Remember our Veterans

By the numbers

Not on pace this year to hit 2,000 miles.Only ran 1,845 miles last year. I've increased my daily run to 6 miles this week. By the time I get to 8 miles a day that should be enough to get me to 2,000 by the end of the year. That is if I can stay injury free. About 8 weeks into the latest comeback. Of course the only way to jump start the training is a streak. Today was day number 15 of the current streak. But of course running streaks are stupid. Goal this week is 40 miles. Only missed it this past week by a half mile or so.

Would really like to be in marathon shape by this fall. No interest in getting a qualifier to make the show at Boston in 2014. I'll probably enter the lottery for the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon. The goal for that race would be a BQ qualifying time. (on a non-BQ course) Could have my arm twisted to make another fast marathon attempt at Rocket City, if any of the guys are training or have similar goals.

Probably skip the 10 miler at Bell Buckle. Never really have been in shape for that race. Hope to have enough of a base in the next couple of months to start some speed work. Maybe a fast mile or 5k at Smyrna in August.

First casualty of the running streak is the weight workouts. May try to do some kind of crossfit type of weight workouts to mix things up. Only downside to that is finding time.

10 more weeks

Decided I'm at least 10 weeks away from being in halfway decent shape. At least the kind of shape to start thinking about speedwork and planning workouts. Right now, I'm just happy to be able to get out the door and slog for a few miles.

Started another streak, just to try and turbo kick my running. Also had a pretty decent run with Speedy this morning out at Spain Hill. The hills really worked in our favor and we negative split the run. I'll take my excitement anyway I can get it.

Yesterday we saw the Rutherford Relay folks running all around town. Still don't get the big deal about relays. (Yeah, it's great they're raising money for a good cause) Every runner I saw was all by themselves on some of the really shitty/busy roads in Murfreesboro. They even ran down the road by my house. The road they are in the middle of resurfacing. That had to be a fun section.

I will have to give the city credit for putting in a pump to keep the streets from flooding in our neighborhood. That really surprised me. But, it wouldn't even be needed if the planning commission actually did what they are supposed to do. Also, found out our quiet section of town will be getting a Lowes/Home Depot in addition to the 4th Walmart. (like we really need another one of those)

The start of this cycle I planned on tracking my heart rate to make a pretty graph. Done with the heart rate monitor. This mornings long run was the last time. It did confirm that I'm not training hard enough, but at this point in the cycle that's a good thing. Don't need to get injured by doing to much to soon. Infographics are where its at.

Middle of the road

Finally a decent run. First run getting up at 3:30 am to get out the door by 4:30 am. Pretty hard to get to excited running 5 miles in 45 minutes. The stiffness in my ankle has just about gone away. Breathing wasn't an issue, maybe the pollen is about done. This spring has been terrible for the allergies, probably because I'm not running very much.

Perhaps next week I'll try to run with the guys once or twice. The main road out of my subdivision is being worked on in both directions. Talk about a cluster fuck. The city is putting in a traffic light in one direction. That's good, its been needed for awhile. The boneheaded thing is resurfacing the entire road in the other direction at the same time they are making every corner wheel chair accessible. That's all well and good, but why make a corner accessible if there isn't a sidewalk leading to that corner? Even dumber is resurfacing the road which is due to be widened in the coming year.

Creepy headline of the day

Baby girl sacrificed on bonfire after sect leader says tot is the Antichrist, Chile cops say

 "Everyone in this sect was a professional," Ampuero said. "We have someone who was a veterinarian and who worked as a flight attendant, we have a filmmaker, a draftsman. Everyone has a university degree. "

Weather for this weekends Country Music Marathon continue to improve. Temperatures will cooperate, the rain may not even be a factor. Spring marathons are such a crap shoot. My target marathon last weekend had good weather but the course had to be rerouted because of flooding. I've run a marathon on a flooded course where they didn't bother changing the course. It was an adventure by a shody/less than ethical race director in Texas. We have them here in Tennessee as well.

 "Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness." Edward Stanley (1826-1893)

Unsung heros

Runners hug your loved ones. Runners weren't the target of the terrorist that bombed the finish of the Boston Marathon. It was the running community at large, the support cast, the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, grandparents, first responders and volunteers. It was the innocent ones. Everyone who knows a runner or supports one in their quest to get to Boston or any local race knows they are the one's waiting at the finish line.

Reality is a kick in the gut. That was my overwhelming feeling almost all day on Monday after I'd heard about the bombs. I worried about the runners I knew who were running, I worried about the spectators. I failed to think about how the loved ones, supporters, and other runners felt about the bombing. They must have been feeling what I had ten fold.

Some of the posts and remarks I've seen really make me wonder. Most non-runners get the Boston marathon. They're the one's who called, texted or posted on social media wondering about the runners and spectators. Some people still just don't get it. A bomb is the opposite of a marathon.

Traded some emails with my running buddies from Atlanta on Monday morning about the good old days when we were all chasing our Boston dreams. My Boston marathon has been run. But every Monday on Patriots day I'm usually stalking runners I know running the current years marathon. This was the 117th year of the Boston marathon.

Still like to wear my Boston marathon jacket to at least one race a year. Seeing someone in a Boston jacket was always one of those carrots that prodded me to get my qualifying time. I think it's only fitting that I return the favor along the sideline of the local marathon.

Dad at the Rocket City Marathon

road block

Yesterdays run was stopped momentarily by a tree across the greenway. Nothing really unusual about that. I stopped to try and move it, but it was to big to move by myself. Interestingly it had been felled by a beaver. At least that's what I thought. The more I thought about it as I finished my run. I changed my mind. It must have been a muskrat. A beaver would have been smart enough to take the tree down so it would fall into the water, not across the greenway. It does mean the Stones River probably isn't quite as polluted as it has been the last several years.

Never did see the culprit, only signs of chewed upon trees.

Also saw a great blue heron standing in the creek waiting to catch a shiner. Probably the closest I've ever been to one of those birds. Only about 20 feet away. Pretty cool to have a greenway right in the middle of town with so much wildlife. Of course the sad part is driving the 2 miles to the greenway.

Only downside to the run. I'll call it a long run at 8 miles. A blister on my forefoot behind my big toe. New spot, because I'm still doing some kind of limp/compensation/flat foot strike with my right leg. May have also been the increased pace trying to catch a runner ahead of me for the 4 miles home. He must have finally slowed down when I did catch him. My pace didn't really ever pick up very much.