metal

DrummerRed-Eyed and Blue

End of the Century

Home Sweet Home

Ah, to be back running at Jug Bay! First time in nearly three weeks...Life is Good...ran easy up to the bus depot via trail...I was pleasantly surprised to see the trail is being given a face lift with lots of new packed dirt on the portions likely to flood...sprinted up the camp hill at the finish to go over 5 miles for the run...felt good...totals: 5.1 miles in 49:51...

I won't be getting a long run in this week, as the family is headed down to Raleigh, NC to see Cathy and her new house...

Back To Civilization

came home from the beach Sunday evening...listened to the Redskins preseason opener in the Hall of Fame Game on the drive back...

this morning it was back to the mean streeets of mutual estates...have to get my running mojo back...ran nice and easy...4.2 miles in 42 minutes flat...

Beach Bum

wow, eight days with no running...yep, I sure love life at the beach...no matter my previous ambition to run at least a mile everyday at the beach, I got weak...staying up late, consuming many beers, goofing off, sleeping in...I think that sums up my time here at the Seaclipse...anyway I ran an even 4 miles in 36:55 and felt good doing it!

Life's A Beach

more beach running today...ran through Sanderling w/trail...started sluggish, but found my stride after a mile or so...3.2 miles in 30:08...

Wake Up And Smell The Coffee

a muggy morning at the beach...ran some more side streets near Sanderling...I went over the 500 mile mark for the year, and that puts me over halfway to my goal of 1000 miles for 2008...as expected, I'm a little behind schedule but ready to catch up in the second half of the year...completed 4 miles even in 36 minutes and 52 seconds...afterwards BJ and I went down to Duck's Cottage for some good coffee...

Vacation Run

woke up early and crept out of the beach house (seaclipse) for some running...it was warm for a 7am run...ran out to the road trail and down some side streets...saw other vacationers out for a run/walk/bike...made my way back to Sanderling and hit the sand for some rough running on the beach...went for 4.4 miles which took me 42:34 to complete...

Running Daze

the summer heat had me running sluggish this morning...kind of felt like I was just going through the motions so I ran as easy as possible...covered the mean streets of Mutual Estates for 3.2 miles and 31:08...still a day with a run is a good day...

I'm off to the OBX of North Carolina for two weeks this weekend...yip, yip, yippppeeee!!!

Middle of the Summer

ran a combo trail/road route at Jug Bay...my pace was near-race pace levels...felt good about it too...the totals: 5 miles in 45:13...the day after Major League Baseball's All-Star game means no competitions in any of the major sports, I think the only day on the calendar when such a thing happens!

Speed Work

hot but not so humid today...ran some dashes around back...8x100m...felt good...ran a total of 4.6 miles in 43:45...

Mug-A-Licious

what a muggy morning run I had...the heat and humidity kept me down below the 8 miles I was shooting for...ran out to the merkle fork with side trails on the way...the SCA group (dog trainers, I think) were out in the camp fields...finished 7.2 miles in 1:05:53...felt OK afterwards...

My Morning Sauna

even though it was 7:15 when I hit the street this morning, the hunidity was set on high...I managed tor un 4 miles in 37:56 and didn't melt away!

Trail Day

warm and humid but not oppressive this afternoon...ran all trails...feeling fatigued and headachy before this run...not expecting much...found some energy and grit to have a good run once I got going...trails a little sloppy...broke in the my new New Balance trail shoes...they're lighter than North Face and not as rugged...they do NOT keep water out...good for 200 miles, I say...maybe just use them for asphalt and gravel roads and light trails...finished 7.2 miles in 1:11:31...felt good by the time I finished...

Slug

went for a bleary-eyed early morning run in the neighborhood...ran six loops around the house before hitting the road...found my stride and felt OK by the finish...did 3.2 miles in 31:36...

Long Run Comes Up Short

a warm and humid morning...ran the Jug Bay scenic road out to the merkle hq loop and back...couldn't make my long run goal of 8 miles...ran at 10K pace...6.4 miles in 58 minutes and 16 seconds...

Independence Day

Yesterday, I ran the Firecracker 5K (my own personal race...one entrant) through the neighborhood, the second of my three summer holiday 5Ks...ran fast...a big dog down the street sniffed me out for a few strides...time was 26:37...beat my Memorial Day time by 2:20...and felt good about it...

had a big ass party and fireworks display later on...on the way back from New England, I stopped at a fireworks depot on the NJ/Penn border and picked up all kinds of explosives...they were giving away stuff too! luckily the show went off without anyone going to the ER or getting arrested...good times!

Part-Time Pedestrian

today was warmer and more humid than yesterday but tolerable...ran well the first five miles, but faded and needed a couple of walk breaks over the last two miles...felt dehydrated and winded...ran the scenic road out to the merkle fork with side trails all the way...I finished OK: 7.2 miles in 1:10:49, but not a very satisfying run today...

Trail Run

warm, but very nice conditions today for a Jug Bray trail run...my first run since coming home from new england...ran creek-crossing trails...I was a little disoriented searching for a particular loop I take, but not having run this route in a while couldn't find it through the vegetation...lots of hills and rough terrain...hard run but felt good...total of 4.5 miles in 45:07...

Gentlemen Start Your Engines

today was the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 Race in Loudon, NH...first time for me at any sort of motor race except for some go-cart racing I did way long ago...had a nice time...it was loud, but not too hot...watching the cars go round the oval had a slightly hypnotizing effect and I almost nodded off at one point despite the noise...

my boy Liam was into it big time...his driver Tony Stewart led most of the race, but had to pit at a most inopportune time right before the skies opened up...the race was called with only 17 laps left to go! Kurt Busch ended up the winner...

in the morning I got another run in through the streets of Lowell...same conditions: cool, gray, and misty...I wonder if it's like that all the time here! this time I ran through the Lowell HS campus on my way to completing 4.2 miles in 35:52...

Legend of Duluoz

I'm based out of Lowell, Mass this weekend to catch my first ever NASCAR race in Loudon, NH tomorrow...before doing some sightseeing in Concord and Boston I hit the streets around my hotel (the name of which involves two trees) for a run through the hometown of Jack Kerouac...

I've read plenty of his books and his descriptions of Lowell were eerily similar to what I experienced on this run...a cool misty/overcast morning, run through mostly deserted streets past a couple of big churches, along a canal, over a bridge, across railroad tracks, through the business district and through the Kerouac park where large stones featured inscriptions of Kerouac's writing...

I ended up going 3.7 miles in 34.09...all in all a wonderful treat!

inspired by this run I came up with the following lame haiku:

running over streets

kerouac resting nearby

misty cloudy beat

10 Miles The Hard Way

walk breaks are really not my thing...but a combination of heat&humidity and tired legs and living the high life of summer vacation reduced me to several of them on today's trek...I hit Jug Bay and ran around the scenic road to the usual trail and then up to the park entrance and back down to the side trail system...managed 10 miles in a woeful 1:52:59...I should break 1:30 if I ever run a 10 mile race...disappointing but sometimes you just have to say a completed run is a good run...off to New England for a long weekend, I hope to run once or twice while I'm away...

Some Runs Are Better Than Others

didn't have my running mojo this morning...a muggy early morning run with lots of lots of open-mouth breathing...nope, not feeling it today...I start to pick up some energy near the end to stretch distance out to 4.4 miles in 44:04...felt OK...

EZ Runner

ran an easy 3.3 miles on the mean streets of mutual estates...legs a bit sore...air was thick and muggy...felt OK..afterwards stopped in the garden to trim some butterflu bushes...

Sad News

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Long Run Blues

got off to a little later start this morning...keeping late night summer hours these days...felt good to start, but heat took its toll...early morning coffee is not agreeing with me today and I'm struggling with some dehydration issues...took three short walk breaks...ran around scenic road to trails up croom airport road and back...one of those days where I was expecting a good long run between 8 and 10 miles...and it turns out I struggle to finish 9...ah well, there will be other runs...

statistically speaking, this week I topped 30m for the first time since October of '06 I believe...also went over the 400m mark for the year...I am 64.2 miles off pace to finish 1000m for the year...i moved up to #100 on the pace bunny 1000m chart...looks like i am going to concentrate on a fall race schedule...more details to come...

First Day of Summer

warmer and more humid for this First Day of Summer run...ran all trails on the camp side of the park...trails not too messy considering all the rain we've had recently...had to contend with one or two downed trees blocking trailway...started sluggish...legs feeling a bit heavy, but ran last half of run at a quicker pace...passed the 400 mile ark for the year on today's run...I was at 288m this time last year...felt OK...

I'll take Saturday off to be ready for Sunday's 10m long run...

Dee-Lite-Full

that's how the weather could be described for my 6.2 mile (mostly) road run at Jug Bay this afternoon...i wasn't feeling as delightful though...kiinda sluggish, but managed to finish in a steady 59:52...

High Honor

George Carlin's acceptance speech should be exactly seven (dirty) words long...

Stormy Weather

did some clean-up work in the library today, then head out for a run...looked like a storm was on the horizon, but thought I could beat it out...ran four miles on the scenic road and trails...skies opened up about a mile into the run...I took a side trail and noticed the treetops were swaying wildly...luckily nothing fell and I made back to the road to head back to base...trails were waterlogged along with my running shoes...may take the rest of the week for them to dry out! ran the four miles in 38:30...struggled a bit, but felt OK...

Eight Miles

for today's long run...first in two weeks...I was feeling a bit off...more than usual for an early Sunday morning run...ran easy and steady out to the merkle fork and back with a round of side trails to stretch the mileage...time: 1:19:51...felt good by the finish...

finished the book about the run-n-gun Phoenix Suns...good read...next up Big Sur by Jack Kerouac...

Neighborhood 5K

Ran the mean streets of Mutual Estates this morning...planned to do a 5K time trial, but the garmin lost satellite reception about a mile in, so I estimated the rest...finished in 26:24...

They're Back!!!

first run today since being stricken by a nasty ol' stomach virus last weekend...first run at Jug Bay in ten days...and the first appearance of the dreaded deer flies!

I brought my cap today anticipating the suckers would be out, but forgot the OFF!...I took a few bites and pulverized a few...they'll be my running partners the next couple of hot summer months...

my running was pretty good even though I've been thrown off my training schedule...with end-of-the school year work getting in the way too...I was eagerly anticipating getting a run in today...did 5.1 miles in 48 minutes flat...the heat and humidity were on in addition to the flies, but I felt energized and ran well...I'll try to get as many miles in as possible this week, then try to get back on schedule full time next week...

I'm thinking of holding off on any races until August/September...not feeling motivated...don't want to spend the money for gas...excuses, excuses...

The Week in Entertainment

kind of a slow week for me on the entertainment front...

movies: I watched Bobby; enjoyed it...the story of a dozen or so characters who work at the Ambassador Hotel in LA on the day/night of of RFKs assassination there...reminded me some of Robert Altman's movie Short Cuts with the stories of the characters overlapping...surprising to see at the time of the shooting that some of the characters turned out to be shooting victims as well...effective use of Kennedy's words at the end...I liked the use of actual news footage too...seeing old Walter Cronkite live on air was a trip...funny scene involving two campaign workers tripping...

tv: recorded "Swingtown" but haven't watched it yet; Jimmy Kimmel had some good shows this week, including the return of celebrity photographer Yehya Mohammed who interviewed "celebrities as they walked the red carpet at the mtv movie awards...funny!

music: Radiohead finally has their catalog added to iTunes, so I downloaded some of their tunes...

reading: still progressing through the book about the Phoenix Suns; reading an article about RFK in the June Vanity Fair...

The Bug

I caught it...and now it's rearing it's ugly head...I had been feeling slightly queasy and fatigued during the week and this weekend I've pretty much been moping around and lying on the couch...

I did four miles plus in the neighborhood Saturday morning...ran slow so as not to upset my stomach further...I was out of it Sunday morning and had to pass on getting in a long run...I'll probably need another day or two to recover and with end-of-school year work my running will be inconsistent for the next week...I'll get as many miles in as I can, but I have a feeling I'll fall a little behind in my training...

Run in the Sun

ah, June and the sun is shining! starting Week 2 in fine fashion with a brisk 5.1 mile trek around the Jug Bay scenic road...the run was pretty uneventful and finished in 47:27...

Weekend Running

Saturday morning I struggled to rise out of bed and contemplated (not) getting one last month of May run in...put on my running attire and convinced myself to do just one "fun run" mile in the neighborhood...once my blood got pumpin' I hung in there to go 4 miles and change...speaking of change, I found a not-so-shiny quarter in the road which I pocketed...also saw a lonesome turtle making its way across one of the side streets...I fell a little over 7 miles short of 100 miles for the month...I could've pushed myself this last week, but didn't...still the most monthly miles for me since last October when I was training for the OBX half-marathon...on to June!

Sunday morning was interesting...the previous afternoon the area was hit with some pretty strong T'Storms...

at home we got a lot of rain and thunder/lightning...the wind was about normal for such storms...

but on the drive to Jug Bay...on the back roads near and leading up to the park...I could see plenty of wind damage to trees with limbs down all over...there were reports of small tornadoes touching down in upper marlboro and it certainly looked like the case in croom...

anyway, I stuck to paved roads and farm roads for 8+ miles...a big limb was blocking the road near the bridge and a tree was down across the goose music hill as well...

in fact some park workers were blocked from delivering a bunch of canoes to the water, calling for help...

wildlife sightings: four turtles...two smaller ones and two huge ones (maybe diamondbacks)...

I easily met my Week 1 mileage goal...it was a good week of running!

That's Entertainment

here's my week in entertainment:

started reading :07 Seconds or Less by Jack McCallum...it's nba finals time, so a good basketball story sounds right...

watched the hbo movie Recount...good performances all around by the ensemble cast...especially by Laura Dern as the dimwitted Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris...watching this made me mad all over again...how could our democracy be hijacked like that and people not take to the streets with pitchforks and shit?!?

saw the Chris Rock movie, I Think I Love My Wife...sort of like a chick flick for (married) guys...it was OK...parts of it were far-fetched...Chris Rock is really funny, but the movie seemed bland...

didn't really watch much tv this week, save for basketball and political shows...

downloaded these from iTunes

"Obama" by Pistol Opera

"Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)" by Led Zeppelin

"Go Away" by Elvis Costello

added these to my run mix!

Is That A Grenade In Your Coffee?

these here are times of retardedness

Gazoo Gone

RIP Harvey Korman

Climate Change

what a difference a day makes with the weather!

after a tropical run Tuesday, today featured a sunny, breezy, cool day...much easier to run five miles in 68 degree temps...ran an out and back on the scenic road across the bridge with a couple of side trails thrown in...

I needed a flat course today as I'm a little fatigued staying up late watching NBA playoff action and didn't want to deal with any hills this time...felt good...

In the News...

file this under "No Shit Sherlock"...

Tropical Hot Dog Night

a tropical, humid afternoon run...I was sweating buckets just changing into my runing gear...a bit sluggish...after a long weekend of living the High Life, that's to be expected...I was breathing through my mouth most of the way, but ran steady...finished 5 miles in 47:57...maybe, just maybe, I heard the buzzing sound of a lone deer fly during my cool down...drats!

Memorial Day

in remembrance of all those who have sacrificed for our country...

the annual May birthday parties were terrific...many hot dogs, burgers, and beers were consumed...fun in the pool, moon bounce and barn...I forgot to take pictures, D'Oh!

Season 3

Yesterday signaled the end of my 2nd ten week training cycle...the Runner's World 10 mile Beginner program...and this week kicks off Season 3 (out of 5 planned training blocks)...this go round I am moving up to the 10 mile Intermediate training also from Runner's World...

although it's a program for 10 miles, I am trying to adapt it so that I can run a half-marathon...the distances start at 20 miles per week and peak at 33 miles...the first long run is only 6 miles, but I've been doing 10-12 recently...maybe I'll just play it by ear and see how I feel...maybe go longer, maybe not...

during this block of training I'll have to compensate for some vacation time...trip to New Hampshire and two weeks at the beach...in June I'm hoping to do my first couple of races of the year...a 5K and 15K...

Summer Holiday 5K Challenge

ordinarily , I would be up early and off to Jug Bay for my early morning Sunday long run...but this being the party weekend and lots of work to do...I ran 3.1 miles in my neighborhood...a little groggy to start...late night with the Baysox and fireworks Saturday night dontcha know...but easily found my stride and finished in good condition 28:57 later...

and like I do sometimes during a run, I had a brainstorm and came up with the idea to run a 5K on each of the three summer holidays (Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day -- for those of you scoring at home) up and down Howard Drive and see what kind of times I can achieve...personally I think 4th o'July will be my best time...

i was able to shave some more mileage off the pace bunny's lead, which now stands at 68.1 miles...i've moved up a few notches to #113...start the next ten weeks of training tomorrow...

Just Breezin' Thru

another cool May afternoon with a stiff breeze to boot...not showing too many effects from yesterday's long run...just had to overcome a general fatigued feeling...ran pretty steady...scenic road to merkle fork and back with the usual side trails...felt good...

The Road Less Traveled

I ran a Jug Bay route I haven't run in quite some time this afternoon after work...an almost all-road run...I ran up croom airport road to the bus depot...about 2.9 miles with some good sized hills to navigate...saw some folks walking their dogs on the way out...big ass dogs too...at the entrance to the bus lot I ran the trail back down to the park road and from there went to the park HQ...took the private driveway as a diversion...the gate was open anyway...looped around at HQ and saw some more big ass dogs on leashes...took the trail at the park road's sharp turn and looped around to the park round further down...from there I decided to head back on roads rather than stay on the trail...this meant climbing some big ass hills near the park entrance...I was able to make it up without stopping or cursing myself for taking this route back...from there it was smooth sailing back to base...total mileage 8.4 in an hour eighteen minutes and some change...felt a little weird getting in a long run mid-week, but I was up to the challenge today...felt good...

Huff-N-Puff

followed up Sunday's 12 miles with a 3.5 mile run at Jug Bay...mostly on trails, but not the sloppy ones...took a route up to the observation tower and back...started with a hill at the camp grounds and felt like I was out of breath soon after reaching the top...experienced open-mouth breathing most of the way...my legs felt fine, but had a sense of fatigue...looking to do some longer distances later this week after work...won't be able to do my regular Sunday long run because it's party time!

Go Long

slacked off from my running schedule this week…weather conditions (torrential rains/floods) and general busy-ness are my excuses…so to make up for some of the missed miles I ran over 12 miles today…another overcast Sunday morning with some periods of rain…although there was a brief sun sighting as well…started sluggishly as I am wont to do, especially since I had a 7-hour day Saturday gardening and landscaping…oh my back!

A mile or two into the run I was warmed up and picked up steam to roll through the rest of the run…average pace was 9:34 or so…ran the scenic road out to Merkle HQ and the Merkle Loop with many side trails along the way to stretch out the mileage…

wildlife sighting: not much today, but saw a tiny turtle crossing the farm road at Merkle…
top tune: The Stones’ “Little T&A”…

I did a lot of see-sawing this week regarding the 10 mile race in Chestertown on the 24th…that’s the big party weekend for us and although the race is on Saturday and the party Sunday, I just fell like there is too much going on to fit the race in this time…maybe next year…so I’ve done a little readjusting to my race schedule and added a 5K and maybe two more trail half-marathons…we’ll see if it can be done!

1000 miles to go check-up

Place: Up four spots to 115
Bunny Miles: -69.7 (lost two miles)

Garden 2008

Some early-season garden pictures...

birdhouse view from the back porch walkway



outside sharon & sandy's sunroom

BJ's Mother's Day Flower Basket

shells from the outer banks

wildflower walkway

new rose bush

garden sunset

Pig Slop

today's run was a bit of a treat...I decided to do a Jug Bay trail run 48 hours after the floods hit...the parking area still had a large puddle of water settled in the grass...I ran out to the wooden bridge to see what the water level was like...nothing out of the ordinary considering the amount of rain we had...but the trails were sloppy to say the least...ankle deep mud in some places, and one section that was filled in with dirt not too long ago had washed away...I ran 5 miles of trails at a slow pace...mostly because of the conditions...I was happy at the end to have to wipe all that dried mud off my legs...I hear more rain is coming soon and that means more mud to run in...good times!

Flooded

The deluge of rain Sunday and into Monday caused some local flooding...we even had a two-hour late arrival Monday morning...yippee! I saw a picture on washingtonpost.com of the PG County courthouse under flood conditions, and after school I drove up Route 4 to inspect what was going on...lots of water in some familiar places...I decided to drive over to Jug Bay to see what it was like there...no dice...the police had croom road blocked off...but as I later found out it wasn't because of flooding but for a "police incident" where a car theft suspect was shot...so I had to turn around and head home back on Route 4...by that time Route 301 had been closed, news choppers were hovering in the air, and it was pretty surreal...made it home safe!

Slow Start

another overcast early Sunday morning run...cool this time too, 50 degrees...struggled early...body sore from too much landscaping yesterday...but somewhere along the way I found my stride and kept it going...longest run since obx half-marathon in November...saw some beavers splash in the water as I approached their den under a pier...ran the scenic road to Merkle HQ and then the Merkle Loop...along with lots of side trails...saw another runner, a biker, and some hikers along the way...top tune "Sunny Sunday Mill Valley Groove Day" by Frank Black...after three weeks of gaining ground, I am now 67.8 miles behind my goal of 1000m for the year...felt good...

Tropical Jug Bay

the library was a steambath all day...had a grimy feeling...so what better way to get over that than to head out in the tropical afternoon climate and hit the trails...storms moving in and out of the area...it rained briefly, was sunny briefly, mostly overcast and quite humid...actually the temp was only 69 degrees so it wasn't that stressful and I was able to get to 7 miles easy...I took a leisurely 1:08:40 to finish...stayed on trails which were slick and muddy...I was soaked by the end and just sat shirtless for a cooldown on the bed of my truck for 10 minutes...nice feeling...felt good on this run...

new tunes

I've just used up the last of my Christmas iTunes gift cards...I think it was $150 in all...here's what is now in rotation...

mudcrutch (tom petty's band before the heartbreakers) -- scare easy

bang on - the breeders

more news from nowhere - nick cave

(who discovered) america? - ozomatli

you win again - hank williams

live it up, part 1 & 2 - the isley brothers

fucking boyfriend - the bird and the bee

al otro lado del rio - jorge drexler

ice cream man - van halen

corona - the minutemen

plastic - portishead

incredible - madonna

it's too late - bob mould

hopscotch willie - stephen malkmus

tye-die - tindersticks

cancion protesta - aterciopelados

live and let die - wings

learning the game - buddy holly

his kind of money - eric church

real gone - sheryl crow

goodbye blue sky - pink floyd

respect (live at the whiskey) - otis redding

politik kills - manu chao

rising up - the roots

dirty city - steve winwood

forever in blue jeans - neil diamond

skid row joe - porter wagoner

not sure which of these will make it on to my iClip run mix...but I'm digging them!

caught skipping

I bailed on today's run...three straight days and 17 miles has me feeling beat...felt a little guilty about skipping because it was such a nice day...went home and did dome more work in my garden instead...the garden is coming along with much more to do...I'll make up today's run on Thursday and try to do 8 miles...tomorrow I have an evening session of the book fair!

Up Hill Down Hill

my legs must be angry at me for making them a run a day after doing ten miles...they felt sore and heavy for today's run...a 3.2 mile run up croom airport road to the fork and back...I struggled on the out...up hill mostly and then hit it hard coming back...despite the legs bitchin' I felt pretty good and kept a 9 minute/mile pace...I must've been energized by this run because I went home and did an hour's worth of gardening...

BlueCrabs & Beer

took in the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs second ever game at their home park, Regency Furniture Stadium...this is an independent league team that features former major and minor league ballplayers...Brooks Robinson has a stake in the team...

anyway, we were there in honor of a friend's birthday bash...and although it was a kiddie party in name...you can't watch a ballgame without a brew...and I had a few...the game wore on thru extra innings and I was nodding off...the guest of honor left after nine, and we made an exit soon after...

the beer and late hours made today's long run something of a struggle...

it was an early morning sunny day with a nice breeze blowing...ran the scenic road out to Merkle HQ and back for a loop...took lots of side trails...startled a deer, spied a bunny (right next to me off the trail)...a dog walker...and a gang of cub scouts riding bikes...

I had a dehydrated and dry feelingmost of the way...sluggish and hungover to start...improved some but not much as the run progressed...felt OK not great by the end...

but I had my best mileage week since the fall...25 miles and change...I'll reach for 12 miles next weekend and then taper for the two weeks leading up to Chestertown...

Cobwebs and Strange

well, I didn't make it over to the park yesterday afternoon as planned for a trail run...I ended up working late setting the library up for book fair...or at least partially setting up...also helped some colleagues with a project they were working on...so I made my way home for some gardening...

this morning I was up early, groggy from beer and the Wizards losing...made it outside for a run up and down Howard Drive...a nice breeze woke me up after I got started and I ran it well...looking forward to tomorrow's long run of 10 miles...

Time Trial 5K Style

another fine spring day for a run...although it looked like a shower had passed through the area within an hour of my run...



...wasn't sure exactly what route I would run until I started...I ran the scenic road for a mile out to the boat ramp parking lot with three loops around the ramp camp side trail...two loops on the way out and one loop coming back...this amounted to three point one miles (5K)...ran hard, but not my fastest, I believe...



...legs were a bit sore from yesterday's long run...my last 5K time trial was nearly two months ago (March 5)..although today was a different course, it should be noted I shaved 28 seconds off my time...felt good...

today I'm looking to do 45 minutes of trail running with a lot of hills thrown in the mix...but ut's a lot warmer today than it's been all week...

tonight the Wiz are gonna take it to the Cavaliers forcing Game 7...it's got to be!

One-Third

yep, 2008 is 33 and 1/3 percent done...my running stats after four months:

January: 61.4 miles

February: 45.1 miles

March: 64.8 miles

April: 82.7 miles

Total: 254 miles on the nose...746 miles to go...

I had an enjoyable Jug Bay run yesterday...the temperature was cool and conditions were pleasant...started up croom airport road to the fork and back into the main section of the park...found my way to the HQ and looped back for some trail running...the lower sections of which feature some giant puddles from the recent rains we've had...totalled 8.8 miles in 1:22:08...felt good the whole way!

Running Plans & Goals

I'm reaching for 1000 miles of running this year...Running Ahead has a nifty feature called the "Pace Bunny" that keeps track of your mileage towards that 1000 mile goal...the pace bunny runs something like 2.73 miles a day, or 19.2 miles a week...

Now I will have to book ass to reach this goal...I'll have to add about 250 miles to my best previous yearly effort to reach 1000 miles...you can doooooiiittttt!!!

Races I hope to run this year:

Chestertown Tea Party 10m -- May 24

The Double Trouble 15K Trail Race -- June 22

Chaptico Classic 10K -- August 30

EX2 Off-Road Half Marathon -- September 6

Yorktown 10m -- November

Run at the Rock -- December 6

and maybe, just maybe, some other races will work their way into my schedule...

Sam The Butcher

Of course, he is widely remembered as the Brady Bunch's lovable meat grinder who just wanted to get his hands all over Alice's rump roast, but I'll always have memories of Mr. Melvin (pictured in cuffs) from a couple of Andy Griffith episodes where he tried to take out Deputy Fife.

366 Days Until the Presidential Inauguration

January 20, 2009

who will it be?

Hilary? Huckabee? McCain? Obama? Bloomberg? Other? None of the Above?

By The Numbers

2007 Running Stats

Total Miles: 754.4

Number of Running Days: 144

2007 High Month: September (96.3 miles)

2007 Low Month: February (19 miles)

Longest Run: 14 miles/January 14

Best Week: October 15 – October 21 (28.5 miles)

Races Completed: 2

Mileage Milestones: 100m (April 2) 200m (May 27) 300m (July 2) 400m (August 17) 500m (September 21) 600m (October 21) 700m (December 2)

Hey Now

So this here blog will be an outlet for me to exhale thoughts on my running, stuff in the news (especially sports), and other trivia that comes up...enjoy!