Sensible? Ha!

Winter wonderland - Christmas week in Boulder

Apparently my running and my rational brain operate independently of each other.
After adding up my extremely paltry miles for Christmas week (after a week of rather paltry miles), I discovered I was 59 miles short of 200 for the month. 200 happens to be the standard I like to achieve each month - but, more than that, I really do not like to conclude anything (a week, a month, a year, a project) with a fizzle.

So what does my brain do? It rounds to 60, realizes there are 4 days left in the month/year, and calculates that 15 miles per day would get me to the desired 200. Now comes the disconnect between brain and running. I initially roll my eyes at the idea of 15 miles per day for 4 days but...

• Monday I run to my volunteer job as I do each Monday then run home via a circuitous route. I follow that with a run to campus/work and run home via a circuitous route. And at the end of the day, I have 15 miles. During the second run of the day, I wonder when I last ran 15 miles in a day.
• Tuesday I run Taz then run to meet up with a friend and we run a mid-length warm-up then do a workout of 3 x 8s/2s followed by a mid-length cool-down then a run to the bank then a glance at the watch so, what the heck, I did it yesterday so how about a run west (vs. east to home) and explore some trails to squeeze in a few more miles. I get home a few hours later logging another 15 mile day.
• Wednesday starts with another Taz run then a run to work then a run to meet Kendall. Not enough miles. 10 p.m. rolls around and Taz and I go out for a wee run through the neighborhood looking at lights. Still not enough miles, only 13.5.
• Thursday (that would be today) starts once again with a run with Taz. (By the way, all of these early morning runs have been in 5-to-7 degree temps on surfaces ranging from packed snow to ice to woohoo! the occasional clear spot of road or bike path.) That was followed immediately by running to meet my buddy for another speed workout. Today's version was 3 sets of 4 x 90s/90s with 5 active minutes between sets. Being so tantalizingly close to the needed 60 (it was some time during today's run that, by the way, I started wondering if I had even run a 60-mile week this year), I followed that workout with an hour+ of additional running, up some hills, along some trails, and some zigging and zagging with lots of mumbling to myself about 'just get it done.'  And so I did. 16.5 miles today for 60 miles in 4 days.

Now, for those of you familiar with my run to Michigan, running 15 miles per day for 4 days might not seem like much. However, this year has not exactly been a stellar year for running and my body has spent the rest of the day telling me that this was a bit of a stretch. Curiosity getting the better of me, I perused my log to see how often I had run 15+ miles in a day or 60 miles in a week. The answers?

• 15 miles in a day: 4 times this year. 
• 50-59 miles in a week: 19 times this year
• 60 miles in a week: this week is the first time this year. Nice to know I can still do it!

Taz - quite happy with all this running!

Taz The Amazing Cattle Dog!

Four years ago today, a wee pup rescued from the streets of Tulsa, Oklahoma joined our family. We named him Taz, figuring if he was being good we could call him Razzamataz and if he was being bad we could refer to him as Tazmanian Devil. But it's pretty much been Taz - quick just like he his. When he arrived in our home he did not know what a doorway was - or a treat or a toy. His favorite food was bark off a tree (or a nibble of baseboard). Since those days he has fully embraced treats, toys, dog food and people food - and his family which he has wrapped tightly 'round his dewclaw. Just how much do we enjoy that little pup? Here's a glimpse:

2011

Wee Taz...home

So wee, we had to shovel a path to the backyard for him!

Mister Mischief Taz

Taz has learned where the crumbs land!

Taz monitoring baking - & crumbs

 

 2012

No better toy than an old shoe!

...or the foot itself! mmmm tasty!

 2013

Taz, the Urban Herding grad!

Taz knows it's his Christmas stocking!

 


 

Taz meets Lake Michigan

Taz, the let's go for a run anytime anywhere sprinter!

Taz, the Canine Classic racer!

 2014

Post-run relaxation in the leaf pile

Taz and his people buddies

 2015

Taz and his Jackson buddy

Taz, the king of the mountain

 NOW!!!!

 

Taz - Pure Joy!

The bright spots

 

This has not been one of my best years. I might even go so far as to say it's been one of my worst years. So it probably comes as no surprise to hear that I'm not feeling all warm and fuzzy with Christmas glow. That said, I do revel in the bright moments that find their way into my consciousness this holiday season.

One of those bright moments greeted me today as I trotted along to my Monday morning volunteer job. As has happened each December since I started my weekly commute along the Bear Creek bike path eight years ago, a lovely little pine tree covered in Christmas lights twinkled at me through the pre-dawn darkness. A delightful sight to start off the week. And, yes, a bit of warm fuzzy glow seeped in.

Brrr

It's closing in on winter. It's frigidly cold. It's snowy icy. But it's beautiful.

South Boulder Creek Trail, looking west

Morning treat of a bit of wild

This morning,Taz and I ran an errand that took me vaguely near my old office - which happens to be located on CU's East Campus which happens to also contain some wetlands with a spaghetti network of short hilly dirt trails which happen to feel very wild amidst citified Boulder.

Back in my pre-retirement days, I would often run home from work. And if I really needed a break from the hustle and bustle of life, I'd detour through those trails. I haven't run there since I retired, and Taz has never been on those trails, so we gave ourselves a treat - and a break from the hustle and bustle of life - and visited our little spaghetti network of wild amidst the city.  Funny how the wild can have such a calming effect...

Soul balm

It has been a tough stretch, what with mom passing and a multitude of family issues topped off with the  backlog of work that was waiting for me upon my return from Michigan. Not a lot of time to catch a deep breath. I gave myself that deep breath today, taking to the trails with Taz the most wondrous cattle dog and running buddy. Ahhhhh

Taz and the Flatirons from Kohler Mesa

Travelogue Tale - Part II

Kendall and I made a return trip to Petoskey to get my folks' house ready to sell.  Let me just say, for all you homeowners out there: whittle down your miscellany sooner rather than later! What a job it is for offspring to go through every possession, every piece of paper... Oh! And if you have have precious photographs, please oh please write down who is in the photo and when it was taken!

Back to the travelogue: as was my habit during the last trip, I again took photos during my runs and sent them to my running buddies.  Now you will see what I saw.

But first, let me start with a photo our Taz pup sitter took. She (our dog sitter) happens to also be adopted mom to Taz' best friend, Jackson. And here the two are. As you can see, Taz is clearly pleased with having a buddy to play with - and with being the subject of another photograph!

And the travelogue begins

August 29, Fremont, Nebraska: church among the corn fields.

August 30, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

It's a good day when one gets a 6+ mile trail run right from one's hotel!

Someone's watching!

Prairie fog and flowers!  A good run!

 Bonus feature: a Little Free Library along the trail!

August 31: return to Petoskey, Michigan

Still only August yet the trees are starting to turn in northern Michigan!

September 1: Roasting and Toasting in Petoskey

A traditional post-run stop in Petoskey: coffee and conversation at Roast & Toast

September 2: a run through the Bay View Woods
This run through the Bay View Woods, I tried every trail except Algonquin (the big hill...ran out of time...my excuse and I'm sticking with it!)

Made this pic extra large in hopes the spider webs would be visible!  They were amazing!

September 3: summer bunnies of Petoskey

One of many in this yard stylin' for summer

September 4: trail from East Bay Harbor
No trip to Petoskey is complete without running the trail from East Bay Harbor to the Petoskey waterfront along Lake Michigan's Little Traverse Bay.

Looking west toward open water Lake Michigan

Looking east toward Petoskey State Park beach & dunes

September 5: Adventures
The fellow who passed me as I started out on a brand new trail (to me - trying to find a back way to the Bay View Woods) said that yes, this trail did go to Bay View but that it was "a bit rustic." After a half-mile or so, I discovered that was "a bit" of an understatement.

There is a flock of turkeys along this ridge line. I tried following them to find my way out - they didn't appreciate that tactic

My savior from the wilderness! A basketball hoop peeking through the trees, pointing me toward civilization!

 Later in the day, a much more civilized occupation: packing up my grandma's tea cup collection.

September 6: lakeside run with ducks

 September 7: a run out on the breakwater

The breakwater beacon

Looking toward open water (and fishing boat) from the breakwater

Looking toward town (Petoskey) from the breakwater

September 8, 2015
I did run, but it was a short one and I forgot to take a picture...other things on my mind like finishing up all the sorting and packing of my parents' home since this was our last full day of getting the house ready to be put on the market.  Our progress:

Early in the day

By day's end

September 9, 2015 - dawn run along Little Traverse Bay

September 10, 2015 - Mineral Point, Wisconsin
Intriguing town, intriguing run - between two trailheads: the 40-mile Military Trail and the 47-mile Cheese County Trail. I'd like to return and do some actual trail running vs. just running between the trailheads!

Bison in front of the 1836 Walker House

September 11, 2015 - Betty's Trail, Kearney, Nebraska
One of many bike trails that wind their way through and around Kearney!

...and now we are back in Boulder...road trips in the rear view mirror...