Friday, Sept. 18, 70's, blue sky, gorgeous. Maxon Road, short maintenance gallop.
Sunday ... again, gorgeous. 10k on the Ellicott bikepath in Buffalo.
Tuesday, gray, humid, wet. 3 1/2-4 miles, Portland Avenue, Titus Avenue to Culver Road, Rochester.
Wednesday, drizzly, warm, humid. 2 miles to Peek Street.
Here's my mid-term vacation report card:
Diet: B-
Training: B-
Health: B-
Peace of mind/Quality of life: A+
As my brother astutely pointed out, the better you do in the last subject, the worse off you'll be in the other three, especially diet, but I'm doing OK so far.
The Equibase comment for my Friday work is "middle of the pack, no response."
We were babysitting my nephews in Buffalo on Saturday, and Sunday I got in a monster work before the Bills game. The bikepath is about a mile and half from my sister's house, and it is tremendous. It's wide, blacktopped, and they painted tenth-of-a-mile markers. I was planning on turning around at 1.5 and lost track of the markers because I was eyeballing this pretty stream that runs along the path, so I turned around at 1.6.
The Tuesday work was very good, too, and valuable, since there are two big hills on Titus that you hit going out and coming back. I put in a nice, extended surge on the way home and finished with a pretty good kick.
Wednesday was a pro forma jog. Pretty lousy. I was sluggish and feeling some effects from Tuesday night, but I'm still glad I did it.
The B- in training is linked to the B- in health, insofar as I sat out Monday because I developed a twinge in my left knee that must have happened when we were throwing the football around at the Bills tailgate. It doesn't bother me when I run, because my knee is always flexed a little bit. When I finished my Tuesday work and walked it off, I felt something akin to a guitar string being plucked in the back outside of my knee. I didn't like that. I only feel it when I walk and my leg is fully extended and locked straight. I've never had knee problems, ever - other than some very manageable runner's knee - and I don't plan to start now, so taking Monday off was a good idea.
I walked 9 holes at Schenectady Muny on Tuesday and 18 at Saratoga Spa State Park on Wednesday, and didn't feel any knee twinges, so I'm pretty sure this issue will pass. My brother kicked my butt both days. So what else is new. He came within three inches of eagling No. 9 at the Spa, and I made a long bending bomb of a putt. For bogey.
The B- in diet comes with the comment "not bad, could've been better." Hey, I'm on vacation. I had what will likely be my last plate of chicken wings until after the Stockade-athon, I ate a small bag of Bugles (a guilty pleasure) and hammered six chocolate chip cookies at my sister's house in Buffalo. Sue me.
The good news: I had the broiled haddock at Shamrock Jack's and ordered it WITHOUT stuffing, and my mom and sister each had a box of Cheerios to offer, so breakfast has continued to be light and nutritious. I even wore my yellow Cheerios t-shirt on Sunday. Helloooo, endorsement deal, please? They had some nice make-your-own burritos at the tailgate. The theme all over the Ralph was popcorn, in honor of Terrell Owens, who was photoed kicking back a box of popcorn after scoring a touchdown one time, or something like that. I resisted what was not a very powerful urge to eat one of the chocolate-covered popcorn footballs that a woman made. Chicken livers and fried chicken at Hattie's Wednesday night. Amazingly, I only got through the wing and the drumstick, and have the breast and thigh beckoning from my refrigerator.
I have to say babysitting my nephews, who are 4 and almost 2, was a workout, since we had not one, but two, pillow fights. I was supposed to learn how to change a diaper, but my nephew Shane graciously chose not to pump out any material. How tough can it be, anyway, with all the velcro and tape or whatever they use to fasten these things nowadays? It's not like they were going to come home to find us all with safety pins sticking out of our eyes.
All in all, I think I'm doing OK so far. And once this vacation is over, it's time to really get serious. I haven't deprived myself of anything, while maintaining some decent fitness. The runs in Buffalo and Rochester were quality. And seeing my family has to be a tremendous psychological boost.
Wildlife Watch: I neglected to mention last week that I saw a huge cream-colored katydid on the bikepath near Peek Street. It almost seemed like it was albino. That was unusual. On Wednesday, there was a Schenectady PD cruiser blocking the bikepath, but that meant the Small Furry Creatures were held at bay, at least for another day. The last thing I want to see is somebody capping a chipmunk, but my paranoia continues to grow. I do not want to get jumped by a pack of rodents ...
