I had planned to back off on the running and do more cycling this week, but this area just had a sudden explosion of puncturevine to the point where one almost can’t ride a bike outdoors. (If you don’t know what puncturevine is—its thorns are called goatheads around here—consider yourself fortunate.) My husband, who rides every day, has been getting about one flat tire per ride, and I also flatted on my one and only ride this week. Flat tires are a fact of life for a cyclist but this year’s crop is the worst I’ve ever seen and the goatheads make the roads nearly impassable on a road bike. So this week I logged 62 slow miles of running. I’m planning a 3-day backpack trip Monday through Wednesday which will give me some enforced time off from running.
Allen53, good job on a tough 5K, and also on getting your long run stretched out. It’s motivating to see folks in our age group improving!
Coyote, nice road mile at elevation.
lucKY2b, I can relate. I think I have things under control as department chair with 1.5 weeks before the start of the semester, but I’m also aware that things can go south in a hurry if an important staff person quits. I feel nervous about disappearing from e-mail contact for 3 days at this time of the year, but am determined to get one last fling in the mountains before the old grind starts back up.
dhaaga, you sound like you’re training for an ultra with that 3-hour run…
Igy, congrats on the improved 5K and good luck at the Senior Games! That sounds like a grueling itinerary. Your reappearing cat reminds me of an incident nearly 20 years ago. Our old cat, Ed, disappeared for no apparent reason and was gone for over a week. We shed some tears, put his toys and bowls away, etc. 12 days later we were awakened in the middle of the night by yowling at the door and in bolted Ed, dirty, skinny, and terrified looking, but very much alive. Our best guess was that he had been treed by coyotes and took a long time to escape. Or perhaps he was abducted by aliens. After a few good meals Ed seemed none the worse for wear and he lived another 3 years, but from that day onward he refused to leave the house except during broad daylight.
I’m looking forward to 3 days of hanging out in the wilderness and doing a bit of stomping up and down mountainsides at 8500-9000 feet.