There's a reason I retired

The timing of my run to Michigan is not a coincidence. I retired, I wanted a project to keep me busy after I retired, I wanted to run from Boulder to Petoskey, I needed time to train - thus I retired and started training. The need to be job-free while training has really been driven home to me this week. It's Conference on World Affairs week here in Boulder. This phenomenal conference is hosted by the University of Colorado at Boulder and brings in speakers from all walks of life, participating on panels covering a huge range of topics. While working at CU-Boulder, I always said that I couldn't wait to retire so I would have the time to spend all week at the CWA. Ha! So this year, my first year of retirement, I have a 120-mile running week scheduled which includes two 30-mile days. Here's how one coordinates a CWA day with a 30-mile day:

• Run 3 hours, ending the run on campus in time to attend the first CWA session (picking up a bagel and a chocolate milk 2 hours 45 minutes into the run so you don't faint from hunger during the session).
• Listen to panelists from CNN, the Chicago Tribune, the Newseum, and Mother Jones debate the topic of "The Press: From Watch Dogs to Lap Dogs"
• Go for a 40-minute minute run, grab some quick Chinese food, gulp it down then go to the next session of interest: "Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans" with musicians Lillian Boutte, Henry Butler and Armand Richardson.
• Run home and spend about an hour dealing with getting insurance for the motor home we're picking up next week, my brother's taxes, and correspondence re. my route through Wisconsin.
  
• Dash out the door to run meet a running buddy for a tempo run.
  
• Final tally: 31 miles, only 2 CWA sessions, motor home insurance dealt with except for picking up the temporary insurance cards, Wisconsin route is mapped, still have to finish my brother's taxes.

Tomorrow: snow is likely, hoping for 16 miles of running and perhaps 3 CWA sessions - but I've got to get those taxes done as well as the letters to the schools along the run and the emails to the Departments of Transportation for the states I'm running through. Good thing I'm not working!