Running Chick

It’s snowing like a banshee outside. We’re supposed to get a foot or more, so I imagine I’ll be deploying Snowscoop later on today.

Pippen is fascinated by the snow flying around outside.

And this little bunny has been taking refuge under my car. I think he’s been hanging around since August. He’s an all season bun. 

Josh has been playing around with home brewing beer over the last couple of weeks, and yesterday he bottled his first batch.

It should be ready for drinking in a few weeks. Once that was finished, he promptly brewed another batch. He’s obsessed.

Weekly running recap: I got sick with a sinus thing (complete with a fever!) on Saturday/Sunday and felt like crap all week long. Oddly, the only time I didn’t feel like crap was when I was running so even though I missed a day of work, I didn’t miss any running days (priorities, man).

I ended the week with just over 11 miles: Monday 3.5 @ 10:48; Thursday 4 @ 10:43; Saturday 3.5 @ 10:09. I have no idea how I got so speedy on Saturday, I didn’t feel like I was pushing the pace or anything so maybe my Garmin was messed up.

Anyway, next week is two four milers and an eight miler on Saturday.  We’re working the start & finish of the Copper Dog 150 on Friday & Sunday, so it’s going to be a busy weekend.

p.s. somebody remind me to take my fuel on Saturday’s long run.

Almost two weeks have passed since my last update? Sheesh, where does the time go?

I’m just coming to the end of week 2 of my 12-week half marathon training program, and things are going well. I’m quite a bit faster than I anticipated I’d be (more about that in another post) and I’m not having any leg-related issues. However, I’m about to start creeping into the weekly mileage danger zone and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned. Fingers crossed.

Last Saturday, we spent the afternoon in Copper Harbor tromping around Fort Wilkins, boozing at Zik’s and cheering James on in the Backcountry Ski Race. He came in first in the downhill race and second overall. Yay James! There’s lots of photos in the gallery, but here are some of my favorites.

Orange juice? No, bottom of the barrel Bell’s Winter Wheat. Um, pass.

Josh has a camera that takes videos. Joy. He has a YouTube channel, too.

This weekend is the Copper Dog 150 and we’re helping out with amateur radio controls. I have a primo control point on the Mohawk/Gay Road so I’ll be able to get a good look at the teams as they go through. It’s going to be a late night, though, the last team isn’t scheduled to go through my checkpoint until 12:30AM!

I think Mother Nature is getting a good laugh at us poor Yoopers right about now.  She gave us a gorgeous 70-degree day on Friday and then turned around and dumped over 10” of snow (some areas got around 15-20" - check out Josh's place) on us in the span of 2 days.

My yard, which was snow free on Sunday, looked like this on Tuesday morning.

Ha, ha. Not funny.

I did get a giggle out of these little tracks on my parking lot.

Even the seagull was probably saying "What the hell!" Join the club, buddy.

Here’s hoping that this little weather blip is our last of the season.

I was able to run on Monday (2.5 miles @ 10:19), although with the mix of snow & rain, I got pretty drenched.  I ended up cutting my run short because it was getting pretty nasty and I didn’t fell like getting run over due to poor visibility.

I also ran six lovely pain-free miles today (@ 10:32).  I didn’t intend to run the entire six, but my shins were feeling fine, I was feeling fine, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the roads were bare.  Usually at this point in my training, I’m so beat up and tired that I find myself questioning my sanity every time I lace up my shoes.  Today I was reminded why I run in the first place.  It was perfect.

Now, I just hope my body doesn’t pull a Mother Nature and unleash some sort of injury avalanche on me.  Speaking of not funny…