Azodiacarbonamide for lunch, anyone?

One cool blog:  100 Days of Real Food

There is only so much one can do to run faster and farther.  Sure, practice helps, and a pair of good shoes, and optimal weather, along with a great running path.  What do you do after you've taken care of all those external factors?  Look inside.  I've been doing just that, reviewing what I eat and how it affects my running.        Common sense tells us that good food must help, after all, garbage in ===> garbage out, right?  It's not so simple.  More carbs, ok, but what kind?  Protein, sure, but what quantity?  I've been doing a lot of research and personal experimentation with what I eat and how the run goes, and ran across this blog:


100 Days of Real Food, by Lisa Leake (pictured at left)


I have always thought of Subway as a relatively healthy fast-food provider, but, as Lisa points out, it's really important to pay close attention to what you choose when you eat there.  After reading her blog post I'm not sure I will be eating at Subway anytime soon.  I'm fairly nutritionally astute, but I never heard of this chemical, azodiacarbonamide, before reading the article.  Yes, according to Lisa, it's in Subway bread, and yes, according to Wikipedia it is a plastic component banned for use as a food additive in Europe.  No, I'm not hungry for a $5 footlong.


Thank you Lisa for your excellent blog!  I will be integrating many of your ideas into my personal health plan.  Keep up the good work!


Nec aspera terrent!


6/12/12 - 3.0 miles |  33 min | 5.4 mph | 331 kcal 
6/11/12 - 2.0 miles |  22 min | 5.1 mph | 198 kcal 

Whose house is this, anyway?

Look familiar?  This is a common "house sparrow".  I have had reason to find out the hard way why this variety is called a HOUSE sparrow.  One mean mama house sparrow has decided to make her house in MY house, or garage to be exact.  While it wasn't my intention to dwell this whole week on birds, they have made a major impression on my running.  It has always been my habit to take off and put on my running shoes just outside the back door.  See that little beastie to the left, there??  Doesn't she look harmless?  Well!  Not when she's protecting her nest, which apparently is in the rafters above my head, where I won't any longer be putting my running shoes on, at least not until all her children have flown the coop!

Nec aspera terrent!

6/10/12 - 2.0 miles |  22 min | 5.1 mph | 209 kcal 

Orioles here; where are the berries?

Outstanding photo of Baltimore oriole eating a mulberry
taken by Steve Creek

Everything that grows in Michigan seems to be out of sync this summer because of the weirdly warm spring. Many of the fruit bearing trees budded as early as March, then lost all growth when we had a hard frost at the end of April.  Current estimates go as high as 90% ruin for cherries and other Michigan fruit crops.  The mulberry tree in my neighbor's yard has about 1/10th as many berries as it usually does.

Orioles seem to have an affinity for tart mulberries.  Today as I finished my run and walked past the mulberry an orange flash flew by, sans berries.  I wonder... We Michiganders will have to pay more for fruit this year, and we won't be getting as much locally grown as we usually enjoy, but where will the birds go? I've had the pleasure of seeing bright orange orioles in that mulberry tree for many years.  I hope one bad year here doesn't mean that next year the Orioles will go somewhere else.

Nec aspera terrent!

6/9/12 - 2.0 miles |  22 min | 5.1 mph | 209 kcal 

Red-winged black attack!

Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds

Isn't the song of the red-winged blackbird quite beautiful?  Listen here...

song of the red-winged black bird

I've frequently enjoyed watching these birds perched on short trees and tall grasses in the marshy areas of my neighborhood and thought that their song is lovely.  Well, Alfred Hitchcock must have known something about red-winged blackbirds when he was putting together the classic horror film The Birds. I took a less traveled route home from my run today, past a swamp generally full of turtles, ducks, and a couple of muskrats.  Snakes, yes, but I have *never* had a problem with birds, until today.  Apparently I walked too close to the nest of a very protective papa.  This particular bird dive bombed me, and kept at it until I ran full speed about 100 yards from the attack!

I didn't know this before, but I found out today that what Wikipedia says is really true:  The Red-winged Blackbird aggressively defends its territory from other animals. It will attack much larger birds.^[18] Males have been known to swoop humans who encroach upon their nesting territory during breeding season.^[19][20]

No kidding!  Different route tomorrow, at least until breeding season is over.

Nec aspera terrent!


6/8/12 - 2.0 miles |  23 min | 5.1 mph | 219 kcal

Cut grass on the side of the road

I always wondered why 'they' wasted time cutting the grass on the side of the road when I was a kid, 'they' being whatever road maintenance department was responsible for doing the job.  I was responsible growing up for mowing most of our rather large hilly lawn, and I looked at the magnitude of mowing all the roadsides in the country with abject HORROR.  Can you imagine??

Then I became a driver, and I was grateful when I realized that visibility is the biggest reason for keeping roadside grass short.  The extra 3 or 4 feet of warning a driver gets from being able to see a car emerging from a hidden driveway or a deer darting from the underbrush just an instant sooner can mean the difference between a quick dodge and a major accident.

This year many of the roads have much higher grass than usual, bad for cars, and really bad for runners.  I always avoid getting too close to the grass because of snakes, but this year I wouldn't be able to run in the grass if I wanted to.  Some of it is taller than I am!  I'm not sure if the reason is budget cuts causing road maintenance crews to be cut back, or the odd growing season that began six weeks early knocking the mowing schedule off whack.  The high grass on one of my favorite roads has caused me to choose a different and more traveled road, but better visibility.  It's a safety trade-off, more visibility, or more traffic?

Nec aspera terrent!

6/7/12 - 2.0 miles |  22 min | 5.2 mph | 209 kcal

Semper Fi!

Run to Cadence with the U.S. Women Marines

Having trouble getting motivated to run??  Well, here's the perfect solution, especially on this 69th anniversary of the D Day Invasion.  I am in no way comparing casual running to what the extraordinary heroes who invaded the beaches of Normandy did.  The Marines weren't there, in any case; they were in the Pacific, still a sore point in some military circles, including my own family, with a niece who graduated from Westpoint, a nephew in the Air Force, and a sister who was a Marine.  I'm just paying homage to the fact that the Marines are renowned for their physical fitness, and after resting up for a month after beating my little sis at the Indy 500 1/2 Marathon (more on that in a later post), I'm back on my running regimen preparing for my next big run.  So is Kim.  Even though I managed to beat her by 3 minutes at Indy, she is feeling major inspiration and working out a lot with the hopes of leaving me in the dust at the next race. Not that there's any sibling rivalry here, but I need to do something to retain my lead!   Do you think this will keep me ahead of the pack?

Sound-off; 1 - 2; Sound-off; 3 - 4; Cadence count; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4; 1 - 2 — 3 - 4.

Stay tuned...

Nec aspera terrent!

6/6/12 - 2.0 miles |  22 min | 5.0 mph | 201 kcal

The path of the storm

All that's left of one of the houses post-tornado --
A fence around the hole in the ground - and notice that we ALL will rebuild!

I decided yesterday to do some cross training on my trusty Fuji Odessa 2.0 by following the 7.3 mile path of the 800 yard wide EF-3 tornado that struck Dexter MI on March 15th.  According to the National Weather Service, there have only been 8 tornadoes in March in Michigan in the last 61 years.  This storm damaged over 200 homes, rendered 13 completely demolished, with NO loss of life.  Amazing.

Even more amazing is the level of damage still apparent 20 days later, side by side with the continuing work to rebuild and recover.  An overview of the damaged neighborhoods looks at first like a sea of blue -- tarps covering the damaged roofs, and sounds like a brand new neighborhood being constructed.

The corner of York and Noble - one of the hardest hit areas

Part of Dexter-Pinckney road is still closed to the public.  There are mountains of woodchips, and a mile strip of downed brush.  If you look carefully at the tops of the trees in the distance by the river you can still see bits of clothing, siding, curtains, and other debris hanging where the tornado left it. Some of the houses had no roof damage, but the dents on the siding are frightening reminders of the force of the flying debris.  In some areas every tree, large and small, are snapped in half.  Across the street there is no evidence that anything happened.

Dexter Carwash 3 weeks after the tornado 

The Dexter Carwash became famous in this video by the Minick family who received more than the workout they anticipated that evening.  Three weeks later and it's still obvious that the prayers you hear in the recording didn't fall on deaf ears; they must not have been in the 3rd bay.

I have been enjoying the great weather, and am happy that it has allowed me to get some extra time exercising outside, both running and other cross-training activities.  It was a very interesting bike ride last night, most certainly, but I have to say I prefer my touring activities to be a bit more mundane.  There really isn't a satisfactory way to express sufficient KUDOS to all the folks who endured the damage, and are well on their way to rebuilding their houses and lives.

4/05/12 - 3.0 miles |  37 min | 4.8 mph | 323 kcal

Nothing like a break to help me remember how much I like to run

I realize that ESPN wouldn't agree with this statement, but sometimes life interrupts sports endeavors, and this past week was a great example of that for me.  I was only able to get out to run twice for short distances, once last Monday, and then on Thursday.  By tonight I felt that pent-up demand, and after work I just couldn't stop... 8 miles later.  What an evening for running!




4/02/12 - 8.0 miles | 101 min | 4.7 mph | 874 kcal

---

3/29/12 - 2.0 miles | 24 min | 4.8 mph | 217 kcal
3/26/12 - 2.5 miles | 31 min | 4.9 mph | 280 kcal

Community effort

Dexter Tornado aftermath

More than 700 people walked through downtown Dexter MI on Saturday raising over $12,000 to help victims of the tornado, while another 500 helped with the ongoing cleanup in the stricken neighborhoods.  Washtenaw County is adding $250,000 to the clean-up effort according to ClickonDetroit.com, and based on what I saw today there were at least as many volunteers helping as yesterday. It continues to amaze me when looking at how thoroughly some of the houses were demolished that no one was hurt! The community of Dexter, MI truly demonstrates Marcus Aurelius's aphorism "To bear misfortune readily is good fortune."

3/25/12 - 6.0 miles | 75 min | 4.8 mph | 662 kcal

Ant-Icks!

So what's up with all this warm weather?  It seems that it's cooling down a bit back to normal, in the 60 degree range today, but not without ramifications.  I went out with the intention of getting in a good 6 miles but found it hard to run.  It's very misty, slight drizzle, 100% humidity.  My glasses steamed up to the point where I couldn't see well, such that I nearly stepped on snake #3 for the season. The first two were garter snakes, in the 18" - 24" range (I never stop to check too closely).  This one looked like a 2' - 3' fat blue racer, almost exactly at the 3 mile mark. Aaaaah!  Yes, I screamed, as always, and jumped about 3 feet in the air, also as always. Sigh. That's when I decided to call it quits for the day, and try for a 6-miler tomorrow.

When I got back home I noticed another feature of an early spring:  a little line of ants is marching up the window sill on the inside.  Ick!  Normally the annual ant march begins towards the end of April, not March.  But there they were.  An hour's worth of cornstarch and dishwashing liquid later, and I think I've won the first battle of what looks like it's going to be a very long spring.  Snakes in March, ants in March... I love the warm weather, but I'm not sure I'm loving all the other consequences.

3/24/12 - 3.0 miles | 36 min | 5.0 mph | 328 kcal  

Bike the Drive!

One great reason to run is to be fit enough to have fun biking the Tour de Troit, and this spring the Chicago version, Bike the Drive!  Alison and I signed up to see how Lake Shore Drive compares to Woodward Ave.  Okay, okay!  I know there's no way Chicago's skyline can beat the glory of the Detroit Depot, but since the Tour de Troit isn't until fall, I'm willing to step down and out in Chicago.  Part of the proceeds go to a good cause too, the Active Transportation Alliance helping to make biking, walking and public transportation more safe.  Sound like fun?  Join us!

Speaking of Detroit, there's a cool event tomorrow in Detroit for bicycle enthusiasts. Detroit Bike City is staging their first ever bike meet/swap at Cobo, and officially opening the Tour de Troit registration if you show up in person.  Otherwise, you'll have to wait until May 1st to sign up for the most fun bike ride this side of the Mississippi.  Just in case you won't be around for the show at Cobo tomorrow here's the sign-up info for the  Tour de Troit off their website:

Online registration for the 2012 Tour de Troit will open on May 1. NEW THIS YEAR: All registrations will include a t-shirt!

May 1 to June 30 – $35/$30 (student) w/t-shirt
July 1 to August 31 – $40/$35 w/t-shirt
Sept. 1 to 10 – $50/45 w/t-shirt
ONSITE (if available) $65 w/t-shirt (size not guaranteed)

If you are extra-excited to register, we are extra-excited to offer a one-day EARLY BIRD registration special in conjunction with Detroit Bike City at Cobo Center on March 24! In-person, cash only, $30 or $25 for a student with valid student ID. See you there!

3/23/12 - 4.0 miles | 45 min | 5.3 mph | 435 kcal

40 degrees warmer than usual

According to some meteorologists, temperatures in Michigan are averaging *40 degrees* warmer than usual.  No wonder we all can't wait to get outside to run at the end of a day's work. Here's the downside:  According to MSU Asst. Entomology Professor Matthew Grieshop, the last time this happened, in the 1940's, there was no appreciable fall fruit crop in our fine state of Michigan.  Many varieties of fruit need a spat of cool weather in the spring to fully develop throughout the summer and fall.  Also, we are far from out of the woods regarding frosts.  If the temperatures plummeted tomorrow to their normal range, all those beautiful buds we are enjoying now would shrivel, and most would likely not re-bud.

Of course, there's not much we can do about most of this, except enjoy what we have today.  It's warm, nice, beautiful running weather, so let's take advantage of it, while we wait for the proverbial other shoe to fall.

3/23/12 - 2.0 miles | 21 min | 5.4 mph | 217 kcal

"There were not so many physical threats that could not be countered with a decent hammer."

It's one thing to come face to face with a funnel cloud, turkey buzzard, or even the gravel flying behind a speeding car while you're running on a dirt road, but it turns out there are some equally deadly but much smaller airborne terrors.  Work ended, I headed to the garage to put my running shoes on, and was surrounded by a cloud of wasps.  I still had 2/3rds of a canister of Raid handy from last year, which I hate to use, but those little devils are taking up residence in a very strategic place between me and the great outdoors.  I drained the can, but still found one in one of my shoes.  Eeek!  And I thought blisters were bad...

After I battled the wasps and filled my shoes with feet rather than preliminary hornet nesting materials, I took to the trails and felt truly inspired.  The goal for today was 5 miles, but as I closed in on the finish line I just wanted to keep going.  I was thinking about all those wasps I had battled just to get my shoes on, and about Lisbeth Salander, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in my favorite books and movies from 2011. Lisbeth, nicknamed Wasp, is one powerful heroine, and just pondering some of her adventures kept me motivated. I kept laughing at one of my favorite quotes attributed to her character from the books: "There were not so many physical threats that could not be countered with a decent hammer."  I wonder how the girl nicknamed Wasp would deal with the cloud in my carport!  I continued for another circuit. It was a great run on a wonderful evening.

3/21/12 - 7.0 miles | 89 min | 4.7 mph | 764 kcal

Leap into spring!

Did you know that spring officially arrives a day early this year?  Let me guess... you thought it was a full month early based on the budding trees, mosquitoes, balmy temperatures, and occasional passing tornado.  Along with this being the warmest March on record in many parts of North America, it's also the earliest vernal equinox since 1896.  It turns out that this year spring really did arrive early, at 1:14 AM on March 20th in Michigan, which would have been March 21st if 2012 weren't a leap year, and actually was March 19th in California.

Whatever the reason, leap year, jet stream, global warming, or luck, it has been a very good early spring for running I was happy to get a quick three miles in early this morning without wearing my winter coat, and I'm looking forward to the same tomorrow.

3/20/12 - 3.0 miles | 36 min | 5.1 mph | 336 kcal

Why do I really want to run faster than 5 miles per hour?

I can think of more than one reason, but when I read that the fastest snake in Michigan crawls at 4 mph I knew I had all the inspiration I need to make sure to pick up the pace.  I had the opportunity to practice jumping high and dashing away twice on the course this afternoon, when I inadvertently nearly stepped on two different snakes sunning themselves in the warmth of the last day of winter.  Geesh!  If there are this many snakes this early in the year, what will it be like by September??

3/19/12 - 3.0 miles | 35 min | 5.1 mph | 335 kcal

Tour de FOOD gatherers!

I couldn't agree more: Coffee is definitely a vitamin, especially fresh roasted on location!

Tour de Troit, Tour de Chicago, how 'bout Tour de FOOD?!  There is no more quintessential Ann Arbor institution than Zingerman's, except the great UM, of course.  Today Mary Bilyeu and I made the Tour de Ann Arbor by sampling Zingerman's wares at all five locations:  Zingerman's Delicatessen, Roadhouse, Creamery, Bakehouse, and Coffee Company.  UM umm good!  Best of all, the tour was a fundraiser for one of Zingerman's lesser known but most important progeny, the Food Gatherers fresh produce distribution organization, which redistributes an average of more than 5 tons of food daily from what would be disposal to those in need.  This is a charity that has immediate and obvious benefit.  Zingerman's is donating $5 per person for every person who visits all 5 locations within a 24 hour period, to celebrate Zingerman's 30 year anniversary.  If you couldn't join us today, it's not too late.  Zingerman's is honoring their Tour de Food promise through the end of April, so be sure to download your passport and take the tour soon!

Take the Tour de food gatherers, March/April 2012
and help your neighbors in need!

A 24-hour trip around the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses

Take a trip around the Land of a Thousand Flavors and help our neighbors in need in the community! To celebrate our 30th anniversary, we’re switching up the Tour de Food. Now, when you visit the five Zingerman’s businesses below in a 24-hour period and get this passport signed by a staff member at each stop, we’ll donate $5 (per person!) to Food Gatherers. There are very few organizations who can do more with the money that our annually acclaimed local food bank (they routinely receive the highest rating from Charity Navigator). Each $5 donation will mean 15 meals for our friends and neighbors in need in Washtenaw County. So, grab a map and a passport and get set for a day of delicious food and friendly foodies waiting to guide you through the Land of a Thousand Flavors!

Download the Zingermans Tour de Food Gatherers Passport
Download a map to Zingerman’s retail businesses

3/18/12 - 2.0 miles | 23 min | 5.2 mph | 219 kcal 

Congratulations to my inspiration!

I may have got my start in running many years ago, but it was Alison's dedication to continuing to run through a very heavy school, work, and social schedule that inspired me to pick the sport up again last summer.  She re-inspired me again today, when she and her fearless roommate ran across the Hoover Dam and completed their first official half-marathon in great time:    

 16 ALISON BEATTY      RICHARDSON TX     22 F   2:12:33 2:11:26 10:02    

 17 CHRISTINA MAY      RICHARDSON TX     22 F   2:12:33 2:11:26 10:02

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BOTH OF YOU!!  Great job!! Whew, I have a whole lot of running to do to even be able to begin to keep up with you now...  

3/17/12 - 3.0 miles | 33 min | 5.0 mph | 328 kcal

Wind power

View from Dexter-Pinckney Rd., 3/16/12

Today was another breathtaking record breaker of summertime before the spring solstice.  I couldn't resist taking a little bike ride after work, to go see first hand what has been all over the local and national news.

It took my breath away.

The first thing I noticed was yellow police tape on almost every mailbox south of N. Territorial, denoting that the home at the end of the driveway had suffered damage.  House after house was covered with blue tarp were the roof had been before 5PM yesterday.  The sound of generators was at every corner since the electricity hasn't yet been restored, along with saws, hammers, pieces of house being thrown into dumpsters which now are on every corner.  I saw countless utility trucks working on wires, trees, and gas lines.  All entrances to the area are still blocked by state police, but there were people everywhere, working, walking, sharing the tale of survival.  I rode home through Hudson Mills Metropark.  It was disconcerting to see what appeared to be litter down by the river pathway.  On closer inspection I could see that it was debris blown up to a quarter mile away:  house shingles, clothing, a flower pot...

Wind velocity:  135 mph in this F3 tornado
Preliminary damage estimate:  $32,000,000.00
Most amazing fact:  NO ONE was killed or injured!


I'm always happy to be able to get a good run in, especially on a beautiful evening.  After seeing how quickly a normal day can turn into something very different, I feel even more fortunate.

3/16/12 - 1.9 miles | 22 min | 5.1 mph | 203 kcal 

The March lamb roars... like a freight train

There isn't a lot I can say tonight except to be thankful that I'm safe and sound in an intact house.  The extraordinary weather we've been having doesn't come without a cost.  I took the picture to the left peeking out from my basement as the funnel cloud began rotating.  It didn't touch down here, but moved on to do some significant damage nearby.  Check out the amazing video taken by a disc golfer at Hudson Mills and these other shots in Dexter.  The Ides of March 2012 will be memorable in Washtenaw County.

3/15/12 - 1.9 miles | 20 min | 5.4 mph | 203 kcal 

All the stars are aligned!

Jupiter (left), Venus (right) as bright in the night sky as they get!
Read more on National Geographic

Actually, those bright objects in the sky aren't stars, they're planets. But when the weather is this nice, the running this good, and the sky this beautiful, there isn't any need to dwell on technicalities.  It really is March, pinch me!  Last year there were still people ice fishing on the lake St. Patrick's Day weekend.  This year several people put their docks out today. Is it global warming?  Is it the alignment of Venus and Jupiter, with Mars not far away?  Or is it just the nature at its best?  Sometimes I think it's simply wise to accept and enjoy, which is what I did tonight as I ran after dark, in the light of the planets and the moon.

3/14/12 - 2.0 miles | 20 min | 5.4 mph | 203 kcal 

Meekly March

Meek like a lamb, but oh so nice!  I am looking right at the calendar, and still thinking I've got my M's confused.  With highs in the 70's isn't it really May 13th?  Uh uh!  Welcome to the warmest March in recent memory!  Truly, the running weather today was glorious.  I can not remember ever being happier to feel the sun on my face and the wind on my back.  I will need to keep this uppermost in my mind during the lion days of spring and the dog days of summer, but for today, and, according to the trusty Farmer's Almanac, the near future, I'm in luck for the time being.

March 2012
12th-15th. Fair, windy.
16th-19th. Showers, heavy thunderstorms, particularly over Great Lakes, then colder.
20th-23rd. Cold, with snow/flurries for Great Lakes. Changeable elsewhere.
24th-27th. Potent storm sweeps through; heavy precipitation, strong winds, then clearing.
28th-31st. More stormy weather arrives by month's end.

April 2012
1st-3rd. Thundery, squally weather Great Lakes, Ohio River, then clearing.
4th-7th. Fair, then unsettled weather spreading as far east as Illinois and Michigan by 7th.
8th-11th. Showers Ohio River, then fair.
12th-15th. Squally, especially for the Great Lakes.
16th-19th. Fair and pleasant.
20th-23rd. Showers spread in from the west, quickly then improving skies.
24th-27th. Stormy weather arrives by 27th.
28th-30th. Continued stormy most areas.

May 2012
1st-3rd. Sunny to partly cloudy.
4th-7th. Showers, then fair skies. Showers move out of Louisville in time for Derby Day.
8th-11th. Heavy rains Great Lakes.

Will they be right?  I'll let you know every day when I'm out, rain and cold, sun and shine.  :)



3/13/12 - 2.0 miles | 22 min | 5.2 mph | 204 kcal 

Spring ahead!

I'm all for a good essay and support the power of words, but there are some words that have had undo effect on the history of the world, which sometimes includes my personal microcosm.  Take the wry written admonishment of that venerable sage Benjamin Franklin as a primary example.  In his essay An Economical Project, Essay on Daylight Saving, published April 26th, 1784, Ole Ben gently chided his languid French friends for their inability to see the sun before noon on many days.  He suggested somewhat slyly that if only the clock were changed for all, that the more indolent would not be sleeping until midday, simply by redefinition. There is a good reason why the man was considered a genius!

What began as quip garnered serious consideration when Franklin began calculating potential savings in lamp oil and candle wax if only there were just one additional hour of daylight.  The idea floated around for more than a century until put into effect by Germany and Austria at 11:00 p.m. on April 30th, 1916.  Not to be outdone by the enemy, the U.S. Congress followed suit on March 19th, 1918, which begs the question, *WHO* actually won that war, anyway?? A few congressional vacillations later, and the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established daylight savings time as a permanent annual annoyance.

So what do I think of Daylight Savings Time, and what does that have to do with running?  Ralph Schlegelmilch sums my view succinctly in this comment he published as a Letter to the Editor of AnnArbor.com:

When told of the reason for Daylight Saving Time, the old Indian said, "Only the government would believe you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it on the bottom, and have a longer blanket.”  ~citizen comment in annarbor.com

Beautiful!  I couldn't agree more!  I must add that since I'm given no choice other than to endure marching to the same beat as everyone else who has had their cellphone automatically reset to the "saved" lost hour, I have been able to take significant advantage of this idiocy from time to time.  Once I argued the deadline of a proposal that was due in Eastern Standard Time, and turned in on time even though the clock (on daylight time) recorded the delivery of the document an hour late.  (Proposal accepted. Please don't press your luck using this technique twice, however....)  And now I'm taking advantage of it again.  I'm scheduled to run the Indianapolis Half Marathon on May 5th, and finding myself behind my training schedule... ... until today!

Yes, there's a spring in my step... training time is finally in full stride as I'm able to get out after work and run while the sun is still shining! I've got some catch-up to do, and today I begin dutifully recording my progress, which hopefully will be substantial given all the time the world is now saving.


3/12/12 - 2.1 miles | 24 min | 5.1 mph | 228 kcal 

The best week ever!

Seeing yourself finish the race on the Big Screen at the Big House

What does it take to have the very best week ever?

• Extraordinary weather:  temperatures in in the 70's, twenty degrees warmer than usual, and no rain for the last week
• Hometown football teams undefeated:  Wolverines 6 - 0!  Lions 5 - 0!



Lining up on race day



15,000 runners in the stadium

• Hometown baseball team on the way to the world series:  Ooops ... those darned Texans are interfering with the plan, but the Tigers are back on home turf in Detroit tonight ...  

Better stop while I'm ahead and concentrate on all the great things happening that are withIN my control!

I concluded my 2011 running season on Sunday to the sound of Hail to the Victors by running through the University of Michigan Big House tunnel to see myself on the jumbo-tron screen.  What a rush!  As one of the 15,000 people who ran the Big House/Big Heart race through the streets of Ann Arbor on Sunday morning I felt like I was conquering Ann Arbor the same as I did when I received my degree at Crisler Arena (I'll leave you to guess how long ago).  I didn't run the 10k as fast as I have in the past, but I did enjoy the crowd, scenery, and ambiance as a fine celebration of a successful running season.

Anticipation at the Detroit Wheel House early Saturday

St. Andrew's Hall, Detroit

I also participated in a wonderful bike tour on Saturday with Detroit Synergy.  We rode through the streets of Detroit with guides who recounted the history of several of Detroit's historic music venues, including St. Andrew's Hall and more than a few bars in Hamtramck.  The spirit of Detroit was abundant everywhere.  The Riverwalk was crowded with walkers, joggers, and bikers enjoying a glorious day.  Eastern Market was wall-to-wall with folks enjoying the fruits of a bountiful autumn harvest, and I enjoyed a bag of yummy warm Amish molasses cookies.  The Detroit Institute of Arts has placed numerous paintings around town outside, juxtaposed with street art, providing a bountiful visual surprise in the most unexpected places. I can't wait for the next opportunity to experience Michigan's prime city from the pavement up.

Art on the Dequindre Cut

Now I'm moving on to preparation for 2012's running endeavors.  My legs and ligaments will rest until spring while I build a different set of muscles.  I won't be running regularly again until February, when I will begin training for the Indianapolis Half Marathon on May 5th, and the Detroit Marathon next fall.  In the meantime I'm working on weight training over the winter, along with other non-percussive exercise including bike riding and cross-country skiing.  Judging by my sore arm muscles today, it's a good thing I started my weights yesterday.

I'm also taking time off from regular blogging until spring running training begins.  I will be concentrating on other writing projects while lifting weights over the winter, so will only post periodic updates about fun events and when my favorite teams win championships (!).  But spring is not that far away, and I'm actively anticipating new cool adventures to do and share.  Want to joint me?  Whatever you choose to do to stay fit and active, let's be ready to run for our dreams and reach our goals in 2012!


Até LOGO... 


10/5/11 - 3.2 miles | 33 min | 5.8 mph | 352 kcal 
10/6/11 - 2.0 miles | 19 min | 6.0 mph | 210 kcal
10/7/11 - 4.0 miles | 44 min | 5.4 mph | 438 kcal


Detroit Synergy Rock 'n Roll Bike Ride + Eastern Market
10/8/11 - 21.0 miles | 200 min | 6.3 mph | 829 kcal


Big House/Big Heart 10k results
10/9/11 - 6.2 miles | 67 min | 5.6 mph | 655 kcal


Total miles run in 2011


356.7 miles run in 70 hours, averaging 5.1 miles/hour, expending 39001 calories 

Attention Michiganders! Mark this day! DeTroit TOUGH!

To all my fellow Michiganders, do you recognize the photo to the left??  It is 100% pure blue Michigan sky, on a 100% pure cloudless Michigan day!  This rare phenomenon is enough to cause comment in the streets... but wait!  There's more!

The Wolverines are 5 - 0!  Hail to the Victors Valiant!!  Yeah!!  Well, okay, it's been a while, but since UM is the winning-est team in college football, after all, it has happened a few times before in history that the sun was shining and the Wolverines were 5 - 0... but wait!!  There's more!!

THE LIONS ARE STILL HUNGRY, 4 - 0 WINS LATER!!!  If you're incredulous, Believe!  Detroit Does!  Just ask the folks at Sports Illustrated, who put the worthy Silver/Blue cats on the front cover of the latest issue!  When is the last time Detroit was 4 - 0?  Well, it wasn't since well before just 3 years ago, in 2008, when Detroit topped the chart as the loosing-est team in history, at 0 -16 for the season.  How incredible is this:  the sky is cloudlessly blue, the Wolverines are undefeated, the Lions are undefeated... but wait!!!  There's more!!!

The Tigers ace Verlander outlasted the Yanks Sabathia to put us one game away from clinching the ALCS !!!!  !!!!  !!!! (Can I emphasize that even more?!!!!)  Oh yes,

1. The sky is cloudlessly blue.
2. The Wolverines are undefeated. 
3. The Lions are undefeated. 
4. The Tigers are on top!!!!

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THAT HAPPENED???

Michiganders, this is indeed a day so rare that I am not sure it has ever been quite this good in all of history.  I realize that all could change with a wisp of a cloud, the crack of a bat or the pass of a ball.  We need to remember these great moments today so that when they pass, as all things do, we keep going, even after a week of non-stop rain, a year of Rich Rodriquez, a lifetime of Lion droppings, and some long-gone Tigers seasons, as Ernie always said.  We're built DeTroit-TOUGH!


Até LOGO... 
10/4/11 - 2.0 miles | 18 min | 6.0 mph | 205 kcal 

A beautiful day!

Next year --- DETROIT!

OOooo, it was cold and dark yesterday at 4:00 AM, when I had to get up to head to Oakland University with the hopes of ensuring a parking spot.  Arriving at 6:45 AM, the lot was already starting to fill, but fortunately the wait for the shuttle was only momentary.  It was 37 degrees, and all I really wanted was a hot cup of coffee.  I had on shorts and sweat pants, two long sleeved shirts, two sweatshirts, a jacket, gloves, and two headbands, and I was still cold.  I was seriously wondering how I was going to run the race wearing all these clothes, but I wasn't ready to give up any layers for fear of hypothermia.  I wasn't the only one.  I saw people wearing everything from multiple garbage bags to surgical sterile suits they could strip off and discard mid-race.  What I great idea for next time!  I stayed toasty for a time in the awards tent, which was jam-packed with other runners doing the same thing.  The energy in the air was contagious, helped along by loudspeakers playing some great music to guarantee a beautiful day.  I waited until the last minute to take off all but the most necessary layers and get into the queue... just to find out that the traffic was so bad that the start of the race had been delayed 15 minutes.  Ugh!  How to stay warm??!!

Doing a teeth-chattering warm-dance
waiting for the race to begin

I tucked myself in between the 10 minute and 11 minute mile flags, perhaps a bit optimistically, but was chilly enough that with 4500 or so participants I wanted to be as far up front as possible so that I could cut down the wait to get moving.  When the race began it took about 3 minutes before I went through the start gate, and was able to begin running.  I set a moderate pace, determined to not be affected by the cold runners around me to go too fast at the beginning and run out of steam for the famous Teinken Road incline. First mile 10:30... good.  Feeling great!  Second mile 10:47... excellent!  I went under the 1/2 way split checker at 1 hour 11 minutes... stellar!  I felt great, could go faster, but the runners' rumors of that nasty Tienken climb made me hold back.  It was also important to be aware of all the usual road hazards, including some major Michigan potholes, water cups dropped after drink stations, and numerous gloves, hats, shirts, and warm-ups of all descriptions that had been discarded after runners were warm. I also found it hard to constantly break rhythm to give hi-5's to well-wishers, so when I saw them coming I headed to the opposite side of the road, preferring to smile than loose arm momentum.

Collecting my warming foil and
medal at the finish line

Running for 2 1/2 hours straight can become monotonous, so the organizers provided  entertainment along the way.  There were some great bands playing a variety of music at various spots, and many organizations giving runners water and encouragement.  The other runners themselves were at once supportive and entertaining.  Many of the runners were in groups, chatting freely about the most amusing of subjects. Many participants wore inspirational shirts, and one carried a full size US Marines flag the entire distance.  I was occasionally distracted in my pace by the sound of heavy footsteps closing in behind me.  At one point the pounding was so heavy that I had to turn and look.  It wasn't the sound of feet on pavement that I heard.  I was surprised to see 59 year old local favorite Riley McLincha running while alternating dribbling and juggling three basketballs, at a 9:30 mile pace!

The time went fast, and before long I was at the 12 mile mark, turning the corner past the old Jacobson's store I had helped open many years ago... and on to the finish line!  I passed through the gate at 2 hours, 34 minutes, 47 seconds, #77/124 in my age/gender group.  I beat the my personal time from 3 weeks ago by 3 minutes, and am very happy with the results of my summer's hobby. :)  You may be wondering how I celebrated. As I had expended enough calories for the day there could be no better time to stop at Dexter Cider Mill for my annual one dozen steaming warm doughnuts and fresh-pressed cider -- this time all guilt-free! Then I napped the rest of the evening.  :)

Post-race recovery has gone well, aided by many hours of extra sleep and the best sugar/cinnamon hotcakes in the midwest. I didn't run today, but will hit the trail tomorrow to stay fit for this weekend's 10k at the Big House.  After that?  We'll see what comes next, but let's just say that Detroit 26.2 2012 is in the forefront of my mind.
Até logo... 
10/2/11 - 13.1 miles | 154 min | 5.1 mph | 1385 kcal 

gotta run... 13.1 miles 'cause i'm only half crazy!

Today was my last run before the race.  Tomorrow I have a big job:  rest (ie, no running), and eat a lot of carbohydrates.  Whew!  Can I handle it?  To be honest, I have a few butterflies about what will happen on Sunday.  Will it be too cold outside?  ...  Will I get a leg cramp? ...   Will I be able to stay sufficiently hydrated, but not too much, given that I will need to stand at the start line for a long time? ... Will I be able to find a place to park? ... How many layers should I wear, and how will I carry everything when I take the layers off?

I can ease my mind with this:   I am about as ready physically as I can be, given a 3 month preparation time.  I followed the plan set out in the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Half-Marathon Training. Since June 12th, I spent a little more than 65.3 hours to run 326.3 miles, expending 35,760 calories.  My average rate increased from 4.3 mph to almost 6 mph.  Was it worth it?  Whatever happens on Sunday, oh YES!  I have taken running to heart -- physically, and mentally.  Improved fitness accompanied by 65 hours of superb think-time... this venture is worth every drop of sweat.

Wish me luck on Sunday.  Hey, gotta run... 13.1 miles 'cause I'm only half crazy!

Até amanhã... 
9/30/11 - 2.0 miles | 18 min | 6.3 mph | 211 kcal