(Slow)Running to assume more active Role in Future Races and Events

 On this morning for which is forecast a 90% probability of rain, I am certain that we will be witnessing some stormy weather.  For the Depot Parkrun5k, I didn't feel remotely adequate to the task ofcompleting the entire course, but Melissa walked the first and only lap with me.  I was a bit irritable and grumpy, but toward the end of the looped trail...when it leveled off...Iwas able to lightly run down the pathway...it was an unexpectedly pleasant and empowering experience!I think that, on a gut-feeling level, Martinus Evans has it right with his "slow AF" run club. In the future i'd like for Melissa to drive me down to a nearby running track for me to train there and see how far I can jog on it...I feel quite optimistic being able to cover a good distance.  Now let's see how this day goes weather-wise, and how much training will help to improve my overall c-v fitness and endurance.  Also, I'm planning to use that running training to boldly 'step up' my running contiributions to future Parkrun events and races...

Looking Ahead to Today, Structure or Not

 I finally awoke and got up this morning as the time was approaching six o' clock...completed ten minutes of running in place on the living room rug floor as the coffee was brewing.  I don't know about any appointments or planned visits. There's no discernible timstructure or schedule ahead for today, other than reading, more physical training, or rest.  Ive grown to appreciate sitting outside on our back porch when it isn't raining, the chairs are dry, and Pewee Daisy seems the happiest.  From time to time I find myself with a mild headache...Melissa encourages me to be forthcoming about expressing my physical feelings to her. Beyond the gloomy, degrading news cycles i'm exposed to on television with this very disappointing, mean-spirited president and his soulless sycophants, it looks like old recycled movies, along with live major league baseball games on the Baseball.tv channel, are the only ways to go nowadays in this incrementally degrading society and culture.  Melissa is now up and about, and I am sipping on this tasty coffee, topped off by butterbeer-flavored creamer.  As for training goals, I want to keep my total dailyaccumulated steps at 7500-10,000.  Walking around our .7-mile neighborhood block and brief interspersed slow-running breaks, seem to fit the bill...as long it doesn't storm much and th temperatures can be endured..Good morning on this fine day to you all and enjoy it...God bless you....looking forward to hearing all the mourning doves, blue Jays, and crows...

Slow Running public Races, overcoming Embarrassment about Awkwardness

 When I was a kid (fifth grade at Nova Elementary) and my class's p.e. instructor had us, as a group, run an extended course,, it would usually come down to a rqce. We'd heqd off campus toward the northern palm trees, which w'ed circle an thenreturn 'home. Brooke, as naurally talented as she was...and hopefully still is...would gracefully run away from the competition; she'd kick eveyone's ass if it were a Parkun!  i was a quick, short-distance sprinter with a long way to go on the endurance running side.  According to slow running (AF) advocate Martinus Evans, running competitively in public, under everyone's gaze, is an integral element of the activity.  This coming Saturday's Depot pqrkrun 5k is basically a publicly staged event.  So if i have any self-conscious issues involving feeling embarrassed over others observing my obviously flawed attempts at running for a sustained distance...forget the palms...looks like no one is in danger of confusing me with Brooke. Training for Saturday will necessarily involve me very lightly running downa dry stretch of qasphalt road,assuming i actually get a dry stretch of road with all this rain we've been having lately. My plan is this:after we've started the upcoming race for about a minute, I kick into slow AF running and see how long I can stand it...there ain't no shame in going back into walking mode, at least for a little while. I can also cut across the park's course to the car should I need to 'drop out' early...Still, unlike the case with our Florida Lottery, it should all be 'good fun'...

Early Rising, Slow Run Training Haibts, Future Races

 This past evening aaai made a point of getting myself back to bed, to allow myself the opportunity to get in a couple of hours sleep before arising early, 4-5 hours before sunrise.  Between 2 and 3 I got up , went to the bathroom and began running in place on the rug for a couple of minutes.  Then I brewed a pot of coffee and ran for eight more minutes while listening to the late jim bohn's podcast on keeppinth changing of habits simple and focused.  I'm sitting here right now producing a blog article, and I discovered that it is raining quite a bit outside!  I have my own strategies for implementing Martinus Evans's Slow AF Run Club for s higher level of endurance, lightly running in one direction while reversing the flow on an equally useful surface, repeated for as long a time as possible.I don' won't to run across the backyard in one direction, changing to a difficult plot in the opposite...and then being forced to relent on my training the minute I detect substantial rainfall. I want to run down long, level and dry hallways, without my soft running being interrupted by people. Empty parking lots and basketball and tennis courts will work quit well, too.  And what about my own immediate home block; just running back and forth down NW 27th Street to get a good workout going?  Now what if, during the start of the next Depot Parkrun 5K, I ran slowly and softly, changing to a walking gait if the running poses too much of a burden, as I mentally react to it?  Then i give myself permission to cut short my Parkrun to one llap or less, and head to the car with wonderful Melissa.  Because with this change i am fundamentally altering the nature of my physical activity to something that is destined to bear productive fruit if I stick with it. If my cancer treatment continues to go well, into the fall, then I'll be equipped to run in three Florida Track Club long distance running races, all the way up to November's Tom Walker Half-Marathon.   This can be the start o something great...

Walked Gainesville's Depot Park 5K This Morning

 Again demonstrating that my progress in recovery for both walking and running endurance isn't exactly linear, about 3 hours ago I, for the 4th time this year, successfully completed their 5kcourse, which goes for 3.1 miles.  To accomplish this I needed to cover 4 park laps, which I managed today without too much trouble and suffering.  It took me about 64 minutes to get through it all...click HERE to read the posted results.  Throughout the race I felt weary and unable to keep up with other parkrunners.  I was also frustrated with my Android, which didn't play the music I wanted it to.  The pictures I took didn't transfer over to Google photos, either...i'll need to depend on a different photo source to be able to decorate this blog with a pretty picture.  Looking back on the experience, i am very grateful for Melissa's support and enouragement, and to God for giving me the fitness and physical...and mental...energy needed to complete this course, which I want to be in the habit of doing on a regular basis.  Later today  we're predicted to be experiencing rainstorms for our Gainesville area.  i'll be spending most of that period at home...baseball has loaded up our tv schedule.  If dryness prevails, then maybe i'll try doing some more laps of slow AF running in the back yard. If all I end up doing in the future is slow running for long distances, then that's O.K. with me.  By the way, do you know what "AF" means?...

On This Early Friday, with Regular Routines Looking to Weekend Opportunities (and Storms)

 I have already slept most of the night, and the next day (Friday, May 8th) is about to unravel before me.  We're approaching the weekend, and part of it has me set up to try out yet another Depot aparkrun 5k,along wtih around 100 or so participants, including many seniors and a lot of young folks.  They like to proclaim that this isn't a competition, but you wouldn't know it if you saw it!.  To me, finishing it

with energy to spare is my overriding concern.Tomorrow it will be primarily a matter  of taking things lap by lap,restraining myself from letting my overcautious and comfort-seeking mind from prematurely deciding to quit too early, when my body still has plenty of juice to conquer the course.  Well, this morning, a couple of hours or so before dawn, I mentally wrestled with the idea going ahead, getting up, going to the bathroom, and getting started running in place in the living room while waiting for the coffee to brew.  I finished my mini-workout and am now writing this out.  Then I'll kick on the air conditioning and go back to bed, stirring up Peewee Daisy's excitement. today there should be some baseball action to follow on TV, and I wish you all a wonderful, fulfilling time as we head into what promises to be a rainy and stormy Saturday...

After Medical Consult, Looking Ahead for Fitness Rise

 This morning I had my medical appointment, seeing oncological nurse practitioner Amy at the UF Neuromedicine building off Archer Road.  I first had my blood drawn and analyzed (results encouraging) and provided their customary urine sample.  Knowing beforehand the often fickle, arbitrary and cruel way cancers can intensify and spread, I felt that the best strategy for this meeting was to be talkative and upbeat about engaging in life, particularly focusing on improving my level of physical fitness.  When I'm sitting at our dining room table looking at my reflection on the facing wall, I look a lot like John Lennon of the Beatles from early 1967 when he was making the controversial video for his song Strawberry Fields Forever that revealed how much he had already aged...appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show with Penny Lane and confusing and riling my parents at the time: they wouln't be buying any more Beatles albums after that!. Yet in spite of my more worn-out appearance, I feel that I have the potential to improve my endurance and fitness against the sometimes discouraging conclusions of physicians and their staff assigned to diagnose and treat my brain cancer, which can be aggravated by aggressive glioblastoma.  I can't rightly predict my exact lifespan, but then who can with their own?  My consultation went quite well, and I spent a good part of my time at home exercising, either running in place on the carpeting or emulating running advocate Martinus Evans in our backyard, slowly jogging back and forth across it from privacy fence to privacy fence.  Now, where I stand, I just might be able to transform this challenging athletic activity into something fun.   The morning after tomorrow has yet another Depot Parkrun 5K scheduled.  If rain and storm don't wash it out and the asphalt and concrete surfaces stay dry, I I'll have a good chance to walk the whole course...and get scanned and posted online.  My plan...should weather permit the event to go off and continue to its proper conclusion...is to listen to a lengthy recording of rock music I like a lot: Led's Zeppelin' first boxed set, which was originally released in 1990 and drastically improved my opinion of Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham.  Maybe my Amazon Music account will permit me to listen to many of its tracks while on the course.  And a good degree of self-control is in order.  I won' tbe able to keep others from being irritating during the Parkrun, but I can control how I react to them.  Right now our living room TV is set on a live baseball game, and I just brewed some flavored decaf coffee.  May tonight be enjoyable for you and yours, and that your lives have much in them to be grateful for.  Good night!

Approaching Weekend, Its Rainstorms and Depot Parkrun

This morning I woke up around three, but decided to return to bed after making a bathroom visit. Melissa paid a Dunkin Donuts visit to pick up some coffee and breakfast, something I really appreciate.

Now it's mid-afternoon on this Friday "May the First" be with you, and I'm sitting here at my dining room table Chromebook writing this entry.  It took them long enough to start their day's major league baseball schedule, but now it looks as if the solid-hitting Arizona Diamondbacks have just begun their road contest in northern Chicago against the Cubs  the MLB channel is doing a good job carrying the day's load of games.  Both teams have winning records so far, and are known for their hitting.  I enjoy watching them go through the innings.  Today I have a little more exercising to do before I settle down to rest before tomorrow morning's Depot Parkrun 5K near downtown, Gainesville. Looks like another pot of coffee is in the works for now.  Neither of t best behavior, even for picture-taking. The two of us didn't have any appointments or meetings planned for today, so I suppose we'll be taking it easy for a while.  Tomorrow it's supposed to be raining...even possibly storming...later on into the afternoon and evening.  Maybe some precipitation will help to counteract the drought and wildfire danger...or so I hope.  At the Parkrun...assuming it goes off well and the weather doesn't interfere..my overwhelming goal will be to walk it through to its prescribed finish (and stay on my best behavior).  Then at worst, at least tomorrow's story will be that I showed up and followed through to an extent... 

Considering Fitness and Brain Cancer this Very Early Morning

 Praise the Lord and Melissa, since last October when she insisted I go to tht NW 39th Avenue UF Health emergency roombecause of headaches and incoherent behavior, resulting in emergency extensive brain surgery leading to an aggressive brain cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiation. I've been enthusiastic and prompt about accepting my oncologists' prescribed treatment plans. T o be sure, there have been some side effects from all this, including a lowered level o cardiovascular physical fitness that has limited my endurance in general life, especially with regard to Saturday morning Parkrun 5K events. Last Saturday morning I finished walking my first full 5k since January 10th, and This coming event, come rain or shine, promises to be another successful finish.  I like to keep an optimistic perspective on my health and fitness...yet I feel that a  bomb was randomly dropped on me just to thoroughly disrupt my life and hopes for a future self,alive and thriving on this Earth at my ageof 69.  I've heard from doctors and a nurse practitioner doleful predictions of just a few months more life expectancy for myself due to past rapidly growing gbm malignant tumors...will they start up again, escalating to another crisis?  This spring and summer, if I am assiduous in my training and careful about hydration and recovery, promises me a lot of progress with running strength and walking power and endurance, enough to successfully handle upcoming long distance races... including those run by the Florida Track Club, not just the Parkrun organization.  I know that, going through the tragedy of my son Will's passing in 2024, i was then in sound physical shape if you account for my cancer alarms starting to go off.  I know that glioblastoma can come back, and my UF Health physicians need some close consulting in case they decide to embark on a path of further treatments, which could well entail more surgery.. the idea is to fight this scourge and not just survive, but to thrive.  Well, it looks like the back yard is calling me out to run like Martinus Evans.  Gradually  building back up my time spent running (slowly) sounds like a good idea...This morning I arose between 3:30 and 4, and I ran-in-place in the living room for some 16 minutes...then I brewed some coffee and wrote this.  Look like I'll be returning to theback of the house soon, agitating my sweet Peewee Daisy in the process...

Pre-Depot Parkrun Awakening, For What It's Worth

 Here we are again at a little past six on another Saturday morning.  The plan is to go to Depot Park, a few blocks south of downtown Gainesville, on this cool time in the fifties.  So I'm going to walk a little, to see how far I can take this Parkrun experience.  Then, going back home to sleep some more sounds like the thing, doesn't it?  I haven't been enjoying rising up early for the past few days, have I...let's see if we can't just swing things back into the right direction. Time to hear some cool birdsongs...

Early A.M. about Awards, War, ''allies", Exercise, Day Ahead

 One of the funniest commercials I've seen lately has a man standing behind a loud microphone on a lit-up stage, in front of a large audience, demonstrating his prowess at being able to access files online, only he seems completely unable to key in the proper password.  He awkwardly glances around, chuckles and grins as the AI-on-duty repeatedly notifies him of his failures, to the consternation of those standing around who will ultimately decide his public-relations career fate. Very funny...and a little sad. Yesterday evening Entertainment Tonight was obsessing on the previous evening's Academy Awards, and how Michael Jordan won best actor for the movie Sinners and ate an In-and-Out hamburger holding his trophy in the left hand. I am determined to stay away from celebrities and their overhyped shows that merit avoidance.  Yesterday I worked on reading a few more pages in Joshua Khan's tedious, depressing juvenile fantasy novel Shadow Magic.  I can't wait to be done with it, to say the least.  This afternoon I have an appointment for some chemotherapy infusion at the UF Health Davis Cancer Pavilion, preceded by a blood lab draw, urine sample and IV line.  Looks like Trump is trying to get other countries to pitch in and help the USA with the Straits of Hormuz, and they're coldly snubbing him in response.  Today it will stay cool outside with nighttime temperatures to dip solidly into the thirties.  May all go well with my family, especially Melissa, Amy, Anita and Keith, regarding their health and feelings.  I'll be returning to bed soon, hopefully to get some good sleep.  I'm not sure what to make of this prolific bombing campaign instigated by the current commander-in-chief, but I think that those countries that are turning their backs on us will have something to answer for what I'm inclined to believe is a wartime betrayal of America and our soldiers.  I think that many of them are rooting for us to lose, so that they can later smugly claim they "told us so".  Well, I at least am confident that I did right in changing my party affiliation.   The late Jim Rohn, in one of his podcasts, made a big deal about urging listeners to spring up out of bed hours before sunrise with purposeful behavior.  I did so this morning, running in place for 8 minutes after I started brewing coffee.  Now I'm finishing this blog article.  Soon it'll be back to bed and loudly growling, snorting and barking Peewee Daisy, with whom I plan to be exceedingly sweet and gentle...

Looking Forward to Day Ahead

 It's a little past 7:30 in the morning on the 16th, "Hump Day for the month of March, as we are passing through it.  I have further medical procedures lined up in the next few days, and chemotherapy infusion and an MRI figure into the picture.  I brewed the flavored decaf coffee and ran in place for my routine 8 minutes...now this blog article.  Were this still the ninth grade and 1971 for me, I guess I would have already begun to suffer the stench of the smog coming from the Everglades fires which that drought brought some 55 years ago.  Yesterday they ended that TPC tournament with an underspoken, anticlimactic short winning putt at the 18th hole by Cameron Young, who to his credit refused to kiss the trophy and kept a reserved, taciturn expression before the press afterwards.  As for how today will unwind, i'd like the donut drivethrough, some reading progress, study foreign languages, and exercise along with some temperance regarding eating.  And some more sleep should fit the bill as well.  I think I'll listen to some stuff from the late Jim Rohn, too. And see if I can't fit in some material from Andrew Huberman and Rob Dial...

Sunday Morning Exercise, Writing, Dog, Sleep, Coffee, TV

 I think I have lost some interest in the ongoing PGA tournament, that is, the Players Championship being held at Ponte Vedra in northern Florida near Jacksonville.  The course is specially designed as a major water trap, especially on the 17th hole.  In 2025 too many players shot the ball into the water, including J.J. Spaun, who couldn't keep up with defending champion Rory McIlroy during the sudden death playoff when he ran afoul of #17.  Now I'm tired of hearing the endless commentary, where analysts who, as golfers, couldn't remotely compare to the pros with their inferior play, go into a stage of advanced nitpicking over the current players' shots.  It gets really irksome when they go off on one of the actual tourney leaders, someone who has already demonstrated a competitive edge with some of these challenging holes.  I know that the forecast is for rain and storms today, so it will be interesting to see how rainfall and wind might affect the level of play.  The time is approaching 5:30 this early Sunday morning, and it won't be long before I return to bed with the AC on and Peewee in a hightened state of alert, ready to "play games" with me with her barking and WOOO WOOO WOOOO WOOO WOOO.  Well, I guess I'll be watching a good amount of television today and doing exercise, including walking that encompasses our back yard with multiple inner perimeter laps.  And my projected minimal level of fantasy fiction reading...

Heated Up Back Yard Offers Walking Training Opportunity

 Now I'm in the middle of mid-afternoon.  Had I still been working for USPS, I'd be returning from my first break to receive registered mail from the first trucks.  But I am retired since November 2024, so none of that figures into my life now.  I just put some flavored decaf coffee to brew, and will soon venture into the backyard...with our rowdy, excitable muttbutt Daisy...to try a couple of slow, timed walking laps.  Speed does not matter here...I'm just dealing with the uncomfortable resistance factors involved in the workout.  Eventually I should be making some fitness progress, but for now it's all a matter of discipline, doing the little things that place me squarely in the discomfort zone as I navigate the weeds and uneven yard surfaces.  My goal for the next few minutes...they're forecasting record high temperatures for this date in Gainesville...is  to complete the two inner-perimeter laps and record the time spent doing them. Well, here goes, wish me luck!  Report: Daisy, in the back of the house with Melissa, didn't show up when I went outside and I did the entire 4 laps in 4:15, unpleasant but it worked for me.  A nice, continuing training session for today!  Now for a bathroom break and rest with some decaf. The local news is set to start soon...usually they start out with the negative stories of people behaving badly.  This is a different kind of blog article in that I often feel a bit spent by this time in the grinding day.  Who knows, I might even read some more of that obnoxious novel that seems to be going nowhere, with no redeeming characters and constant conflict...  

Sleepy, but Got Up and About Early Anyway

 This morning I was only partially sleeping, hoping that when I finally awoke it would be later...a little past three.  Still, I felt in little shape to get up, although I did and promptly brewed some coffee.  I ran in place for ten minutes, dutifully writing the time down in my spiral notebook.  The temperature in the house is leaning to the cold side, and before long my plan is to reset it for 'cool' and return to bed and my barking, excited Daisy. It now being Tuesday morning the 10th of March, I foresee no new Rob Dial podcast for today...maybe Huberman or Rohn will produce another episode.  My hope with fitness is to cover the backyard with walking more efficiently.  I'd like to be able to write that I read more pages in the vicious, frustrating Khan fantasy book...not looking forward to enjoying it, though, with the anger of its main characters resembling that of the TV series Grey's Anatomy.  Just thank you for this day you provided me, Lord, and may I live it out more responsibly and graciously.  Let's celebrate a small victory...I got up and stayed up! Maybe later on I'll get Melissa to help me start up (and move) the white Camry.  May I avoid getting myself caught up in digging for dopamine, and allow boredom to grow my good habits and character.  It's not quite four yet, and I still remember the times 55 years ago when I had decided to arise before dawn in order to begin my school day in a wise, positive manner.  In a way, this is one of those kinds of days...

ipf 58 min Early Morning Hope and Thanks for Day

 This morning I got up early...it's between 6;30 and 7.  I did 8 minutes of ipf, and feel encouraged to try some more.  Anita and Jim should come over for a while a little later...very much looking forward to that.  As the day goes on, I'd like to straighten out getting printed translations in Russian, German and French for me to practice on.  Doing some backyard walking on this day in which the weather temperature will be turning much colder will help out, I believe.  main thing is to be loving, content and grateful and enjoy life...

26 Miles; Little Context

 I have some more things to write for today's entry.  i', going to practice carefullyyping while working things out longhand on pape. My chief lament is what I see as a deplorable lack of meaningful context to what lies before me...

Skipped Parkrun. Song of the Month.

 Click HERE to view today's https://www.parkrun.us/depotpark/results/latestresults/parkrun  results. Melissa and i skipped the event this week. If we feel better and the weather cooperate, we'll consider returning to it. in the meantime I ipicked the 1984 alternative rock son How Soon is Now, bythe Smiths, as my Son of the Month fo January. I really enjoy hearing it over and over...Morissey's lyrics are profound...

Resuming home exercise, Resting More

ON this dreary winter weather day, Iwish you much enjoyment while avoiding its potential negative extremes.  yesterday I covered 12 virtual miles of home exercise.Try it out, on YouTube, Ralph's The Ageless Runner channel. His wisdom on the subject is well worth heeding. So I'll be doing more home exercise. God bless you...  

Lots   of mornings, if  not most of them, I get up pretty early according to the the world's standards and put on some regular flavored coffee to brew. Today so far I ran on the living room rug floor for 'my biased equivalent of eleven miles, helping me to gradually get back into some semblance of independent jogging that I hope can transfer well to Parkrun 5ks and neighborhood routines.  it would be nice to have  a regular slow-pqce jogging buddy, without all that tired old competitive ideology pushing for fast, punishing training and fast finishing times in races.     in other words, friend, just give me the course and your blessings to go with it.  i'd also like to gain confidence when I spill out my sometimes neqr-random thoughts on my good AlphqSmart portable word processor..     I can see myself getting real good at this before long.And then once I'v been typing and exerecising again a bit, I mIght want to take some little breaks. And then the're's the rest of the wide-open morning to look forward to, as well as the day beyond. Since my brain surgery almost 3 months ago, most of life's demands and pressures have lifted off me, AS this goes on, I'd like to feel freer to go on a sometimes lengthier rest breakperiodfrom time to time. Here's for a day like that...

 

Showed up with Melissa to walk Today's Depot Parkrun5k

 I walked, with Melissa, this morning'sDepot Parkrun 5K, held just a few blocks south of downtown Gainesville.Click HERE to viewtoday's posted results...Next Saturday should be colder here, so showing up will be quite an accomplishment..I'm stiill taken aback at Parkrun's refusal to recognize my latest volunteering effort there, which would be my tenth overall... that sounds a lot like ghosting (or shunning) to me and sadly diminishes any trust I feel for this group's leadership...'