Sun June 23: AM. In Superior, A 30 min run on the Osaugie Trail. Achey tired legs. It was cloudy and around 60°.
Mon June 24: DNR. Too tired and stiff to run.
Tues June 25: DNR. Rest.
Wed June 26: AM. Ran ~4 miles over residential streets, the last couple with the pastry club. It was cloudy and around 70°.
Thurs June 27: AM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and around Monona Bay. It was sunny and around 60°.
Fri June 28: AM. A 33 min run on the Capital City Trail. It was raining and 62°.
Sat June 29: AM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and around Monona Bay. It was partly sunny and 71°. PM. A 40 min run on residential streets and on the Capital City Trail. It was sunny and 83°.
I ran only ~28 miles this week because I was mentally and physically drained after last Saturday’s effort. Also, this upcoming Wednesday (July 3rd), I am planning on running a two mile race in Pittsville and I’m hoping to be recovered enough to give it.
I am eating an Endangered Species espresso bean dark chocolate candy bar. I have eaten one of these espresso bean dark chocolate candy bars every morning for breakfast this week.
The Endangered Species Chocolate Company makes several different flavors of chocolate (hazelnut toffee, caramel and sea salt, cranberry and almonds, orange, raspberry, forest mint, extreme dark, etc…) and each flavor (supposedly) supports a different endangered species. For example, the espresso bean chocolate bar helps support the endangered tigers. I have tried all of the flavors. Each bar is truly spectacular, but my go-to as of late has been the espresso bean bar. And the funny thing is, I don’t like coffee—I think espresso beans are one of the main ingredients in coffee.
There is something about the way the chocolate mixed with the espresso beans when I crunch my teeth down on it that gits me where I live. Sometimes I like to just let it melt there in my mouth. But after a few seconds, I can’t resist the urge to chomp into that wonderful chocolatey goodness. Mmmmmmm… Chocolate. When I bite into an Endangered Species chocolate bar I can almost go into an ecstatic state. I really believe all of this chocolate has helped me recover from the marathon. After only one week, my legs have improved immensely.
Another thing I’ve been doing to recover is taking ice baths before going to bed. I’m not sure if the cold water actually does anything for my legs, but it sure feels good. And it definitely helps me to cool off. This past week has been hot and sticky. While sitting in a tub of frigid water for half an hour, I feel more relaxed and I’ve been sleeping soundly all through the night. During the ice baths, I’ll drink a bottle or two of Kona Longboard Island Lager and put on the Beach Boys “Friends” album. There really is no better way to recover than to relax in the bath with a cold brewski in hand and listen to Mike sing about “Anna Lee, the Healer.”
This Wednesday, I’ll be doing the Pittsville Heart & Sole Two Miler, then it will be onto Colorado to hike around in the Rockies.
Sun June 16: AM. On the track, did 3x1600m (5:47, 5:49, 5:41). It was raining and around 70°. PM. A 40 min run on residential streets and on the Capital City Trail. It was partly sunny and 84° (dewpoint of 69°). Oh no! Can it be? We’re heading for a heatwave.
Mon June 17: AM. A 78 min run on the Capital City Trail and on the SW Path. It was sunny, humid and in the mid 70s.
Tues June 18: AM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and around Monona Bay. It was mostly sunny and 77°. PM. In Deerfield, A 30 min on-shift run— ambulance stations loops. It was partly cloudy and 87° (dew point of 71°).
Wed June 19: AM. Ran 3+ miles with the pastry club over residential and city streets. It was in the mid 70s with light rain starting towards the end. PM. Max Champion concert in Minneapolis— Great show!
Thurs June 20: AM. In Minneapolis, MN, A 20 min run with the old man on residential streets in Golden Valley. It was cloudy and 63°.
Fri June 21: AM. A 45 min run with the old man doing loops around Wirth Lake (~ 1.3 miles around). It was raining and 64°.
Sat June 22: AM. Ran the Grandma’s Marathon (Two Harbors, MN to Duluth, MN) in 2:45:51. I felt pretty good for the first several miles. There was a nice 10+ mph tailwind pushing me along and I was thinking— I’m going to crush this! I went through ten miles in 59:15 (~5:55/mi). My legs were starting to feel a little fatigued by that point, so I backed off the pace a little. I went through the half in 1:18:48 (~6:01/mi), still feeling OK. A couple miles later, the wheels started to fall off. The last eleven miles were a grind. At the 26 mile marker I saw my time and realized I’d have to really push to better my first 42.195k outing (a 2:45:55 at WhistleStop last fall). I ran the last 385 yards as fast as I could and managed to beat it by four seconds. At least I got a PR. It wasn’t terrible but I’d really hoped to be a bit faster, especially given the favorable weather conditions. The temp was in the mid 50s and there was a tailwind. It was cloudy early, then it started raining lightly about an hour in.
There are a lot of things people have said to me while running. I am always getting asked, “How far are you going?” to which I usually reply, “I’m going to keep on running till the wheels fall off and burn.” Or another similar question, “How many miles have you run?” If I’m half a mile in, or twenty-five miles in, my response is always the same: “Oh, I’m just gettin’ warmed up.” Occasionally, I will get a Rocky or a Johnny Rambo shout-out, as some people seem to think I draw a resemblance to Sylvester Stallone. I’ve never really thought so myself. One of the most irritating things I, and I’m sure a lot of other runners hear quite frequently is, “Run Forrest, Run” Fuck off. I’ve always hated that. It’s a shit quote and a shit movie. To this, I give the bird.
There have been a number of bizarre things people have said to me. One time, I was running near a trailer park just a few blocks from where I live, when I saw an old pick-up truck driving towards me. Upon passing me, the pick-up truck driver slammed on his brakes, leaned out the window, and shouted “STOP, YOU THIEF!” I turned around and yelled back, “I didn’t steal anything.” I was a little worried at first that he might turn around and drive after me. Fortunately, I never saw him again. This happened on a bright sunny day. I was wearing my typical running garb, shorts and a t-shirt. No backpack or suspicious looking briefcase in hand. I don’t know what made him think I was a thief. Crazy fucker.
Another incident happened when I was running on the Lakefront Trail in Chicago. I was running south on the trail, with Lake Michigan to my left, and a traffic jam of cars on the road to my right. A man I had never seen before in my life, shot his head out of the window of one of the stopped cars, and shouted, “HOLY FUCK, IT’S BRANDON!! MY GOD, I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU IN AGES!! SHIT!! HOW THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, MY MAN?! HOW’S JACKIE?! HOW’RE THE KIDS?! I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M ACTUALLY SEEING YOU AGAIN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TONIGHT?! I’LL GIVE YOU A CALL!!” And he continued screaming at me till I was out of sight and could no longer hear him. Apparently, I have a twin named Brandon.
Then there was the religious nut in Appleton. I lived in Appleton for a couple years, and I would often encounter this short, stubby little man in Tellulah Park, who I think was a little mentally challenged. Every time I ran past him on the trail, he would say to me, “You can’t run from Jesus,” then he’d chuckle to himself, as if he’d cracked a really funny joke.
Some of my favorite lines have come from little kids. One day when I was just getting started on my run, slowly trotting along near the playground in Griese Park, I passed a little girl sitting on the swing. She looked up at me and said to her father, “Wow, that guy should be in the Olympics.”
There was also a time when I was running on the Mendota Lakeshore Path, and I passed a mother and her son walking on the path. The boy, who was maybe five or six years old, pointed at me and said, “I bet I could beat him.” His mother replied, “I don’t know, he looks pretty fast.”
Today, I heard yet another great statement while running. This time from a geriatric. It was a toasty one today, in the mid-80s. After a couple miles, I had worked up a good sweat so I took off my shirt, opting to run bare-chested, leaving me in just my shorts and shoes. An elderly lady standing on her front porch saw this and shouted, “Take it all off!” I couldn’t help but laugh. It made me think of Ned Braden in the movie Slap Shot. “Take it all off!” Yes. Had it been a pretty girl who’d said it, I might’ve actually done it. Though given that she was an old grandma-type and the fact that I was in a residential neighborhood, I just smiled and waved. Had it been yesterday, however, I would’ve fit right in wearing nothing but my birthday suit.
Sun June 9: AM. A 90 min run with MSRC on various paths and streets around Lake Wingra. The knee was acting up a little towards the end. It was sunny and in the 60s.
Mon June 10: DNR. A gorgeous day—sunny and 50°—but didn’t do any running. Rested knee.
Tues June 11: AM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and around Monona Bay. It was sunny and in the low 50s. PM. In Deerfield, A 45 min on-shift run— ambulance station loops. It was cloudy at first, then it cleared up some. Temp of 72°.
Wed June 12: AM. Ran ~3 miles with the pastry club over residential streets. It was sunny and in the 60s. AM2 On the track, ran 6400m in 24:20 (6:04, 6:05, 6:02, 6:07). It was sunny and 80°.
Thurs June 13: AM. A 90 min run around Lake Monona. It was rainy at first, then it cleared up and became sunny. Temp around 70°.
Fri June 14: AM. A 45 min run on residential streets and on the Capital City Trail. It was sunny and 60°. PM. In Sunny P, A 30 min run in Sheehan Park. It was sunny and in the 70s.
Sat June 15: AM. A 90 min run on the Capital City Trail, around Monona Bay, and over residential streets. It was mostly cloudy and around 60°.
I took a day off on Monday because my right knee was bothering me again. The knee has continued to be sore and achey the rest of the week. I think it’s chondromalacia. In 2016, my right knee was giving me some problems. The knee problems lasted a few weeks, then it got better on its own. I’m hoping it goes the same way now, as it did then. The only difference this time around is that I have a marathon to race in a week. The knee really doesn’t hinder my ability to run fast, it’s more of just a nuisance. Other than the knee, I’m feeling really good.
Sun June 2: AM. In Appleton, A 60 min run on residential and city streets. Was a little hungover at first, but felt much better after a few miles. It was mostly sunny and in the 60s.
Mon June 3: AM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and around Monona Bay. It was mostly cloudy and 64°. No second run— worked late.
Tues June 4: AM. A 60 min run on the Mendota Lakeshore Path to Picnic Pt. It was mostly cloudy and 65°. No second run— worked late. Again. Didn’t get done till after 8:30. Sheeit.
Wed June 5: AM. On the track, did an 800, 1600, 800, 1600 (2:42, 5:24, 2:46, 5:30). It was cloudy, a little humid and 68° (dew point of 65°). PM. A 45 min on-shift run doing loops around the Deerfield ambulance station. It was mostly sunny and 76°.
Thurs June 6: AM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and on the Wingra Creek Path. Right knee was feeling a wee bit achey towards the end. It was sunny and 60°.
Fri June 7: AM. A 60 min run on the Mendota Lakeshore Path to Picnic Pt. The knee felt okay during the run, but a little sore afterwards. It was sunny and around 60°.
Sat June 8: AM. In Green Bay for the Bellin Run 10k. Ran the 10k in 35:34. I felt flat. Wasn’t able to fully commit myself. With the marathon two weeks out, I think my subconscious mind was holding a little something back. Still a solid tune-up run. The knee was OK, so that’s a relief. It was rainy which made the pavement a bit slippery in spots. Temp around 60°.
Sun May 26: AM. Ran the Madtown Half Marathon in 1:18:50. Felt strong— I think I had a good number of six minute miles left in me. The course was rather hilly and there were a lot of turns. It was cloudy early, with light rain coming down about half way through. Temp around 60°.
Mon May 27: AM. A 60 min run on the Mendota Lakeshore Path to Picnic Pt. It was cloudy and 55°.
Tues May 28: AM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and around Monona Bay. It was sunny and in the 50s. PM. In Deerfield, A 30 min on-shift run— ambulance stations loops. It was lightly raining and 59°.
Wed May 29: AM. A 65 min run on the Capital City Trail and on trails in Olin Park. It was sunny and around 50°. PM. In Deerfield, A 50 min run on the Glacial-Drumlin Trail. It was sunny and around 60°.
Thurs May 30: AM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and around Monona Bay. It was sunny and 50°. PM. In Middleton, A 45 min run on trails in the Pheasant Branch Conservancy. It was mostly sunny and in the 60s.
Fri May 31: AM. A 2 hour 35 min run on the Badger State Trail. It was sunny and in the 60s.
Sat June 1: AM. A 60 min run on the Capital City Trail and Starkweather Creek Trail. It was cloudy and 65°.
