GCS Ballpark/Day 40

SAUGET, Ill. — I walked for 30 minutes around GCS Ballpark, so about 2 miles. The great Donna and I road bicycles out here the day before Thanksgiving, 1990. There was no GCS Ballpark then. There probably wasn't a GCS, whatever the fuck that is.

Missouri 51

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — I ran a 3-mile out-and-back on Missouri 51 from the Comfort Inn in 29:40, with splits of 10:22, 9:50 and 9:28. The first mile was mostly uphill.

Levy Loop

in an easy 20:14, with splits of 10:35 and 9:39. I ran without socks so that my too-small shoes would fit a bit better. It was, I think, the first time I have run without socks since my eighth-grade track season in 1973, when gas cost 30¢, DWI tickets did not affect insurance rates or community posture and cost $95, and no one south of the Mason-Dixon Line had ever heard of a blow job. We all believed the baby Jesus story, too.

I'm sure my Chinese tennis shoes will stink like Chinese tennis shoes tomorrow.

47th Street Loop

walked in 45:20.

Hash

run for 31 minutes from Josh's and Petra's house through Hillcrest and Alsopp Park. My cranial GPS calculated I covered 2.58 miles. Afterward I ate two hot dogs, a steak, big piles of low-sodium green beans (which I salted the hell out of) and an ear of thoroughly-buttered corn.

Faster Levy Loop

run in 18:38, with splits of 9:33 and 9:05, after listening to Ouachita Baptist recover from a 7-0 deficit for a 12-10 victory over Tampa at the NCAA Division II World Series, and in a new pair of ultra-light Asics DS Trainers (which are too small by at least half a size but which I could not motivate myself to fuck with mailing back to wherever whoever sent them from). I felt kind of fast tonight for the first time since last fall. My calves got a bit stiff, but my thighs and hamstrings were lively and I was not stressed.

Levy Loop

run late last night in 20:12, and walked this morning in 29:20.

47th Street Loop

Run in 30:06, with mile splits of 10:34, 9:44, and 9:48, which gave me 17 miles for the week (15 non-Hashing miles)

Great Cross Country Race

I walked, and jogged a little, for 33 minutes, good enough to smash a field of 51 for my first Great Cross Country Race victory since 1983.*

*In 1983 I did not simply turn around a mile after the start and walk back. I actually beat some fast motherfuckers straight up.

Levy Loop

Walked yesterday in 30:31, and walked and jogged today in 26:38.

Day 30

Walked in 31:09 yesterday morning, and walked and jogged (for a total of five minutes) in 27:00 this evening.

Levy Loop

I walked the Levy Loop this morning in 31:59 and this afternoon in 30:29. I walked by three kids in the Levy ghetto a few minutes ago and one of them said, "Why ain't you runnin'?" Rather than break down my recent inability to store glycogen, I said, "It's too hot."

Hash

I walked 38 minutes with the Hash yesterday, so covered about 2.5 miles, which gave me 20.5 miles for the week (18 non-Hash miles).

Levy Loop

Walked and jogged in 24:40 last night. I aborted my plan to run the Park Hill Loop after about three quarters of a mile because my calves turned stiff and I felt terribly unfit. It disappoints me to discover 20 days of seemingly insignificant effort has drained me to this extent. My long-term schedule called for six weeks of progress before taking a week off, but I will at least temporarily amend that to three weeks. Next week I will go no more than 3 miles, and do nothing that is not easy.

Rats.

47th Street Loop

3 miles walked in 44:19.

47th Street Loop

3 miles in 43:08, jogging a little. My legs are dead.

Maple Street Loop

45:41, with mile splits of 10:58, 10:46, 11:51, and 12:07. I ran non-stop, and felt like shit every step. I almost stopped after five or six minutes, but decided to accept the struggle and treat it like the last 4 miles of a fucking marathon.

Orange Street Loop

Walked, and jogged for a total of c. 12 minutes, in 38:09, with mile splits of 12:57, 12:39, and 12:33, as easily as I intended.

Massie Street Intervals

5X200 & 4X200, with one minute between 200s and four minutes between sets, (with the odds uphill and evens down, as will always be the case on Massie St.) in 58.2, 54.6, 56.8, 50.1, 51.7, and 52.3, 46.2, 47.6, 44.4, or an average of 51.4.

Day 20

Streak reached 20 days with a windy walk of the Levy Loop in 32:37, which gave me 20 miles for the week (18 non-Sunday miles).

Ridge Road Loop

With 47th Street Hill first in 41:58, w/ mile splits of 11:03, 10:12, 10:38, and 10:06.

2-mile Samantha Loop

aka You-Two-Shouldn't-Run-Out-Here-in-Dark-Clothing Loop, walked in 29:25.

Orange Street Loop

in 40:47, with splits of 13:53, 13:25, and 13:29, in a pair of blue plaid short pants, a yellow Polo shirt with blue trim, and without sweating a drop.

Maple Street Loop

Run in an almost cold rain in 50:39, with splits of 10:51, 11:19, 14:23, and 14:05, and a blood-glucose plummet from 75 to 28. I am about to prepare and eat a plateful of hash brown potatoes and two, maybe three, grilled cheese sandwiches. I plan to go to bed stuffed.

Levy Loop

Alternated four-minute walks with one-minute runs and finished in 24:36. Also walked nine holes at First Tee, and scored 45.

Intervals

2x4x200 meters on Massie Street, with one minute between 200s and four minutes between sets (odd were uphill, even down) in 56.0, 56.2, 63.4, 57.9 and 62.7, 55.9, 60.4, 54.1, or an average of 58.4.

Hash

We ran for 1:15, or, according to my CGPS, 5.41 miles, which gives me 22.41 miles for the week (17 non-Hash miles).

Maple Street Loop

..., a new 4-mile route, in 53:13.

Levy Loop

Alternated one-minute jogs with four-minute walks and took 28:14.

Ridge Road Loop

w/ the 47th Street hill first in 42:28. Mile splits: 11:25, 10:04, 10:33, and 10:26.