Heavy Run

I went to the All Academy Military Ball last night with son T, his date H and Mrs. T. It was more fun than the first one we went to. We skipped it last year. Two years ago we found out about the ball just a week before the event and were lucky to get tickets. Worse, we had to sit with some Navy folks. Worst, T had the wrong uniform of the day.

This year, as a junior, all was planned far in advance ... well except the date. That came down to the wire as T waited on a long-time acquaintance (M) who was non-committal about attending. In the end we all had a great time with an enthusiastic H as his date. We were hoping he'd double-date with a former 3/7 CAV buddy but there were overriding issues. T was the oldest cadet there (and the only prior service academy student I saw) so he had the honor of cutting the Army cake after dinner. I took pics on his camera addressing the cake in samurai fashion with a sword.

Overdoing it. The downside to me attending was it ran late and I was not in bed until after 11 facing a 6 o'clock-ish start to my scheduled 18-miler. I wanted to start early and get it over soon. The forecast was for temps to top 80F and the less of that, the better.

The other downside is that I was having too good a time at the ball with several dehydrating adult beverages. As soon as someone reminded me I had a run in the morning I switched to water.

Run down. I headed out at 6:15 and used my Garmin to click off four miles from the house to downtown. I arrived just at 7:00 to join Jack, Chris and Charline. A small crowd today.

We were all laboring at slow paces with a variety of hindrances but were scooped up by Seth at the first mile. He pushed our pace and ran me down. Jack and Charline cut out to just do six. Seth, Chris and I soldiered on to finish the 10-mile loop. By the time we made it around and back downtown I was still moving but not very swiftly.

Heavy weight. I bid the two men adieu and started on my four mile return trek to the house. It was hotter. I was thirsty. Seth had run me down. I took 30-second walk breaks far too often in the last four miles. Nevertheless, I made it home in 3:07:44, a nasty 10:26 pace. It might have been even slower. The Garmin missed about four tenths of a mile somewhere. I suspect it beeped off when I bumped Chris one time.

Eh.

Afterwards I stretched and took an ibuprofen. I have not been so sore in months. Everything from my hamstrings, abductors, adductors, back and feet were aching. I looked like one very old man limping around today. It was brutal. Then I weighed myself.

Two weeks ago, after running 17 miles in the heat with A and C, I weighed 155. Today after running further in as much heat I was four pounds heavier. That is an indication of how well I have managed to stuff food in my face over the last week. According to Garmin I ran off 2,200 calories today. I need to step away from the kitchen.

Final numbers: 1,208 miles in 2007 (101/wk). I had only targeted 1,000 for the year. Lifetime cume (since 1999): 5,653.

Blog posts: 153, exceeding 150 for the third straight year.

Christmas wrappings

I rose before the rest of the family to get my run in December 25 before the day's festivities bled my enthusiasm dry. It was a bit cool but okay for a singlet. I hobbled up to the track and lumbered through 12x400s at wide ranges of lap times, from 1:42 to 1:49.97. I saw a former dean from my college days walking laps 35 years later. Surprise.

The family stirred when I got home. The boys rifled through their traditionally packed-to-the-toes stockings that Mrs. T always fixes for them even after 20 years. Now it's full of toiletries, boxers, movie passes, chocolates and checks.

A breakfast quiche and mimosas got us started. I was happy right from the start to receive an external hard drive from son T. Sister A topped that with a Garmin! It's not as heavy as it looks. I went for a test drive run Wednesday morning to make sure it works. It works.

Everybody was pleased with their gifts and the day was topped by a splendid roast beef dinner with many fixin's including Yorkshire pudding. We had plenty of joy and glad tidings in our house.

Swedish Christmas presents

You may recall back in June I played a prank for the ages on our Sunday morning "leader," Jack. You can read it here (Swedish Bikini Team).

Okay. You read it?

Well Thursday I sent Jack an email at the Orlando Runners Club address signed by Helga and Ingrid alerting him to their return visit to Southeast United States for the holidays. They asked if he'd run with them Sunday morning. I received no reply.

I showed up a few minutes before Jack today and the first thing he said was, "I got your email," with a knowing look. Then he started grilling me about another "questionable" email he got from some Indian who invited him to come run with him 25 miles south of town. I avowed no knowledge of that one and ignored his comment about the Helga-Ingrid email.

Chris and Marty arrived as did Mary. Then, from 30 yards away, two attractive young blond women wearing black shorts and matching green tops came walking up. Jack perked up immediately and introduced himself and asked their names.

"Helga."

"Ingrid."

Jack's face was arrested with curiosity and then turned my way and then back at them and asked, "Okay. What's your real names?"

A and C couldn't keep a straight face and cracked up and confessed to being C and A from my run last weekend. The rest of them were laughing so hard, it was a slow start running.

But we did. I introduced A and C to the lush and gilded course that is our Winter Park route. Another guy, a former colonel in the Marines, the hubby of Kim who was also mentioned in that earlier post, showed up for the first time and needed a guide through the winding residential streets of our city. He and I ran a little faster than A and C but we all kept together by virtue of the scheduled drink breaks at miles 4 and 7.

I finished the 10 with the three of them and pushed on to do another three by myself to meet my training demands. It felt good out there in the lingering cool wet air after an overnight rain. We did the 10 at a 9:10 mile pace. I wound down the last three at 10:00 pace.

Movie Reviews

Charlie Wilson's War. Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. I was thoroughly engaged in this one about the Afghan-Soviet war, but was disappointed that it ended so quickly (the movie, not the war). I wanted more but it was not delivered. I wondered if they ran out of money. Nevertheless the notion that that is how Congress works is startling. No wonder they rank so low on the government trust scale.

Kite Runner. Another great flick about Afghanistan. A stirring story and study of a life and culture far removed from the USA. It is good to see such works so to defuse the stereotypes we have of places that were barely on our radar 25 years ago.

I recommend them both.

Numberooskie

The year is winding down so it's time to reflect on the numbers for running.

Miles so far: 1,166 (new record); Lifetime: 5,624.
Average per month: exactly 100
+/- to goal (1,000): 196 ahead (projected)
PRs: two marathon PRs but not nearly as good as I want. I will continue to learn to run those suckers and get down to something closer to four hours than five.
Other PRs: 200 meters, 800 meters, 1600 meters, and 3 miles.
Races: 11; two Wholes, a 10-miler, 8K, six 5Ks, and a 3-miler.

Plans for 2008: Two marathons (A1A and Chicago); a half and a handful of 5K-20Ks. Nothing new in my scopes but I'll consider anything so long as it fits into a plan.

Without a plan I do not run a disciplined life.

Thursday night I bopped around the Sunday 10 mile loop in the dark. I felt fast at a 9:25 pace.