Weekend coming into the end of February 2021

Thursday - pretty big snow last night and I had a set of morning calls.  Got out in the slush but nice sunshine of the afternoon.  7.1 miles.  Ankle feels like someone is kicking it with each step but you sort of get used to it.  I felt cruddy most of the run,  but somehow managed to get quicker throughout.  Must be the afternoon magic thing.  

I have not kept a log this year in a Google Sheet like I have .. well, for the last 10 years.  It doesn't seem necessary given I am not specifically training for an event.  But my runs do get uploaded to Strava and it reports I am near about 350 miles on the year.  That seems about right ... a lot less than what I have hit in January and February in past years of course:  these months in past years are often ones of significant miles and motivation.  

Friday AM - 7 miles back and forth on the ditch by the MS while the Eagles did some work.  Teens for temps but a beautiful morning nonetheless.  

"Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitates lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporizes rock, and as it always has, rock crushes scissors."

Saturday AM - 6.5 with GW.  We were grumpy.  

Got the first of the Pfizer shots

Sunday - a couple of miles with TZ and then connected up with GW for another 8.  So another atypical for these days 10 mile jaunt. 

Ended with 55 miles on the week, which is certainly the most on this year.  I'll look to see if I can get another 50 mile week next week.  I'll also attempt some easy strides but I am clearly playing poker with the Achilles.  I am managing the slow easy miles with it being at a level of discomfort that is bordering on a sustainable pain.  There are days where I can tell I have nudged it a bit much and the walk is a bit more of the gimp.  

In the p-lot at today's run.

Found this in a notebook from about a year ago.

Midweek 24FEB2021

Tuesday AM - still breezy but warm enough to get away with shorts this AM.  7.2 miles while the Eagles did some hill work.  

Wednesday AM - cooler but the breeze dropped.  Over to the HS, out and back on Lac Amora with GW, then back home.  7.4 miles.  Sloooow.  

I have probably not done a pullup or a pushup in a month.  Loads of excuses but I tend to forget doing that stuff when I am running a bit more.  So there is that.  

Some mid day livestreaming.  Need to do this a bit more often to get ready for the April 1 show at Rails End Brewing.  

Monday 21FEB2021

Monday AM - jogged over to the HS with TZ and then another half dozen with the kiddos.  Super windy morning.  

Afternoon - 5k with GW and JZ on the ditch.  First time in forever that I can recall getting over 10 in a day.  Ankle is pissed but I feel good.

Weekend ending 21FEB2021

Friday AM - a bit heavy legged from yesterday's effort but fine.  Achilles will only bear so much though.  So there is that.  7.1 miles with GW as the kids jogged.  

Played the virtual open mic (LOCO on FB) Thursday night.

Saturday AM - headed down to Heritage HS to coach a few kids racing down there (great performances by all of them).  Got in a few miles.  Such a blast working with the athletes and getting back to racing.  

Got home and headed out for a few more.  Heard the big boom of the UA flight overhead.  Was about a mile from where the debris fell.  Amazing that the crew got that bird back down without issue.  7 on the day.   

In the afternoon, swung by Rails, shot the shit with SP, and I took notes while AC played.  

Sunday - a bit of a rough start to the day (might have been a bit leftover from yesterday).  Headed to Tahosa and got in some snowshoeing with TZ.  

Felt like garbage in the afternoon and low motivation.  But grinded out anyway at the tail of the day.  6.1 miles.  Just over 45 on the week again.  

Thursday 18FEB2021

Dropping my subscription to Headspace at the end of the month.  It is a fine service, but I sort of get what I am mostly supposed to do.  And at the same time I have other basic meditation practice things I have to work on, that the app ain't quite gonna resolve.  By analogy, I have had an app for a year teaching me how to ride a bike, and now I need to actually work on riding it versus having the app tell me how to do it all the time.  

Got the green light on a local gig I'll play in April.  It has been a goal of mine to get one since I started this little project back at the start of 2019, so I am most definitely stoked.  And effectively now freaked out a bit.  Got some polishing work I'll need to do.  And probably need to find some fire cannons.  

Didn't run first thing this AM as we got hit with a fair snow on the overnight.  But apparently I am better in the afternoon as I got in 7.1 at sub 7:50 pace.  Pretty sure that is a PR for 10 on the year and for the age of 51.  So there is that.  

Nerded out a good portion of the afternoon around Perseverance landing.  

Wednesday 17FEB2021

Monday afternoon - 7.1 miles, out to the high school to get the kids going, and then back

Tuesday morning - 5.2 miles.  Actually did a bit more than a handful of strides that likely looked horrible.  Creaky.  

Wednesday AM - kids did some work and I jogged.  7 miles.  

John Prine's "Angel From Montgomery" cover.  

Weekend ending 14FEB2021

Saturday AM - Below zero at the start of this one. Met up with GW and BV (yes, the former natl. XC champ) and his dog.  JT and MH had workouts and so jogged around while they did that.  

It was cold but not too bad with the gear right.  I had a buff, balaclava and hat on the noggin' long sleeve and two running jackets, tights and running pants, wool socks and gloves and mitts

Probably 8 miles all told.  Everybody's watch crapped out - I am assuming because of the cold.  

Just an exerciser at this point - not training really as the is not something I am specifically training towards other than keeping some wits in me, and not getting too round.  That may change but the Achilles is not seeming to lend to that, especially on mornings like this.  

Sunday mid morning - the high today was like -1, and it was -10 when I woke up.  That is probably the coldest I have seen here in the Front Range (without wind chill).   It is certainly making for quite the ice beard season. 

I watched the full 20 (recommended by the Llama) of McConnell's speech.  Certainly left everybody who cares about such matters pissed about something.  Regardless how you feel about it, it is worth the watch, simply to see how he toys with the oratory.  

40 miles on the week.  Achilles is still a wreck.  

.  

Friday 12FEB2021

Pretty chilly.  Probably near zero and blowing light snow.  Joined the few truly crazy kids who showed up for PM practice.  I jogged, and cleared the track a bit for some of the work they did.  Maybe 3 miles.  

From the other night.  

Thursday 11FEB2021

 Wednesday afternoon - 5 miles with the kiddos.  Easy easy.

Thursday AM - chilly and frosty.  6 miles with the Eagles and GW.

Some music from the garage last night

Tuesday 09FEB2021

 AM - 6.3.  Chilly, chilly.  Like 10.  

Monday 08FEB2021

 Monday PM - 5 miles out towards Commons and back. 

Weekend ending 07FEB2021

Friday AM - really tired from the work night.  6 at practice.  Sort of ugly but got it done.

Saturday AM - 7.5 with 10k of it on the Lake Link loop with GW.  Yapped on 100s, including the nutty nature of how selfish they can often be.  

Sunday AM = really windy.  2 with TZ, then another 5 and a half on my on.  Angry angry Achilles.  

About 48 (not quite) miles on the week.  If I am honest with myself, I probably don't need more than this, and in fact, I am probably doing too much on this bum wheel.

30 years ago on this mic drop.  Still the best rendition of it I have ever heard.  

  

Thursday 04FEB2021

Wednesday AM - 6 miles around kids practice.  Slow and easy.  Same levels of guff from the Achilles. 

Thursday AM - was beat from a late night with the Singapore engagement and so I slept in a little and skipped practice.  It was sort dumb because I woke up maybe a whole 20 minutes later than I would have typically, but that slipped the window on the group.  Got out with TZ for a couple with her on the trail.  This is a big step for her - 2 miles of running on trail is a very significant step in rebounding from knee surgery last March.  

Thursday mid day - 6.1 miles.  Ankle is sort of angry today.  

I was contemplating pushing the pace a bit today.  That might be good or it might be dumb.   I am pretty sure even if I start to play with some strides I am going mess this foot up a bit more than it half functional state.  

So, I have been attempting meditation.  I have been using the Headspace app to help with that. but I am really not great at it.  Yeah, I know - there is no wrong meditation, but I think I am fairly correct in this statement.  I end up falling asleep sometimes.  Other times I find I can't keep my mind focused on the breath for more than 2 breaths - even when I am counting the breaths.  I am getting something out of it in regards to focus, but it is a slow path for me.

A benefit of the Singapore gig is that the hours have kept me from hitting the alcohol in the evening. 

AM - 3.7 feeling like the 10lb in the 5lb while watching the Eagles roll.  Short one as I was up until midnight for Singapore, practice was at 7, and I had a call at 8.  Probably could have skipped the call tho.  

PM - dangerously beautiful.  By that I mean a day that is just too nice for February.  Anyway, I broke out for 3.8 miles on the ditch.  And after this AM's doo doo show, I somehow found a 7:50 average stride.  So there is that.   

Monday 01FEB2021

 AM - over the HS with kids (cleared for "official" practice) for a short one before an AM call.  Sort of running back to back these days since I am jumping on Singapore work in the evenings and filling the days with other stuff.  5 miles.

Cover of Better Now by Post Malone