Day 1364 -- Jogger's Progress

	Trip	YTD	May
Distance	8615.1	602.1	120.6
Time	59 days, 14 hrs, 2 min	4 days, 11 hrs, 20 mins	22:04
Days	1364	98	22
States	28	7	3

Well, I made my 22 days in May. I'm setting a goal for 22 in June. That's one fewer day off, of course.

In terms of mileage, May lost out to both February and March. Although I got in a lot of days, I didn't have that many long ones. So I'm setting a goal of 121 miles in June, just to beat out my mileage for May.

In terms of time, it was pathetic. I'm getting slower and slower as I get older. But at least I'm still running.

Day 1363 -- Christiana

From Wikimedia Commons, the Old Fort Church in Christiana.

I had planned to get up this morning and run my long run that I missed yesterday, because of the marathon. However, I had trouble getting to sleep last night, and at some point, I turned off the alarm. When I finally rolled out of bed, it was already warming up, so I only ran a little over three. I'm figuring I just won't get in a long run this weekend. That's OK. If I get in a run tomorrow, I'll make my 22 days in May.

Finish Line

Well, I admit that it wasn't as much fun as I had expected. The main problem was that there were too many of us. You can hardly blame the organizers for that. It's definitely better to have too many than too few. But there just wasn't enough for everyone to have something to do. Many of the finish line volunteers were teenagers -- there was at least one church group involved -- and they wanted to be helpful. So they crowded up near the finish line and shoved medals at people. My choices were either to elbow my way past them, or stand back with a couple of other old guys and hand out medals to the few people who slipped through the gauntlet. We also cheered a lot.

I was reminded of why I'm glad I'm not a serious runner. The guy who won the quarter marathon was pissed. I never heard exactly why. He was mad at the bike escort, who was trying really hard to apologize to him. So the bike guy must either have cut the runner guy off, or led him off course briefly. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been that bad. The runner guy still won the race by five minutes. But by golly, he was pissed, and he let everyone know it.

All weekend, I had the urge to join in. I couldn't help but envy the runners' broad smiles. It was cool and overcast, so that wasn't as bad as last year. But just about 10:30, when I would have had about an hour and a half left to run, it started raining steadily. So maybe it was just as well that I didn't run.

Day 1362 -- Minquadale

In July 2009, the Minquadale Village Homeowners Association, Inc. created the first resident-owned manufactured home community in Delaware. The group utilized state legislation passed in 2008 that provides residents the right of first refusal to purchase the land in their community. The community residents were assisted by a collaboration of several affordable housing organizations.

Scratched out a little over five miles this morning. It wasn't a bad day for a run. I hope that tomorrow is more of the same, because tomorrow is the Madison Marathon. No, I'm not running it. I'm volunteering. I went up today and volunteered at packet pick-up, and tomorrow I'll be at the finish line, handing out medals.

Day 1361 -- Delaware

Delaware is a new state for JogAmericaBlog. This sign comes from a blog that documents a 2003 cross country trip. It seems like the blog hasn't been updated for a while, but of course, nothing on the web ever dies.

I managed to get out and do my Thursday 5K this morning, only one day late. It was not quite as fast as last Thursday. I guess I'm just slower on Fridays.

Day 1360 -- Deepwater

I'm pretty close to Deepwater, NJ, and my Google search turned up the Deepwater Diner. OK, it's in Carney's Point. But Carney's Point isn't too far away from here, either. I got the photo from a blog called Diner Hunter, who says it has "solid tasty diner food". And you'd think, if he has a whole blog about it, that he would know.

Tuesday night, I was up late, waiting to pick up the Oldest and Newest Little Jogger after an away soccer game. So it was really, really hard to tear myself out of bed Wednesday morning, but I did it! I got changed, walked out the door, and heard the rumble of thunder. Crap. As it turned out, the thunderstorm never did get that close, but I couldn't know that. So I skipped yesterday.

Last night, I got to bed on time, and should have been able to get up and get moving, but I didn't. Fortunately, it's summer vacation, so I could get in a nooner, which I did.

Day 1359 -- Auburn

Not a lot of great pictures from Auburn, NJ, I'm afraid, but this one is at least a little odd. It's from the web site mitula.us, which seems to be a classified ad sort of sight. It's a listing for a 2008 Acura Legend. I'm not real big on cars, but that doesn't look like an Acura Legend to me.

Another nice morning for a run, and I cranked out 5.6 miles. It wasn't a bad run.

On an unrelated note, Mrs. J and I have been married for 24 years today. Another 24 to go, I hope.

Day 1358 -- Swedesboro

OK, not a really big photo, but it is the Swedesboro Municipal Building.

I set out this morning to make 15 miles, but it was clear by the seventh or eighth mile that that wasn't going to happen. Hell, it was clear by the second or third mile that wasn't going to happen. So I plodded out 10, and called it a day. Maybe next week.

Day 1347 -- Mickleton

Storage World #1808, in Mickleton, NJ, because why not?

I managed to plod out almost five miles this morning. I didn't feel very sprightly, but it was OK. It was fairly nice weather, mid sixties, but overcast, so it didn't feel too warm. Tomorrow, I'm hoping for a long run.

Day 1356 -- Woodbury

Behold, First Baptist Church of Woodbury, NJ! It's not a bad looking church, but this was a tough shot because of all the telephone wires in the foreground. I know from my own experience as a church photographer that that can be a pain. It's exactly the kind of thing that your mind filters out when you are looking at the church in real time, but that jumps out at you when you photograph it.

I took Tuesday off, having run on Monday. Yesterday, I did a hilly 5.6 miles. This morning, I tried a quick 5K. Well, relatively quick. It was faster than my 5K race last week. That's partly because it was a less hilly course, and partly because it was much cooler. For the last couple of days, it's been really nice weather for running. Cool enough not to be oppressive, but not too cold (and not raining).

Day 1354 -- Cherry Hill

I really think of covered bridges as a midwest thing, but here's one in Cherry Hill, NJ. I think the Graphics Institute has it installed specially, because they needed something picturesque for the web page.

A rare Monday run for me. I needed a day off after yesterday's long run, but I had to take the van to the shop. Our mechanic is a half a mile out of town. Of course, I could have Mrs. J run out with me to pick me up. But I also like to brink the van out early in the morning and run back into town. So I did.

Day 1353 -- Moorestown

This blog has lots of nice pictures of Moorestwon, NJ. I selected this picture of a large fiberglass dog that someone painted artistically. Another one of those "civic pride" things that every town from Austin to Zanesville seems to be doing.

I ran 13.2 miles today. Not quite the same as the Pikermi two weeks ago. Much lonelier, for one thing. Also, in the race, I picked up the pace for the last four miles. Today, I slowed down so much in the last four miles that an arthritic turtle sped by me with his walker and flipped me off. But I finished, and it felt OK.

Day 1352 -- Allentown

This paddock at Hill Haven Farms wasn't the most attractive photo of Allentown, NJ, to show up in my Google search, but it looked like a great place for a run. Well, if you watch out for the horse apples.

Another long week, but I hope it's the worst one for a while. It was the last week of classes. Finals are next week, and then things should slow down for a while.

It warmed up for the first part of the week. Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty hot and humid, even first thing in the morning. It cooled down a little on Thursday, and this morning is was downright chilly. I started in the rain, but it tapered off before too long.

Day 1348 -- Prospect Plains

A quick summary of my jogging life:

• Tuesday: Didn't want to get out of bed. Monday evening, I had posted a goal not to skip any scheduled runs this month. You kind of want to keep those goals going for at least 12 hours. So I got up and ran a slow 5K.
  
• Wednesday: See Tuesday. I little bit longer, but a little bit slower.
  
• Thursday: Slept in. Felt bad.
  
• Friday: Made up for the missed day on Thursday. Not a real strong run, but I ran it.
  
• Saturday: The Pioneer Trail 5K at the university. My second race this week! I actually ran about the same pace for the 5K that I had for the Pikermi. It was hot, and I wasn't rested, and it was a really hilly trail. It was far from my best 5K, but I finished.
  
• Sunday: A nice, cool, dry morning. I just got out and ran. I didn't have any particular time goal, pace goal, or distance goal. I ran until I was tired, and then, well, I was still two miles from home, so I kept running. It turned out to be a little over eight miles, which was fine.
  

A quick summary of my non-jogging life:

• Tuesday: A long meeting with the student discipline committee, reviewing the procedure for two pending appeals of suspensions for non-academic misconduct. At that point, we had almost no details, and were just talking in generalities. Since then, both appeals have been settled, and the committee is going dormant again until needed.
  
• Wednesday: Not too late at school, but too tired to blog.
  
• Thursday: Two senior seminar presentations. We have 14 senior seminar students this semester, the most in at least five years. Naturally, the duty of organizing senior seminar, which rotates around the department, fell on me. I'm also the topic advisor for two of the students.
  
• Friday: Relaxed a little in the evening, and watched TV with the kids.
  
• Saturday: Grading, grading, grading. Mrs. J isn't feeling well, so I get to cook.
  
• Sunday: More grading. Helped Mrs. J out in the yard. She is planting, replanting, landscaping, and just generally having a good time. She is still not 100%, so I help with the digging. This is actually a pretty good Mother's Day present for her.
  

This next week is the last week of classes, with finals the week after. I am now officially in "the semester can't end soon enough for me" mode.

New Jersey Turnpike picture from AARoads.

Jogger's Progress

	Trip	YTD	Apr
Distance	8494.5	581.5	111.6
Time	58 days, 16 hrs, 48 min	3 days, 13 hrs, 16 mins	20:18
Days	1342	76	18
States	27	6	3

I know, everything is out of order. I'm supposed to post Jogger's Progress at the end of the month, but I never got around to it, because of all the chaos last week.

It wasn't a great month. I can't believe I only ran 18 days. I have set a positive goal of 22 days this month. That would be taking only taking Mondays and Fridays off.

Today being Monday, I took it off.

Day 1343 -- Race Report: Eau Claire Pikermi

What a week it's been.

• Monday: Planning meeting for this summer's Cub Scout Day Camp, with the Oldest and Newest Little Jogger, who will be helping out. The Littlest Little Jogger had children's choir.
  
• Tuesday: The LLJ had a meeting at the middle school to talk about next year's orchestra. It would have overlapped with Cub Scouts, but Cub Scouts was canceled.
  
• Wednesday: Math Department Banquet.
  
• Thursday: "STEMposium" in which the various programs around the area designed to increase interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math show off their results. Both the LLJ and the First Little Jogger have projects. The O&N is supposed to have a soccer game, but it's canceled because of rotten weather.
  
• Friday: I get up before the crack of dawn to drive up to the state meeting of the Mathematical Association of America. The O&N goes to a friend's house for the weekend, the FLJ goes to another science camp for the weekend, and the LLJ goes camping with the Cubs. Mrs. J and the Medium Little Jogger party until they drop.
  
• Saturday: More math meeting, until early afternoon. At which point I drive a half hour to Eau Claire, for the Pikermi. I am the only one at the race expo wearing a tie.
  
• Sunday: Run the Pikermi (more below). Drive three and a half hours home. Finally get a few seconds to relax.
  

So that's why I haven't been blogging.

And how was the Pikermi, you ask? Cold. It was mid-thirties and gusty winds. We had occasional flakes of snow throughout the morning. Somebody suggested that it really wasn't such bad weather for the first day of March. For the first day of May, however....

The start was the single most disorganized experience I've ever had at a race. At first, no one even knew where we were going to line up. When we did figure it out, there was nothing to indicate where to line up for your pace. There was a pace team, but their projected times were written on balloons, which bobbled in the wind, making them impossible to read. There was an announcer, but you couldn't hear him from the starting area. I swear I never saw a race organizer at all.

Once we got going, things were better. The water stops were frequent and well manned. The course was quite nice, with a few gentle hills, and enough scenery to keep one interested.

I tucked in with the two-and-a-half hour pacer. He was a nice guy, and we had a nice long conversation about various courses he'd been on, and various courses I'd been on, and training, and aging, and all sorts of stuff. There was one other woman who ran with us, and that was pretty much the pace group for nine miles. At that point, she started to drop back, and I decided to push ahead. I finished in 2:25, which wasn't bad, all things considered. Ten hours later, I'm starting to get feeling back in my fingers and toes.

I think that I would do the Pikermi or even the Marathon again in Eau Claire, if only they could promise me decent weather.