Tuesday 29MAR2022

 Enough pix over the last couple of days that I'll do a daily post when it makes sense.  In the AM I got out for a foggy slow 3 miles.

In the evening, I decided to take advantage of the good weather and went in search of a neighbor's deceased father's boyhood farm.  Some looking around on a map made me determine I could get to it on a run, and possibly even hit the Charleville castle along the way.  

The castle was about 2 miles away.  It was fenced off, closed apparently due to COVID but even the limited outside views were impressive.

I tried to determine if I could easily / legally cut through the grounds of the castle to get to the other side  - to shorten my trip to the farm.   I wandered around a bit but kept hitting the ends of roads, or sheep fields.  Short cuts make for long delays.

So I added probably another two miles messing around the grounds, only end up going back out the path that I had entered on.  I found my way to Lynall - over another 3 or so miles.  I was looking for the Lynall Church and Cemetery ruins, and the surrounding farm.  

I had to navigate a couple of "off roads" but nothing problematic in regular day light.  

And then they were visible.  

You can see in the lower left of the shot below the Ballycowan castle that I ran to last night.  That is on the confluence of the Tullamore Canal and River.  

The location was truly beautiful.  I didn't take the chance to go to the ruins themselves so I only observed them form about 50 yards away but it was a gorgeous spot.  The smell, well, that could take some getting use to, but the location was incredible - maybe one of the most beautiful places I have ever run to.

Having accomplished the mission, I soaked it in for a bit and then started the task of getting back, another four miles to return to the hotel.  

But along the way, I found the Tullamore Harriers Athletic Club training ground so I did a round on their facility and then beat feet before I got kicked out.  

Ended up with 10.7, and managed a solid average pace after picking it up a bit towards the end.  

Monday 28MAR2022

Monday AM - back down to the Tullamore Canal, but the other direction in the dark.

That set me up with about 5k in the AM.  A bit sore from yesterday but I guess that is good.  

In the evening got out for another seven something.  I say something because I stopped the phone watch accidently for some period of time, guessing about a quarter, before correcting the error (and I still got seven).  More of the path.

Week ending 27MAR2022

Monday - 5.3 miles around practice in the morning (kids are on Spring Break)
Afternoon - 3.8 with GW and IW on Ridgeview

Played the open mic at Odde's Grill.

It was a quiet Monday night and SP drew me out. It was supposed to be a singer/songwriter original mic so I decided it was time to get past that hurdle.  I scribbled the words to "Sad Bastard Songs" and took a crack at it.  It is not polished but it worked.  More to come on that front.

Tuesday - complete wonk of a day.  No miles.  Meh.  

Wednesday - AM practice.  Jumped in some of the threshold stuff the kids were doing, and I ended up getting quarters and halves at 6:10 pace for a bit.  10.1 miles.  Got windy towards the end.  Good run.

3 more with GW in the afternoon along the ditch.  

Thursday PM - shirtless day on a warm afternoon. 9.3 miles.  A bit rough at time but got it done.    

Friday AM - cooler but trending warmer enough that I got away with shorts for an early AM run.  7 miles over to practice and then with GW and RT.  

Saturday - 5.2 miles easy before heading off to the airport.

Sunday - a bit knackered from the trip over to Ireland.  Tullamore.  Got out in their afternoon along the local canal for an out and back run of 8 miles.  Was moving pretty well - sea level is nice and averaged in the mid sevens (haven't seen that in a bit).

Ended up with about a 55 miles week over 6 days of running.  

Oh yeah ... 

Week ending 20MAR2022

Monday - 1 mile.  Yup.  1 mile at the start of practice and that was it.  Busy day.

Tuesday - AM, 10.4 miles easy.  Afternoon - 2.1 miles to the track and back with some strides.

Wednesday afternoon - 6 miles.  A little later to practice:  another 3.5.  Weather degraded from t-shirt and shorts on the early afternoon to a cold rain in practice.  

Thursday - 9 miles around practice.  Also played at the Rails St. Patty's Day mic.  

Friday - over at the Brighton meet all day and only got in like 5k.

Saturday - warming up with kids and some miles with Huen over at the Windsor meet.  9.4. miles.

Sunday - something now wrong with my neck.  I am going to have to come to terms with just something feeling jacked every week.  Today the neck.  Last week the knee.  Before that the Achilles.  Meh. 

Teller Farm today, 9.2 miles and it kicked my ass.  I was beat when done.  So that means I need to get back to that more often.  It has been too long since I have been out there.  

Managed another 50 something week, which is the baseline minimum I have established in my head.  It doesn't feel enough for a PPM effort but it is a "getting ready to get ready" threshold that I think I need to hold now.  This week it came with four miles total over two days, so there is some thought that I got the 50 off of five days ish.  

Off to a road trip for three weeks at the end of next week so its going to be a stretch to continue to hit that I think.

Week ending 13MAR2022

Monday - 6.3 miles around practice.  Pretty cold. 

Tuesday - pressed on the day.  4 miles.

Wednesday - stupid cold and snowing.  8 miles dumb slow.

Thursday - right knee upset about something today.  8.3 miles. Still cold but a lot better than yesterday.  

Friday - knee a bit better but still irked.  8 miles.

Saturday - 4 miles with GW before heading to Coyote-Panther Invite to coach (at the Centaur track ...)

Saturday night was an incredible gig.  Huge crowd, folks dancing, what a blast.  

Sunday - 11.8 miles.  Nice day so felt compelled to get a little longer, also to make sure I got at least 50 on the week.  

Week ending 06MAR2021

Monday AM - GW came by and we did 4.6 miles along the Ditch, etc in a loop.  Nice morning.  Cooler but not kick you in the face sorta cold.  

PM - first day of official 2022 track practice.  3.5 easy while the kids did a workout.

Tuesday mid morning - 5.3 miles.  Woke up early and signed up for the September 18 Pikes Peak Marathon.  So there is that.  

PM - 5.5 miles around practice.

Wednesday - 7 miles around practice.

Thursday - 8 miles around practice.

Friday - 8 miles around practice with Aaron and Greg.  Took a good spill on a prairie dog hole.  Haven't done that in a bit.  

Saturday - 9 miles total, most around practice with 20 minutes in the middle at bit less than threshold but quicker than I have been running (helping kids out).  If I can keep stuff like this consistent I ought to be moving in the right direction for Pikes.  

Sunday - 9 miles in a snow storm so slow.  I was completely spent, and didn't want to run but was okay once I got out there.  

60 plus on the week.  Without a doubt, the nicer weather made that a lot easier.  

Gig Saturday evening.

Week ending 27MAR2022

Monday afternoon - temps dropping.  One of those days where it is in the mid 20s but because of the humidity and the breeze it felt way colder.  6.1 miles.  The shit in the hip seemed to move down the leg so I guess that could mean an ITB thing.  Meh.  

Tuesday afternoon - woke up and it was -2.  By the time in the afternoon, it was 6.  Got in 6.4 miles.  Brain was wonked because I was provided one of those emails that really don't mean jack, and is really a "let it go man" thing but it took me a bit to unravel on that.  

Wednesday - it was -3 this AM.  So the cold is hanging out for a bit.

Started eyeballing what I needed for qualifications for PPM - or even if I could qualify.  I noticed this (new to me) nugget.

5+ Time Pikes Peak Veterans - 
5+ Time Peak Veterans may use a Pikes Peak Ascent or Marathon time as far back as 1 year for each Pikes Peak Ascent or Marathon completed within the cutoff. For example, if you have completed the PPA and/or PPM 10 times, you may use an Ascent or Marathon time as old as 2012. 

I have finished 11 times (9 marathons) so I guess I could use results as far back as 2011 but would obviously lean on 2019's 5:25.  Current objective is a sub six ... and that is a stretch on this cold day.  

Thursday afternoon - still cold but sneaking up into the teens.  7 miles slow.  Just going through the motions in these conditions

Friday afternoon - more of the same.  7.2 miles.

Saturday AM - 9.2 with about a half dozen with GW.

Sunday early afternoon - 8.5 miles, picking it up in the second half.  Back to t-shirt and shorts weather for Colorado (meaning blue bird skies and 50s).  

Ended up with a slog of 50 on the week.  Will look to replicate that at least next week and try to inject in some paces that are a bit more sweat worthy.  

Week ending 20FEB2022

 Monday AM - practice, 6.1 miles.

Tuesday AM - practice, 6.9 miles
Tuesday PM - 3 miles along the ditch

Wednesday - 3.7 along the ditch in between meetings in the mid morning.  Heavy snow blew in the afternoon which kept me inside and I was cranky about choosing that.

Thursday PM - 8.1 miles out on 136 and back.  Sorta boring but necessary given the snow - the sidewalks were clear. 

Friday - early night gig so nothing as I started work at 5:30AM.  Mixed feelings on this.  

Saturday AM - practice.  Had intentions of getting in 10 or a dozen but bailed at 7 and change as my right hip was unexpected pissed off.  Tried again later in the day but even a few strides told me it was not a good idea.  

I got invited to a song writers circle and was sort of blown away.

Sunday Stalled around on Sunday plucking the guitar, working, doing house hold chores and trying to avoid dumb screen time ... all because I wanted to run but was nervous I'd just be more jacked up.  I eventually made my way out on a beautiful weather day - one I'd love to go for a dozen or more on but the wheels were not there today.  I went out on a stubborn itch - even though I was dealing with an ache and pain or potentially a budding injury, I was gonna get something in.  3 miles I thought and then I thought five so I'd get at least 40 on the week.  And I ended up with six.  

I am arguably in my weakest shape for running that I have been in a while.  A combination of age, the COVID thing, not focused training, injury, focusing on things like work and music.  It makes a Pikes go - and a registration in less than two weeks questionable.  I have been lacking physical and mental discipline and I have yet to take the task of doing the extras that a sixth decade of life guy ought to.  

But I am still pretty sure I'll sign up.  

Oh yeah, a more interesting read is what our drummer from Spare Change is doing for a while.  

Week ending 13FEB2022

Monday afternoon - just an awful run.  7 miles.

Tuesday afternoon (... is gone...) ... 7.1 miles.  A lot better than yesterday but I'd have be running with 1 leg for it to be worse than yesterday

Wednesday afternoon - stuck with afternoons all this week because of an east coast engagement.  7.1 miles.

It has been a bit of mental struggle to get on the jam as of late.  I am glad when I do my runs but it is a bit of work to get out the door and get it done.  It is often just forcing each little step ... GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS.  

But if I am gonna register for Pikes this year (which six hours seems like a stretch at this point), I'll need to get my shit together.  

Thursday - early evening gig at Rails so I didn't get out.  But I played over 3 hours at Rails.  I was a bit unprepared given music focus has been at the band v. solo stuff, and my voice was shit as I have been using it to teach this week. 

Still, it felt like a pretty solid go, reflecting the reps over the past two years more than anything else.  

Friday - AM: practice.  5 miles.
PM - a snow storm came in, but that made for a nice pressure free light jog in the winter wonderland.  Three and change.  

Oh yeah, band got a website up.  Sparechange.band.  

Saturday AM - post good snow.  Out with GW in the AM and teen temperatures. 8.5 miles.

Sunday - 11.4 miles.  Slow.  About a half dozen with GW.  Nice weather melting everything off.  Sort of pushed the miles a bit to make something of a respectable week out of it (49 and change).  Will look to get north of 50 again next week.  

Week ending 06FEB2021

Well, 213 miles on January.  Not great, but with work schedule, band commits, and not being super disciplined on the cold icy days ... not bad.  

All day getting to Florida today.  Ugh.  Just delays on several fronts that chewed up a lot of the considered run window.  Forced in a 5er when I finally got to the hotel.  At least there is a cool spot nearby.  

Tuesday - o dark ish and chillier than what I brought clothes for.  5 miles. 

Wednesday - Nada

Thursday AM -four miles around the lake.  All the trails are crushed shells.  

Friday afternoon  - hot for me.  7 miles across the causeway and back 

Saturday - 7 miles exploring hoods. 

Sunday - nada.  Hassle traveling back

Well a crap week.  And frankly I am feeling it.  Will try to to turn it around back home next week.  

Week ending 30JAN2022

Monday late afternoon - 8 miles.  

Tuesday - work.  Snow.  Band practice.  Day off from running.

Wednesday - exhausted.  Was out late with band practice, and then back at early on ET for work.  Gritted through it over course, but was ready to fall asleep at the dinner table.  Managed 8 miles.  That was the best part of the day.  

Thursday and Friday  - nothing, - walloped with work, and more snow and then Friday night I had a gig on my own at Mother Tucker's in Louisville.  It was good.  SG did bass on a few tunes, but I pretty much handled the 30 or so on my own in probably my best individual show yet.  And then Bill Lee showed up and that completely threw me.

Saturday - am Eagle practice.  10.3 miles with some harder 150s in there with the kids.  Then off to a full Spare Change gig.  Here is some vid from the 2nd and 3rd sets.

Sunday - I was just exhausted.  6 ugly miles even though it was beautiful weather.  It just felt awful.

I ended up in the Dispatch Radio podcast with Bob Sweeney and Travis Macy.  

A train wreck of an exercise week with just 32 something miles on the 4 days I ran ...  but that is the price of the rock and roll life style and working a big gig.  

Week ending 23JAN2022

Monday AM - Eagle practice.  Jogged over to the school and back and did a half dozen with GW out to Sterns Lake and back.  

Tuesday AM - Eagle practice.  6 miles.  Did some threshold (total of 3.5).  Slow to get going (just feeling crusty) but was fine once I got moving.  

Tuesday PM - ditch.  Muddy and icy.  3.8 miles, moving well.  

Wednesday - cold and freezing fog.  Was tired from a great band practice that ran late last night.  Stepped outside and nearly fell on my ass walking to the mailbox and decided breaking my wrist was not something I was up for so I took the zero.

Thursday - afternoon 3 miles.  Day got ate up with work and then I spend some time with this new addition,

Friday - ugh.  A rough start and cold but managed 6.1 at Eagle practice with a 3-2-1xx cut down (4 sets with 200 on everything).  Got my arse whipped by the PTA (pony tailed assassins).  

Gigged at Front Range on Friday night - some solo, some with the boys.  

Saturday - a bit beat down from the gig last night but managed an easy 8.1 with Greg and some with Syd Kid and her sis.  

Sunday- 12.3, with the last 10 under 79.  About 48 on the week with the day off.  Not surprising that it was down with the weather, work and gig stuff.