Scary night...new beginnings...

I live in a secure building with an average age over 50, and we never get kids for Halloween. I only know of one person who has children. I recall the days when I used to have a bunch of running friends, and we all did a midnight Halloween run. As I do not drink alcohol, I became the designated driver as many of the runners ran hammered... in their costumes... Sometimes, the birthday suits were used.

It was a different world in the 1980s. Then I got married, had children, got divorced, children left, and became so distant from those running pals. Over the past month, I tried to look some of them up. Eddie I am told died of prostate cancer, Kevin also passed away but I do not know how, John never did recover from his war wounds and I was told one night life was to much.

I never could track down Scott. Scott was the best man at my wedding. He fell off the face of the earth. Gordy was mentioned in a Google search, but I could not find where he was in this world. It makes me think of how life is full of happy and unhappy endings and new beginnings.

Lately, I have struggled with what may have been the result of overtraining. My legs feel tired even when I do not run, and my knee and hip pains are back. I feel exhausted even when I sleep many hours. It may be related to stress at work.

Tomorrow is a new day to a new month. I spent my week preparing a plan to get back on track and start losing the weight I have put back on. From 2005 to 2006, I went from 296 to 212, and now I am back to 258, or 46 pounds heavier than when I ran the Superior 25K in 2:36, if I recall correctly. So, I am not halfway back to plump and do not want to go there. But that is always easier said than done.

Tomorrow, many friends are running Surf the Murph. I am sitting out as I am not sure I can run it.  Everything is sore, and I do not know why. Tomorrow is also the celebration for the Ultra group. So tomorrow, I will celebrate and then buckle down. I plan to lose 56 (1.3 pounds per week) before the Superior 100 next year. I'm still determining if I will race in between. Still, I have my computer ready for nutritional analysis and other factors, and I will go through the same analysis and workout patterns I did in 2006 when I lost 84 pounds. Only this time I do not have Dana, I still have the knowledge...

Carry on...

Sad, quiet and slow...

The blog world has slowed. It could be the weather or just that most people are repairing after a hard summer season. Jobs, family, health, or other things are priorities. I have RSVPs for the UMTR Awards Fest. It should be fun.

I just can not keep from dwelling on one post that concerns me most. A fellow runner who is going through some tough times right now. She is still blessed with health, but death, early death, in her family has been a repeated activity. Karen always blesses me with a smile whenever I meet her for a run or at a race. I often wonder "why does God punish people like this". I always have to go back to when my 3-year-old nephew died. It was unexpected.

At the funeral, the Pastor said something I will forget at time. He said, "Aaron has left us, and this is a sad time for many. What makes it sad is our perception of how long a life is." He went on to say that God has a plan for all of us. For Aaron, God had planned a life of three years. He reminded us that Aaron did not waste time in his life. He loved each minute and made sure it was complete. He said it is the human expectation that we should all live the same length of time, which adds to the pain. He emphasized that the pain should be there but not to add to it, as Aaron did live his life (3 years) to the fullest and asked us to do the same.

I often need to remember that life is not a guarantee and that we need to preserve and cherish the time with others and ourselves. I forget that often. I pray for Karen and others who are not experiencing the joy of times. I am doing really well, with my only obstacle being me. I need to remember that more often.

Dana once gave me a bumper sticker that said, "The best things in life... are not things". It showed a man holding a cat with his wife, kids, friends, and dog around him. As I think of this, some close friends know what I mean when I feel stupid about the Orzo Salad issue... But some things we can not take back...

In this ultra-running world, I find that to be true. Thanks for all the love and support from many, and I only pray Karen gets through this OK. I am sure she will with the heart and soul God gave her. But I still add her to my prayers nightly and hope to see her smile again. She knows how to live a whole life, however long it may be, and may it be long, and continue healthy, as with all of you.

Carry on...

Quote sent to me...

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy … . It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed."
~Jacqueline Gareau, Boston Marathon, (Champion in 1980)

My blood boiled

I am usually mild-mannered when it comes to politics. This is from a person who has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and works for the Government. But this year, I find myself passionate. Although, it is the wrong kind of passion, and it varies from time to time.

First, this year for President, I was looking at the Vice President with a greater emphasis than in the past. One presidential candidate is older, and the other is sure to have some idiot looking to end his tenure. Lousy to think that way, but that is what I think. So when the VPs were announced, I was disappointed, to say the least, for both. So, I released that thought and thought about the Presidential candidates. I love McCain, but Pelen killed my vote for them.  Then I get this crazy Coleman and Frankin fiasco, which is even worse...

Then I saw what happened to my good friend and republican Neil Peterson. He voted for the transportation bill to override the Veto, and the Republicans in the state acted like two-year-old brats and worked to remove him. He was defeated in the primary. Neil has done more in his tenure than anyone I know. He voted for Minnesota, not a party.

So tonight I had a call from some poor young volunteer for the republican party and I snapped. I told the poor girl I would never vote for any Republican again after the two-year-old bratty behavior from our Governor and his party. Then I felt guilty as I was no better off than those I complained about. So now I have come full circle... I am still trying to figure out what to do in a few weeks. Not just for the President but for the local elections as well. I need clarification, but I am not alone when talking to many people.

I wonder if this emotional turmoil and confusion are more due to my miles being way down and me not working out as regularly as I should. Either way, decisions need to be made, and this voter is not ready—and I'm not sure if I will be.

Carry on...

I ran... and enjoyed it...

A little... I did a 5K at a 10-minute-per-mile pace at lunch. I was surprised I seemed to labor for that pace, but fat in the mid-section does impact running. I did the elliptical machine before work for 34 minutes for the 2 miles. This elliptical at my office is difficult, but it gets miles compared to the last machine we used.

I don't know if I will run again this week, but the weather is such that I have to get out. So I am taking long walks along the river bottoms. I want to experience the changes in colors and exercise simultaneously. It's perfect weather for this, and as I am walking, I can look up. It's unlike a trail run, where the head stays down.

Hope all are recovering well and ready to enjoy the cool weather.

Carry on!