Red Dirt Harriers

Long week and I seem to have come down with an allergy-induced cold or something. When it feels like you are sleeping in a swamp, it's hard to really get great, restful sleep so I think the weather is out to foil my life again. I did have the pleasure of good company at this weeks' $3 burger session and again the prompting for an Abner's sponsored race was felt. I'm thinking of a race, a club points series, and then a combined score from perhaps the whole thing, which will be offset by probably something like the pub run where beer drinking is mandatory or at least aids your time in some way if you choose to indulge. Until then, rest assured I'm training hard again and doing my damnedest to improve the state of Norman running and I'm not the only one. KEXP 90.3 FM - Live Performance: Beach House on 04/12/2010

I'm not going to try to defend the quality of my apartment, but I like to think there's a quiet dignity to living in Essex. That was the case until a bum came in and tried to help himself to one of my beers as Skolnick just informed me. I like the location of this joint, SOME of the neighbors and the price and yet there are a few obvious issues at hand, not the least of which is my next door neighbor who has woken me up multiple times with his middle of the night cussing sprees and general creepiness. All this goes to say that I won't be renewing the lease and shall most likely be setting up camp in a Lindsey St. abode in the coming month. More importantly, I have made it through another week without much issue, and will hope to race in the next few weeks. I did hit the T-bird trails for in informal race in honor of Gustavo continuing to feel pretty good and cancer free. I haven't heard the full report of the longer ventures, 25k and 50k, but I did run a quick 10k and p...

Good week, much less busy at the shop than last week and accordingly I had a little more pep in my step. At this point, I should note that I'm spending a lot more time warming up and stretching than I ever have on a consistent basis. I'm feeling pretty good on the run but I'm just hoping to keep the running streak alive at this point, run a few summer races and then get into some higher level stuff this fall. I logged about 85 miles this week, doubled on 5 days, and had a couple good long runs. Topped things off this morning with 95 minutes finishing strong and immediately proceeding to omelets, bloody marys, and the football. Thinking of trips this summer and though I'm not leaving the states, Phillip enviously did , I'm not sure why no Tour of the Gila for those guys but who can complain about Belgian beer, chocolate, and women?

Crazy week with the OKC marathon back and bigger than ever. I hope for great things from all of those folks with whom I've communicated. I have had very few good races at OKC, myself, but I've seen some great performances from other folks out there and it truly is an amazing event for OKlahoma. I had a great topper of a week out in Taos last week but unfortunately I guess after a long drive, 9 hour day at the shop, and the emotional fervor that the Boston Marathon created left me with my nagging hamstring flared up and me pretty frustrated at the precipitate from a single ill conceived day. Anyway, I'll be bringing the OKRunner relay home and hoping that we can run 2:25 or better and win the thing, which really shouldn't be tough but can prove to be so. So to up our chances and pay homage to those before us, I felt like a significant volume of beer needed to be consumed at Chelino's and beyond. The reps were good enough to buy a few for me under the guise of what I ...

I'm taking a little down time from the shop that will include a visit to Taos, NM for the rest of the week. Today I was feeling a bit tired after a solid morning run, 10 hour day at the shop, and the yog home. Today Skolnick and I jogged a bit over to the track so he could time trial a 200. He didn't quite do his best but a 27 second split after just jogging over to the line literally and hitting a sprint is fine. Then I baked some cinnamon rolls and dropped our neighbor and buddy, Dalton, at work. Next was a nice jaunt on the bike. I needed to see what Lago di T-bird was looking like and since the wind was wailing out of the south, I really just had a crosswind that wasn't too obtrusive. Finally after finalizing my taxes, some reading, and a nap, I was readying myself for a second run when I noticed the Indian guys living in our apartment were up to there standard bimonthly parking lot cricket game and, shit, my car was right next to the "batters box" for lack of...

I ventured over to Redbud for my annual non-paying entrant position. This year proved to again be warm like many years, but unlike last, and a lot of people paid the piper. I think most people just chalk their slow times to the course and heat but they don't ave the doubly frustrating side effect of nausea. I, being an apparent "uber-Anglo" with slim to no pigment in my skin seem to suffer heavily, either that or I suffer from a vit. D overdose on these occasions. I also tore my heal up running without socks so hopefully that amounts to naught. Anyway, alot of people were doing the skeleton dance out there so the fact that I was running in a progressive fashion made me feel for the people I went by late in the race. I ran like a 18:15/17:15 split which was fine by me considering the ridiculous continuation of an overlap of the 5 and 10k courses that completely stagnates the 10k course and if you're racing it's one of the more demoralizing scenarios I can imagine w...

I'll try a simplistic format for this one so myself and everyone else can get on to their Dia de la Conejo or moveable feast festivities. points worth mention for the week: 1. logged decent mileage through the Oklahoma spring gales and in spite of my own severe pedestrian deficiency thus far, this year. 2. survived a remarkably severe, yet short, weather phenomenon that I maintain marked its epicenter at the very site I call home, Essex Square Apartments. I'm talking downed power lines, uprooted Bartlett pear trees, and significant on site structural and auto damage. 3. Attempted a "pint night" unsuccessfully, but capably handled the $3 Wednesday burger. 4. Fended off an advance from middle-aged woman while dropping off recyclables in short shorts. mentionable on this day: 1. 90 minute run in high wind and humidity, perhaps my least favorite climactic scenario. 2. lost consecutive Foosball matches to decidedly weaker opponents 3. cut weight with first hair cut in l...