Kicking Winter's Butt

Winter, you didn't know who you were messing with. You think you can dump snow and ice and make it 3 degrees on the morning I planned a 40 mile run.

Well I have news for you, bucko. I'm not taking your crap any longer. I wasn't born yesterday. I don't have to put up with this.

If it's stronger than you are, you have to be smarter than it. And I showed it who's boss!

I decided to take my rest week a week early and move the 40 mile run to this week, which should give me somewhere around 100 miles for the week, doubling my age in miles, sounds like like a good birthday plan to me!

I'm counting today as the start of our beautiful mud season. Bulbs are coming up, along with oregano...

There is only one remaining pile of snow in the yard, which should be gone by tomorrow morning. And there are signs of spring everywhere, birds making noise, squirrels darting out from every tree trunk, and it's time to switch gears.

Tomorrow I am going to take advantage of the forecasted beautiful day and get that long run in, I'm packing everything into a little backpack with money to buy food along the way, and running all day long.

The yard is a swamp, complete with snakes.

I took Iris for a few miles this morning and then went back out for a total of 17 miles. I slipped a fast 5K in there and 7:30s didn't take too much effort.

I got on the scale yesterday and I'm down to 120 pounds. I have lost a total of 12 pounds, and I'm only 3 to 5 pounds away from my goal weight. I'm pretty sure that I don't need to go below 115. Then I'd be too skinny. At this point, I don't feel like I need to make too much effort other than maintaining what I'm doing, because bumping up the miles and intensity will most likely take care of those last few pounds. And if it's really hard to lose, which I suspect it might be, no big deal. I feel so much better already and I'm running so much better.

I asked Dennis to tell me if I start to look too skinny. He thinks I'm still good, but he can tell I've lost quite a bit. I do not want to have ribs and bones sticking out everywhere, or looking like a board when I turn sideways. I don't like to look like that and I think it's unhealthy. People who haven't seen me in a while notice it right away, in my face.

It's muddy paw season too. Next time we get the floors redone, I need to remember to find a muddy pawprint tile pattern.

Iris has been going crazy since the snow melted because now all the goose poop is exposed. I look forward to the rain washing it away and the geese taking off again. Isabelle loves spring, she finds the muddiest spot in the yard to lie down in, and soaks it up in her belly hairs, then comes in and shakes it all over the walls. It's a never ending battle with the mop and wiping the walls from now until it warms up enough to turn on the hose and hose them down outside.

What can you do? It's our dog house.