Sun, June 22-Sat, June 28

Sun June 22: AM. At Dawson’s cabin, A 60 min run over country roads around the Pike Lake Chain. Knee was good. It was partly sunny, humid and in the 70s.

Mon June 23: PM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail. It was mostly sunny and in the upper 80s, then became more cloudy and cooler as run progressed- storm closing in.

Tues June 24: AM. A 60 min run on the Mendota Lakeshore Path to Picnic Pt. It was around 70° and cloudy with some refreshing rain about halfway thru. PM. A 50 min run on the Capital City Trail and over trails in Olin Park. It was partly cloudy and 82°.

Wed June 25: AM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and over residential streets. It was cloudy and 70°. PM. A 55 min run on the Capital City Trail and over trails in Olin Park. It was mostly sunny and 80°.

Thurs June 26: AM. A 60 min run on the Capital City Trail and on the Wingra Creek Path. It was partly cloudy and 70°. PM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and around Monona Bay. It was mostly sunny with a brief shower midway thru. Temp in the upper 80s.

Fri June 27: AM. A 60 min run on the Mendota Lakeshore Path to Picnic Pt. It was cloudy and 72°. PM. A 35 min run on the Capital City Trail. It was partly sunny and 76°.

Sat June 28: AM. Ran about 40 mins on the Monona lake loop route to Oneida Park, did the Kent Kretchmar Klassic 5k course in 18:16 (6:11, 5:51, 5:38, 0:34), kayaked 90+ mins in Lake Monona, then ran the rest of the way around the lake in about 45 mins. It was mostly sunny and in the 60s.

The knee has been good for the past several days. I ran an up-tempo 5k this morning and had no problems, but the next few days will be the real test. Typically, it has been in the days following a fast effort when my knee acts up. I’m not feeling very optimistic.

Sun, June 15-Sat, June 21

Sun June 15: AM. A 65 min run on the Capital City Trail and Starkweather Creek Path. Right knee/leg felt sore initially but seemed to get a little better as run progressed. It was cloudy and in the 60s.

Mon June 16: AM. Ran for a couple minutes. Knee and upper leg is painfully achy. PM. Ran 15 mins. Knee/quad is achingly painful.

Tues June 17 - DNR - Injured. Scheduled an appointment to get knee checked out.

Wed June 18 - DNR - Injured.

Thurs June 19: AM. A 35 min run on the Capital City Trail. Right leg/knee was dragging. It was mostly cloudy and 64°.

Fri June 20: AM. In Marshfield, A 48 min run with the old man over residential streets. Knee was okay. It was mostly cloudy and 63°. Had knee checked out and x-rayed at Wausau Bone & Joint.

Sat June 21: AM. At Dawson’s cabin, A 60 min run over country roads around the Pike Lake chain. Knee was a little achy initially but got better. It was cloudy and in the 60s.

For a while, my knee seemed to be showing improvement and I thought it might heal up on its own (I had hardly any issues at all during the month of May). But following any fast or long effort, the knee has continued to act up. After seven months, I finally got my knee looked at- the curiosity’s been killing me. Nothing showed up on Friday’s x-rays, but I scheduled an MRI for July 3. I’m suspecting I might have a torn meniscus.

Sun, June 8-Sat, June 14

Sun June 8: AM. A 2+ hour run, most of it with MSRC group over city streets, around Monona Bay, on the Wingra Creek Path, and around Lake Wingra. Knee was tolerable. It was mostly sunny and in the 60s.

Mon June 9: AM. A 30 min run on the Mendota Lakeshore Path. Knee is very achy :(

Tues June 10 - DNR - A gorgeous day, but didn’t do any running. Giving my achy breaky knee a rest.

Wed June 11: AM. A 60 min run on the Mendota Lakeshore Path to Picnic Pt. Knee was a little achy but remained tolerable. It was partly sunny and in the 60s.

Thurs June 12: AM. Ran about 4 miles with the pastry club over residential streets. It was cloudy and around 60°. PM. In Sunny P, A 30 min run over trails in Sheehan Park. Knee was bothering me. It was partly sunny and around 70°.

Fri June 13: AM. A 52 min run on the Capital City Trail and over trails in Olin Park. It was sunny and 55°.

Sat June 14: AM. In Green Bay, A 35 min joggle with the old man (no balls) on the East River Trail and on streets near the Bellin course. Knee was okay. It would’ve been a really nice day to race—cloudy and mid-50s—but didn’t want to cause any more damage to my knee, which can’t seem to handle anything too fast. First time not running the Bellin 10k since my first one in 2011. ~ Happy 58th birthday dad. Old man.

Sun, June 1-Sat, June 7

Sun June 1: AM. A 2 hour 40 min run on the Capital City Trail, the SW Path and the Badger State Trail. It was sunny and in the 50s.

Mon June 2: AM. Ran 10 mins until knee became too painful :( PM. A 32 min run on the Capital City Trail. The knee was achy but remained tolerable- much better than this morning. It was partly sunny and 83°.

Tues June 3: AM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and around Monona Bay. It was mostly cloudy and 69°. PM. A 32 min run on the Capital City Trail. Achy old knee. It was 76° and pouring buckets.

Wed June 4: AM. A 68 min run on the SW Path, Monroe St, the Wingra Creek Path, and the Capital City Trail. Knee was tolerable. It was drizzly and 57°. PM. A 52 min run on the Capital City Trail and over trails in Olin Park. Felt beat. It was mostly cloudy and around 70°.

Thurs June 5: PM. A 45 min run around Lake Wingra. The knee was ok but rest of body felt achy and tired. It was mostly cloudy and 75°.

Fri June 6: AM. A 45 min run on the Capital City Trail and around Monona Bay, It was cloudy and around 60°. PM. A 55 min run on the Capital City Trail and over trails in Olin Park. It was mostly cloudy and 74°.

Sat June 7: AM. Ran 40 mins on the Monona Lake loop route to Oneida Park, did the Kent Kretchmar Klassic 5k course in 17:13 (5:34, 5:33, 5:32, 0:33), fueled up on Wenzel’s Farm beef sticks and Yuengling, then ran the rest of the way around the lake in 45 mins. It was mostly cloudy and around 60°.

My old knee got bad again after running 21+ miles last Sunday. (The knee felt okay during the run, but as usual, it was the aftermath that did me in). By Wednesday, the knee was feeling a little better, though the rest of my body seemed to become more achy and I’ve generally been feeling sluggish lately. This morning (Saturday), I ran the KKK 5k course at close to max effort and the knee felt fine. Now, if it just stays that way, I’ll race the Bellin Run 10k next week.

Three years with the bros

Three years ago, I moved from Appleton to Madison, WI and started working for the Ryan Brothers Ambulance Company. My first day was Monday, June 6, 2022. D-Day. Here are some statistics I’ve tracked in my three years of paramedicing:

Number of lives saved: 2,748

(I don’t count the losses)

Longest Interfacility Transport: 212 miles (3 hour 45 min drive) one-way. This was a discharge from Select Specialty Hospital in Madison to a rehab center in Laona, WI. I have made several transports to Wausau and Green Bay (both around 150 miles).

Shortest Interfacility Transport: 50 yards. This would probably be a tie between Select Specialty Hospital in Madison to Meriter Hospital and the Watertown Healthcare Center to Watertown Hospital. Select to Meriter is right across Park Street and Watertown Hospital to the Healthcare Center is literally across a parking lot. Both are frequent transports. There have been many times when I’ve driven 1 hour from Madison to Watertown, just to take a patient across a parking lot, then it’ll be right back to Madison after the call.

Total miles driven in an ambulance: 63,455

Number of complimentary barf baths I’ve received: 9

Number of no-hitters (shifts where I didn’t run a single call): 4

Number of PB&J Uncrustables I’ve consumed from the EMS lounge at UW Hospital: 297

During the first day of on-boarding, I was asked to fill out a questionnaire or “bio” about myself. The bio is on the Ryan Brothers online portal and viewable only to Ryan Brothers employees. Sometimes, on those rare shifts when it’s quiet and I have nothing better to do, I’ll read my fellow broskis’ bios. Most of them are pretty boring. I don’t mean to say my co-workers are boring, just the answers on their bios. I read my own bio today and some of my responses are actually somewhat clever, particularly the one about my pet peeves. For a few of my responses however, I was quite lazy— #s 13, 20 and 23 are lyrics I had stuck in my head at the time and #12 is the name of a book by Uriah C. Lasso. Here’s the full bio I filled out three years ago:

1. Who is your hero? Bill Rodgers. I recently read an autobiography by Bill Rodgers, a great runner. It was really inspiring.

2. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Madison, WI. There is a lot that I love about this city- the majestic capitol building, the lakes, the parks, the trails, the isthmus, the friendly people. Also, there is a pretty great ambulance company here.

3. What is your biggest fear? Sometimes I lie awake at night, scared to death that a hand will reach out from under my bed, grab my ankle and pull me under.

4. What is your favorite family vacation? I've gone on a couple fishing trips in Canada. They were a blast.

5. What would you change about yourself if you could? Every so often I get insomnia. I'll be laying in bed but my mind will be racing at a hundred miles an hour. I wish there was a button inserted on the top of my head I could press that would stop my hyper-active brain and let me sleep peacefully.

6. What really makes you angry? The neighbor's car alarm that goes off at 3:00 AM.

7. What motivates you to work hard? Seeing or hearing about someone else who has accomplished something incredible can definitely motivate me.

8. What is your favorite thing about your career? Those tasty snacks in the EMS lounge.

9. What is your proudest accomplishment? (Probably) the world's greatest bottle cap collection. I've got millions.

10. What makes you laugh the most? Any movie that stars Chris Farley or Will Farrell is sure to make me laugh out loud.

11. What did you want to be when you were small? I wanted to stay small, to never grow up. I have always been greatly underwhelmed by a lot of the things associated with adulthood (money, taxes, politics, arthritis, etc...) So far, I think I'm doing a pretty good job at staying young. I still feel like a little kid.

12. What do you want to tell us about your family? My parents didn't steal an elephant.

13. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? Sit on the dock of a bay and waste time.

14. What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play? My favorite sport to watch is football. I'm a Packers fan. My favorite sport to participate in is running. I am a runner and I love to race. 

15. Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car? I'd rather be running.

16. What two radio stations do you listen to in the car the most? Most nights before going to bed, I listen to the Jean Shepherd Show on WOR.

17. Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without? Music. I enjoy playing the piano and I love listening to music of many different styles and varieties.

18. List two pet peeves. 1. Pet abuse (people who don't take their dogs out for enough walks, people who over-feed their cats, people who drown their goldfish, etc...)  2. Those nasty little yipper dogs that whine and bark my ear off. Sometimes I'd just like to strangle them.

19. Where do you see yourself in five years? Five years! Are you CRAZY? God only knows where I'll be in a week from now.

20. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Instead of quiet and shy I'm really dying to flirt. I am the lion that roars and not the mouse that gets hurt. I'm feeling extrovert.

21. Which of the five senses would you say is your strongest? I have a pretty good ear.

22. What do you do to keep fit? I run everyday, usually twice a day. I also try to eat mostly healthy foods and get enough sleep at night.

23. Does your family have a “motto” – spoken or unspoken? Eat a lot, sleep a lot, brush ‘em like crazy. Run a lot, do a lot, never be lazy.

24. Your favorite quote. "Don't strive to be happy. Instead strive to make a positive difference in people's lives. If you manage to do that, you will be happy." ~Jeff Johnson

Looking Back - June 2020 (Five years ago)

After a lackluster 2019, I jacked up my mileage in the spring of 2020 and was looking forward to rewriting my PR book. Then covid hit and all the races I had set my sights on that summer got cancelled. I ran every day in June 2020 and generally felt good, but only “raced” once. On the morning of Saturday, June 13—the day that would have been the Bellin Run 10k—Justin, my dad and I set out to the new Marshfield Sr. High track to attempt a sub 17 minute 5k. Justin had pacing duties. The attempt was successful. I completed the twelve and a half laps in 16:53, 27 seconds faster than my previous 5k low. Unfortunately, it didn’t go quite as well for the old man- he had to drop out two laps in, after his heart went into atrial fibrillation. The weather that morning was ideal. Mostly sunny with a temp in the mid 40s.

The start of Running Log Six

On another note unrelated to running, I bought a kayak...

Wednesday, June 10, 2020 - Kayaking in the bedroom

Looking Back - June 2015 (Ten years ago)

I’m pulling a Dave Dunham and reminiscing about the good ol’ days.

In my last post I mentioned that I started keeping a running log in June 2015. The earliest entry in my first log is from June 4, 2015. It was the last day of my Sophomore year of high school. The entry reads: “9:35 PM - School’s out for summer! Kicked off summer with a 10 mile night run at an easy pace on the Veterans PKWY Trail, finished with a fast mile on the track (6:00). Beautiful night. 60° and no wind.”

Ten miles was considered a long run for me at that time. Most days I didn’t go more than five miles and I rarely did doubles. My running back then was very unstructured. I read some of the entries in that first log and I laugh. There are many days where the only notations say things like, “No running. Too tired.” Or “Planned on running today, but overdosed on chocolate instead.” I used to be so good at making excuses not to run.

I ran two races in June 2015: The Bellin Run 10k in Green Bay on June 13 and The Garry Bjorklund ½ Marathon in Duluth, MN on June 20.

I finished the Bellin 10k in 40:14 (6:29/mile). It was my fifth consecutive Bellin and the first time I ran slower than the year before- in 2014 I ran it in 40:12. I ran most of the race with a couple of old geezers (Fish and Joan Benoit). I beat Fish by 4 seconds, but Joanie, as she’d done many times before, pulled away at the end. This was the last year I let her beat me. With about half a mile to go, Meb Keflezighi, who’d already finished and was running the course in reverse as a cool down, spotted Fish and me and joined us for the home stretch.

Swimming with Fish

Cruising past Meb to the finish

One week later, I ran the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in 1:33:19 (7:08/mile). This was my second half marathon, the first being the 2014 Garry Bjorklund Half, which I ran in 1:35. I felt okay for most of the race, before hitting a wall around mile 11. The last couple miles were at death march pace. It probably went about as well as I could’ve hoped for considering the lack of long runs and relatively low mileage in my training.

Saturday, June 20, 2015 4:45 AM - Donning my lucky socks

When contrasting that to my running today, covering 13.1 miles at 7:08 pace feels like an easy, ordinary training run. I’ve come a long way, baby. Hopefully I still have a lot of potential left in me. Last September I ran a half marathon in 1:15. If my knee ever fully heals and if I can avoid getting hit by any more crazy drivers, maybe in another ten years, covering 13.1 miles at 5:45 pace will be my easy everyday training run. Maybe not. Running was, and always will be something I do purely for fun. It is an exhilarating feeling to run long distances at a fast clip, but the pace and times really don’t mean that much to me. They are just meaningless numbers. Why should I care. 

New Log

It is June which means it’s time for a new running log.

I started my first log in June 2015. I was sixteen years old. The first running log I had was a red spiral notebook I bought from Shopko. I think I paid a dollar for it. Everyday since then, I have written about my training and a brief weather forecast in a spiral notebook. Each log starts in early June and lasts one year. 

For the past several log books, I have decorated the cover with an illustration, usually inspired by a certain artist or an album.

Here’s the cover artwork for the new log, “Running Log Eleven”:

I will award the brass figlagee with bronze oak leaf palm to anyone who can name the artist who inspired this design.

Here are some log covers from previous years:

Running Log Ten - Inspiration: Grandma's Marathon

Running Log Nine - Inspiration: The Beach Boys Smiley Smile Album. Probably not their best album, but definitely one of their better album covers.

Running Log Eight - Inspiration: The Fifties

Running Log Seven - Inspiration: The Uffington White Horse/XTC's English Settlement Album

Running Log Six - Inspiration: Frank Shorter Running Gear Logo