On what my mother would call a “bluebird day”, reminiscent of another one fifteen years ago, I ran today in memory of all that was lost on that terrible day.

As I ran, I thought about those that were lost, those left behind, and all the aftermath of that awful morning.  I thought about where I was when it happened, and how I’ve marked Patriot’s Day ever since.

I ran a meter for each soul lost, and I ran some extra, because sometimes that’s what you need to do.

Hug your family today.  Revel in your life.  Thank God for your blessings.  And thank Him for this great country.

Race Course

As has been my frequent routine this year, I started out the weekend with plans for two runs, one Saturday morning, and another on Sunday morning.  Being that the temperatures were very comfy (about 75°, and not a ton of humidity), I figured I should get out and do it.

Unfortunately, I waited until late morning to get out.  I did get out though, and that’s the important part.  However, that meant the air temperature warmed-up through my outing, which is something I’m not a fan of.

As I’ve watched the Olympics over the last couple of weeks, I realized that each of those fast, fast runners had something that I don’t usually have  that much of… sweat.  So, on this morning, I set out to sweat.  And sweat I did.

In fact, I had a pretty good run.  The first part was cloudy, and once the sun broke, I began to sweat like an Olympian in the 26th mile of the marathon.  I ran quite a bit of the course Saturday, with only one significant obstacle…

A cute golden retriever puppy.

You see, I have two hard rules for any event or outing.  I thank every first responder that’s securing a route for me, and I pet every dog.  It’s a great way to rest for a few seconds, and there’s something that’s just plain refreshing about getting a lick on the nose!

This event was sponsored by Moon Joggers, and benefitted Homes for our Troops.

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Thursday night, I was in bad need of a walk.

For me, running and walking are therapeutic.  I can clear my head, lower my angst, and get centered again.  I had had a “difference of opinion” with our headstrong little Roxy, after which I knew I needed to get out of the house and “walk it off”.  🙂  I got my gear on, fired up my headphones, and immersed myself in music and strides.

Of course, I didn’t look at the temperature before I left.  It was 95°.

I stuck to the neighborhood, much like I’ve done lately.  It’s less hassle not having to drive to a trail, and there are plenty of little neighborhood nooks and crannies to travel along.  On this night, I explored some of those nooks and crannies a couple of subdivisions over, and found the peace I needed.

By the time I got back to the house, though, I was melting.  A summertime 95° in Da Lou is miserable.  Not just hot, but typically humid, and Thursday lived up to that billing.  Blecch!  Done is done, though, and I was happy to get some miles in.

And given that this was a “puppy induced” run, I figured I’d finally get The Puppy Run completed from my “to do” box of virtual races.

I think that’s one of the great things about this sport.  You can literally do it anywhere and anytime, with planning or not, and be as competitive (or not) as you wanna be.  And when you just need to go let off some steam, you can do that too!

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This event benefitted Valhalla Rescue.

After a weekend of busted runs, I finally got out yesterday and put some miles behind me before a family shrimp boil.  As you can see in the course info below, it was cool, and rainy.

And that was perfect.

I really started out to just walk.  It was wet, and the sidewalks here get snotty slick in that kinda drizzle you get around the edges of a storm, so I figured I’d take it easy.  But then something cool happened.

I started running.

It was one of those weird runs, where you look at a landmark down the road — a telephone pole, a driveway, a road sign — and you just run to that point.  And every time I got to one of those landmarks, I’d spy the next one, and make a deal with myself on how I was gonna attack the next chunk of distance.

This was one of those rare runs where I’ve gotten in a wonderful rhythm that seemed like it would never end.  In this case, though, it had to end, as I had that shrimp boil waiting for me.  However, despite cutting it short, I knew that this was a foundational run for me, one where the mental benefit likely outweighed the physical one.

And that was perfect!

This event benefitted Homes for Our Troops.

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Yesterday, I knew I needed to get out before the heat got too bad, and I had a virtual race burning a hole in my pocket.  This race was supposed to be run today, but I had a “live” race that I’d signed up for, so this Father’s Day race got an early slot on my calendar.

Da Lou has been sweltering awful for the last week.  I thought if I got out early in the day, I’d beat the heat.  Unfortunately, my plans didn’t quite go like that, and it was closer to lunch before I headed out.  As you can see in the image of the race course, it was 84°, which is still in the melt me into a puddle range for me.

I got going on this new course that I’ve discovered.  It’s all sidewalks, with no major road crossings, and is pleasant enough, even with the heat, due to a pretty fair number of trees around.  That’s probably the only thing that kept me from deteriorating into a puddle o’ goo.

And then there was the lemonade.

Wren Trail, which is the big east-wester on my course, has a bunch little neighborhoods that back up to it, and on one of those, there were some kinds with a lemonade stand.  Brilliant!  Hot day, captive audience on the trail, and some ingenuity.  I bought my cup for 50¢ (along with a little tip — I don’t carry change when I run), and guzzled it down.  It wasn’t the tangiest lemonade I’d ever had, but it was there, and so was I… a match made in heaven!

There’s not much to talk about typically for these virtual events, but in this case, the key takeaway is that kids really should be manning lemonade stands during the summer on running routes.  It makes the run so much nicer!!!

This event benefitted the National Park Service.

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As I’ve written before, I’m a sucker for events benefitting patriotic causes, and this one, benefitting the Honor Flight Network, is as patriotic as they come.  If you don’t know who they are, check out their website, and their mission.

This was my first run since the St. Louis Triathlon last Sunday.  I know that it’s suggested to rest quite a bit after a long race — marathon, etc. — and I took that suggestion to also include the tri, which was my longest race of the year so far.

It’s really surprised me how little soreness I’ve had from the triathlon.  I was exhausted after the race, and felt that a little bit on Monday, but I really had no muscle soreness to speak of.  In fact, the only soreness I had was at the back of my head from where my noggin (ensconced in its bike helmet) tapped the ground in my stunning zero MPH bike wreck.  I was really expecting some upper body muscle stiffness to set in from the long swim, but that never materialized.

In truth, I really wasn’t feeling the run yesterday.  I’d intended to get up early, and get my feet on the street, but I didn’t sleep very well at all, taking a fair amount of coffee and breakfast to get me moving.  Unfortunately, by the time I got out the door, it was already 10am, and when running in Da Lou this time of the year, that means heat.

I melt in the heat.  Maybe not literally, but I feel like it.  My perfect running conditions are either rainy or temps around 40-50°, and yesterday had neither.  When I got on the Greenway, it was about 72°; when I hit the Jeep at the end of the run, the thermometer in read 83°.  Those are pretty extreme temperatures for me, and usually I don’t do well in them.

Despite the heat, this run felt pretty good.  It wasn’t the fastest I’ve ever run, but it was around average speed for me, and that’s a huge surprise, given the heat.  I had plenty of energy — and maybe that’s because I gave myself a good long rest after last weekend’s tri — and it helped make this a very comfortable run for me.

And that’s the reward.  On those days when it’s tough to get my feet pointed to the street, I’m usually rewarded with good runs, and a sense of accomplishment for having gotten myself out there.  Yesterday was no exception!

This weekend, we honor those fallen heroes who have helped keep our country safe and free.  Their sacrifice has made it possible to do what I do, and I can certainly honor their memory with a little fundraising to support our heroes.

This event benefitted Honor Flight Network.  From their website:  Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.

Race Course

Today was the last warmup before the inaugural St. Louis Triathlon on Sunday.  And, with a nice sunny day, it’s hard not to get out and enjoy it.

This was my first return to the Greenway in almost two weeks — two weeks filled with unseasonably cool weather, and a lot of rain.  For the Greenway, that meant that it was… well… green, as promised.

About three-quarters of the way through the run, I encountered the most wonderful scent.  I stopped, recognizing the smell, but not quite placing it.  I looked around and found it … honeysuckles!  It was like being a kid again.  When I was growing up, we’d pluck the bloom, pull the center from it, and put the tiny drop of nectar on our tongues.  I thought about doing that today, but elected instead to finish up, and get back to the Jeep.

I took it easy today, partly because it’d been a while since my last run, but also because I didn’t wanna risk injuring anything before Sunday’s event!  As it ends up, I kept a pretty regular pace, albeit not exactly blazing speed.  However, it was just a regular ol’ chug down the path, a little warm for me, but coming pretty easily.

This event honored the memories of David Bowie and Alan Rickman, and benefitted the Gastric Cancer Foundation.

Race Course