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.

Days 1338, 1339, and 1340 -- Staten Island

Into New York once again. This time, I ran across the Goethels Bridge, onto Staten Island, the forgotten borough. Many, many years ago, my family lived on Staten Island. My father was teaching at Richmond College (and then the College of Staten Island, when it changed names.) I was about 8 when we moved there, and about 15 when we moved away. It was an interesting time. We took Cub Scout trips to the Statue of Liberty and the Twin Towers. Try that in Wisconsin. Of course there was also crime and crowds and litter and all the big city woes. I wouldn't move back to New York now. But it was fun.

Sorry I haven't been posting. I've run the last three days. Six on Friday, six on Saturday, and nine this morning. Twenty-one miles in three days, which isn't too shabby. The Pikermi is next Sunday morning.

Day 1337 -- North Bergen

Blogs are wonderful things. People can think of all sorts of neat themes. Here is Fading Ad Blog, dedicated to "vintage mural ads & other signage by Frank H. Jump & friends". Thanks, Frank.

Day 1337 was yesterday. I got up and ran four miles or so. It was cold, but less windy, so it was OK. I was up late last night with a migraine, so I slept in this morning.

The University has a four day weekend, with both Friday and Monday off. The kids have Friday, but not Monday, so Mrs. J and I are planning to take off and do something fun on Monday.

Day 1336 -- New Jersey

New York didn't last very long. I zapped through it and into New Jersey for the second time.

I got out this morning, and it was cold. But, I thought, at least it isn't raining. so, just to spite me, it started snowing. Hard little pellets of ugly sleety snow. At least it didn't start sticking until after I finished. It's been raining/snowing/sleeting on and off all day. On April 19th. Yuck.

Days 1334 and 1335

Somewhere in here, I'm running through the Bronx, then the northern part of Manhattan, and then on to New Jersey. I don't know if I'm terribly near the Bronx Zoo, but I thought it would be cool visit. This photo is from Star Tours, whom I heartily recommend for all your Bronx Zoo tour needs.

I ran an easy 4 on Thursday. I took a scheduled day off on Friday, and then skipped again on Saturday, because the weather was rotten. It was cold and blustery and it snowed! OK, it didn't snow early in the morning, when I would have been running. But still. It was cold enough to snow!

This morning, I ran 11 miles. The Pikermi is just two weeks away. Next week, I'll do a relatively short long run. So that was my longest run for the next two weeks.

Days 1331, 1332, and 1333 -- New York

This is actually my third spin in New York. I started JogAmericaBlog in New York City, at the Empire State Building, in 2006. I ran out of New York and into New Jersey on the first day. I ran back into New York on October 2 of last year, some time during the Lakefront Marathon. I posted this photo then. It's one of the few times I used this cutout, with me in my Lakefront Marathon shirt and wearing my medal. On Sunday or Monday, I ran into New York for the third time.

Sorry I haven't been posting. Life happens. I ran 13.2 on Sunday, my last run at that distance before the Pikermi at the end of the month. I did a very slow 5K on Monday. I took Tuesday off, and today I did a fairly brisk 5 miles. Overall, I'm feeling OK. I think I should survive the Pikermi.

Day 1330 -- Darien

The photo that caught my eye of these three was the middle one, which looked like a running path. It isn't. It's the "In Progress" photo from The English Garden Company, which, as you can see, redesigned this house's garden.


I reached another spring milestone this morning. I ran outside in shorts for the first time. It was nice. It looks like tomorrow might be shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. But then another cool front is coming in tomorrow night, and then it will be back to the ugly tights.

Day 1329 -- Norwalk

The Norwalk City Hall and Concert Hall is quite nice. I imagine that like almost everything in Connecticut, it is way older than anything in Wisconsin.

Today was a rough morning. I had to force myself out of the house, and even then, I couldn't get up much momentum. About the best that I can say is that it was better than not running.

Day 1328 -- Fairfield

I searched for images of Fairfield, CT, and this home, with a new exterior by LS Construction just jumped off of the page at me. Isn't it gorgeous? Of course, it's in New Fairfield, which isn't terribly close to Fairfield, but we can't have everything.

An easy four this morning.

Day 1327 -- Bridgeport

Of all the pictures of Bridgeport that I had available, I couldn't resist Psychic Visions on Main Street. Here, typos and all, is the first sentence of her advertisement: "Hi I'm reader Jacqueline I'm been gifted with this God given blessing to help and guide and lead others to the happiness and peace that they deserve choose any of my readings to help." I hope that her psychic powers are more acute than her spelling and grammar.

I had a very nice six-miler this morning. It was relatively cool, but the wind, which had been nasty on Monday, died down overnight. I felt good.

Day 1326 -- Milford

The Milford Marketplace, in Milford, CT, has been open for four years, now, meaning that half the stores have probably turned over. I imagine the Banana Republic is still there, but who knows.

I went out this morning for a medium long run, and there was a little rumble of thunder. I looked to the west, and there were dark clouds. So I decided to just go back in and postpone my walk until noon. And then after that, it never ended up a thunderstorm at all. I could have run.

The noon run was OK. I hit the first five pretty well, but the last five were a real drag. I finished, but that was about the best that I can say.

Day 1235 -- West Haven

Just west of New haven, you'll find West Haven. A good place for it, I suppose. From NewEnglandSite.com this is the Captain's Galley Restaurant.

I did an easy four this morning. It was a bit chilly running into the wind, but nothing I couldn't handle. I'm scheduled for ten tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Jogger's Progress

	Trip	YTD	Mar
Distance	8389.2	369.9	132.7
Time	57 days, 20 hrs, 30 min	2 day, 16 hrs, 58 mins	23:28
Days	1324	58	20
States	27	4	2

The bad news: I took another unplanned day off today, and March was not as good a month as I had planned. The good news: it was still the best month since September.

Day 1324 -- Yale

I don't suppose that I should run through New Haven without stopping at one of the world's top 5 universities. My own university finished, well, somewhat outside the top 5. But we try harder.

Another easy five this morning. We've had cold nights and warm days, which isn't the best for a morning run. But at least it wakes me up. I was thinking this morning that if I could feel all day long like I feel for the half hour after a run, I'd be doing great.

Day 1323 -- New Haven

If you want a photo of a New Haven lighthouse, where else would you go than the web site at the University of North Carolina, where someone named Russ Rowlett has a whole website devoted to lighthouses, including, of course, a page for Connecticut. Rowlett, I should point out, is a fellow mathematics educator. Lighthouses are just his hobby. As my hobby is pasting myself into the American countryside.

You may have noticed that today's post covers exactly one day of running. I did a fairly easy five this morning. No guarantees that I'll be able to keep that up. You may hear from me again in a week.

Days 1320, 1321, and 1322 -- Connecticut

Just checking in. I don't even have the energy to figure out where I am and find a picture.

It's been a hell of a week. I ran on Tuesday, as scheduled. Then Tuesday night we had an uproar which kept me up, so I didn't run on Wednesday. I slept better on Wednesday and Thursday night, but didn't manage to drag myself out of bed to run. So I ran a quick four yesterday, and fifteen this morning.

I've been grading and writing a precalc test all day, and I'm tired, and I'm going to bed.

Days 1318 and 1319 -- South Lyme

If you'd like to buy this card, of the children's bathing pool at Point O' Woods Beach, in South Lyme, I have bad news for you. The folks at CardCow have already sold it. The original didn't have a Jogger in it, anyway.

I ran outside again yesterday, an easy four. I planned to run outside again this morning, but it was pouring rain. I might have gone out for four or five, but I had a long run planned, and I didn't think I really wanted to do it in a cold rain. So I went to the gym. It was just as well. After an hour or so, it started to thunder and lightning.

I didn't run as far as I wanted. I was OK for seven or eight miles, but the last four or five were pretty rough. Oh, well. I still made a little over 12, and it looks like I'm in decent shape for a Pikermi in six weeks.

Days 1315, 1316, and 1317 - Connecticut

I ran into Connecticut some time early on Tuesday. Connecticut is another state that I don't know how to spell. Give me Ohio. Or Iowa. Or Utah.

For the past three days, we've been down in Grandma Jogger's town, where we went for Spring break. Fortunately, it's been very nice weather, since I had to run outside. Now, it's going to be hard to get me back inside, even though I'm paid up at Snap Fitness through the end of the month.

Day 1314 -- Wyoming

I'm not lost or nothin'. This is the exit for Wyoming, Rhode Island, from Interstate 95. Cooch says that this sign is across the road from his favorite highway sign. No clue what that sign says, or why he decided to post this one. But here it is.

I ran a Pikermi this morning: 13.1 miles. I was fairly tired at the end, but it was a good run.

Day 1313 -- Austin

If you live in the Austin area, and your fiberglass boat needs work, my I recommend this company I'd give you their name, but I'm not quite sure that I know what it is. The link is to a classified ad page, and whoever put together this listing wasn't really very organized. But I'm sure that they'll fix up your boat right nice.

A really easy five this morning. Indoors. It was much windier than yesterday, and anyway, my legs were shot from yesterday's outdoor run.