Faster Than a Horse

I’m upset with HyVee. More like pissed off. At one of their business practices in particular: not being able to get a kid’s meal “to go”. If you follow me on Twitter, you know what I’m talking about. In short, they will not let you get a kid’s meal to go. WTF? I tried to order a kid’s meal to go for my 8 year old last night and I was told “No”. They cited some lame policy about people cheating the system by ordering a kid’s meal, then secretly loading-up more food before hitting the door. Are you kidding me? I had two kids with me Captain Obvious behind the counter. One of which will eat the kid’s meal when we get home, you Jackwagon. With a dumbfound, confused look on my face, I asked for clarity on the ruling:
Me, “What? I can’t get a kid’s meal to go?”
Captain Obvious, “No. I can give you a kid’s meal, but I’m going to have to charge you full price”
Me, “What? You’re kidding me, right?”
Captain Obvious, “No. That’s the policy”
Me (steam rolling out my ears), “Uh, no thank you” (mumbling my frustration under my breath)

What really gets me is they pack the container so full that there’s no way to get anything else in there anyway. Besides, do I friggin’ look like I’m a high schooler looking to scam the system for a few extra morsels from the salad bar? Use your damn brain, people!

OK, rant done. I’m better now. On with the show…

Running Update
Been another great week of running for this cat. Knowing I wasn’t going to make my Thursday run due to a card game at my father’s house (more on that below), I decided for some speed work on Tuesday to hold me over until my Saturday long run. And at the YMCA no less! For those of you who know me and the type of stuck-up, snooty runner I am, you know how I feel about running on a treadmill. I loathe it. But, despite how I feel about tready, I opted for speed work at the Y rather than running outdoors (I hear you gasping, LDV ). It had nothing to do with the weather; it was actually a decent evening to run. I just wanted a controlled environment to try some speed work. It had been 9 months since my last serious, focused speed work session, so I was a little nervous about it and wasn’t exactly sure how it would go. I started off with a ½ mile warm-up at an 8:30 pace. Then kicked it up to a 7:45 pace for the second ½ mile. With my legs warmed up and ready, at mile 2, I upped the speed to a 6:55 pace. I had forgotten how good it feels to stretch the pace and let my legs fly. I was able to maintain the 6:55 pace for the entire second mile, then kicked it back to a 7:45 pace for a short recovery. At mile 2.25 I jammed the pace to 6:30 and was able to hold it for an entire mile. Recovered for the next quarter mile at a 7:30 pace. At mile 3.75 I did the unthinkable (to me anyway): I set the pace to 6:10 and let my legs fly for a short ½ mile. I was huffing and puffing, but it felt great to sprint. Ended the workout with a cool-down from mile 4.25 – 4.5. Not your average speed work session, but it worked for me. Oh, and I was beat-down tired afterwards. …and sore the next day. Damn this old body!

Thursday = no run. Instead, I got rolled at the card table by a bunch of old, retired cops. More on that below.

My long run this week was a step-back 7 miler. It was very windy here last Saturday; sustained winds around 17 - 20mph with gusts up to 30mph straight out of the north. I picked a route that was mostly east-west in direction to keep me from having to run into the stiff north wind. I ran from my house east down the main drag of Ankeny, then a quick right at Cherry St, then a left on 3rd (through Old Town Ankeny – another one of my favorites for running) down to Casey’s at 3rd & Blvd. And back for 7 miles.

There is a lot of holiday, “townie” things going on in Ankeny on the weekends this time of year. And one of those things is horse-drawn carriage rides through Old Town. And, just as I turned onto 3rd St, in the middle of the Old Town section, I found myself next to the horse-drawn carriage. The horses looked like they were enjoying their leisurely stroll as I passed them. The folks in the carriage, however, did not (note the weather conditions I described above). I politely waived to the kids and parents in the carriage and gave a “what’s up” nod to one of the horses as I ran ahead. I bring this up, because of the obvious significance and likely only conclusion that can be drawn from this; I can run faster than a horse. :-)

In the end, the wind wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Granted, I had several layers on and was on a route that was mostly shielded from the wind, but nonetheless, a good run. Next week: 10 miles in the snow. Ah, the first snowy run of the season. Can’t wait!

Training Update
Four weeks into the Men’s Health workout and still liking it. Lots of back and shoulder work; which I needed. With only two weeks left for this routine, I’m already looking ahead to the next lifting/workout series. Any suggestions? I was thinking of incorporating more leg/hip exercises for this next series. I don’t feel like I’m doing enough squats or lunges. Do you guys ever get that feeling? Anyway, my goal is to get something locked in place by next week so the transition from one routine to the next is short and simple.

I was able to get back in the pool this week. But it didn’t feel good. Largely due to the fact that I was tired and hadn’t eaten well leading up to the swim. I only cranked out ¾ mile before I decided to pack it in. It was one of those situations where I was so tired I could tell my form was way off. Breathing pattern wasn’t right. Legs were slow. Arms were out of sync. I was working much harder than I should’ve been. Oh well, at least I made ¾ mile, right? Next week: 1.2 miles.

Non-Running Thought of the Week
So I mentioned above I played cards with my dad and his retired cop buddies. Holy schnikes, I got rolled! Bought-in for $40 and left with empty pockets and my tail between my legs. These rat pack wannabes play games like “Iron Cross”, ”Chase the Lady”, “7-card High/Low Split Jacks-or-Better to Open; Trips-or-Better to Win” and “7-card Low in the Hole is Wild with a Hole Buster on the Last Card”. No joke. Average pot size (after the ante and several rounds of betting) is $15 - $20. Real money, by the way.

In the end, I had a great time. Listening to those guys banter back and forth cracks me up. Just like in the movies. Oh, and did I mention I was the first to leave (at 10PM on a week night) and got heckled for it. Old Bastards….. :-)


Remember, “You’re not running until you’re GimpyRunning”.