December 14, 2010

Math is Sometimes Good

In the spirit of go-for-it-to-finish-the-year-big, I unveil the following ...

The 12-in-17 Plan.

That's 12 in 17, as in 12 more runwalks of at least 2 hours in duration across the remaining 17 days of calendar year 2010. Why, you ask? Simple. Because once I knock down these 12 runwalks of at least 2 hours in duration across the remaining 17 days of calendar year 2010, I will then be able to stand on the tailgate of the Millenium Falcon (aka 10-year-old Ben Gentry's name for my 2004 Nissan pickup) and crow ...

"Oh yeah, 2010. That was the year that I averaged a long run every other day. Yeah. For the whole year. Yeah."

Some quick math. 365 days in 2010. Half of that is ... lemme see here ... 182.5. And with this being Dec. 14 and my total resting at a big, fat 171, and my JMU Christmas break time off from work running (arf! arf!) Thursday, Dec. 23, through the end of the year, lemme see here ... if I can manage to throw down an extra one here ... and here ... and ... oh, lookit ... we come to Dec. 31 and a year-end tally of ... 183.

Sometimes, you just gotta go a little crazier than your normal crazy. Yep. Must. do. this.

Let the hunt begin, baby!

December 7, 2010

One step at a time

Beautiful, beautiful solo run this morning. Two hours of 9 minutes run/1 minute walk through the darkened streets of da 'Burg before work. 19F with a steady wind that made it a heckuva lot colder than that. Wore tights. Hopefully will have the good sense to continue doing that all winter.

One of those mornings when 1.6753-million thoughts streamed through my brain and nearly all were positive. Or at least wound up as positive after passing through the this-frozen-morning, endorphin-covered filter that sometimes doubles as my brain.

This morning's random list ...

• Why do coaches holler at us when we're reffing? Does it EVER help their causes?
• Another huge training year. Record totals for long-run frequency and overall time on feet. Sweetness!
• Need to e-mail Brad to snag a spot pacing at Shamrock Marathon again.
• Beeeeep. Oh wow. Already at 7 cycles of 9/1? No way!
• Crewing Amy at Hellgate this coming wknd is gonna be awesome!
• 17 weeks till Umstead. 23 till Three Days at the Fair. Not many more after that till OD 100. Lots to do to get ready. Oh what fun it will beeeeee!
• If 2-hour runwalks help define you, is there any hope at all that you can be classified as "normal?"
• OK, how 'bout this: In tonight's varsity girls' game, the first time a really obnoxious fan yells, how 'bout I blow the whistle, stop the game, run up in the stands and scream my head off at the dude? "Actually, idiot, yeah, I do happen to know what a walk looks like. I've done, what, 1,000 games maybe. I've called a few walks. And while we're at this, a kid hasn't had to be completely still to draw a charge for, oh, I dunno, maybe 20 years. He can even -- brace yourself -- be jumping in the air. It's called The Rule of Verticality! Oh, and one more thing: We don't cheat your team! Now, because I suck so badly, here's your $5 back. No, really. Keep it. What? Am I being a jackass?!" (Sorry. referee non-humor. Sometimes, I need to vent.)
• Slow down. Easy does it. Smiles rule.
• Man, that wind is cold. Man, that sky is gorgeous!
• Rabbit!
• How am I gonna finish Umstead, do 250km at Three Days, then come back and finish OD, all within a 9-week stretch? I know. I know. The same way I have been since the first day I laced up those adidas SL-72s 35 years ago.

One step at a time.