Can't complain about the weather

This morning I ran in a suburb of Chicago. As I ran beside a small lake on an unfamiliar route I heard footsteps behind me. I looked back and a guy was breathing hard as he caught up to me.

As he reached me he slowed and said, “What do you think about this weather?”

It was cool and in the 60’s with 40% humidity and I said, “I think it’s great. I’m from the coast of Texas and it is 75 and high humidity even in the early morning. The weather here is almost perfect.”

He scoffed and said, “Wait until this weekend it will be just like Texas; humid and almost 90 degrees.”

Then he kicked in the afterburners and left me behind.

I won’t be here this weekend; I will be home where it is really hot. Most of our attitude in life is about perspective.

Four-Mile Tempo

I ran a four-mile tempo run yesterday. Jakeb ran the first two with me and he did a good job of hanging close. We put together a half-marathon training program that starts for him in July. I think it seems a little overwhelming for him as he sees the whole training program but we talked about how he will have to take it a run at a time. I know how intimidating it can be to think of how far you have to run towards the end of a training program. I wish I would have had the same opportunity at thirteen.

I was supposed to run my four-miler at 8:30 pace but got a little carried away with the last two.

8:30, 8:23, 8:11, 8:13

This morning I ran slow four and it was hot. The rest of the week will be hit and miss and hopefully next week I will get in a routine rhythm.

Later …

Weird to walk

No one walks anymore. I was at the doctor's office not too long ago to get a shot before going to a foreign place. My car broke down and I was a little more than two miles from home.

I thought to myself, "I run farther than this every morning and I have time. Instead of bother someone I will walk home and get Andrea to bring me back to get my fried ride."

As I walked home a old friend stopped to ask if I needed a ride. I thanked him and said, "No, I'll walk."

He looked at me funny.

Later someone else told me I was weird for walking. "Why didn't you just make a phone call?"

Much of what I do is seen as "weird" or insane.

A walk home from the doctor's office… Running for the simple pleasure of it… Trying to live a life devoted to God...

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

Next?

Now that I have returned from Nepal my life is kind of at a transition place. I spent the months leading up to Nepal running and lifting weights so I would be ready to backpack and now I need to work towards another goal. (to the left is another random Nepal pic)

Next week I am going to a conference in Chicago and I will run some there but when I get home I have decided to start training for The White Rock Marathon in December. I chose the White Rock Marathon rather than Houston because my son Jakeb wants to run the half-marathon in Houston in January and I will run it with him.

In terms of the marathon I am ready to run something new. I’ve done Houston for the past two years and I really enjoy it but it is time to end the marathon monogamy.

In the middle of training for The Rock I will run an Adventure Race with my brother Toby. On August 19 we will race in the REI Texas State Championship Adventure Race Series in Muleshoe Bend Park near Austin. This is a first for me so I am looking forward to it.

Now that I have something to work towards running will have more than just random meaning.

Back home ... where I belong.

I am back from my mission trip to Nepal. I hiked until my legs hurt, saw some incredibly beautiful sights, and made some new friends (a goat included).

It is good to be home with the family again. I am looking forward to the routine of running.