Thor's Running Journal

  The kids have been sick so the sleeping arrangements are all out of sorts. One kid is in the other kids bed and there's a sick ward in my bed room so Ive been sleeping in the basement to avoid the sniffles and diffuser machines and the coughing. The futon isn't exactly the least comfortable place in the world, but I feel like a house guest inside my own house. There are unusually house noises from the sump pump and the way the place creaks when the wind picks up. The out of the ordinary sleeping arrangement must have tripped something in my circadian rhythm because when I woke up this morning, rolled over, and looked at the clock instead of seeing the usual 415 or 515, I saw 615. Frankly, I couldn't tell you when the last time I slept in to 615. Maybe vacation this past summer? Maybe? Well, one thing about waking up at 615 and being responsible for getting the healthy kid to school meant no morning run. In the back of my mind I knew I'd be able to get out for a trip a...

Our family took vacations up to northern Michigan the first two weeks of July. These trips usually included a trip to some dunes. I have a distinct memory of running (not carefully) down a dune and losing control of my legs. Unable to stop because of my momentum, I finally tripped myself up and came to a crashing halt with a thud in the sand, face down with the top of my head half-a-foot away from a bunch of rocks buried in the sand. My poor mother. I got up as quick as a flash with an "I'm ok Mom!". Which I am sure reassured her, but also I am pretty confident there was a tinge of fear induced visceral frustration.  Running in the slop of winter, as many miles as I do, I've come to expect a fall at some point or another. I've had two really frightening crashes the past two years when from running one minute to being on the pavement almost before I know what happened.  This time,my reaction time allowed for a fall and roll  on to a snow bank. It warmed up (as in i...

I see deer all the time on my runs. There are woods near my home so they cross the street and come into my neighborhood on a regular basis. Sometimes there are enough of them that I can smell them before I turn a corner. Naturally we all keep our distance. But today a doe broke the respectful distance policy. One dear trotted across the road as I headed out on my run. It stopped and I slowed down to make I contact, but what I thought was eye contact actually was her looking beyond me giving signal to some of her girlfriends still on the other side of the street. They were so quiet I didn't know they were there until one darted right in front of me. I felt a bit terrified by the close call. Another 2 feet forward and things would my run would have ended differently than I would have hoped. The emergency department would really start to wonder.... First I hit a parked car and then get hit by a deer. They would start calling me Job. As things turned out, I finished my run without any ...

Another early cold morning, but predictable. I'm almost use to freezing my tail off. It is going to be a shot to my system when we get over 30. But enough about the weather.  I listened to Sigur Ros for the first time in a long time and came home and went back to bed. The white noise and staying perfectly still did it's job and the next thing I knew my kids were getting ready for school. 

I knew it was cold the moment I woke up this morning, but I didn't know just how cold until I stepped outside and felt it. I figured I'd go a few miles and then call it a day and that is exactly what happened. I put a pair of gloves over my gloves and mittens over both, but still lost feeling in my hands. With my 2000 mile goal accomplished and just a running streak to defend, 2 miles seemed plenty far enough today. I got over 40 for the week again so I don't really need to push it.  Of course I could have waited until later in the day to get out when it warmed up into the double digits. But it's so much harder to get out once the day gets going. It is easier to make excuses for staying indoors. I have more trouble willing myself into the polar conditions in the afternoon. It breaks my routine. And let's be real 10 degrees isn't that much warmer than 3 degrees.  I once again realized how good it is not to be training for any specific race. I'll stick with ma...

  The police stationed their cars outside 7-11. I saw the lights from about a half a mile away so of course I decided to do a little gawking. I didn't want to get too close, but I'm a curious human and I'll do all kinds of things to make a run a little less boring. I could have gotten closer, but thought it would be too obtrusive to cross the road. I felt satisfied to at least be a casual observer. I expected Breaking 989 to know what was happening, but didn't see any posts.  Who knows at 4am in the morning. Seems like a odd time to make trouble, but there are All kinds of people in the world. I mean, running in while it is 10 degrees out is sort of odd too.