Chandler Street Loop/Levy Loop

I walked and jogged the Chandler Street Loop this morning in 39:31, with splits of 13:06, 13:31, and 12:54.

After I returned from an afternoon at Oaklawn Park with Tim Cooper and the gang, including Coach Carnahan, I walked the Levy Loop in 31:42. I won exactly $20. And, by the way, Tim and I also went Sunday, when I won $10.70. I have decided to become a gambler.

Pinnacle Mountain 5K/First Tee/Sweetheart Loop

I ran the Pinnacle Mountain 5K in a senior PR 1:06:41, but kind of cheated. My splits were 9:20, 20:09 (29:29), 19:17, and 17:54. Bob Marston ran the base trail with me. He also does the Pinnacle Mountain 5K, but starts on the west side with the base trail, so he was fresh and I ran quite a bit more than normally to not interfere with his effort, and consequently chopped 2:11 from my recent base-trail record. Still, it all seemed easy, though overall I was 57 seconds faster than my time from March 17. I will consider starting with Bob on the west side next week, though he told me he usually runs the event in 55 minutes. I don't think I can go that fast. Apparently Bob is a little less fearful of falling than I, or else he lied when he told me a sub-55 five-mile road run is all he can manage.

Tonight's jog wasn't as easy as my last, but I learned something, I think. My legs felt beat to flakes when I started the Sweetheart Loop, at about 8 Central, from walking First Tee in 78-degree sunshine with Randall Hunhoff. I went as slowly as possible to start, trudged up the F Street Hill, but thereafter felt better as I progressed, and finished in 32:35, with splits of 12:04, 10:40, and 9:51.

Sometimes, at least, with patience, I can run after golf. I played the best I have played this year this afternoon; I scored a 48 at First Tee, with 1 par, 5 bogies, 2 doubles, and 1 triple. I used 16 putts.

North Little Rock High/Chandler Street Loop

I ran 8X400 meters at the North Little Rock High track this morning, with three-and-a-half minute 400 walk/jogs for intervals, in 1:58.8, 1:59.6, 1:57.4, 2:01.5, 2:00.0, 1:57.5, 1:53.4, and 1:51.0. I covered the four miles in 43:19. I did not look at my watch except to check the intervals, which ran between 3:26-:29. My legs felt dead from the start, so my idea was to try to run them sort of easily and hope they were somewhere near two minutes (an eight-minute mile pace). I walked and jogged a mile up and down.

Jogs should always be like this; I jogged the Chandler Street Loop in 31:30, starting at about 7:45 p.m. Central, with splits of 10:47, 10:46, and 9:57. It was dry and calm and 55 degrees and I felt as if I could have continued for hours. I hope to feel this way when I run the Pinnacle Mountain 5K tomorrow morning.

OVERHEARD
"He wrote the same text message 57 times; he wrote, "Please.' ...No, that's all he wrote. He wrote the word 'please' and sent it 57 times. It just said, 'Please. ...Please. ...Please.' ...You got that right. I said the same thing."
—woman on a cell phone in her car parked in the North Little Rock courthouse parking lot next to the track

Levy Loop

I walked and jogged the Levy Loop this morning in 26:35.

Chandler Street Loop/33rd Street Loop

I walked and jogged the Chandler Street Loop this morning in 39:08, with splits of 13:01, 13:17, and 12:50.

Starting at about 8:20 p.m. Central, I ran the 33rd Street Loop in 48:20, with splits of 9:48, 9:45, 9:32, 9:40, and 9:35.

Ghetto Cat Loop/Sweetheart Loop

I walked and jogged the Ghetto Cat Loop this morning in 25:59.

I went to Oaklawn Park with Tim Cooper and almost all the Krupsaws and one of their friends and walked out with a net of $60.40. After eating ribs and fries, I walked and jogged the Sweetheart Loop in 36:36, with splits of 12:39, 12:02, and 11:55.

North Little Rock High

I ran 3X1000 meters in 5:12.5, 5:02.6, and 4:54.6, with seven-minute, 800-meter intervals. I walked and jogged a mile up and down. Again, it was very windy at the North Little Rock High track this morning.

Sweetheart Loop/Chandler Street Loop

I walked and jogged the Sweetheart Loop this morning in 39:28, with splits of 14:46, 12:36, and 12:06.

Here's another new course: The Chandler Street Loop, named after a street that might include the steepest block of pavement this side of San Francisco's Lombard Street. It's a three-mile loop, and this evening I walked and jogged it in 38:28, with splits of 13:18, 12:30, and 12:40.

Pinnacle Mountain 5K/First Tee

I ran the Pinnacle Mountain 5K in 1:17:23, with splits of 10:04, 23:29 (33:33), 19:51, and 23:59.

Jeff Krupsaw and I were tied at 12-over with No. 9 to play. He was on the green in three, 35 feet away. I was on in two, 20 feet away. Krup one putted. I three putted and the Broadmoar-Levy Cup was lost. Fuck. Krup scored a 49, and I a 50, with 1 par, 4 bogies, 2 doubles, and 2 triples. I used 17 putts.

North Little Rock High/Orange Street Loop

I ran 4X400 meters at the North Little Rock High track, with 3:30, 400 intervals, in 1:51.3, 1:51.8, 1:45.3, and 1:44.7; 8:30 a.m. might be a little early for quarters. I had to fight a 20 mph westerly that blew right down the homestretch.

Here's a good tempo run: the Orange Street Loop in 27:39, with splits of 9:39, 7:50 (7:49.91), and 10:10. I started at about 7:45 p.m. Central.

Maple Street Loop/Sweetheart Loop

A huge plate of ribs and cheese French fries kept me from a five-mile attempt last night. It's 38 degrees and raining this morning, so that kept me from it. Oh well. They say it'll be back to 70 by Tuesday. I jogged the Maple Street Loop in 21:40, with splits of 10:55 and 10:45.

This evening, starting at about 7:30 Central, I ran the Sweetheart Loop in 30:49, with splits of 11:00, 9:54, and 9:55. I felt good, though it was 42 and raining and there was northwest wind blowing at 10 miles an hour.

Sweetheart Loop

No kidding, it wasn't more than half a block after I decided to name my new loop the Hardcastle Loop, since it passes former Hashers Sam and Donna Hardcastle's house, that I walked by a nerdy looking 14-year-old boy playing basketball on his driveway who told me his cat's name was Sweetheart.

The three-mile Sweetheart Loop is perfect for walks or walks and jogs. It goes up the F Street hill into Park Hill, where it remains for about two miles. I jogged and walked it this morning in 38:35, with splits of 13:49, 12:27, and 12:19.

Ghetto Cat Loop/Orange Street Loop

Just once I wish my legs would feel as lively on a race day as they did this morning. I ran the Ghetto Cat Loop in 19:44, with splits of 10:09 and 9:35. Maybe two 1000s and four holes of golf did it.

I didn't feel as good tonight while I ran the Orange Street Loop, beginning at about 8 Central, in 29:49, with splits of 10:30, 9:55, and 9:24. Maybe winning a net of $1.10 at Oaklawn Park did it. Right; I was worn out from toting all the extra money to Cooper's Malibu.

North Little Rock High/First Tee

This took about five minutes of research to determine; I ran a morning interval session today for the first time since April 21, 2000. That was a Friday. Coincidently, later that night in Hot Springs, Kelly Young said she was "happier than God." Perhaps someone will say that to me tonight. I ran 2X1000 meters at the North Little Rock High track in 4:57.1 and 4:50.1, with an 800-meter interval, walked and jogged in seven minutes. I planned to do three, but was too whipped after the second to continue. Still, I was pleased to run that fast at 9 a.m. I might start doing these Thursday 1000s in the morning, thinking that I might benefit from the specificity of hard pre-noon efforts, heretofore (since 4/21/00) limited to road races. Also, I might move my Pinnacle 5Ks to Tuesday morning. I could feel the rock face of Pinnacle Mountain in my quadriceps this morning.

On the morning of April 21, 2000, 13 days after I ran the Capitol City Classic 10K in 59:33, with splits of 8:58, 10:02, 10:13, 9:42, 10:22, and 9:00 (after which it occurred to me for the first time to say, "Fuck no, I'm not okay. What is it about my throwing up on this curb that makes you ask, Bill?" In retrospect, I think that was the turning point, the instant I quit being a nice guy), I ran 6X400 meters, on the same track as today, under nearly identical diamond-bright sunshine, in 1:50-1:55, with three-minute, 400-meter jogs for intervals. I weighed 192 pounds, 30 more than this morning. Of course, I was 41 (which I guess means that to run six 1:50-1:55 400s as a 61-year-old I will need to weigh 132).

Kayce Hall, Josh Bornhorst, and I didn't start until about 5:45 p.m. Central, so only had time to play four holes at First Tee, but it was fun, and Kayce, for her first time on a course since 2006, and Josh, for his first time on a course, played pretty well. I think Josh went triple, double, double, and (I'm counting. ...shit; it was No. 4) and quadruple. Not bad. Kayce went quadruple, triple, double, and, I think, quadruple. Kayce is, for now, a terrible putter. Josh, on the other hand, had one three putt. I went par, double, double, par. Yes, I parred No. 4. My highlights were driving to 25 yards on No. 1, and to 155 on No. 4, and then hitting a 6-iron to the left fringe. I swung and missed with a 3-wood on No. 2.

OVERHEARD
"I think it means you had a good date."
—Josh Bornhorst, after I told the happier-than-God story and said, "I'm not exactly sure what that means."

Pinnacle Mountain 5K/Hash

I ran the Pinnacle Mountain 5K, starting at about 11 a.m. Central, in 1:07:38, with splits of 9:30 from the east lot to the start of the rock face, 19:28 up the face (28:57), 18:35 down, and 20:05 on the base trail. I felt great. This seemed much easier than last week's attempt, though I went 7:19 faster. I was particularly pleased by 19:28 up the rocks, 1:45 faster than last time.

It might have helped that at 52, it was 15 degrees cooler, though, after last month, I hesitate to give coolness credit for anything (like Crutch with democrats, or Elaine with republicans; that's the way I feel about cold weather).

Tonight I ran with four other Hashers around downtown North Little Rock for about 25 minutes. We probably covered a little over two miles.

Ghetto Cat Loop/First Tee

I walked and jogged the Ghetto Cat Loop this morning in 25:46.

The Levy-Broadmoar Cup remained in Levy this afternoon, I defeated Jeff Krupsaw 53-54 for nine holes at First Tee. I was two strokes down with three holes to go, but finished bogey, double, bogey to pull away. I had 1 par, 3 bogies, 3 doubles, and 2 quadruples, and used 16 putts.

OVERHEARD
"Save them. Good god, save them. ...No, wait a minute. You only have to save one of them. I only need one to verify that I won the Levy-Broadmoar Cup. But please, for the love of god, don't let them both die."
—Pete Perkins, on the No. 9 tee box, to the EMT attempting to revive Jeff and Daniel Krupsaw, after Jeff joked that Perkins had poisoned them with two cyanide-laced Payday Bars.

Levy Loop/Levy intervals

I jogged the Levy Loop this morning in 22:06, with splits of 11:09 and 10:57. It felt as if I ran much slower; I put the over-under at 23:15, so was surprised when I looked at my Timex.

At about 9 p.m. Central, I ran 6X400 meters, with 3:30, 400 jogs as intervals, in 1:50.1, 1:51.5, 1:45.8, 1:44.9, 1:44.5, and 1:40.0 (1:39.99). I realized after the second one I was running into a 5-10 mph headwind,* so I ran the final four south on Orange, from the T-Shirt Shop to my driveway. I walked and jogged a mile up and a half mile down.

*I don't need weather.com. It said wind: from N 10 mph

Maple Street Loop/Hash

I remembered to set my clock forward last night for maybe the third or fourth time since I've been the one responsible to remember. Do Canadians bother with daylight savings time? This morning I walked the Maple Street Loop in 30:47.

There were about 15 people for our Hash run at Section 13, not nearly enough to risk getting lost, so I took the 28-minute turkey trail and probably covered a little over two miles.

Levy Loop/33rd Street Loop

I walked the Levy Loop this morning in 29:12, for a double bogey to put me at 18-over after my second 18 holes. That's an improvement of two strokes. Let's see; I had 4 birdies, 2 pars, 2 bogies, and 10 doubles. For the time being, I'm going to quit this game. Maybe I'll play again this summer when it's 75-80 degrees every morning.

The four-mile mark of the 33rd Street Loop is near the top of the hill on Orange Street, about a furlong from my house. That's where I decided to quit tonight's jog. I got there in 42:10, with splits of 10:27, 10:25, 10:22, and 1056. My legs felt fine through three miles and then didn't.

Levy Loop

I walked the Levy Loop at lunchtime in 29:48. I lost $28 at Oaklawn yesterday.

Orange Street Loop

Last night my legs felt great. This morning they were deader than John Updike. To quote Harry Caray, "I just don't understand it; he lost the ball in the sun. He's from the Dominican Republic, where the sun shines 24 hours a day, and he lost the ball in the sun. I just don't understand it." I jogged the Orange Street Loop in 32:09, with splits of 11:01, 10:24, and 10:44. Last night's storm retreated to leave the sky perfectly cloudless, and a good day to lose money in Hot Springs.

Ghetto Cat Loop/First Tee/Orange Street Loop

I walked the Ghetto Cat Loop this morning in 29:35.

It got up to 75 this afternoon, which the radio weather fucks said might add to the severity of this evening's storm, but it made for a nice day at First Tee. I scored well for the first time this year, with a 46 from the middle tees. I had 3 pars, 3 bogies, 2 doubles, and 1 triple, and used 15 putts. My scorecard read: 1-5; 2-7; 3-5; 4-5; 5-4; 6-4, 7-4; 8-8; 9-4. I am hungrier than two motherfuckers.

Surely this isn't the first time I have run in hail, but I don't remember doing it before. The two-mile mark of the Orange Street Loop is on Orange, about a third of a mile south of my house. Drenched, and fearful of bruises and brain damage, I made a U-turn there and ran in after running the two miles in 21:09, with splits of 11:07 and 10:02. I started this run at about 9:10 p.m. Central.

Levy Loop/Big Dam Bridge-River Trail

I walked the Levy Loop late this morning in 30:01 (30:00.78). Both quadriceps are a tad sore from Pinnacle.

It's was windy as hell but 72 degrees as I walked across the Big Dam Bridge and along the River Trail for 48:33 this afternoon. I guess I covered about three miles.

Faith Elder is the nine-year-old girl who beat me in the Little Rock 5K. Her chip time was 24:57, and mine 25:02. I finished 50th overall, and fourth in my age division.

Pinnacle Mountain 5K/Orange Street Loop

For the first time since, I believe, 2003, I ran* the approximately 5K loop from the Pinnacle Mountain east parking lot, up the east face, down the west, and then around on the 1.5 mile base trail. It's part of the course I ran last year, which I called the Pinnacle Loop. My record for this course is close to 55 minutes, maybe 54. Today I took it easily and finished in 1:14:57. I kept splits: 10:17 from the base to where the steep rocks begin; 21:13 up the rocks to the top (31:30); 22:13 down; and 21:15 on the base trail. I had fun and felt great. I drove in a few minutes ago and weather.com reports that it's 70 degrees.

This evening, starting at about 6:30 Central, I ran the Orange Street Loop through light, cool rain in 28:33, with splits of 9:49, 9:22, and 9:22. That was about 90 seconds faster than I meant to go. Sometimes, on nights like tonight, when I'm trying to rest a bit, I probably should leave my watch with Jo.

*truthfully, I didn't run a step. I walked all the way to the top, jogged a little going down, and then jogged all but three or four minutes of the base trail. Noteworthy is that I was fairly comfortable for the first time going up the steep rocks. I went very slowly, and perhaps benefited from the 10-12 squats with 30-pound weights in each hand I have done, two or three times a week, since the first of the year.

35th Street Loop/Hash

I jogged a little but mostly walked the 35th Street Loop this morning in 55:24, with splits of 14:07, 13:28, 13:15, and 14:34. My legs feel awful.

This morning and afternoon I worked the Hash aid station and then walked and jogged Josh's three-mile Hash run from Alsopp Park. Elsa Kanner brought her petepretty friend Ashley Hubbard, who ran a 1:44 half marathon this morning. It was a delight to see her again. I said nothing about the nine-year-old girl kicking my ass yesterday morning.

Little Rock 5K

They gave us chips, but mine fell off, unless someone clipped it while Geneva Hampton was talking with me. According to my watch, I ran the Little Rock 5K in 25:03, with splits of 8:07, 8:33, and 7:38, and 44 seconds for the last tenth. I'm pleased to have run that fast considering the lifelessness of my legs this morning.

I was in a good race with a tiny button the last half mile or so, but she pulled away near the finish. Afterward I heard people talking about the "amazing" nine-year-old girl. She was approximately, no kidding, 4-1, 55 pounds.

Emerson Drive Loop

I practiced this morning for tomorrow. I got up at 6:30 Central, showered, drank a cup of coffee and a can of Diet Dr. Thunder (Walmart's Dr. Pepper, without sodium benzoate), and then, at 7:30 did the one-mile Emerson Drive Loop. I walked, jogged, ran a little bit; built up to 50- to 100-meter strides at roughly an eight-minute pace. Stretched. Acted as if I were about to start a race. At eight o'clock I ran for a minute at race pace, then continued to jog to the 400-meter mark on Orange Street (the front porch of the T-Shirt Shop), and then walked and jogged home. I felt good. I expect to feel better in the morning, after a day of sitting rather than one spent standing in the cold, talking with a retired track coach.

Levy Loop/Orange Street Loop

I walked the Levy Loop this morning in 30:36.

After losing $13.40 at Oaklawn Park, I jogged the first two miles of the Orange Street Loop in 21:41, with splits of 11:23 and 10:18. I jogged the first mile about as slowly as I could, ran about two and a half minutes divided into 30-second bursts at an eight-minute pace during the second mile, then walked the final mile home.

Levy Loop/Hash

I walked the Levy Loop this morning in 34:05.*

Do you think it's possible I haven't eaten a hamburger since early December, 2008? I mean, not counting tonight? According to Lacey's watch, we—Lacey, Josh, and I—ran a little over four miles. We were out nearly 50 minutes and ran nearly nonstop from Hillcrest through Alsopp Park and back to a Hillcrest restaurant called The House, where I had a hamburger with bleu cheese and very good French fries; it was one of those green-people places, with lots of waitresses I thought were beautiful and of whom Lacey said, "Yeah, they're your type." My legs felt great. My new over-under for Saturday is 24:58.

*I'm not sure anyone is following my two-mile prediction game, but this walk does not apply. Today I just wanted to take a very easy walk and stretch my legs. I explained because I think a time like that would have worried me if I didn't know me as well as I do.

Orange Street Loop/River Trail-Big Dam Bridge

I walked the Orange Street Loop this morning in 45:23.

Nothing like March in Arkansas; 40 degrees, 40 mile-an-hour wind blowing off the river. Fuck, perfect. I walked for three and a half miles on the River Trail and then across the Big Dam Bridge and back for a total of 1:14:56, so probably covered a little over five miles.

Ghetto Cat Loop/35th Street Loop

I walked the Ghetto Cat Loop late this morning in 29:26.

Tonight's run was nice, and easier than it sounds; starting at about 8:45 Central, I ran the 35th Street Loop in 36:53, with splits of 9:32, 9:18, 9:13, and 8:50.

February was Levy's 10th coldest month since they started keeping records in the 1870s, someone just said on television. Not the 10th coldest February, the 10th coldest month.