Running

Last Friday afternoon, I was up for something gentle so I went to Maple Woods Nature area for a hike:

It was pretty warm, temperature above freezing. I enjoyed my hike.

On Saturday afternoon, temperatures did get up into the 50s. I went running on Line Creek trail. About 4.5 miles into the run, I experienced what often happens in Missouri: sudden weather change. I turned around at the far north end of the trail and was hit in the face by alot of cold rain and 20 mph wind. Temperatures went from 57F to 42F just like that. It was cold so I had to speed up the running. Luckily, after I got about a mile south, the rain and wind let up. As I got a couple more miles south and about a half mile to the car, it started raining again. By then I thought, " I don't want to quit. I've only been out here 8 miles. Oh wait. I have a rain suit in the car!" So when I got to the car, I put on the rain suit. But the wind was real strong and the rain driving. I became scared when a branch fell on the trail behind me. So I only stayed out another two miles.

Today, Sunday was perfect. I went to Shoal Creek trail and did ultra pace for 16.4 miles. Yay! Long distance running!

I really want to go in a 50k in about 3 weeks; but I'm not signing up for it until I see what the weather is. I really want to be an ultra-marathoner but I don't know until after the 50k if I am up for 50 miles. There is a 50 mile race at the end of April. I do have time to get ready.

I did my strength training today also.

I think lifting coffee urns at Starbucks has caused greater definition in my abdominal muscles. You know, every ten minutes for a six hour shift, I move around the coffee urns and start new batches of coffee. I also lift heavy bags of coffee grounds and take them out to the dumpster. I also climb ladders and bring down boxes of coffee or whatever. I think my body is much more durable now than it was when I had a desk job.

I had a vision of oneness last week. See at Starbucks, I don't make the drinks. I feed the machine. I bring the milk and the chocolate and the syrup and the cups and the ice and whatever else. But this ties me to the whole world. Every part of the planet comes to me, I feed the machine and it goes out again to our customers. It is nice to ponder the little things of this life. Or maybe it is a big thing.

I retired in order to become a writer. The writing project continues on at whatever pace; usually 2 to 3 hours a day. Even on work days I achieve this amount of attention to my projects. I'm learning a lot about myself as I read old journals or write about experiences I've had.