Yes, still at it but I've fallen off of any kind of regular schedule. I need that AND I think I need a better goal . . . like maybe a 5k soon. Soon ish. . .
Coach Leah helped me buy some awesome running gear for the cooler Chicago weather. Nice and light but WARM.
So, I got a little busy for a bit and ignored my running and now I'm going to be on a better schedule. I'm going to run Tues, Thursday, Friday or Saturday with a short one, and long run on Sunday. I have a 5 mile course for Sunday and have the goal of completing the whole thing. I really like the route which actually helps a little I think. From Belmont to the chess tables at North Ave. on the outside, lake path and then return by taking the foot bridge to the inside path back to Belmont. I've run all the way to the chess tables and now I have to start bring the stick home!
Nice run/walk yesterday on that very route. When I was just starting at Belmont harbor there was a red hulled sailboat with it's mast down chugging out through the channel. I ran about a mile, walked a bit, ran some more, walked, and ran to the chess tables. Great view of the city there and look who's coming around the bend? The red sailboat! Man oh man, sailboats ARE slow if they can't beat me!
At the chess tables a couple started talking to me. They wanted to know all about the lake. They were from southern California. . . where ever THAT is. Anyway as happens often for people who have not seen our lake before they are surprised that they can't see across it. The word 'lake' produces a certain image in people's minds that doesn't include a 350 mile long, 85 mile across inland sea!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Another 2 Too.
Got my 2 miles in 2 day. Looks like I missed a day this week but don't think that will ruin anything for my Sunday 3. We move in2 our new quarters 2day on Sheridan Road just south of Belmont. This puts me 1 block from the path! Looking forward 2 that but want 2 stick with my walking warm up before running.
No pain again 2day and ran north and found the sticker for the 1 mile mark right where coach Leah 2ld me it was. Another GREAT weather day in Chicago. Can't get enough of this!
GO BEARS!
No pain again 2day and ran north and found the sticker for the 1 mile mark right where coach Leah 2ld me it was. Another GREAT weather day in Chicago. Can't get enough of this!
GO BEARS!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Problem Solved?
Yeah! After a few crappy runs in a row (don't think about the phrase 'crappy runs') I walked/ran to the lakefront on Sunday and then stretched for about 5 minutes. I especially tried to stretch my calves and insteps as that was what was tightening up on me. I put the thought in my head that the Sunday run was for me to run 3 miles NO MATTER WHAT. I'd have to fall puking on the ground to stop.
I ran 3 miles.
I didn't fall nor puke.
Yay!
And NO PAIN. I think going out the door and basically hitting it with no leg warm up was the mistake. Now today I did the same but ran about 2 miles instead of 3 as is the during-the-week plan. I say about 2 because I ran north instead of south from Belmont. I ran as far as the tennis courts but had yet to see any mileage sign. So I turned around there and ran back. Come to think of it that means I only ran to Addison which is only a half mile from Belmont. Ooops! I'll go the whole 2 tomorrow. Felt good though and fun to run with the Dad Run play-lists that my coach put together for me.
Thoughts While Running. . .
Coach sent me a link to the original broadcasts from 9/11 from all over the world. Takes you back and still hard to look at. I just about can't remember what air travel was like before that day. At the time I remember we were all waiting for the next attack. The Golden Gate bridge? White House? Wrigley Field! And then nothing happened. Did nothing happen because we slammed the door after the horse got away or did these fundamentalist idiots fire all of their bullets in one day. I tend to think the later but of course you can never go backwards. Maybe some new technology will come along so that we don't have to take off our shoes and run our luggage through the x-ray machine (or how about NO carry-ons!) but we'll have to inspect passengers as they board from now far, far off into the future.
So, are we safer now than we were before 9/11? Well, obviously we weren't safe at all before 9/11. Certainly it is going to be nearly impossible for an idiot to drive a plane into a building again. But are we fundamentally safer? America is still so big and so open. You can go onto any bus or subway with no inspection. You can drive cars and trucks all over the damn place. How are we safe from any of those possible avenues of attack? I think the fact that we really are not coupled with the fact that nothing has happened since 9/11 supports the idea that we might BE safer or as safe as we were before 9/11. Except. . .
We had the WHOLE WORLD on our side after 9/11 except for some creeps living in caves in Afghanistan. We had the support and therefore the chance of a lifetime to build some real coalitions to make the whole world safer from idiots. Right. And what did we do? We invaded Iraq which provably had NOTHING to do with 9/11 and thereby got the whole world to hate us again many times over. Nice going. A chance gone by.
Living in the islands as we have for the last 4 years the common question to us from people from other countries really boils down to this: What the hell is America doing? What's wrong with you people?
I don't know. We're just crazy that way I guess. What we've learned maybe is that if you drive planes into our buildings SOMEONE is going to pay big time. Doesn't matter if it was their fault or not. We will just lash out and we have some very big sticks to lash out with.
I ran 3 miles.
I didn't fall nor puke.
Yay!
And NO PAIN. I think going out the door and basically hitting it with no leg warm up was the mistake. Now today I did the same but ran about 2 miles instead of 3 as is the during-the-week plan. I say about 2 because I ran north instead of south from Belmont. I ran as far as the tennis courts but had yet to see any mileage sign. So I turned around there and ran back. Come to think of it that means I only ran to Addison which is only a half mile from Belmont. Ooops! I'll go the whole 2 tomorrow. Felt good though and fun to run with the Dad Run play-lists that my coach put together for me.
Thoughts While Running. . .
Coach sent me a link to the original broadcasts from 9/11 from all over the world. Takes you back and still hard to look at. I just about can't remember what air travel was like before that day. At the time I remember we were all waiting for the next attack. The Golden Gate bridge? White House? Wrigley Field! And then nothing happened. Did nothing happen because we slammed the door after the horse got away or did these fundamentalist idiots fire all of their bullets in one day. I tend to think the later but of course you can never go backwards. Maybe some new technology will come along so that we don't have to take off our shoes and run our luggage through the x-ray machine (or how about NO carry-ons!) but we'll have to inspect passengers as they board from now far, far off into the future.
So, are we safer now than we were before 9/11? Well, obviously we weren't safe at all before 9/11. Certainly it is going to be nearly impossible for an idiot to drive a plane into a building again. But are we fundamentally safer? America is still so big and so open. You can go onto any bus or subway with no inspection. You can drive cars and trucks all over the damn place. How are we safe from any of those possible avenues of attack? I think the fact that we really are not coupled with the fact that nothing has happened since 9/11 supports the idea that we might BE safer or as safe as we were before 9/11. Except. . .
We had the WHOLE WORLD on our side after 9/11 except for some creeps living in caves in Afghanistan. We had the support and therefore the chance of a lifetime to build some real coalitions to make the whole world safer from idiots. Right. And what did we do? We invaded Iraq which provably had NOTHING to do with 9/11 and thereby got the whole world to hate us again many times over. Nice going. A chance gone by.
Living in the islands as we have for the last 4 years the common question to us from people from other countries really boils down to this: What the hell is America doing? What's wrong with you people?
I don't know. We're just crazy that way I guess. What we've learned maybe is that if you drive planes into our buildings SOMEONE is going to pay big time. Doesn't matter if it was their fault or not. We will just lash out and we have some very big sticks to lash out with.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Ain't Never Satisfied
Last night I dreamed I made it to the promise land
I was standin' at the gate and I had the key in my hand
Saint Peter said "Come on in boy, you're finally home"
I said "No thanks Pete, I'll just be moving along"
That's from my favorite guy, Steve Earle and the theme of today's run. (Running with iPod again.) It seems each run besides being my training for the marathon is a chance to ruminate about. . . well, where ever my tiny brain wanders.
Ain't never satisfied. I guess I'm not. Some people probably think I had it made in the shade a few years ago. I was making good money. I had summers off. I owned my own boat outright and could live and cruise on it all summer. I have great kids that are fun to be with. House was nearly paid off.
But it was all making me nuts.
I had already done all that! I'd already been in every harbor and bay on Lake Michigan. I had certainly lived in Des Plaines long enough! I desperately wanted to sail over the horizon. So I (we) did. Couldn't have done it with out shipmate, Sue!
Back in Chicago now but that's not really ENOUGH, Oh NO! I have to train for a marathon as well!
I was the same way with teaching too. I don't think I ever had two years that were the same. I was never satisfied with my own teaching. Never will be either! Being never satisfied isn't such a bad thing and it is the direct opposite if being "all set" which is many people's goal and that's not a bad one either. Sure as hell there are times when things get rocky that I wish I was more like them. . . but that ain't going to happen.
Looks like there's always going to be something else. I hope so. Some other horizon to sail over. Some other crazy thing to try. I hope I can keep that up right to the end. Then I'll be all set!
-----------
Oh yeah, right leg still cramping up at about 1 mile. I think I'll take several days off and see what that does.
I was standin' at the gate and I had the key in my hand
Saint Peter said "Come on in boy, you're finally home"
I said "No thanks Pete, I'll just be moving along"
That's from my favorite guy, Steve Earle and the theme of today's run. (Running with iPod again.) It seems each run besides being my training for the marathon is a chance to ruminate about. . . well, where ever my tiny brain wanders.
Ain't never satisfied. I guess I'm not. Some people probably think I had it made in the shade a few years ago. I was making good money. I had summers off. I owned my own boat outright and could live and cruise on it all summer. I have great kids that are fun to be with. House was nearly paid off.
But it was all making me nuts.
I had already done all that! I'd already been in every harbor and bay on Lake Michigan. I had certainly lived in Des Plaines long enough! I desperately wanted to sail over the horizon. So I (we) did. Couldn't have done it with out shipmate, Sue!
Back in Chicago now but that's not really ENOUGH, Oh NO! I have to train for a marathon as well!
I was the same way with teaching too. I don't think I ever had two years that were the same. I was never satisfied with my own teaching. Never will be either! Being never satisfied isn't such a bad thing and it is the direct opposite if being "all set" which is many people's goal and that's not a bad one either. Sure as hell there are times when things get rocky that I wish I was more like them. . . but that ain't going to happen.
Looks like there's always going to be something else. I hope so. Some other horizon to sail over. Some other crazy thing to try. I hope I can keep that up right to the end. Then I'll be all set!
-----------
Oh yeah, right leg still cramping up at about 1 mile. I think I'll take several days off and see what that does.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Whoops
Whoops, I think I missed a couple of runs. . .let's see. . .
Well, yeah. .. I had a very nice run at the lake front on Sunday. Made my 3 miles again and felt better than the previous week. Must be good coaching! I think having coach with me keeps me going. Don't want her to see me walk!
I took Monday off and then laid out a 2 mile course on google - my maps which is fun to do with their measuring tool. Tuesday's two miler was ok but my right calf got crampy again. Ran through it so no big deal until. . .
That same cramp cut today's run short. At the one mile mark I felt like I had a steak knife sticking out of my right calf. What the hell? Tried to stretch it out and get going again but no go. Walked and limp-ran the rest of the way. Got to get over this. Coach?
In other news I moved all our stuff into the apartment at 3600 Lake Shore Drive yesterday only to find out that the building would not support us, give us keys, or send up visitors. I thought this was all set up and I blame myself for not checking on these snakes myself instead of leaving it to someone else. I never learn. So I hauled everything back to the coach's apt. We'll take the next place on our list which is at 3120 or so Sheridan. That should happen in a week or so. Sigh. . .
Well, yeah. .. I had a very nice run at the lake front on Sunday. Made my 3 miles again and felt better than the previous week. Must be good coaching! I think having coach with me keeps me going. Don't want her to see me walk!
I took Monday off and then laid out a 2 mile course on google - my maps which is fun to do with their measuring tool. Tuesday's two miler was ok but my right calf got crampy again. Ran through it so no big deal until. . .
That same cramp cut today's run short. At the one mile mark I felt like I had a steak knife sticking out of my right calf. What the hell? Tried to stretch it out and get going again but no go. Walked and limp-ran the rest of the way. Got to get over this. Coach?
In other news I moved all our stuff into the apartment at 3600 Lake Shore Drive yesterday only to find out that the building would not support us, give us keys, or send up visitors. I thought this was all set up and I blame myself for not checking on these snakes myself instead of leaving it to someone else. I never learn. So I hauled everything back to the coach's apt. We'll take the next place on our list which is at 3120 or so Sheridan. That should happen in a week or so. Sigh. . .
Friday, August 28, 2009
Ready for another 3?
Ran west to Racine, north to Waveland, east to Halsted. . . then I started walking a little. Stiffness in my right instep and calf. I guess I only have one leg to stand on! Coach said no problem. Still good to go on Sunday for our standard 3.
Signed our lease today for the apartment on 3600 LSD. That's just a few hundred yards from the lake front path so many nice runs to come. We move in on Tuesday. Yay.
Chicago Story. . .
I walked from the loop to UIC yesterday. Just thought it would be fun to walk around my old campus and it was. It was the same and very different at the same time and much improved over the concrete monstrosity that it was in the early 70's. Visited the Alumnae office just to say hi and then on down to SES (Science and Engineering South) where the physics department lives. Yeah it lives but I fear all my profs are dead. I guess 34 years will do that! Still interesting to sit in the old places. The same but different.
To get home I took the Halsted bus north to Belmont which I had taken about a thousand times before. Once again everything the same and different at the same time. At one stop I looked up and a ramp magically appeared out of the floor of the bus for a woman in a wheel chair. The bus lowered a little to make it easier. A person sitting in the handicap section got up and flipped that seat up to make it accommodate the chair. The woman rolled on and the ramp disappeared back into the floor. The driver asked if she was locked in and yes she was and away we went. This all took about as long as it would take to board about 3 people walking aboard.
It made me remember when there were fairly hot debates about how much it was going to cost to make buses (and sidewalks, restaurants, public buildings, etc) accessible to the disabled. This was completely backwards thinking. Things were unthinkingly designed to exclude a subset of the population. It's not that it was going to cost MORE to redesign the buses it's that they were mistakenly built at a bargain by making them inaccessible to a fraction of the population. Turns out with a little ingenuity it's not that hard to make a bus easy to roll on to.
At North Avenue the driver got out of his seat and walked back down the aisle saying he just had to take care of something. What the. . . ? He left the bus at the rear door telling us that he was sorry but he just HAD to go to the bathroom! He went into the Borders there while we waited patiently with the engine running.
Only in Chicago?
Signed our lease today for the apartment on 3600 LSD. That's just a few hundred yards from the lake front path so many nice runs to come. We move in on Tuesday. Yay.
Chicago Story. . .
I walked from the loop to UIC yesterday. Just thought it would be fun to walk around my old campus and it was. It was the same and very different at the same time and much improved over the concrete monstrosity that it was in the early 70's. Visited the Alumnae office just to say hi and then on down to SES (Science and Engineering South) where the physics department lives. Yeah it lives but I fear all my profs are dead. I guess 34 years will do that! Still interesting to sit in the old places. The same but different.
To get home I took the Halsted bus north to Belmont which I had taken about a thousand times before. Once again everything the same and different at the same time. At one stop I looked up and a ramp magically appeared out of the floor of the bus for a woman in a wheel chair. The bus lowered a little to make it easier. A person sitting in the handicap section got up and flipped that seat up to make it accommodate the chair. The woman rolled on and the ramp disappeared back into the floor. The driver asked if she was locked in and yes she was and away we went. This all took about as long as it would take to board about 3 people walking aboard.
It made me remember when there were fairly hot debates about how much it was going to cost to make buses (and sidewalks, restaurants, public buildings, etc) accessible to the disabled. This was completely backwards thinking. Things were unthinkingly designed to exclude a subset of the population. It's not that it was going to cost MORE to redesign the buses it's that they were mistakenly built at a bargain by making them inaccessible to a fraction of the population. Turns out with a little ingenuity it's not that hard to make a bus easy to roll on to.
At North Avenue the driver got out of his seat and walked back down the aisle saying he just had to take care of something. What the. . . ? He left the bus at the rear door telling us that he was sorry but he just HAD to go to the bathroom! He went into the Borders there while we waited patiently with the engine running.
Only in Chicago?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wheeeee
My schedule got a little backed up due to not really running on Monday so I ran AGAIN today even though I ran yesterday. As they say in the islands, 'No worries, mon". I THINK this was about 2 miles. Ran east as usual but turned north on Halsted to Addison, to Sheffield and back. Felt like about 2 and I felt great!
Now I'll run 2 on Friday and 3 big ones on Sunday again.
The plan is working Leah! Yay!
Now I'll run 2 on Friday and 3 big ones on Sunday again.
The plan is working Leah! Yay!
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