Sunday, May 31, 2009

Another gorgeous cake


The littlest Little Jogger's birthday was last Monday, but with the medium Little Jogger not feeling well, we didn't really celebrate. So yesterday, Mrs. J finally made a special cake for the littlest, which we will eat this afternoon.

What do you mean, you don't recognize it? It's a Zoombini, of course! The Zoombinis are the main characters in a series of way cool video games. They have lots and lots of good math and logic puzzles for the kids to solve. The littlest has been playing Zoombinis lately, and he requested a Zoombini cake. As usual, Mrs. J was up to the task.

Day 873 -- Jogger's Progress


TripYTDMay
Distance5328.4744.1119.1
Time35 days, 3 hrs, 4 min
5 days, 2 hours, 54 mins
20:37
Days87311618
States1941

Well, I didn't make my May goal, because of the tendon thing. I didn't even make my goal of running pain free. It's better, but it's not all better. I'm just hanging in there. I've tentatively set goals of 23 days and 140 miles for June, but only if I can get my tendon back to 100%. Otherwise, I'll just have to take more days off.

I didn't get out early this morning. Fortunately, the littlest Little Jogger was singing during the early service at church, so we went to that service for a change. After that, I went and ran six and a half miles. It felt pretty good, but it's the second day in a row that I ran in the mid-morning. It gets pretty warm by mid-morning.

On the good news front, the medium Little Jogger is actually playing outside today with his friends. It's the most active he's been in 10 days. He's still sore, and no doubt he'll be whining tonight that his throat hurts REAL BAD! But at least for now, he's showing signs of progress.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Day 872 -- Race Report, Family Fitness Fun Run

Today was the first annual Family Fitness Fun Run sponsored by the public school system. We decided to get half the family involved, anyway. There were four events. First, there was a five minute run for kids in first grade or below. We have no one eligible for that one. Then there was a ten minute run for kids in 2nd through 5th grade. The littlest Little Jogger wanted to run that one. Then there was a two-mile walk, and simultaneously, a 5K run. I wanted to do the 5K, and the littlest Little Jogger wanted to do the walk, and recruited the oldest and newest Little Jogger to walk with him.

Unfortunately, we hit a bit of a hitch. I don't remember exactly what the woman said when we registered, but the gist of it was something like this. The 5-minute run was going to be around the soccer field (pointing to the west of the school) and the 10-minute run was going to have a longer course, which goes over there (pointing to the east.) What she meant was that both were starting in the same place, but the 10-minute run was going to go behind the school and make a loop on the east side. What I understood was that the 10-minute run was going to start on the east side.

So, we watched the 5-minute run, and cheered for everyone, especially the kids we knew. Then we walked over to the east side of the school to wait for the 10-minute run to start. Now, any person of normal intelligence would have figured out, after we stood there by ourselves for a few minutes, that we were in the wrong place. But I didn't catch on until they blew the whistle to start the 10-minute run.

Well, the littlest Little Jogger was pretty upset. He stood there and cried for most of the ten minutes, at which point I said, "The heck with it, let's run." So we lined up, I set my watch, and we ran together around the course for ten minutes. He flagged a little at times, but he ran the whole time. I'm proud of him.

After that, he decided not to walk the two miles. Since we were at his school, from whence he walks home by himself every day, he walked home by himself, and left me and the o&n Little Jogger to run the 5K.

I did decently, I thought. I started out too fast (of course), but still managed to finish in 26:38, a couple minutes faster than my 5K in April. The o&n Little Jogger alternated running and walking, and finished in 32 minutes or so.

By the time we got home, the littlest Little Jogger was fine. So all's well that ends well, I guess. We each got a new t-shirt, and we all got some exercise, so it was a fun event all around.

Sorry, no race photos. Nobody in our troop brought a camera. If I manage to get some photos from someone else, I'll be sure to post them.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Day 871 -- Boots


I'm afraid that this picture, from Flikr, falls under the category of "in the general area". It was taken on a road near Grass Creek, which is some miles to the west. But there ain't much out here.

I ran 7.7 miles this morning, at a decent pace. The weather has been very nice. Warm enough to wear shorts, but cool enough not to get overheated. It's a shame that I've missed so many runs in the last couple of weeks. But my tendon is feeling strong enough that I'm planning to get back to running full time.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Day 870 -- More Basin


There is a web site devoted to the woment's fur trade. It looks like they've got a lot of fun information. I visited them, because they have the story of building "bullboats" in Basin, Wyoming. The fellow in blue is Dale Bollman, aka Rabbit, and the lady is Jill, a member of the WFT.

I am getting lazy. I woke up early yesterday, but I didn't feel like running, and I just went back to bed. I felt the same this morning, but I managed to force myself out the door to run five and a half miles. My tendon is really not hurting much, except when I run. I really want to get to where it's not hurting even when I run. Soon. I hope.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Day 869 -- Basin


Downtown Basin, Wyoming, from Wikipedia.

I managed just over six miles today, my first back-to-back runs since the whole tendon thing started. It feels pretty good, overall. It does tighten up when I'm running, but I ice it right after, and then it doesn't give me any trouble all day. I hope that it will cease hurting when I run before too long.

The medium Little Jogger's recovery continues slowly. He is holding up pretty well, all things considered. He is a pretty sensitive little guy, actually. He likes to have his tags cut out of his T-shirts, because they itch him. So something major like pieces sliced out of his throat is really going to give him pain. The word "stoic" is not in his vocabulary. I just hope that it gets better soon.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Day 868 -- Greybull


Here I am in front of the former Masonic Temple in Greybull, Wyoming. If you are interested, this building is for sale for $36,900, which seems like a bargain, to me. It has "Numerous commercial opportunities."

I ran almost six miles today, at a decent pace. Saturday's run was dead slow. Today, I managed to run under 10 minute miles, which felt pretty good. I've iced my ankle. Now to see if it will hold up to another run tomorrow.

Mrs. Jogger and the Little Jogger had another rough night. Right now, they are dozing in the living room. I sure hope that he starts to feel better, for all out sakes.

And Happy Birthday to the littlest Little Jogger, who turns eight today. He is definitely wise beyond his years.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Twenty-two Years

May 24, 1987. Mrs. Jogger and I tied the knot. Twenty-two years later, we're still together and still in love. How's that for commitment?

It hasn't been the most pleasant anniversary ever. The medium Little Jogger is still pretty miserable. He hasn't been able to sleep, so Mrs. J hasn't gotten much sleep. The other four of us have been walking around on eggshells all day. But this, too, shall pass, and Mrs. J and I will get a chance to celebrate together. Someday.

I took another day off from running. My tendon is hardly bothering me at all. I hope to start stringing together two running days in a row, starting with tomorrow and Tuesday. Then we'll see what happens on Wednesday.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Day 867 -- South Big Horn County Airport


As I slowly approach Greybull, I'm passing the South Big Horn County Airport. There, in 2001, JetPhotos.net user Stephen Boreham took this photo of a Lockheed C130-A Hercules. Apparently, this particular plane crashed in 2002 while fighting a fire, with three crew on board.

I ran 12 miles today! I felt good about it. My tendon is a bit sore, but it held up OK. In the middle of the second four mile loop, I thought maybe it was going to give up, and I would have to cut my run short. But I didn't. Now I'm going to go back to taking it easy. I hope that by my next long run, next weekend, I will be good to go.

The medium Little Jogger is slowly getting better. He's still in a lot of pain, I'm afraid. We've heard that the third day is the worst. We've also heard that the fifth day is the worst. We'll see.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Day 866 -- Otto


From Flikr, the old silage barn near Otto, Wyoming.

I ran a little over six miles this morning, my longest run since the tendon flare up. It's definitely feeling stronger, but not quite all there. I'm trying to figure out just how far I can push it. The days off seem to help. I'm thinking I'm going to take another, then try a long run on the weekend. We'll see.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

One hurtin' cowpoke

No run today, but I have an excuse. We had to have the medium Little Jogger at the hospital in Dubuque (a half hour drive) at 6:45. He had his tonsils and adenoids removed.

He's been having recurring sore throats for a couple of years, that have been really bad this spring, so they finally decided that his tonsils have to go. They will run some tests, but they are hoping that this will end it. I hope so, too, because the poor little guy is pretty miserable right now. And they say it's going to get worse for a few days before it gets better. We're trying to keep him on pain medicine and popsicles, but I can't help feeling that five days of heavy sedation would do the trick. Not for him, for us.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Day 865 -- Emblem


Emblem, Wyoming. Population 10. Give or take a few, I imagine. This photo was posted by Ari Kahn to FotoTime. No idea what she's holding over her head, or why.

Well, with two more days off, and only 4 miles run today, my May goals have fluttered out the window. My current goal for the month is to run pain-free. I'm getting there. My tendon is definitely not as sore today as it has been. I just need to continue to take it easy.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Happy Birthday, Grandma!


Today, Grandma Jogger has reached 3/4 of a century. She is coming up later this afternoon for a celebration. We'll be happy to see her. We intend to hold onto her for at least another quarter of a century, if not longer.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

[Cake by Wessex Catering]

Day 864 -- Wagon Box Social Mountain Trail Run


I've posted photos from Burlington for two runs in a row, and I'm actually still not there. So I decided to go a little further afield. Back over my right shoulder is the town of Meeteetse, which hosts the Wagon Box Social Mountain Trail Run. They have a 5K, a 10K, and a 13K race. This year's race is June 27. I don't think I'll stick around to run it.

I did five miles this morning, and my tendon held up OK. I'm icing it right now. I have decided that I'm not going to run at all tomorrow. I was thinking about testing it on a long run, but a long run was what got me into trouble in the first place. The most important thing is to get it healthy, so it doesn't become a chronic condition. So no run for me tomorrow, and I'll shoot for 12 miles next weekend.

The semester has come to an end. I have my exams mostly graded. One class is entirely graded, and I only have a few questions on each of the other finals. I will try to get it done today, but so far I don't seem to be motivated to work on it. Grades aren't due until Wednesday.

In medical news, the medium Little Jogger is going to have his tonsils and adenoids out on Wednesday. He's been having troubles with them all spring, and the doctor just decided enough is enough. The surgery is routine, but the recovery promises to be pretty painful. I hope that it will be worth it, and he won't have sore throats like he's been having.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Day 863 -- Back in the Saddle


I got out and ran this morning. I admit, I was nervous. It blew up so fast. I went from no pain on Saturday to a twinge at the end of my long run on Sunday to too painful to run on Monday. So I didn't know how it would hold up. I ran a really easy 3 miles, and it held up OK. It hasn't bothered me too badly today. I'm going to try for five tomorrow. We'll see.

This is Kenra, a horse that's for sale. Or was for sale. The owner is in Burlington, so that's why Kenra came up on my Google search.

Monday, May 11, 2009

A Tender Tendon

When I finished my long run yesterday, my Achilles tendon was a bit tender. I didn't make much of it. It wasn't that bad. It was a little tight at times during the day, but I kind of shrugged it off.

I got up to run this morning, and before I made a mile, it was hurting pretty badly, and I was thinking seriously of the possibility of lasting damage. So I stopped, and walked home. It has been really sore all day today.

I'm not sure what to make of it. I hope that it's not going to last. Right now, I'm just going to rest it. I'm not even going to think about running tomorrow, and I'll re-evaluate on Wednesday. I'm a bit frustrated, but I hope that it will bounce back pretty fast.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Days 861 and 862 -- Burlington


Well, approaching Burlington. I'm still some 10 miles short of it, but there's not much out here to blog. This shot is from WyomingTourism.org.

I did run on Friday, but never got around to blogging it. Then I didn't run yesterday, and never really thought about getting caught up. So, sorry about the slight hiatus.

This morning, I did a long run of 11 miles. I did the Jeff Galloway, stop-and-start thing for the first eight miles, then just cut loose and ran the last three. In fact, I ran the last 5K in about 29:24, which is 5 seconds faster than my official time in the Fitness Means Life run a couple of weeks ago. If you'll recall, that run was not preceded by an eight mile warm up. So I feel good about that.

Friday was the last day of classes, with finals next week. I have some grading to do, of course. The Math Ed students have turned in portfolios to document their learning throughout the class. And the Discrete Math students have turned in their final proofs. I also have to write two of the three finals. The Math Ed final is in pretty good shape. It just needs some polish. But I'm having a lot of trouble with the Discrete Math final. Pretty soon, I'm going to give up and start stealing questions from my old finals.

Happy Mother's Day to Mrs. Jogger, Grandma Jogger, and all you mothers out there!

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Day 860 -- More Cody


The historic Irma Hotel in Cody, was built by Buffalo Bill himself, and named after his daughter. According to Dr. Lobojo, it has a lot of ghosts wandering around its halls. I believe that, at least metaphorically. Also from the same page is this truck. Dr. L doesn't really explain it. Oh, well.


I had a tough time getting going this morning. It was raining when I woke up, and very foggy. I almost took the day off. But finally, I dragged myself down to the gym and plodded out 5 miles. It was tough, but I made it.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Days 858 and 859 -- Cody


Here's an article from the web page of the Moto Guzzi National Owners Club. A Moto Guzzi appears to be a motorcycle. I have no interest in the article, really, but they do have a nice picture of "historic Cody, Wyoming". I'm a few miles short of Cody, so that will do.

I did run yesterday, an easy five, and then again today, a harder 7.5. Both days felt good, although I was really stretching it this morning. I will either take it very easy tomorrow, or take it off entirely.

My cold has eased up, but not quite gone away. The medium Little Jogger, meanwhile, has come down with some horrible thing that is affecting his glands and giving him a sore throat. They are running tests for strep and mono, and meanwhile have given him a cocktail of medicines that would make House, M.D., blush. The poor little thing. I hope that he will be better, soon. For all our sakes.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Day 857 -- More Wapiti


A little shout-out to my fellow blogger at FollowTheComet. He doesn't seem to have an "About me" link, so I don't even know his name. And he doesn't seem to have blogged since last November. But before he disappeared, he visited Wapiti, and posted two interesting photos. Above, a little coffee shop, where I can pick up a latte. Below, some kind of unfinished tower that someone inflicted on the Wapiti hillside.


I got in a nice 6.5 mile run today. It was a pretty morning, cool with no wind. Speaking of no wind, I'm still not 100%, but I finished the run, and that's what counts.

I went back to work today, and my students don't seem to have missed me that terribly. They are clearly in survival mode, with heaps of projects, papers, tests, and who know what-all. They don't want to hear anything but what's going to be on the final.

Sunday, May 03, 2009

Day 856 -- Wapiti


According to B&B On-line, Horseman's Paradise Bed and Breakfast, in Wapiti, "has been featured not once, but twice, in Horse & Rider magazine." Can't beat that. I guess you can stay there even if you don't have a horse.

Friday, I was so sick, I not only took the day off from running, but also from work. The second-to-last week of classes is not usually the best time to do that, but there it is. I got a colleague to cover the Math for Educators class, and I just canceled the Stats class. Friday was going to be the last day of new material, and we were going to have three days of review this next week. So now I'll finish up the new material on Monday, and we'll have two days of review.

Saturday, I felt much better, but I still slept in, and never found time later to run. So I got another day off. The last time I took two days off in a row was January 18 and 19. But I needed it, and I feel better today. I still had kind of a tough run, because I don't yet have all my wind.

Today was the official first training run for the Fox Cities Marathon. I have a more casual training plan this summer. Rather than planning out every day, all I have planned is my long runs. I have a gradually increasing schedule of long runs through the whole summer. But during the week, I'll just run as I'm able to. We'll see how that goes. Today's run was only 10 miles, and I'm actually grateful for that. I couldn't have done much more.