Not just half a race ...

13.1 Bling
(Courtesy leduardo @ Flickr)

With dozens of posts here hailing the glory and significance of the marathon race distance over these past few months, the timelapserunner has never once waxed eloquent about that step-sister distance: the half-marathon. The Half, as I'll call it for this post's purposes, just hasn't had the glamour attached to it that other races have. It's not the mile, with all its nostalgic lore. It's not the 5K or the 10K which are both very popular road races and also distances which even track and field claims as part of its purview. And of course it's not the marathon, as race that people die for, or from - as the case may be. No, it's just some orphaned middling distance that the road racers sneer at and the marathoners make fun of. No longer, it would seem. The Half is getting respect.

The week that was ...

The days are filled with much to do lately, and the timelapserunner is not keeping up with obligations. This situation presents its own kind of stress, different from that presented by a hard workout, but still taxing. What to do in such situations? Well, it's certainly tempting to skip a day's workout, get some more sleep, and then think that the stress load has been reduced. The best advice, however, runs counter to that thought as exercise itself is a great stress reliever. If you're going to cut something out of a hectic schedule let it not be your daily workout.

Both the highs and lows are good ...

Mile 11
Courtesy No Antics @ Flickr

How long a run feels is pretty much a relative thing. Some days a simple 4-miler can feel like a never-ending slog session. Other days in mid-run you feel like you could run forever. Of course, that particular feeling is fleeting. Our bodies will eventually bring such flights of fantasy back down to earth soon enough. Still, there's an exhilaration that comes with experiencing each sensation, pleasant or not, both the endorphin-laden euphoria and the lactic-acid-induced suffering. Each stretch running effort brings with it new surprises, new experiences; some worth reliving, others we don't care to remember. So it is was yesterday's long run.

Coinkydinks

Coinkydink? I think not.
(Courtesy qthful @ Flickr)

Interesting is the notion of coincidences: those events that occur close to each other in time or space and somehow appear related, but are likely not related at all. We see them all the time in our lives, or at least we think we do. We'll look at some clock several times in a week and - coincidentally - it's always 10 minutes after 10. You suddenly think about calling your grandmother to say hello and the phone rings and it's grandmother on the other end. Some of these are simply the less likely co-occurrence of random events. Others, well, maybe or maybe not. Some are just amusing - as in the strip mall photo here. Others, provoke thought or reflection rather than laughter. A recent personal example is next.

Love those cool snaps ...

A cooler spell outside
(Courtesy exfordy @ Flickr)

Some say there are five seasons in Louisiana: spring, summer, fall, winter and hurricane season. Perhaps that's true. We've certainly had our share of hurricane seasons in the past seven years. Not that many storms, but enough direct hits to make southern Louisiana look like a worn out target at a firing range. There are some years when I'm rather convinced that we have only two seasons: the hot-and-humid season and the damp-and-dreary season. But then again, that's the glass-half-empty mentality kicking in. In any case, the transitions between those hot-and-humid and damp-and-dreary seasons can be quite nice. Like when a little cold front slides through and drops the temperatures down a bit. Like the one that rolled on in this past weekend.

"I could be coming down with something ..."

Covering the spread ...
(Courtesy clintjcl @ Flickr)

One of the hazards of the trade in the teaching business is coming down with something that the students traipsed in with, usually some rhino-virus or something similar. Actually, I'm immune to a zillion of those, having caught just about every cold possible when I was a kid. Unfortunately, there are probably TWO zillion such viruses running loose in the wild so there's still a good chance that I'll catch hold of one from time to time. I keep instant hand sanitizer with me at all times, but there's just too many exposure points to be using that every time you touch something that may have been touched recently by a sicky. My best defense has always been to stay as healthy as possible to keep my immune system resilient. Still, that don't always cut it. And getting sick in the middle of an important training program is a bummer. Well, too late. It's happened. I have a cold.

The one that got away ...

It was thisssss big!
(Courtesy Moggy443 @ Flickr)

I remember - at least I think so - catching my first fish. The place was "the country" - which was what we called any location in the vicinity of my grandmother's home in Raceland. I was standing on the bank of a little bayou of sorts and my hook managed to snag a garfish. Now this is not the kind of fish that most people eat but this adventure was not that kind of fishing trip. This was my first fishing experience and that garfish was huge, a mile long, I'm sure. I can't quite remember whether we took it home with us or released it back into the bayou. Doesn't matter. I can still see that big ole fish a-floppin' and a-splashin' near the bank as we pulled it in. One big catch for one little kid.

Long Train Runnin'

Got to get used to long (train) running
(Courtesy SP8254 - On a Break! @ Flickr)

Great tune by the Doobie Brothers. Played it numerous times during the timelapserunner's old band days. Never listened to the lyrics much. Heck, I don't know lyrics to any tune 'cept maybe the National Anthem. In those days, our harp man was playing guitar on that piece, so the timelapserunner played the signature solo on his keyboard. Not up to Tom Johnston specs, for sure; but still a lot of fun to play. But this weekend's long run made me remember that I "gotta keep on pushin'."