Running and Oppression by the Provincial Government of Ontario

I ran for 45 minutes with Daniel riding alongside on his bike.  I do love to have company with me while I am running.
We went on some little roads and trails which he had never seen before, so it was fun to watch him discover some new connections to his neighborhood.

We looked at how one road was re-routed when they put in the 407, and at the foundation of what must have been a magnificent old farmhouse, until the government of this free land took it away, sent the family packing and then razed the house leaving hardly a trace.
It is horrifying that this can occur, but in the area where I do most of my running there are literally hundreds of farms and former farms and homes and footprints of homes which were expropriated by the Ontario Provincial Government.  And the people who once lived in these homes which were built by their grandparents and great grandparents are now living in condos and semi-attached houses.
I filled my son's tender young mind with some strong ideas on this subject of freedom, perceived freedom, and sheepish toleration of the oppression of a government who will take  homes away from its families and farmers.

Anyhow, the run was fine, and Daniel was great company.  I am on track.

Days 3 and 5 of week 30

Two more little 30-40 minute runs are checked off the list.  I am on track.
I ran one in real driving rain, thank you very much.
And as I got home, the rain stopped....well, it slowed to something more like a mist.
As I was running in the semi-darkenss in the rain, I heard and maybe felt a rythmic thumping rumble and looked over to my right where I saw a bunch.....not enough to call them a herd, but it was a bunch of dear all galloping along through the mown cornfield.  That helped lift me out of my rain-soaked plodding dreariness.  Helen wanted to know if any of them had antlers, and I don't know.  I could only see wet brown hides thundering along.

I am in one of those running ruts, I drag my carcass out and do my required miles.  And I know that one of these mornings, I'll hit the pavement and  feel that music in my head and want to run and run and run.  I'm out there doing time until that day returns.
Maybe tomorrow.

Day One week 30

I did not record any run for Friday or Saturday because I had no run to record. 

The flu is stalking the house, and I was feeling it creep into my throat and so I thought it wise to lie low for a bit.

So today, I am back on my feet.  

I went to my local Running Room store and got some good advice about keeping my feet warm this winter.  This warm feet thing is a near obsession with me, as I frost-bit my two smallest toes on the left in 2007, and they still bother me.  So, I bundled them up in my beloved dryer fresh socks and headed out for a 40 minute jaunt.  Nice, cool, good to sweat.

I saw the semi-tame fox who lives down the lane, but she didn't run along with me today.  She was busy.

I also heard my neighbor Zubeda's young roosters crowing for the first time.  Zubeda apparently got three roosters by mistake, when she payed for 6 laying hens.....We are all waiting patiently for eggs,  but I think there will only be half as many as we had hoped for.

Now I am home to a house which is more and more filling with sick kids.  maybe we'll have a quiet day.

Day three week 31

35 minute run on the trail in the forest, beginning at 6:45 am.  The best part was when I put my socks on straight from the dryer.  The worst part was when I took a short and abrupt flight over a tree root on a newly cut piece of trail.
Spent most of the run complaining to myself about the need for more sleep, fewer roots on the path, and that I am out of milk for my next cup of coffee.

Then, midpoint of mile two, I thought maybe I would benefit from a little mental reorientation, so I was looking for things to be thankful for, like the fact that I can run, have socks and a dryer, have time alone in the morning, Jon is a great husband, kids were all waking themselves up, and that there's more milk at Longo's and I just have to get in the car and go buy it.
I got a shower right away when I got home, and that was a great blessing for us all.
So, I am better now than I was when I got up!

***************************************
And now I have found another bag of milk in the back of the fridge, and my day is  saved!!!!

Didn't run at all today.
I am faithfully following THE PLAN.
I wanted to run, that was the unnerving bit.

Day one week 31

Ran a quick little 3 miler, and Jon came along today.  Nice to have someone with me!  Sun rose as we ran along, 6:15 to 6:40.  Lovely warmish weather for November.
Nothing notable to report except that the sunrise was lovely and my hip was whispering to me all the way out.

The next marathon is 31 weeks away....

The training plan that's all neatly printed up at the bottom of the page is Jeff Galloway's.
And I am going to follow it to the letter for the next 31 weeks.  It's a 30 week program, and I might just take one week off in the middle somewhere to rest, as I am old and I find that recovery time is ultra-beneficial to my weary bod.
The only change I think I will make is that I will make the average 30 minute or 3 mile run into a 45 minute or 5 mile run.  I find that that level of running is good for me, and keeps my weight on a downward trend.
So tomorrow, and all running days after, I will rise at 5am, do my regular morning routine, and then hit the road for a run at 6:15, so I can be home at 7am to shower and feed the hungry masses.
I'll be running in cold darkness every day for a long time, and so I guess I'll be developing a little character along the way.
I might now and then take a run in the afternoon on a Thursday in lieu of the Friday morning run.
I will have to buy a new pair of running shoes a half size larger than what I'm wearing when the temperature drops, so I can add extra socks and keep my toes from freezing this year.  It's been a problem before.
And that's all for now.