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.