Week 10 & 11

No, I haven't given up on running, just been delinquent in writing. In fact there has been NO shortage of running the last two weeks! What I fail to mention in these posts is that it's not just the weekends that involve running, it's pretty much 6 days a week. Tuesdays being ~10 hill repeats on High Point road, with the Capital Brewery constantly in the background mocking us. Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays are, for lack of a better word, "normal" runs, just a short 5-5.5 mile run typically at noon. The trick is what has transpired at work in the morning as to exactly how fast the run is. Some days it's around 12 minute miles, other days it's been identified that constant mileage has been run at ~10.30 minute miles (yeah, I know seems unlikely, but I suppose you really run enough and you can get your time down...)

Until it got cold this week, there had been a surge of snakes on the nooner running path (and you wonder how you can get me to run 10:30 minute miles? Have a 6 inch garter snake chase after me, yeah, it's frightening!) So, maybe the surge was at most 10 snakes on any one day, but there was one REALLY big one, like two foot and mean looking and really Mo provides little protection.

We've done so many long runs now on the weekend that I can't even hardly remember the one on the weekend of the 18th, but I KNOW I did one! Last one weekend was an "easy" weekend, only had it in me to do a couple hours, it was windy, and the last two weeks of running had worn me out a bit, including soccer season starting up. No! I'm not whining! Well, maybe I am a little. But the biggest reason for the short run is Shawn, eldest sister, came to visit.

Saturday not only had to include the two hour run, but a UW football game, hitting balls, and well, a little drinking... But it was ONLY because Shawn was here, and Gar wanted to show her a good time (picture provided below.) You do know when this running thing becomes more of a lifestyle than exercise, when your able to peel off a 3 mile run after a day of drinking (no pictures provided.)

Week 9

Here's the question of the week... Do you trust technology OR my ability to follow a map? Mo and I have been prepping for the trail marathon on what we believe to be an equivalent trail outside of Madison, called Indian Lake. Note this route came up in week 1 when we did three loops of the trail. Well, this weekend we did four loops. So the question is according to Mo's GPS watch we did just over 12 miles but according to the map of the loop (red) we did was 17.5. Now, what you can't see is the HUGE frickin' hill that you have to go up after in the first mile, it's definitely a walking hill... So you be the judge, I think the answer is somewhere in the middle.

(http://danedocs.countyofdane.com/webdocs/pdf/lwrd/parks/indian_lake_park_brochure_map.pdf)

There was an incident that of course is worth mentioning and providing pictures. On the third loop we were running along at a pretty good clip. This was a particularly busy day at Indian Lake, EXTREMELY unseasonable weather it was upper 70's in October!! So lots of folks getting their last hurrah in. However, as we past a mom and her two kids who were enjoying the colors of fall and picking leaves...

Well we should pause here a minute, now running trails is difficult there are rocks and roots and various things you have to watch out for, and you add in a coat of leaves and it can be down right treacherous! So through out the run you are doing the occasional trip and rebalance, and as I've been instructed by Master Mo, I have been specifically told do NOT try to catch someone falling it can only do you and the other more harm. This Grasshopper pays attention, darn it, to what I've been told! Ok, so back to the previous paragraph...

As Mo and I pass the family, it's still not clear what caused the unbalance, was it a rock? a root? my foot? I don't know that we will ever know. But Mo took a digger, however in Mo form she took the blow HEAD on, well and other areas took the brunt, but you'll see... Mo did the trip, try to catch her self, try to catch herself, try to catch herself, and we ALL thought she had it, but no, she was on the ground in a superman flying pose. Don't worry NO children, by-standing mothers or Mo's were hurt! And I'll have you know I did NOT try to catch her, so I listen! The good news is Mo got up with no cuts and we finished the third and FOURTH loop!!

13+ Miles!! (Week 8)

Satuday was a landmark day after a tough couple of weeks. The day started at 7:00am with perfect weather sunny, NO wind, a little chilly, but perfect for setting out for a long run! The route was along Highway 12 outside of Middleton, with plenty of your standard landmarks: farms, cows (the non-running kind), and taverns (one of the highlights: Missouri Tavern: http://www.missouritavern.net/.)

Mo and I set off to conquer 13+ miles, it wasn't a good sign when less than a mile into the run, having secured all my proper running gear: shoes, hat, sun glasses, Jelly Bellies, water belt, phone... Umm, but forgot to attach the water bottles to the water belt... But teamwork prevailed, and Mo let me have the condensation off her bottle... Kidding she shared.

The run had it's rough spots, mainly mentally and spiritually, but there's no better place to be then on a run to work through what life hands you, or those that you love. However, after 2 hours and 50 minutes, the mile marker ticked on past 13 miles, and although Fraley says I got there first, it's only cause she pushed me (ok mainly mentally.)

In pondering the past weeks events I found the following quote:

Life is short...running makes it seem longer.

But for my purposes I thought it should read:

Life is short (unless you have McCullough genes)... running makes it seem longer (really long if you have McCullough genes.)

So, raise your glass, like those that shared in the post celebrations, cause I survived a 13+ mile run, only 13+ more and less than 60 days to make'r happen!!