random thoughts

I will try this again as I completed the entire blog and as I was getting ready to publish it vanished into electronic cyber space. Technology, love it, hate it.

Today I was not that busy at work and I had a lot of random thoughts. It almost hurt thinking that much.

Most of the time I stick strickly to running in this blog. But today will just be a lot of rambling. Some on the topic of running but mostly just obscure thought put into type. So here it goes...

I was thinking, why do I have 14 bottles of salad dressing in the fridge? I mean I bought as many salad dressing bottles as I did running shoes this year. Thank goodness I retired some of the shoes after putting 400 miles on a pair but I can not say the same about the salad dressing. I was greatful for donating 13 pairs of warn out shoes at S.O.B. At least they might end up as part of a Junior High track some day. And why do I have over a half a dozen different kinds of hot sauce and tabasco bottles? Heck I have that many different kinds of mustard also. I don't even like mustard all that much. But no, I still have seven bottles of the yellow stuff in the fridge.

O.K., some running content:

I had written down Janurary 3rd of this year to run 14 Ultra's. Nice, did all of them plus one. Well, I did substitute RDL 100 for Sunmart 50 miler. Not bad substitue I figure. Nice to check off the races as the months went by. Plus, six out of seven PR's. And a couple by more than an hour. (only non-PR was S.O.B. three weeks after States. I just ran and took 70 pictures that day while on the course. Missed a PR that day by one minute) I figure next years schedule will look close to the same. Either three or four 100's though. (sorry not an Olga or Catra) Going to start the year off with three fat ass runs in Janurary. Heck, they will only cost me $3 total for entry fees. Can't beat that. Just a great way to enjoy the trail and see friends. Got to love the Oregon Trail Series also. Just great training and racing. They just fall into great timing for the 100's that I want to do. One more way to see great places and friends.

Non-running content:

Goals. Yes, already started thinking about goals for next year. No, I don't make New Years resolutions. I just set goals. Like to lose about 10 pounds. Lost a little over 10 pounds last year. Went from 24% body fat to 17% getting ready for States. Oh the days of less than 7% body fat are long gone. Heck, I'm not 18 any more. Oh, got to get rid of some of this gut. I had abbs 30 years ago. Would like something that resembled abbs just one more time. No, I won't be a John Ticer. A fricken ripped 49 year old fireman that will obliterate the Super Masters record at States when he gets in again at age 50 or more.

Black. Yes, I said black. I am surrounded by it. My truck is black. My dinnerware is black. Stereo, watch, wallet, birkenstocks, and back pack are all black. I run in black shorts along with black sunglasses. O.K., Kyly did make me run in the puke green shorts at WS so she could see me coming into aid stations. Had to do it you know. Can't piss of the crew chief/boss.

But I always choose black. Why is that. Is it a "guy" thing? Heck my toenails were black for six months also. (at least when I had them) Have to follow suit I figure. The beverage... Black. Yes, Stout is the beer of choice. Black as Black can be. And let us not forget coffee. Black. So black you could swear that a spoon could stand up in it. And almost a pot of the stuff a day. Oh, that can't be good. I guess it goes with the Guiness I can be seen drinking now and then. So it is black.

Running:

A couple more goals. Run all 100's in under 24. And of course get under 14 at Waldo. Don't know about Miwok yet. Will do it if I get into States. But I wasn't that impressed by it last year.

Random:

I was thinking today, when I last had a piece of chocolate. I honestly can't tell you the last time I had any. I mean it might be up to at least a year. Really. Just don't crave the stuff. Oh yea, I love the stuff. I remember as a kid that I would have halloween candy left over from a year as the next holloween would come around. But I just don't remember when I had any chocolate last.

Running:

Changes in training next year? Not a whole lot I guess. Will do an early morning run because I can't always get out at lunch time for my first run of the double for the day. That way I will be assured of getting in doubles every day. Will try for 12 weeks of 100 miles a week instead of 10. Still focus on 15-18 weeks of 90+ again. That seemed to work. Plus, I get to eat six meals a day when I do that. Yummy.

Eating: Push the protein again. 287 servings of salmon/tuna did the trick last year for six months leading up to States. Figure can't change what worked. 113 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches might have to change for those six months though. Maybe throw in a turkey sandwich or two. The baked beans... Gotta stick with them also. The 35 cans I had during six months of training gave me some good solid calories to finish those long six hour runs. Heck I will be eating two more at Autumn Leaves 50 miler. Eating and running. Eating and running. Round and round we go as Rob said. Very well put. Gotta love it.

Random:

Cheese. I hate the stuff. The smell, the texture, everything. I remember working in a Pizza Parlor in high school and the smell would nauseate me when I would first set foot in the door. Really it would. But then again why do I like pizza? Really, I could eat it every day. I did for a few years as I ended up managing the pizza parlor. Pizza every day. Heck, I had pizza for dinner tonight. So why is that? Don't put cheese on a sandwich, an omlet, or even a hamburger. I will not take a bite. Yuk. I hate cheese. (oh, hate mushrooms and olives also.) (same kinda thing, smell and texture.)

Done:

O.K. Like I said, I was slow today at work. The synapses were working overtime. I think I might have hurt something actually. The grey matter just hasn't had that much electrical current running through it in a long time. I wonder if I bruised something? O.K., that is physiologically impossible. Well, I can have my co-worker do and MRI on my brain tomorrow to make sure everything is intact. But then again he would really have to do a "functional" MR to see the brain activity. And really that could be quite depressing. Because you see, there isn't a lot going on up there most of the time. I will leave well enough alone. Now it is time to finish my very "black" Guiness and call it an evening.

Now I look forward to my next run. Really enjoying these last few weeks. Just thankful that I was given the gift to do this. Very thankful and look forward to next year.