The Voice.

I'm sleeping.  It's 3 AM, 3:14, to be exact.  I feel a nudge in my head.  It's me.

"Get Up"; I tell myself.  "It's perfect running out there, you need to get up so you can do a sunrise run.".

"No", I toss myself to lay on my other side, "I'm going to sleep in".

A voice in my head shouts; "ARE YOU CRAZY?  It'll be all sunny.  You know how you hate the bright sunshine.  ...and I know how much you love a sunrise run."

I shout back; "DAMN you are quite a nag, I'll never get back to sleep now, THANKS!"

So I get up.  Make coffee, grab a Clif® Bar.  Head over to the computer to check e-mail, facebook, and DailyMile.  My weather app says 33° and 8 mph winds, it's going to be a chilly run.  I'll think I'll wait a while, the winds usually calm down near sunrise.

5:30 AM and two cups of coffee later I'm ready, the winds are down to 3 mph, but the temperature is 29, I'm out the door.

Within a half mile I know how this run will go.  I feel great,  my legs are trying to go faster than they should, I've got to calm them down.  At the 5 mile mark I'm still feeling very good, so I turn my 10K plan into a 10 Miler and head across a busy highway that separates the East Montgomery neighborhoods to do a popular 5K route.  Morning is breaking and it is no longer dark, but the sun hasn't risen yet.  The eastern horizon is bright orange and looks like many sunrise/sunset paintings I've seen.

The wind is starting to pick up again, and since I didn't put a second layer on my hands, the way I usually do when it's this cold, my left hand is starting to hurt from the cold.  I head back home to soak my hand in warm water.  I still have one and a quarter mile to go to hit 10.  After the feeling comes back to my hand, I grab some dry gloves, sunglasses and a hat and head back out for a "cool down", even though I was already cold.

This run felt great. Well, the hand was a little uncomfortable, but everything else was good.  It was one of the easiest training workouts of the year.

That voice in my head is usually right. I just wish he wasn't so arrogant.

MGM Half-Marathon Training - Final Weeks

It's coming down to the last few weeks. The training is right on schedule. At the same time I have also started training for another half-marathon I will run on November 13. The only thing I'm adding to the mix of running is short "faster than race pace" runs once or twice a week after I have finished with my days training. I will gradually lengthen these "sprints". I have finished 1 miles, and 1.15 miles sprints on my last tempo training day. After I complete this race I will also start to add in longer intervals, from 400m to 800m, and more, yes I said more, rest days. Harder training requires more rest. "The most important day in any running program is rest. Rest days give your muscles time to recover so you can run again. Your muscles build in strength as you rest." - Hal Higdon

The next few weekends require long runs of 11 and 12 miles, before a cutback week in the days before the race. I will be up in Athens, Alabama this weekend, visiting Grandkids and running a 5K with my Daughter. Sunday, for my long run, I will take advantage of the scenic and historic Richard Martin trail, a "Rails-to-Trails" project, which runs from Athens to the Tennessee state line. I have previously used this great trail which runs through the middle of a Civil War Battle site. The trail is built on an old railroad bed, eliminating steep hills and providing plenty of shade.

The last long run, the weekend (Sept 25) before the race, I plan on running with the group meeting downtown at the AlleyBAR to have a last run with the new friends I have made training for this race. This will be my last update before the event. I will post a race report after the completing the half-marathon.

MGM Half-Marathon Training - Week Eight

The weekend before beginning week 8 of the training plan started a 9-mile long run. The weather was slightly cooler, and the morning stayed cloudy for most of the run, which is great for running. I decided to meet with the group training for the half-marathon which meets at the AlleyBAR every Saturday morning at 6:00 AM. The organizers of the group were shuttling people to various points on the course so they could all end the training run where the actual half-marathon ended. If you wanted, you could also arrange to be picked up at various spots along the course. I decided to do the beginning AND the end, but I’d take a shortcut to reduce my miles. I ended up at 10.3 miles, but that distance included a few walk breaks on the hills near the end of the route. The group is growing larger every week, and the camaraderie during these training days is very motivating. We gather afterwards to rehydrate, socialize and learn from each other. It is a very diverse group.

Sunday I ended up 5 miles around my neighborhood. It was supposed to be a pace run, but still being achy and stiff from the previous days long run, I decided to run it at an easy pace, and skip the pace run. Most of my long run from the previous day was at my race pace, so I figured I had it covered anyway.

The training for the rest of this week was close to what the schedule called for, with some extra runs and miles thrown in to increase my weekly mileage.

The weekend plan will be running with friends on Saturday morning, and resting Sunday for the River Region Runners (R3) 28th Annual 5K/1 Mile Labor Day Run on Monday. Since I’m scheduled for a race pace run of 5 miles, I will keep going after the race for another couple of miles. The weather is looking like it will cooperate and give us unusually tolerable weather for this race. I’ve been told by the race director that there will be a selection of rehydration beverages other than water and sports drinks available after the race.

MGM Half-Marathon Training - Week Five

I finished week five of the training plan with a little bit of apprehension, the easy part of the training was about to be over, week Six will be the last "easy" week. After this week's 8 mile long run, and next week's 10K race, I will have to start into 40-45 minute tempo runs, and 9 to 12 mile long runs while the heat of the summer is still blasting us, and draining my energy.

I know I need to slow down in this heat, but that is easier to say than it is to do. Running is sort of a meditation for me, I zone out and before I know it, I'm overheated and need to cool-off for a awhile. For this reason, I've been doing more workouts on the treadmill to keep my pace in check, but treadmills are dreadfully monotonous when compared to running on roads or trails. But, we do what we need to do to accomplish the goal.

The high point of the week was the fun diversion of the River Region Runner's (R3) Prediction Run on Tuesday, and the weather graced us with lower humidity and a nice breeze, which allowed me to run faster than I predicted. However, I was honored with winning "3rd Hottest Male" Award. Whatever criteria they used to come up with that label, no one knows. The best part of the night, was the great turnout of runners and supporters which made the event very enjoyable. There were young and old, new and experienced runners, H.S. track athletes and middle-aged road runners, hashers and tri-athletes. Since I've been a member, I cannot recall having such a diverse crowd for this type of club event. Thanks for the great evening.

Weekend Training: I plan to finish an eight mile long with the group who are training for the Montgomery Half-Marathon at 6:00 AM Saturday morning at the Alley Bar, then try and meet up afterward with the Saturday Shakespeare group for the coffee and breakfast. Sunday I will try to get a pace run in (4-5 Miles), probably on a treadmill, since the outside heat and humidity is still stuck on high.

Cotton Row & Cahaba River Ramble

COTTON ROW: On Memorial Day I ran the Cotton Row 10K in Huntsville, then accompanied my Daughter Allison as She ran the 5K for that race. Add a 1 Mile warm up, and I completed over 10 miles and it took me about a total of 1:37 to do the distance, and I took it very easy that day, didn't push myself. I was there to enjoy the festivities. We had nice cloudy weather, and anticipating humid conditions, I kept myself well hydrated to prepare for the race. The temperature was very tolerable for the 10K portion of the race, but it did start getting warmer for the 5K.

For weeks before the race, I had been warned about Cotton Row's "Hell Hill". "You can skin your nose going up that hill"; a friend told me. The first half of the course was all uphill which ended in a steep quarter mile hill before starting to descend. I was prepared and I even ran the hill while most other people walked it, got over it without a problem. It was a great race thru the heart of Hunstville to commemorate Memorial Day.

(Click on the pictures to view them in a larger format)

Cahaba River Ramble: That Cotton Row hill was nothing compared to facing the hill at the end of the Cahaba River Ramble, but I must confess, I was not as prepared for this run as I had been just a week before.

After a short hour and half road trip from Prattville, Mike, Heather and myself arrived at the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge, south of West Blocton, Alabama on US Highway 24. I had been canoeing on the river before, and it's just as I remember it, very scenic and shady, small rapids. The river rapids and the famous Cahaba Lilies (shown on the website) blooming on rocks in the middle of the river, added to the awesome scenery of the along the river.

The temperatures were warm, and the air was about a muggy as it can get around these parts, but there was lots of shade.

The registration process was quick, and we all had extra "schwag" in our bags, although not all of got the same goodies. The first sign of trouble was when we learned that the race would start late because the "hovercraft" guy didn't show up, so we were waiting for the canoe guy, which they needed in order to set up one of the aid stations.

The race got under way about 15 minutes late. The first part of the run was on a dirt road, and it seemed like we were at the turnaround for the 5K in no time at all. Immediately following that point we had to cross a creek. The water was only about knee deep, if that, and there was a rope to help us get across. Then the trail went beside the river for about a mile, in soft sand. Soft sand is not easy to run on. Once the trail branched away from the river we were quickly into a lengthy uphill portion which had me walking more than running. After the 5K turnaround, there was only one water stop about at about the 4 mile mark (which we would pass again at 6 miles). At this point sweat was pouring from me and I needed the water. At the top of the hill (mountain?) we had a very nice breeze, but the sun was beating on us. We came to the turnaround for the 10 mile race quicker than I expected. It did not feel like 5 miles. We turned around and headed back down the same way we came up, except it was mostly downhill this time. I made up for lost time soaring down the hills. Mike, who is usually a slower runner than myself, took advantage of the downhill portion and pushed way ahead of us. We got down the mountain, ran in the sand, crossed the creek and were back on the dirt road heading for the finish.

At this point we're feeling good. Less than a mile and a half to go. YEE-HAW. Then we turn a corner and there is two guys standing in the middle of the road not letting anyone pass. WTF!?! They point to the trail, which was been marked by small orange flags, going straight up a very steep incline. I turned to Heather and said; "Did you want to trust two country men telling us to go off the main road into the woods?" The orange flags marked the way, so I guess it was to be. Climbing slowly up that incline was most winded I've ever been in a race, it didn't help I was getting very dehydrated and felt a little dizzy. As slow as I was going, I was actually passing other runners who had decided to stop completely to catch their breath, some even sitting on the ground. That was the most brutal hill I've ever had in a race, it was even steeper than the infamous road on the Meteor Crater 5K.

The run finished about a mile after we topped that last mountain. It was my personal worst (1:59:--) for a 10 Mile run , EVER, but I don't expect to do well on trail runs because I like to take my time when I'm on the trail and enjoy it.

I think if I ever do this run again, I'm going to do the 5K and jump in the river after I'm finished.

Sunrise Run Therapy

I went to bed last nice and set my internal alarm clock to get me up at 3:00 AM. I don't know why, but this always works for me. The last thing I'm thinking of when I doze off, besides trail running fantasies, is the time I need to get up. It has only failed me a couple of times, but never when it mattered. I have not used an alarm clock in over 12 years.

So anyway, I went to bed with the intention of getting up early and getting out the door by 4:00 for a slow early morning run. I didn't quite make that time, because of internet distractions; it was 4:20 by the time I got out the door. It was already warm, and I could tell from the dew on the cars, it was a little humid. This was the morning I transition to my summer running routine of sunrise running. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed running at this time of the day. I stayed at a comfortable pace and felt like I keep go for many more miles, but had to quit after an hour, it was a workday. Words fail me when I try describing how much better I feel in the mornings I have a run. I must do this more often, like at least two or three days a week.

Lately, I have been more focused on races, trying to schedule interval and tempo days, and meeting running buddies for group runs. While I like the diversity and social interaction of that type of training, it is these solo early mornings which made me a running addict. Taking my time, easy pace, letting my mind wander and enjoy the beauty of the beginning of the day which puts me in a great mood. The fabled runner's high is achieved. It would have only been better if I could have had another 30 minutes of running therapy this morning. Maybe next time I'll take the day off of work. I'll just call in and say I feel too good to come to work.

Life Is Meaningless

I woke up this morning at 3:30, excited by the anticipated morning run. Another iteration of my life is about to begin. My thoughts were about the utter futility and meaninglessness of life.

Maybe some of us have too much time on hands to think about stuff like this.

I did have a wonderful run this morning as the sun rose. It was cool, breezy and clear. I had an egg sandwich and a beer afterward. Sure, life is meaningless, but some days life is also good.

I did another 2.5 miles in the late afternoon, just for fun, and feeling guilty about the breakfast beer. HHMM, that extra run burned about 300 calories, I can have another beer. I really should become a hasher.


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Recovering and Training

One of my running buddies asked me the other day; "What training plan are you using?". I didn't have an answer for him. I didn't know if I was going to run the half-marathon I did this last weekend, so what I've been doing is training to maintain my fitness and not hurt myself. I don't want to go through another "no-running" recovery period.

So I'm just kind of "winging it". Every week I try to fit in one or two interval days, Tuesday through Thursday, a long run Sunday or Monday, a pace run on a non-interval day, several comfortable recovery runs with two days of complete rest, one which I do upper body workout. I'm not going to stress myself to keep up with a training plan, I've done enough of them to know what I need to do. I don't have any goals except to keep running and having fun. I always seem to do better when I quit paying so much attention to specific goals. This week I'm trying to keep it easy until my calves quit whining

Today I went to the outdoor track to run intervals, but I backed off the intensity and number of repeats to a point where I'd be six weeks before a half-marathon, since that is how long until my next half-marathon, 4 x 800m 3:35/3:45/3:40/3:42. The first one was a little too fast, so I intentionally backed off a bit, It felt good to be off the treadmill, but I'm feeling a little pain in the area I injured last year, so maybe I'm not ready for this. I'll see how it feels tomorrow.

Let's see. My training plan has me scheduled for a 4 mile barefoot beach run tomorrow. I guess I'll be heading to the Gulf. Trying to keep it fun, I'll be back on Friday. If you don't hear from me, it is because I decided to become a permanent beach bum.

Mileage Stats:

Today: 4 (Intervals) + 4 (Run for fun)

Week: 26

Year: 86

Go Away, Black Dog. Shoo!

One thing I've done with this blog in the past is to write down my dreams which affect my moods or are significant or vivid enough to have be stuck in my head all day. Sometimes these dreams have me waking up laughing or in a particularly good mood, even when they are about emotional times in my life. I have had running "nightmares" the night before a race, where I show up late, or can't find the start line, but then I wake up and feel a great sense of relief to realize it was just a dream.


However, last night, I had one of those dreams about running which made me wake up with this overwhelming sadness. I wonder of it was the dream, or just the result of my current bout of depression which started on Tuesday, and seems to be getting stronger today. Other people's laughter, innocuous remarks, and stresses at work make me want to burst into tears. Is it just a chemical imbalance?

The dream took place at the beginning of race, doing my usual "getting ready" routine, walking around talking to people as they pin their numbers on their shirt, talking to the race officials and friends. I walk up to this group of runners standing around a table pinning on their 'bibs'. My number was 9. I place my bib on the table where others have placed thier bibs, I pick up some safety pins, and when I go to pick my number, I can't find mine. I turn over several, but they are all other numbers. Other people help me look, but we can't find it. I remember talking to the race officials saying I lost my number to see if I can get another number, but they say I'm already in the system. I try to get a piece of paper to hand them at the end of the race, but it is raining and when I try to write on it, the paper falls apart. It is just minutes to the race, and a girl walks up to me and asks what I'm going to do, and I can't think of anything, I just shrug my shoulders. She then reaches in her pocket and hands me a folded piece of paper. It is my race bib. I'm relieved, and I say "Thank you". She looks at me surprised, then walks over to the guy she is with and says; 'I can't believe he said thank you". I think about her statement while I'm trying to pin on my bib, and realize she was playing a joke on me, or trying to keep me from running. Why? That is when the sadness hits. The race starts, but I don't run, I walk back to my car and drive away.

On a side note, can anyone name a famous black dog? (Don't anyone say "Snoop Dog") I was trying to think of one for the title of this post, but couldn't.

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Rest Day

Today I took a break from the cold, windy, punishing amusements of Jack Frost and did a light upper body workout inside. I'm officially signed up for the Seaside Half-Marathon. Tomorrow I plan intervals, on the treadmill at the gym. Today's high was 34 with 15 mph winds.

Mileage stats:
No change

BattleField Report

Chickamauga Battlefield Half-Marathon. The plan was followed, although I strayed from the plans a few times, for the most part, the long runs, intervals run, and maintenance runs, paid off well.

At the beginning of the half-marathon I found two of my fellow runner friends who had about the same pace I wanted, I wanted to stick with them and come in close to their finish.

The unexpected cannon boomed for the start the race, giving me an extra shot of adrenaline I didn't need. As always the start in the pack was slow, too slow, I need to get going. I stuck behind my "pace" friends for about half a mile, but I needed to run, so I took advantage of a sharp turn and shot past them, thinking they'd catch up later on. I felt strong and I needed to go, but how long could this feeling last? I knew it would catch up to me and I'd have to slow down, but when? I reached that at mile 10, which I finished in under an 8 min/mile pace.

I finished the Half-Marathon with room to spare. With the problems I had been having for the past year, I had only wanted to meet last years Half-Marathon time, but finished with 3+ minutes faster than my best finish last year. My pace buddies? They came in a couple of minutes after me, so I never got that far ahead of them.

All things fell together harmoniously. The course was relatively flat, the weather was perfect (for running), and a great bunch of friends to share this experience. The friends, the great fall weather and the after race food (rice & beans and banana pudding) reminded me of the things I love about the south. Looking forward to the next one already.

Here is another perspective on this race: THE EXTRA MILE: Racing brings barriers to overcome, walls to break through

On the Eight Day

Not much to tell. My weekend "long" run was a slow three miles (don't snicker) at the popular Shakespeare park near my home. I still have problems, but they don't seem to be as bad or last as long as they did back in June. Today I did a cross-training day at the gym with weights, elliptical sprints and slow two mile jog on a treadmill (too humid today to be outside). All seems to be well (I am knocking on wood). Other than that, today turned into a nice boring Sunday, and now it is threatening to rain, I will probably for a walk in it. Don't worry, I'll be wearing my special anti-lightning hat, it's worked every time (so far).

revolving planet
mixing air and swirling clouds
just another day

My Return

This post marks my return to blogging and my return to running after an injury.

I'm not supposed to be running yet. I have been walking two to four miles every day since my last day of running on June 23. My injury doesn't seem to be getting better, in fact it the first couple of weeks of rest, it felt worse. I have two different diagnosis from two physical therapists, two different ways to rehab. No one is certain, so I guess the next step would be an MRI, many of my friends have suggested it. I'm not going to do that. I'm tired of wasting all this time and having no better results than self treatment.

I know this is a stubborn injury, it takes long time to heal, it might be a stress fracture, so I will just deal with it. I will return to running with a smaller stride, slower pace, and quit being so frustrated with everyone's different opinion, even the experts, who poke around but still are only guessing.

Day 1: I'm out with my Saturday Morning running buddies, I intended to only walk, but the urge to run was so great that I did one mile at a very slow 10 minute pace. It felt great. I get home, it's still early, the weather is great, so I do another slow mile. Good news, the running didn't aggravate my abductor strain, I didn't feel any soreness at all. The usual tightness and soreness are still there, but it didn't make it worse.

Day 2: I wake up and I feel better than I have in a long time. I think the easy running actually helped. I go out for my morning walk and the urge to run hits me again. Don't worry, I'm taking it real easy, small steps, slow pace. I do 12 minutes and I feel the pain starting to come back, but after resting, stretching and icing the tendon, it doesn't feel as bad as it did six weeks ago, so I count my blessings. I'm also doing all the exercises the therapists recommend, and they hurt more than the run, especially the alternating one foot bridges. No more running until Tuesday.

So we'll see how it goes, and you can track my progress here.....

Off topic: Did you hear Michael Jackson has named his next concert tour after my blog, This is it? I'm so honored. I don't care the price, I'm going, it's the least I could do for this honor. However, I'm having trouble finding the dates and locations, every time I do a search I get a bunch of tabloid articles about him dying. What some journalists will do for a little attention is perverse. Can anyone help?

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Yellow Squash Mystery

Every Sunday I go grocery shopping. I get the same things almost every time. I go through the produce department and get the same fruits and vegetables every week. The last two visits I distinctly remember selecting five or six yellow squash, putting them in a bag and placing them in my cart.

I finish shopping, get home and put away my groceries, and no yellow squash. This has happened two weeks in a row. Last week I thought it might of fell out of the bag, so I look in the car, nothing, so I figured they were left behind at the store. Then the same thing happened yesterday. WTF?

I pay for my groceries with a debit card and I keep the receipts. I check both receipts from yesterday and last week, no yellow squash listed. What is happening to my squash between the time I pick it out and the check-out?

Another odd thing I note; the items listed on the two receipt are almost identical, even the order of the items on the receipt.

I think I need to resolve to add a little variety and spontaneity to my life. HHMM, lets see let me put that on my calendar for a week from Wednesday. I'll try something new every Wednesday at 6:00 PM.

There, how's that for being impulsive.

Wait, maybe I better reschedule that for some other time, it's already starting to stress me out.

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The Dog in the Hole

I know, I know. It's been a while since my last post.

I missed a post celebrating three years of blogging (December 12).

I haven't made a list of my seasonal wishes for non-gifts.

I haven't been barking about what's wrong with the world.

Where are my raves about my favorite pastime and addiction (Can you guess what I mean?)

I didn't even comment about the Iraqi Reporter, who insulted Dogs, while trying show his love for our current lame duck President's liberation of the reporter's country. The President claimed he wasn't insulted and thanked the man for his gift of shoes. I do give Bush kudos for his fast reflexes, the reporter would have hit the Busheye if he hadn't ducked.

There are good reasons for my lack of blogging; apathy, workload, other interests, more reading, and mostly because of positive changes coming our direction.

The country is undergoing a change, political and economical, and my rants about those issues will be useless at this point. The economy is collapsing, as I've been warning about for two years here, and the political landscape is being molded into something more to my liking. I hope the new administration can bring back the optimism and fiscal responsibility we had in the 1990's, but I think it's going to take a long time to rebuild, restore, and progress towards a more peaceful, more forgiving, less materialistic world.

Another issue that has been missing is my usual rants about this time of the year. Well, now if the country can change, then so can I. So I will make the most of celebrating the Winter Solstice this Sunday with a long run, a few beers (with chasers) and a feast.

Wait a minute, Freaky niCk, isn't that what you do every Sunday?

Yes, it sure is! The reasons we celebrate this season should be embraced all year long. Then we wouldn't need a special time for charity, good will, love, peace, and merriment, and leave this time of year for brightening up the long dark winter nights.

whispers in the night
fresh air whirls around my head
chase me to the source

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E-Overload

Too much e-stuff, the stuff that is supposed to make our lives easier, is actually making life more complicated. Am I wrong?

I've worked in the Information Systems development and management for most of my career, and I see things getting so complicated and convoluted, they have the opposite effect of their intent.

If the implementation of an automated systems becomes a management and security nightmare, is it worth the effort?

I'm ready for a career change.

Unsynched

Do you ever have those times when everything seems to be going your way, traffic lights turn green as you approach, and only your favorite songs come out of the radio. My psyche seemed to be synchronized with the universe.

That happened to me. Over the last month, the weather has been perfect, work slowed down, and I've had plenty of opportunity to train for upcoming races as well as running a race almost every weekend.

Then November came, after a brief rush of optimism, everything seems to be crashing down around me, work became quite busy and unpleasant, many unseen forces blocking my way, no time for running, traffic lights turn red as I approach, and all the music coming from the radio annoys me.

Is this only a state of mind?

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Synchronicity

Today (Sunday) is one of those days where I seem to be in synch with the universe.

What makes a Perfect Day for a Freaky Running Dork?

4:00 AM; I'm out of bed. I can't sleep thinking the weather is SOOOOO nice for a long run before the sun comes up. The weather is in the Mid 40's with nice light breeze. Make myself a large cup of coffee, CLIF Bar for breakfast.

I check my email, browse the news and some blogs, make some "regular" breaks for nature. By 4:45 I'm out the door for to start my warm-up routine. As soon as I walk out, a shooting star streaks across my view of the sky. Thank you, universe, for letting me know how great today is going to be. By 5:00 I start my run. No one is out, no cars on the road except the guy delivering the morning paper, whom I pass over and over again.

After 8 miles, my long run is complete and I'm starving, so I cool down by running (literally) over to Starbuck's for one of their new Vivanno Chocolate Banana smoothies, with an espresso shot, and a tall Pike Road coffee. The light of the new day is just beginning to make its mark. The run felt great, and nagging pains never seem to appear when I run in cool, dry weather. The euphoria is wonderful.

I walk home crossing usually busy roads that are strangely vacant of any traffic, save an occasional trucker who, like myself, probably didn't get enough sleep.

The time is approaching 7:00 AM, the sun has finally lightened the world, it is a breezy cool 48 degrees. Even though I'm in shorts and a long sleeved running shirt, that's still a little damp around the neck, I see people dressed like they were in the Arctic; cap, gloves and heavy coat. It feels so comfortable to me, yet these people act like it's frigid. I'm glad I did not grow up in the south.

I surf the intertubes some more, flip channels on the mind control machine. Then I see the Breaking News headline about something I had already predicted would happen. Colin Powell, one of the few Republicans I respect, endorses Barack Obama for President. I can't wipe this huge grin off my face.

By 9:00 AM hunger pangs set in. I fix myself an English Muffin Egg sandwich. My version uses turkey instead of ham on a whole wheat muffin (occasionally I use whole wheat pita bread). I have a light beer spiked with half a shot of whiskey. I insert a DVD into player and watch my latest Netflix disc, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". Mediocre romantic comedy set in Oahu. I like romantic comedies and movies filmed in location I've been. I liked the subplot of the lead guy writing a musical puppet version of "Dracula".

Okay, now I have a full stomach and a beer in me, watching a movie. I'm feeling very drowsy. It's nap time; time is 11:00 AM.

My afternoon naps are not usually very long, 20-30 minutes is enough to refresh me, but I think the long run, full stomach, beer, and euphoria effected me like a sleeping pill. I slept THREE hours. That's unheard for me.

I get up, do a quick check on e-mail and news, and head over to the bookstore for some more coffee and to browse books and read the latest running magazines. Then it's back to the house, start thinking about what to make for dinner, walk over to the store to buy some fresh vegetables.

Dinner consists of a Turkey sandwich, with Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Spicy mustard, a few drops of red wine vinegar, and swiss cheese on fresh rye bread. I also have side of leftover black beans and rice which I freshen up with fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic and hot sauce. I steam some broccoli and yellow squash for a second side. Smithwick's Ale is my beverage of choice (Boddington's Pub Ale would have done nicely, also).

The euphoria just won't quit. The universe speaks to me again with a sunset which is a bright, beautiful, brilliant orange/blue masterpiece.

I'm going to end today by writing this post, take a hot bath, and read until I get drowsy again.

Perfect Day

***Crossposted in the usual place

Living Better

I do not understand The "Health Care" system in the U.S.!

Doctors and Drug Companies have no incentive to make you well or find cures. How did our system end up this way? Doctor's do not profit if you are healthy, only if you are sick. If you are not sick, then they recommend unneeded surgery or treatments so they can profit from you. We no longer find cures for diseases because doctors make a ton of money form the drug companies to recommend drug therapies for their patients so they can keep the money coming in. This is an evil of the capitalist health care system we have in the USA.

If you are treated by a doctor, and he fails to make you better, you still have to pay him. If you have surgery that fails, and even if you die because the doctor was not successful in his procedure, the doctor still expects to get paid and will go after your estate to collect. There is something very, very wrong with this.

The focus on doctors should be maintaining your wellness, not treating you because you get sick from poor diet and lifestyles choices. Just like a car, which will last longer and run better when it is properly maintained thruough preventive and scheduled maintenance programs. I would much rather pay for scheduled wellness exams than to deal with the stress and anxiety of getting sick. While the treatment programs would still be needed in such a system, integrating the current system with programs of wellness will benefit everyone and reduce the extreme costs associated with the present system.

Like annual or bi-annual dental checks are a necessity for maintaining healthy teeth for a lifetime, the same thing principal applies to our bodies.

** Crossposted on Backroads of my Mind

September Ends, Please Don't Wake Me Up

Last month has been one to remember: Storms, evacuations, family, relatives, doctor appointments, travel, curtains shutting, stress, loneliness, failing economy.

Good Bad Happy Sad
Moments of Significance
Sun shines above clouds


It's life. It gets in the way of your plans. Life. Why can't we stick to the plan?

What's Next?

It's time for some Homeostasis and a Trail Run.

"Sing me to sleep,
Sing me to sleep,
I'm tired and I
I want to go to bed......"

- Asleep - The Smiths

Feeling "Infinite"?