Speaking of "I've done better"...

I ran Grandma's Marathon Saturday. 5:02:47 on the chip. I kicked butt for about a dozen miles, then I ran out of juice. The Powerade wasn't doing it for me - it just gave me heartburn. I needed some real food. At about mile 16, people started handing out oranges and bananas, but those did nothing for the heartburn. Maybe all I needed was a couple Tums. When you're feeling beat up, the last thing you need is one more pain on top of all your aches. Oh! Hey! I just found this! That may have been another miserable performance, but it's up there with the top five great experiences of my life. (...wedding day, girls being born, finishing my first marathon...you know the drill.) Actually, I have to say that this was a PR for Grandma's. (I ran it in 5:12::03 last year.) And I know I can whoop @$$ on it. I'm thinking I should eat an energy bar at about 6 miles and another one at about 12. Or probably something pretty high in protein, though not a protein bar per se. I'll have to see what's out there. Protein helps a lot with the heartburn.

 But I will be carrying a couple Tums too.

 Here's me, trying to look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after the race (I was escorting the girls to the bathroom at the campground:













So, there's your race recap.

 I mentioned the campground. We decided to save a lot of money on this one, so we camped at Pattison Park, about 10 miles south of Superior, Wisconsin. (And seven miles west of where I grew up.)















I call this pic "I'm On Vacation":

(The older girl saw the sign - the rest of us were looking at something off to the right. I forget what.)







This here is what you go to Pattison for. We had a big thunderstorm that started right after the race and kept us in the pop-up trailer all afternoon. Then it cleared up about 6:00 PM and the park was absolutely magnificent!

I've done better.

I ran the TC 1-Mile again today. 7:50 was my chip time. The only thing I can blame somebody else for is that they pushed the race back 3 weeks into the middle of May from late April. On the other hand, the only reason that's a problem is that I'm now entering the last month of training for Grandma's Marathon on June 16th, so my training is focused on distance, not speed. I think I'm in better shape than I have been. I could have squeezed a little more out of those quarter miles and at least beaten last year's 7:39. I was winded at the end, but I recovered pretty quickly. I ran this the first time in 2006. I got 8:40. I remember being extremely winded at the end of that one. 8:05 in 2007; 8:41 in 2009... I'm pretty sure those were all gun times. In 2010, they started showing both gun and chip times, so my chip time then was 8:09. Last year, I think I paid more attention to my breathing and kept myself in the hard-breathing range. This year, I was a little afraid of doing that. I focused on shaving a few seconds off each quarter mile split. It work, sorta. Maybe if I can do both, next time. Next race: the Manitou 15K in White Bear Lake on June 2nd. I'm going to try for 9 minute miles all the way around. I mean nine even. Goal time: 1:23:40. Then we'll see what happens at Grandma's.

Fambly pix

Well, Hey Howdy Y'all!

Haven't been here for a while!

I thought I'd post my Holiday pics here.

Yes, that's the dog under those clothes. I call this picture "Merry Christmas!"

Yay! Loot!

Christmas at Mom's; 700 miles south.

That's Mom, my brother-in-law, the older girl and my brother. I forgot to open the flash and the picture came out yellow and grainy, but, if you don't blow it up, it's kinda pretty.

'Liina got on my nephew's bull.

No! Wait! I forgot I'm an old geezer! He's my great nephew!

My sister's rooster. He's probably got a name, but I didn't catch it.

67°F out New Year's Eve. Then we drove back home to 18°F. Couple inches of snow on the driveway with ice underneath. Or about 19° and -8°C, respectively. I think I did my math right this time.