Day 1122 -- Jogger's Progress

	Trip	YTD	Apr
Distance	7013.3	619.0	179.2
Time	47 days, 4 hrs, 42 min	4 days, 9 hrs, 41 mins	31:58
Days	1122	91	22
States	23	4	1

And so, April 2010 goes into the books. It was the longest April in JogAmericaBlog history, beating April 2007 by a little over five miles. It would have been a lot longer, except for the unscheduled days off. There were only four Mondays in April, so I should have run 26 days. But I took an unscheduled day off each of the four weeks. I feel bad about that, but not terrible. A couple of those days I really needed, and the other two, well, I can't get them back now, even if I wanted to.

May, 2010, will include the Madison Marathon. It's just over four weeks away. Wish me luck.

Days 1120 and 1121 -- Catching Up

Sorry I've been out of touch. Here's what I've been up to...

Monday was a scheduled day off. I probably wouldn't have posted, anyway, but in this case, I couldn't, because Monday evening, we went to see a program of Chinese music and dance at the University. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I can be something of a philistine when it comes to music and dance. But they did a great job. I think all the little Joggers enjoyed it, too.

Tuesday, I ran a little tempo run. It was OK, if a bit cool. In the evening, I gave the last Calculus exam before the final. I took my laptop, so I could update the blog. I downloaded the above picture of the Mackinac Bridge from Mackinaw City, pasted myself into it, and I was all set to post when the Internet went down. Well, perhaps not the entire Internet, but whatever piece of it was connected to the room where I was giving the exam.

Wednesday, I didn't run at all. The alarm went off, but I just stayed in bed. So Wednesday night, I could probably have gotten caught up, except for two things. It was the medium Little Jogger's birthday, and we had some celebratin' to do. Plus, we just that day took delivery of three three-week old kittens that someone had found abandoned, which broke Mrs. Jogger's heart. So she snapped up the kittens, and last night we all had to hold them all a dozen times each.

So today, I got in a very slow seven miles. It's still kind of cool for the end of April. I managed to slog through the day, and I'm finally getting a little time on the computer. In the virtual run, I have just about made it to Carp Lake, which may or may not be where you can find this beach.

Day 1119 -- Macinac Bridge

OK, I seem to be bucking traffic here. I'm sorry, I don't have any pictures of myself from the back.

This is the annual Labor Day walk across the Mackinac Bridge. Apparently, Dana took the walk in 2002. Grandma Jogger and the Photographer have done it, in 2006 or 2007, I guess. I have never been, but I think it would be fun.

For those not in the know, Mackinac is pronounced "Mackinaw", and in Mackinaw City, on the south end of the bridge, it's even spelled that way. But the bridge, the straights that it crosses, and the nearby island all spell it the traditional way.

Today's long run began in the rain. If you are going to run in the rain, it's much better for the rain to start after you've been out for a while, and a warmed up. It's pretty hard to take that first step out the door when it's raining, particularly if you just got out of a nice warm bed. But I took it, and after five or six miles, the rain let up, leaving me with only a cool breeze to deal with. It wasn't a bad 16 miler. I felt good about what I got done.

Day 1118 -- Gros Cap

OK, I admit it: I'm seven or eight miles short of Gros Cap. But with 15 miles on the schedule for tomorrow, I should run right through it. So I thought I'd go ahead and run by the Gros Cap Cemetery. This is another photo from the GenWeb project. Nobody from the Jogger family seems to be buried in Gros Cap.

I'm glad I took yesterday off. I felt pretty strong for the first five miles or so. I slowed down a little for the last couple of miles. It was a bit cool, but fortunately it didn't rain while I was out there. We'll see if I'm that lucky tomorrow.

Day 1117 -- Brevort

Well, I don't see how I could resist this one. In searching for photos from Brevort, Michigan, I stumbled across the Outhouses of America Tour. Now that's a hobby for you. Here you find the women's outhouse from the rest area near the Cut River Bridge. Hey, I was just on the Cut River Bridge yesterday. Somebody had it listed as near Epoufette, and these guys had it listed as near Brevort.

Oh, in case you're wondering, the Outhouses of America Tour does have an on-line store. So step right up and buy a CD, a DVC, an outhouse TP dispenser, or even just some rock art.

I felt terrific this morning after some interval work at the track, but then I was sore all day. I'm seriously thinking about taking an unscheduled day off tomorrow. I could use the rest. And the last thing I want to do five weeks from the marathon is to injure myself trying too hard.

Days 1115 and 1116 -- Epoufette

Epoufette is pronounced "EE-poo-FETT" according to Hunt's Guide to Michigan's UPPER PENINSULA. They didn't have any really good photos at Hunt's Guide, so I stole this one from jacalynsnana's Flikr stream. Nana says this is the Cut River Bridge, but provides no more details.

I didn't post yesterday because I had a fun meeting from 6:00 to 9:30. I am on the search committee for the University's new provost. We accomplished a lot, but as in any meeting with more than a handful of people, we also spun our wheels a lot.

I did run yesterday, a five mile tempo run, and today, a slow 4.5 mile jog. My legs are still pretty sore from Sunday's long run. But it's a good sore. The kind of sore that means I'm getting stronger.

Days 1112, 1113, and 1114 -- Pardon the Interruption

I ran Thursday morning. It was an easy run, overall, with six 100-meter hill sprints thrown in the middle. But Thursday evening I had computer trouble, and didn't get a chance to post.

I ran Friday morning. It was about 6.5 miles, at a moderate pace. But then I jumped in a car with my friends and headed up to Oshkosh for our spring statewide professional meeting. I'd write about it, but you know, what happens in Oshkosh stays in Oshkosh. Anyway, I got a chance to check my e-mail, but not to post on my blog.

I did not run Saturday morning in Oshkosh. We got back in the late afternoon, and I could have posted yesterday, but I didn't.

And this morning, I ran 23.6 miles. As I have been doing, it was not fast, but I did tough it out and run the whole distance, with just a few walk breaks, roughly every three miles. I'm sore now, but happy. One more long run before the marathon.

So, between one thing and another, I've put 35 miles between me and Gulliver. I'm all the way to Naubinway, and a bit past. To make up for my lack of posting, I have included two Naubinway photos.


This first photo is Anchor In Naubinway, a cafe and deli. Naubinway may be in the middle of nowhere, but by golly, you can get a cappuccino and wi-fi at the Anchor In Naubinway.


On the other hand, Naubinway is quiet enough that the moose roam the streets, and sometimes even have their babies in somebody's front yard.

Day 1111 -- Gulliver

Many of the top Google images for Gulliver, Michigan, are of this lighthouse, the Seul Choix Point Lighthouse. According to US-Lighthouses.com, Seul Choix is French for "Only Choice." Apparently, there aren't very many places to put to shore around here.

Nice run this morning. A little cool, with a brisk wind. But I felt good.

Day 1110 -- Manistique

Manistique, MI, has the the advantage that, unlike some of the towns I've visited recently, it's not anybody's last name, it's not a a verb, and it's not a town in France. It also has this lovely Pumping Station, which I got from Wikimedia Commons.

I had a very nice run this morning. After taking yesterday off, I felt pretty strong. The weather was good, and I ran a decent pace, even though I tackled some hills.

Day 1109 -- Thompson

Hunt's Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula says that "Thompson is little more than a crossroads at the intersection of U.S. 2 and M-149," but that "During the 1880s and 1890s, Thompson was a busy fishing port and sawmill town." It still has this convenience store, anyway.

Today was an off day for my long run. Only 13 miles. (You know you are a runner when...you use the word "only" to describe a 13 mile run.) I warmed up for the first three miles or so, and then tried to hold a good pace for the rest. I managed to keep a 10:20 pace, which is not bad over that distance. I'm feeling pretty good at this point.

Day 1108 -- Cooks

Two signs in a row. Oh, well. This is the sign at the Old Cooks Cemetery in Cooks, Michigan. I found it at USGenWeb Archive. I think genealogy must be easier now than it was 15 or 20 years ago.

I managed a run this morning, though it wasn't very fast. It was warmer this morning than the previous couple of mornings. It was a great morning for a run. And I enjoyed it, even if I didn't break the world record.

Day 1107 -- Palm Book State Park

The photo gallery at atomicsatchel.com provides this sign at Palms Book State Park. Palms Book is a little north of where I'm currently running. According to the state of Michigan, a representative of the Palms Book Land Company sold the park -- all 90 acres of it -- to the state in 1928 for $10. Even accounting for inflation, that seems to be a pretty good deal.

I didn't manage to run yesterday. I just couldn't get out of bed in the morning. I decided I could run at noon; I'm not that busy at noon on Thursdays. I made it through the morning, and was just getting set to go to the gym, when my stupid calendar program piped up and reminded me of a noon meeting. Hmph. If I had left a few minutes earlier, I would have happily forgotten the meeting. But I suppose, I would have felt guilty later. It was a small committee, and they really needed me there.

I did get up and run this morning. Frankly, I didn't feel much like this this morning, either, but I knew better than to skip two days in a row. I would have been major cranky today. I did have a good run, and ended up having a good day.

Day 1106 -- St. Jacques

OK, I give up. I can't find any decent photos of this part of the Upper Peninsula. Isabella? Nothing. There's a Lake Isabella somewhere in Michigan, but not here. Garden Corners? Nothing. Lots of gardens, lots of corners, but not the town of Garden Corners. St. Jacques? Well, there are some pictures of Coquilles St. Jacques. And this photo, of the Tour St. Jacques. In Paris. France. The word "Michigan" no doubt appears on the page somewhere.

A very, very easy five this morning. Yesterday I did a tempo run, so to keep my average pace down, I went really slow this morning. Any slower, and I'd have been going backwards. No thunderstorms, so I ran outside. It was cold and a little drizzly, but not as bad as tomorrow, when we may have SNOW.

Day 1105 -- Gladstone

The Gladstone Area High School, "Home of the Braves". Don't get me started on Native American nicknames for sports teams. Suffice to say that I haven't heard any good solid arguments in favor of them.

Thunderstorms this morning led me to run indoors. It was fine, except I ended up running late, because the gym opens so late. (Yes, it has been pointed out to me that ordinary people do not consider opening at 6:00 to be "late".) In any case, I felt pretty good, even after my 20 miles on Sunday. Tomorrow, an easy 5.

Day 1104 -- Happy Easter

I got up early this morning and ran 21.3 miles. Quite the way to greet Easter morning. It was a good run. Like last week, it wasn't terribly fast, but like last week, I managed to keep running. No unscheduled walk breaks.

I'm happy with my progress at this point. I have not actually run a spring marathon before. The last time I signed up for one, the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon in 2008, I never made a 20 miler. At about 18, I decided that the training was too much to keep up during the semester, so I cut back and run the half. This year, I made my twenty. I have two more 20 milers on the schedule. I expect to run them, but even so, I think I proved today that I can make it.

Day 1103 -- Escanaba

At the north end of Escanaba State Forest is the town of Escanaba. Their web site describes them as "The Heart of Upper Michigan". And they wouldn't lie about something like that, would they? This boardwalk photo is from TravelPod.com. Mrs. Jogger suggests that this may not be the best view of the woman closest to the camera.

I ran another 5.5 miles today. Today's schedule said five, and it occurred to me that 5.5 yesterday and 5.5 today was the same as 6 yesterday and 5 today. We'll see tomorrow whether that was a mistake.

Day 1102 -- Escanaba State Forest

I haven't been paying attention to my surroundings. I've been looking for towns to visit, and missing the fact that I'm running right through Escanaba State Forest. According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the State Forest has over 100 miles of roads. And this is one of them.

Not a bad run this morning. I was supposed to do six, but I just got out and ran for a while, and it turned out to be 5.5. That's OK. With a 20 miler looming on Sunday, I don't need to kill myself on Friday.

Day 1101 -- Hermansville

Lots of interesting choices for a photo from Hermansville, MI, but I settled on this one from Shane's album of a million car shows and various other pictures. This is the Hermansville Mud Run. If you are the type of person who likes trucks and mud, this is the place to be, I guess.

I had a decent run this morning, although frankly I wish I had been more rested after my day off. I did about six miles.