After Parkrun Experrence, I See Need for More Discipline & Consistency in Training

After a poor night's sleep, I got up around five this morning and went, with Melissa driving, down to Depot Park just a few blocks south of dowtown Gainseville to attempt their weekly Parkrun 5k.  Today it was warmer, in the sixties. The "race"...they try to say it isn't a competition...has quite a few people running and walking in it.  The very first Parkrun I ran,in January 2019, had me finishing at 30:00, a speed barrier I wouldn't break until 2023. Yet, with the exception of my summer 2021 open heart surgery and slow recovery until late October, I could easily maintain a light running pace without feeling exhausted.  That was true until early this year...now the simple act of jogging seems a bit too challenging to me.  As a matter of fact, the prospect of performing one and only one lap through the park seems pretty daunting, with me eliminating quickly any notion of going any further.  The people there this morning were very nice and friendly and, when i finished, Melissa praised me for my  effforts and enouraged me heartily.  As for my future with fitness walking and jogging, any progress  I make in it will need to come gradually, and I should be patient and disciplined. Later I exercised at home and walked slowly around the back yard while the resistance burden dragged me down. I can barely cover two inner-perimeter laps before needing to stop.  I felt a sense of regression at the park today, but I know that consistency is the best way to go... 

Early Morning Waking and Activity a New Habit System

 It looks like a new habit has begun with me.  Over the past 3-4 days I have only slept two or three hours during the late evening, with me waking up around midnight and struggling to "nap" until after two in the morning, which I think is an appropriate time for early rising.  Just a half hour ago I got up, went to the bathroom, brewed a pot of coffee and did ten minutes of light running in place.  Tonight I'm going to try going to bed a bit earlier.  Maybe the Parkrun 5K will work out for Saturday morning, maybe it won't.  Shifting topics, I've pretty much had it with Trump and the Republicans about voter eligibility and their repeatedly shifting efforts to roll back voter rights by requiring cumbersome documentation to 'prove' citizenship.  The way I see it, if everyone who was eligible went out to vote on election day, then my one vote would only be one drop in a vast ocean of ballots...and my one filled ballot has NEVER decided an election.  I'm just tired of my 34-count convicted felon of a president going overboard sucking up to his master Netanyahu's agenda...the latter wants to prolong his own war by invading Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, with the USA providing military insurance and backup.  I'm hovering around 181 pounds, using temperance to avoid excessive consumption of sweets while adhering to my living room exercise routine.  I've been up and at it, being awake and active from 3 to 5 each morning.  That's a praise report for sure;  I'm changing habits by adopting a new system of consistent behaviors. Astronomical spring is set to start on this date, and, with a nod to Morgan Freeman, I'd like to enjoy "getting busy" living through it.  If I happen to begin changing a habit today, I want to make it short and sweet and written down and incorporated into an established system...

Walked Gainesville's Depot Parkrun 5K This Chilly Morning

Sometimes on chilly mornings like today the temperatures go down to an uncomfortable level, but throwing on a little cover like a sweater, sweatpants or light jacket will make everything all right.  And then there are times like now when the cold wind probes around my body, inevitably finding the one spot that brings misery.  That's what this morning was like for the Depot Parkrun 5K.  It was around 40 degrees with high humidity and swirling wind when we left for Depot Park, a little south of downtown Gainesville.  Although before leaving home I found a nice protective coat, it still let in some of that piercing cold.  Melissa and I had independently decided to walk today's event, and we stuck together the whole 3.1 miles.  I was in a bit of a grumpy mood, but did what I could to restrain myself from cynical talk.  Folks around at this event were cheery and encouraging.  I liked that the attendance number was much lower than two days ago, but on the third and fourth laps we had to contend with runners doing their laps coming head-on at us along the same narrow path...that was annoying.  Doesn't anyone ever tell these people that they have to share the park with US? I'm so proud of Melissa for braving the elements with such a positive, friendly spirit.  I crossed the finish line at 1 hour seven minutes 38 seconds...you can view the results by clicking HERE.  The night before I suffered from my typical insomnia, which convinced me to show up and walk the race, forgoing running. Next Saturday maybe we'll tackle Depot Park again or try out the Tyler's Hope race, which is a Hawthorne Trail event that starts and ends at southeastern Gainesville's Boulware Springs Park.  Hopefully I'll be in better shape by then and we'll make the right decisions together...

Clemson-Louisville Football Game on Eve of Parkrun

 Seeing that tomorrow morning is Depot Parkrun  5K here in Gainesville and that, anticipating participating in it with Melissa, I usually suffer through a night of insomnia, I settled down this evening in front of the old boob tube to watch Clemson, a recently rare underdog, try to keep up with Louisville in ACC football.  Dabo Sweeney has done well to keep this rebuilding Tigers team playing together as a unit, while the Cardinals, while very talented, tend to make a lot of mistakes.  After their placekicker missed an easy extra point and kicked two makeable field goal attempts wildly to the side, Clemson somehow managed to squeak out a 20-19 road win.  Sweeney was beside himself in ecstasy as if he had just won the national championship again,   But I was tired and just muted the sound and listened to some Amazon Music.  Come tomorrow morning, I predict it to be cold in the forties when the race begins at 7:30, but to quickly warm up as the sun rises...