November 10-Double Rainbow!

So, how ofter do you get to see one (two?) of these? Saw this on the way home last evening and it seemed like everyone was peering up through their windshields or stopping to take a photo.
Anyway, very cool to see.

Busy Day In The Sky

Shot this on the way to work on Monday. For some reason, the whole sky was just covered in jet trails; busy travel day I guess.
Training-wise, things are gong OK, though seems like as soon as I try and increase mileage, little, nagging injuries start to surface. Probably need a little more strength training.

First Day of School for Greta

Wednesday, August 25th. Finally...after a long, hot Summer, school is upon us, and it was dark outside! At 6:40, Maura and I walked Greta to the bus stop to delver her to the yellow monster...the school bus. Needless to say, we were all happy! Hanley started the following week on the 30th, though I think I slept in that day...sorry.

Anyway, Greta is a star player on the Nagel volleyball team and Hanley is working as a Manager with the Ursuline team, and my god, there is a lot of travel involved for poor Maura!

Anyway, running is going fairly well and we are all surviving.
TTFN!

New Design!!

I am lovin' these new Blog templates and I kind of like my header photo. Looks like I'm in Seattle thinking about what kind of song to write for my next album as I stroll along the path of inspiration.
Actually, I was in Michigan and my daughter, Greta snapped this. She's so talented.

More to come.

Another Age-Group Placer

Yesterday morning I ran my second annual Newtown 5K and won a third place in the 45-49 age group with a 22:20 finish! WOOHOO! The sticky, hot weather made it uncomfortable for everyone, but we all toughed it out and were welcomed with good drinks and food afterwards.

Following the race, I went in for a contact lens fitting, which did not go well. The doc was creepy and the lenses are not the correct prescription. I put them on this morning hoping I could get used to them, but it ain't working! So, back I go for another try.

Anyway, off to the pool for a good swim!
TTFN

Exhausted!

Well, I haven't done three workouts in one day since I was in my 20's, but today, I thought I'd go for a 20 mile bike, followed by a short run, just to see what it felt like. I dragged for about two miles then called it quits. Later, after cutting the grass, went to the pool for a refreshing swim, but still dragged. We had a late night last night...friends came over and stayed up too late, so I'm going to blame my draggyness on that!

The girls begin volleyball tryouts tomorrow, so everyone is a bit nervous. We find out on Wednesday if they both made their teams. Ack!

Anyway, it's 8:30 PM and I'm ready for bed.
Night, night!

Running Back on Track

On Sunday, I was fortunate to participate in the East Fork trail run with some of the other Echo Running Club folks. My race was a 5.6 mile loop through some beautiful trails, which certainly rival Mt. Airy as far as terrain goes. Being on the mend from a tendon injury, I opted for the single lap race vs. the 10.5 mile double.

Weather was hot and very humid for my 9:25 start time, but once I warmed up to the race, things felt pretty good though still a little testy in the ankle. The heat definitely took its toll on my speed, but I was happy just finishing with a respectable 49:50 without any discomfort.

Brian Nash, 3rd from left and the ECHO organizer, did the ten mile run after surgery in March to repair a faulty heart valve...good to have him back on the road. He's a great ambassador for the Cincinnati running community.

Feeling good the day after, I ran 3.5 the next day with no ankle issues....

I'm a happy boy!

TTFN

Finally! Tomatoes are Ready

A home grown tomato is, without question, one of the best things on earth. On our deck, I have a large pot with three massive tomato plants, one of which is called "Early Girl." After two months of waiting and watering, we finally have some ripe ones coming with more on the way.

This fine fruit sacrificed itself for a couple of BLT sandwiches...toast, a little mayo and plenty of bacon.

We ate well tonight!

Swimming and some work in the office tomorrow, but I'm excited about my first trail race since my tendon injury.

TTFN!

Slow Recovery

Well, I'm back on my feet and running a little bit...3 miles here and there maybe three times a week. The ankle is still a little stiff and sometimes a bit sore, but manageable. Sitting in front of the computer at work for hours on end doesn't do much for the muscles, but I gotta make a living! Anyway, I signed up for a 5.5 trail race this Sunday at East Fork. It's a great event and I did pretty well last year, but I plan on taking it easy this time. I think I have enough strength to get through it OK. I've been hitting the pool and the bike a few time over the past 2 weeks, so my cardio is not totally whacked out.
We'll see what happens on Sunday.
TTFN

Them Pike is Ripe for the Pickin'

OK, so on a normal day of fishing here in the UP of Michigan, catching a decent Northern Pike is something to brag about, but today we were invited to cast our lines off the Edward's dock on LaSalle island into a Pike hotbed. I caught the first one...maybe a 22-incher.

Rachel Sexton followed with an even larger one.












Hanley was next with another good sized fish,














then Greta, with the smallest of the group (unfortunately, here's wiggled off the hook before we could snap a photo).


The interesting thing about this is that they were all caught within the first 15 minutes!
Anyway, I was amazed. More to come...

2 Weeks...and I'm Grumpy

Ok, so it's been about 2 weeks since my last run, and while I'm more fortunate than others who have suffered a running injuries, it's still frustrating. My ankle is much better...little or no pain, but I miss the freedom of running terribly. Fortunately, I have been able to ramp up my swimming, so I haven't lost my cardio conditioning too much.
Anyway, I see the doc tomorrow afternoon for another assessment and hopefully get a green light to hit the road again.
Fingers crossed...

TTFN

I Got the Boot...

...and it sucks. I'm not sure how this all started. I went for a good run on Monday after work then for a good swim for following morning. Wednesday AM, I could barely walk. The Physician's Assistant says it may just be an inflamed tendon, but I see the doc tomorrow afternoon for more evaluation. Thank god it's not a stress fracture!

Wish me well...I'm hoping for a very short recovery.

Hanley had her last exam today, so both girls are out of school! Woo hoo!

ttfn

Clouds

After a short swim at the Y, I was heading home and noticed this amazing cloud formation. I grabbed the iPhone and snapped this shot at about 6:15 pm...

That's about it for now!

Forest Hills 5K...I got an award!!

I have never won an award in my running career, until today! At the first annual Forest Hills 5K I cranked out a 6:58 pace to become the 3rd place winner in my age group with a PR finish of 21:18 and overall finish of 28th, and at 47 years old, I'll take it with a grin!

The event was terrific with a total turnout of over 2000; the expected number was supposed to be only around 800.

Knees Suck; But I Need Them!

Ok, so see how my wife is sitting? See how how my daughter Greta is sitting? Their knees are bent and they look so comfortable. The dogs don't care...but I cringe! My knees are killing me right now, perhaps it's because I pushed too hard at the pig? Didn't stretch enough? Right knee has bursitis (I think). Painful. Can't walk right...stairs suck, etc. I'm thinkin' it's time to visit the Doc.

So, what to do? I went for a good swim today, hacked out some honeysuckle from our yard, and iced the knee. I am hoping all is OK for next weeks Mt. Airy trail run. This is such a fun event, and to those that read this, be there! It's a one (5.3 mi), or two loop (10.5 mi) event that really goes deep into the heart of the Mt. Airy trails. It's also a great introduction to the Stone Steps 50K and 27K (New this year) held in October.

Getting old? I'm not ready for that yet.

TTFN

Nuthin' Like 10,000+ Wet, Soggy Pigs!

The Sunday morning 6:00 am weather forecast was for a 100% chance of rain, and they were right. Ten hours after this photo was taken, this dry, pristine shirt and shoes were subjected to a heavy, drenching rainfall, thunder, and a few bolts of lightning thrown in for drama.

The 6:30 start was no different. Even though we were all trying to avoid puddles to keep our feet as dry as possible, it was futile, yet despite the rain, thousands of plastic bag-covered runners, the largest field ever, braved the elements and took off for the hills of Kentucky and Cincinnati for the 11th annual Flying Pig Marathon. Fortunately, the temperatures were in the upper 60's, so even though we were all soaked to the core, it wasn't that bad.

I felt great the entire 1/2 marathon distance and was hoping for a 1:30 finish, but the crowd was too large to really push my pace; of course the hills were also a major factor. But, once I tackled all of the hills at the 8 mile point, I felt strong enough to maintain 7-7:30 pace for the remaining 5 miles for a 1:46 finish.

Good race, not too cold, happy with the result!

TTFN

Coopers Hawk - Our New Neighbor

We have a very impressive friend on our street this spring. This Coopers Hawk has found a nice home on the trees of our home stretch. The first time I saw him (her) he was feasting on a goldfinch carcass, and very contently, I may add. His preferred perch is across the street in a tall ash tree that delivers a great view of the area.

The Coopers Hawk feasts on birds and small rodents...Greta thinks this is a form of cannibalism, but it's just life. Welcome!

Dogwood's aBloomin'

We've had a devil of a time with our Dogwood trees over the years, but this Spring we had a nice set of blooms on our pink one. It's not a big tree, but sure is purty! My goal is to take the 4 yards of mulch we received today and make the rest of the yard a little purtier!

Went for a short 1000 yd swim this morning, but felt a little sluggish today; I think it was because it was so nice outside, and I was inside!

TTFN

Dog Days of Spring

Courage, our faithful Chessie is a great dog. Friendly, affectionate... and old. This is a closeup of him laying in the yard today on a beautiful spring afternoon in Cincinnati, but look close and you can see how foggy his eyes are becoming. He gets around OK, but moves slowly. We're not really sure just how old he is, but the vet estimates around 10-11, so there's not much time left for this good ole dog. He's been a challenge at times, but we couldn't ask for a better companion.

Anyway, on to happier things: went for a mile swim yesterday and a nice 10 miler today, so I should be fine for the Flying Pig half. I think my days of long distance are winding down. I just keep getting injured on the really long runs. But, we'll worry about that later. I'm not ready to throw in the towel.
TTFN

Easter Has Come...and Gone

The girls look great on their way to church on Easter morn. Me? I stayed home and went for a short run.

It was a beautiful, but kind of hot day for egg and basket hunting, then off to Dan and Peggy's for a nice brunch.

That's about it!
TTFN