The Doldrums

Well, not much has been posted for the past few weeks...okay, so "not much" means "squadoosh". I've been in the Doldrums for a number of reasons:

---Connie went to DC for five days 2 weekends ago (thanks to all the wonderful family members who told me that I should have had Connie get together with Ann...after Connie had left for DC and the family entire had decamped to Indiana for Alex's Christening! You people and your timing make me understand how Uncle Bob ended up with 7 children!). So with no means of running short of saying, "Don't start a fire, I'll be back in an hour" I couldn't run for those days.

--I pulled a muscle in my back...drinking water. I swear on the headband of the punky QB, that's 100% true. I was at parent-teacher conferences, and while talking to a mom, water went down the wrong way, and while trying to cough it back up, I strained a muscle in my back. For 5 days I literally could NOT take a deep breath.

---After the drinking problem, I came down with a sinus cold.

So I've been hosting a 2-week pity party. Fun fun fun. I'd actually started considering dropping down to running the half marathon, with wonderful thoughts like, "Nobody would notice" and "It's still 13.1 miles". Real manly-man stuff. I actually had fellow runners saying, "Don't torture yourself. Run the half."

Enter Connie.

"You are in better shape and you are doing a better job of running than last time, and you finished THAT year, right?"
"Well, yeah."
"So what's the problem? You have a month left. Use it."

THAT'S MY WIFE!!!!!

Oh, and the fact that I'm going bald officially helps.

Tomorrow is a new day, complete with a 4-mile run on the calendar. Time to rock 'n roll!!!!

peace love happiness,
Tom
2T4:7

Yankee visit

LONG RUN THIS WEEK: 12.1 miles
NIKE + MILES IN 2008: 508.58 (!!!)

Great to see mom & dad this weekend, even with the inevitable flux up of the running schedule. Trying to stay hydrated is always a concern when I get together with family, for obvious reasons.

As a testament to how mathmatically challenged I am, here's a ridiculous story from my run Saturday:

I had to run 12 miles. I have 2 loops I can run in the neighborhood. One is 4 miles long, the other 3 miles long. I have been running midweek for 7 miles (one of each). It took me 3 solid days to figure out how I could work out a 12 mile run. Reason: I usually run 7, so I couldn't get that starting figure out of my head. I literally had not figured it out before I started my Saturday run. About 2 miles in, I finally awoke to the fact that 4 times 3 is, indeed, 12.

I love seeing mom & dad, and I must inquire: Is mom physically incapable of NOT doing work? She made me lend her clothes Saturday morning, and weeded flower beds for 3 hours...just 'cuz.

I inch ever closer to bald, and I enjoy the thought less and less. On the flip side, I am seeing real results on the endurance front. Let's see what happens this coming Saturday, when 17 miles are on the menu. Roll Tide!

At least the Bears are winnning.

peace love happiness,
Tom
2T4:7