Wednesday's Final Book Sale, Mentally Preparing for Upcoming Parkrun 5K

 Retirement for me has given way largely to a lack of time management structure in my daily life, with medical appointments providing a sense of having to be somewhere by a certain time.  Otherwise the day has opened up...that is, until the day before yesterday.  The Alachua County Friends of the Library Wednesday  finished their twice-annual used book sale, hopefully (for them) clearing out their warehouse offering books for a dime each.  Melissa drove us down there near Main Street and downtown Gainesville, and we walked an uncomfortable distance from the car and back.  The foreign language book section had already been completely cleaned out.  I quickly found some Junior-level novels and a copy of Marilyn Ferguson's 1980s' fad best-seller The Aquarian Conspiracy practically lept up at me from the display...it sure has declined in influence and availabilityover the years.  I remember once going to the public library decades ago, picking up a copy, and comfortably sitting down with it, reading for a few hours.  Now it's again in my possession...no telling where I'm going with it.  Tomorrow morning will be the weekend again, Saturday and (at 7:30) time for yet another Depot Parkrun 5K event.  If things go according to design (that is, Lord willing), we'll be there as I try to cover, mainly walking slowly, the park's four-lap course and then get scanned and posted.  My main aim is to show up and give it all a good effort while maintaining civility among the event staff and participants without trying to "beat" anyone.  Just enjoy listening to the loud, silly birds and keep trudging on ahead.  I exercised a bit today, but feel that progress at improving my endurance hasn't been as forthcoming as I have hoped.  Recognizing that there is a huge mental component to giving up during races (Martinus Evans and Andrew Huberman concur), I have decided to take it all one step at a time and to extend my efforts tomorrow long before my mind convinces me to stop.  Well, sleep a bit tonight, get up early enough tomorrow, and keep a positive mental attitude toward things.  And you, too...

Reading, Running, Training, Optimism, Baseball

 I have been enjoying living through the past few days, without pushing an agenda about rising early before dawn and pushing myself to engage in "constructive activities" of the sort that the late personal development coach Jim Rohn would assiduously  promote on his podcasts, many of which I listened to on youube...and still do sometimes, with some anxiety.  I am no bigshot personal achiever, content for the most part with developing new, positive habits that fit into systems that take care of me and my loved ones...no loud publicity necessary!  Martinus Evans is a self-identified runner who pushes this notion, and advises his readers to see themselves as runners, no matter how little or slowly, no matter how embarrassed they fear they would feel under the often critical public observations of others.  I have a humble praise report about my meager running experiences today...I ran back and forth, very slowly, from one end of my back yard to the other...no one saw this but myself, timed at two minutes.  Come this approaching Saturday morning at Depot Park...just a few blocks south of downtown Gainesville, my plan is to cover that Depot Parkrun 5K's course by walking and running the four prescribed laps though that park while enjoying the often very funny and loud bird calls like grackles, crows and red-winged blackbirds.  Still, I know in advance that, compared to the other participants, I will be very slow, with that volunteer tail-walker most likely making a prominent example of himself. I already told Melissa that I won't care how slowly I navigate the Parkrun...only that finishing it is at the top of my  priority list..  I am now feeling the frustration of my feet and legs quickly tiring as I move my body forward, either by walking or light running. Progress in training can seem awfully slow in coming. Martinus Evans has proven to be a genuine inspiration, and I wholeheartedly agree with his disdain for eliitists within the distance running community who seek to marganalize my efforts,passing their own judgments on me as being unqualified for consideration as an athlete.  Well, the die has been cast, for from now on, if the Lord tarries about lovingly taking me back home with Him, I am indeed an athlete in the mold of Mr. Evans. I checked out the hardcopy edition of the  2023 book titled Slow AF Run Club and listened to the Libby Audibooks version, which I just checked out from my local public library. Earlier yesterday Melissa and I went to the Friends of the Library book sale, final day.  All books were ten cents, and I left there with 5 interesting books for a total of 50 cents, hauling that weight to our car. Well, that's all for now.  I'm getting ready to enjoy some evening MLB baseball. Have a good night...

Wednesday Opportunities, Booksale Final Day

 This morning I arose Early, between 5 and 6, ran in place on our living room rug, brewed some coffee...and wrote this article. With no immediate medical appointments ahead of me, I looked for some structure to today's schedule and found one item; our Friends of the Alachua County Library is holding its final day of the first (springtime) event for 2026. It's Wednesday, so patrons will encounter at that event a ten cents/book sale going on...maybe Melissa would like to go, too.  The location is on the 400 block of North Main Street,west side...I don't see us taking too long to transact our business there.  As for walk/run training, I'd like to get in some more today, either on the living room floor or in the back yard. Besides, there's always the Major League Baseball regular season and the channel we subscribe to. I would like to  hear some new self-help podcasts off YouTube and spend some relaxing time with Melissa and Peewee Daisy sitting on the shaded porch...That dog can get a little bit too hilarious. She reminds me of that funny, toothy dog named "Petey"out in the country on the Subaru Outback commercial. Some twenty-odd years ago we also had a miniature poodle, Taffy, who would "tooth up " like that, especially in hotels...

Watching a Little Baseball with Some Exercise

 Well, we've made it so far though most of this day.  Melissa and Peewee-Daisy are already settling down for the night, and it looks like I'm in store for some more hours of live Major League Baseball. I didn't exercise much more than 20 minutes today, but I guess that counts, anyway.  I'm going to post this article and enjoy some baseball.  You have a good night, too...

The Beautiful Mind, a Beautiful Day, Medical Matters

One of my all-time favorite movies is the 2001 semi-fictional biographical thriller A Beautiful Mind, starring Russell Crowe as John Naah, the Novel laureate (Nash really won that award) for economics who went through a serious protracted trial with his schizophrenia.  His"friend"of many years, a hallucination, was Charles Herman, played on screen by Paul Bettany.  The way the film portrays this character...one moment he's invisible and the next he's right up in your face...made a formidable impression on me.  If something like this happened to me, I would be very upset about what was going on in my mind...especially if there were a pattern of repetition to the phenomenon. How could I bring this experience up in conversation, possibly risking in the process being called crazy? In the Bible, following the resurrection of Jesus, his disciples were walking around, largely despondent and discouraged. Suddenly the risen Lord would appear to them out of thin air,  this being the part of the text that threw me back a bit.  I will need to be careful about what I observe in life and how to process and react to it.  I do know that, as far as I can discern, my home is relatively secure with any intruders unlikely to make an unwelcome appearance. So the only feasible alternative is...

Today I went with Melissa to consult with her physician's assistant dealing with the oncology following her 2024 cancer treatment and what the future plans are regarding appointments and procedures.  Also, we went to UF Health at the Oaks Mall where I had a lab blood draw and provided a urine sample.  We're dealing with this cancer ordeal arm in arm, loving and supporting each other through it all. I'm praying for complete healing, acknowledging the Lord's supremacy in everything.  Right now it's April 20th, 2026...let's see where the calendar takes us...

On this Sunday in my Life

 

This morning I skipped on rising hours before sunrise. Now it' early evening and all they want to talk about are drought-induced fires in the northern extreme of Gainesville.  Melissa and I will need to keep posted on events as they try to control the fires and keep them from threatening my home area.  If there are evacuation orders, then we will need to scramble to find suitable accommodations for ourselves and our dog Daisy.  Other than that, I have been a bit on the lazy side today, skimping on exercise.  My intention is to run in place for a little bit before finally calling it a day.  Earlier I was watching major league baseball games live on TV, and there's still one left between Atlanta and Philadelphia...the former with an excellent season win/loss record so far and the latter on an extended losing streak.  I often find it difficult to orient myself about the instant game graphics display, keeping up with who's at bat and where they are in the inning.  Maybe tonight it'll go better...I really don't care who wins. Having just eaten what I regard as the equivalent of my dinner, I'm done with the food until tomorrow morning. I think I'll brew a pot of flavored decaf coffee and enjoy the evening.  I wish that for you as well.  Well, if the Baseball Channel doesn't visually show tonight's Braves/Phillies, then Fox should do so on my "regular" YouTube TV, giving me a chance at a little intellectual brain activity.  As for you, have a great night...

Walked Three Difficult Depot Parkrun Laps This Morning

 This morning was another installment of the DepotParkrun 5K odyssey that Melissa and I have been undergoing here in Gainesville in recent weeks.  Getting through the entire event was something I knew would be quite challenging.  I wanted to complete the four laps required to get my wristband scanned and my finishing time read and posted online.  Only thing is that in order to accomplish this, I needed to complete the four prescribed laps, either through walking or running.  In previous recent Parkruns, a completed event has been very elusive for me because I have tended to tire out too quickly to finish.  Today I started out all right, but felt crowded out by other, more pushy contestants...they wouldn't leave me alone!  And then some stern-expressioned dude comes up right behind me and Melissa and introduces himself as "my"tail walker! I think his idea was that I stood out as an impaired, incompetent walker, whom he was babysitting...that didn't hit it with me!  I managed to struggle through three laps (2.3 miles), and although I felt it (barely) possible for me to walk that last one, I let it ride after three laps and got into the car.  Maybe I'll swing the whole course next week, after today's particularly annoying Parkrun. I wondered if the others creeping on past me would ever let me go in peace, instead of inflicting themselves and their children on my presence and threatening to knock me down in the process. It seemed that although I deliberately held back on my walk today, I was constantly being approached and passed throughout the course...very irritating, and scary because I dared never to veer at all in any direction! I did get some exercise from the Parkrun experience...maybe things will turn out well next week.  In all, I did the three walking laps in exactly one hour, and Melissa helped me a lot by providing some electrolyte hydration after each completed lap.  My intention is to enjoy the outdoors for a little while this afternoon, inserting some backyard walking and/or light jogging into the mix, which I plan to keep short for the unseasonably hot weather.  Later on I'll check my Facebook to see if one of the Parkrun folks got a pic of me in that race...my suspicion is that they're deliberately shunning me. I'm still getting the chemo treatment for my brain cancer that was identified last October...let's see how the Lord gets me through it all...He's in complete control...  

Some Perspective About My Past in 1971

 It's Friday morning on what used to be a typical weekday.  55 years ago I would have been showing up in the ninth grade at Nova in Davie as the weather outside was transitioning to a stench of chronic Everglades fire smog.  Lobo's debut hit Me and You and a Dog Named Boo was getting its radio overplay...soon I would tire of hearing it.  I was fourteen and a half, thoroughly tired of having to go to school for  a year. After school I temporarily stood up to a bully leaving the bus one afternoon and go t a little beat down in a fist fight)The esxperience taught me what contemptible ghouls the unwelcome onlookers were who were staring at me in a circle.  The next morning I received some sympathy from busstop classmates for what I went through, and that creep Arnone laid off me, never to be a friend. Later that summer during the early 10th grade I would return to school more serious in my studies.  On prime time sitcom television, some new series like All in the Family and Mary Tyler Moore were starting their runs...my family became good fans.That fall "my" Miami Dolphins, coached by Don Shula, were good enough to make it to the Super Bowl...which they convincingly lost to Dallas. Overall, I was not a happy camper and tended to slip into daydreaming for much of my high school class time.  At home, my father would overdose me with talk of his dog racing betting strategies and philosophies. Still, I appreciated his efforts at weightlifting to the point of getting good at the bench press, pull-up, and standing press (I could lift up my own weight from the ground).   Growing up during this period was a confirmation of me not having an easy life. In my home neighborhood, my neighbors were raucous and out of control, loudly playing music deep into the night.  

Just Finished Reading Slow AF Run Club by Martinus Evans

 Back in 2023-24 my running and walking endurance and speed had increased to the level that I successfully completed a 26.2-mile Marathon and a number of half-marathons.  My eating habits had naturally changed to the point where I had abandoned the notion of binge dieting and instead found it easy to space, by hours, between meals.  I never stopped loving food and never was remotely in danger of having an eating disorder. During those two years my dear boy Will accidentally died and we had to deal with the grief of that loss, of which I am still going through.  I made a quick decision during summer, 2024, to retire from USPS and the process went smoothly.  By 2024's end, coinciding with my peak time of physical fitness, I was being scanned...and a biopsy removed...to diagnose a serious case of prostate cancer...it would be surgically removed on 3/6/25.Still, I was in good enough shape to run 5k's such as at the DepotParkruns.   My weight crept back up into the mid-100's.  Then on 10-21 I received a preliminary diagnosis of brain cancer, confirmed 3 days later during tumor removal surgery as being of the aggressive glioblastoma variety.  Since my recovery from Dr. Koch's surgery, I received radiation and chemotherapy both of which produced side effects that interfered with my level of physical fitness.  So far in 2026 I have experienced a drastically reduced ability to run or walk continuously  for moderate distances like 5K (3.1 miles). I have been training at home on my own with running in place.  Each Saturday morning I walk laps, one at a time (two lately), at Depot Park.  i am optimistically showing up for Saturday morning Parkruns with the hope of getting in four walking laps, covering enough course distance to be scanned and posted online.  Recently at our Millhopper Public Library I checked out a running guide by Martinus Evans titled Slow AF Run Club, published in 2023 by Penguin Random House.  Read in person by the author, I got it on my Libby app and just finished listening to the entire audiobook.  Evans has a compelling, helpful message as he reveals his experiences of returning to an activity he feels too many people avoid out of fear of being watched or ridiculed. I've recently weighed myself at 200 lbs...that seems fat.  Aside from properly hydrating before and during runs, Evans has parts in his book where he lists and describes different types of rest and recovery, something he thinks highly of. I say, get online on your library account,put a hold on Slow AF Run Club, and get down to reading it!  As for me, my training continues, and this coming Parkrun should reveal me covering the course to completion...  

Cancer Chemo, Martinus, Baseball TV includes Florida, Carbs and Hydration for Training

 Yesterday Melissa drove me down to UF Health Davis Cancer pavilion for my periodic Avastin anti-cancer infusion.  First I had a blood lab draw, after which I gave a urine specimen.  Then Melissa brought over an Opus hot latte coffee.  First I waited for the test results to come in, after which the nurse connected the IV line to the incoming infusion.  While sitting there waiting for it, I listened to some Amazon Prime Music on my Android.  Then I tuned in to my public library Libby app, which played the audiobook Slow AF Run Club, written by Martinus Evans.  It's a good, compelling piece of literature about running, and how you can swing it if you stick to the author's suggestions, backed by his own life experiences.  He says he's completed some eight marathons and more than 100 other races, simply by going through the prescribed courses without ever trying to pick up the running pace.  For the neighborhood I live in, I can see me running around the block "slow as F" and then applying that standard to longer road distances.  I'm already doing a tapered version of this in the back yard, trotting back and forth between the east and west privacy fences.  While at the doctors', Melissa got me hooked up receiving the 2026 regular season live schedule featuring visual coverage of the Florida teams Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins.Today I plan to review the rosters of Tampa Bay, Miami and Atlanta...should be fun.  Speaking of running slowly (for long distances} Martinus impressed me discussing pre-run carb-loading, along with his wise emphasis on proper hydration.  It makes me want carry a long a little bottle of Propel fitness water, easy AF to tote as I go..for this early morning, I was faithful in getting up just before three, when I did some bathroom business and ran in place for 16 minutes before writing this.  And now, another good day to look forward to...

Looking Ahead to Medical Appointments Today, TV, Peewee, Reading, Baseball ,Exercise

 Becky, I enjoyed reading your comments about your training recentlybringing you something resembling a dopamine rushfor you, and may your physical fitness come out enhanced from it.  I missed out on some of that recently, but see some more coming my way.  So, they say, embrace the discomfort,knowing that the brain is good for protecting yourself by playing it safe and to avoid dwelling on 'what ifs" when a simple problem can easily be solved by stepping into action.  Yesterday I listened to a good amount of Marianus Evans's audiobook Slow AF Run Club, which is loaded with good stuff. After watching the MLB channel, including a walk-off exciting ending to a New York Yankees game highlighted by a wild pitch if you're leaning toward the Bronx Bombers. I am looking ahead to further cancer chemotherapy today at UF Health's Davis Cancer Pavilion.Today was another early-rising morning for me, and I'll be going to the back to greet Daisy Peewee soon to greet the sunrise later this morning.   

Back from Daytona Beach, Training to re-enter Long Distance Running Picture

 Today Melissa and I finished up our overnight stay at the Hampton Inn in northern Daytona Beach...then she drove the both of us back home.  Right now it's 5:55 PM. Today is the start of a new week, with its five weekdays.  It reminds me of my old, grueling high school routine, going back to the spring of 1971 when I was stuck (and not doing very well) in the ninth grade at Davie's Nova High School. The air outside back then was beginning to stink of smoke caused by a local drought and wildfires spreading across the South Florida Everglades.  Today, though it all seemed clean out on the beach.  I exercised, running in place for 36 minutes.  It's late in the afternoon now, and I've exercised for ten minutes so far.  Tuesday afternoon I am scheduled to be at UF Healh's Davis Cancer Pavilion to undergo some more IV chemotherapy for brain cancer.  Right now our living room tv is showing an old, melodramatic medical series, on which the actors are portraying characters full of troublesome life and relational issues..there's plenty of stuff on it that feels wrong to me1.i am continuing to listening, on my own public library's lLibby app, an audiobook from Martinus Evans titled Slow AF Run Club, in which the author humorously and frankly lays out his own experiences about returning to SLOW long distance running and presents several practical suggestions how I (or anyone interested in running) can get going with it.  I have a long history of running, both with training and participating in public races.  I have entered and completed two 26.2-mile marathons, along with 19 13.1 half-marathons.  With the lengthier distance, I have little interest in adding to my "accomplishments".  I simply want to return to my  old ability for lasting reasonably long distances dating back to the year 2010,  Consistently sticking with daily training can build up compounded positive effect over the next few weeks and months.  I'm still counting on progress in my  ongoing struggle against cancer. May this spring and summer bode well for you and yours...

Going to Beach with Melissa Today

 This morning would be the birthday of my late father and son.  Daddy would be turning 100 while Will would be 36.  Melissa and I are planning to stay overnight at a Daytona Beach Hampton Inn and then return home Monday.  After Saturday's double-lap walk through Depot Park, I got up early, around 4:30, and did ten minutes of running in place on the living room rug floor before brewing some coffee and writing this. Earlier yesterday evening I listened some more to a library audiobook about running and the first chapter of an annoying Hardy Boys adventure story...it reminded me of an old South Park episode titled "Mystery of the Urinal Deuce" when the gay lads keep "getting a clue" You know,  Joe and Hardy each sound like their privileged brothers, the only missing words being their "clues"that no one ever holds them accountable for . Later this morning, Melissa and I have a reservatioto at a Daytona Beach hotel, where we hope to enjoy the ambience of our room balcony and the poolside.  It sure would be nice to recover some walking and running fitness on that sandy beach, too.  The beach looks like the perfect location to practice running softly.  

Today's Parkrun Effort Promises Compounded Fitness for Endurance Running and Walking

 Melissa and I went down to Gainesville's Depot Park this morning for their Parkrun...or at least my attempt to substantially lengthen my training session walk there.  Today I doubled my distance walked, from a .7-mile lap to two laps totaling 1.55 miles.  It took me 34 minutes in all, and that's all right since I am in no way concerned about how fast I go.  You see, during this half of a Parkrun I listened to my Alachua Public Library Libby audiobook app containing the book I just checked out: Slow AF Run Club by Martinus Evans. His message is informative, humorous and inspirational...in other words, very useful!  Next week I'll try to 'up' it to three laps, and there you have it: a definite feeling of progress doing this resistance walk and letting my daily, consistent training efforts compound in their positive effects on my fitness.  Back in 2007 I could barely run around my home block, the road surface feeling way too rough for my feet.  But in '08 I managed a solid eight-mile neighborhood training run that I have yet to duplicate (or want to).  My effort today wasn't scanned or posted, and I'm not doing any of this for any reason beyond personal betterment. I do want to get to Martinus's level of running softly and slowly...all I care about is covering the distance.  Now we're left with the rest of Saturday, along with any more walk/run training i might see fit to do.  So after this encouraging effort, I intend to continue keeping up with the consistency, resistance and discomfort (and rest & recovery) and let the fitness compound...

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...

Checking Out Library Audiobooks, Exercise, TV, News

 This morning I avoided getting up super-early, and ended up getting a pretty reasonable night's sleep.  During the course of the day, I did some 32 minutes' worth of running-in-place...add to this that I walked a couple of inner-perimeter backyard laps.  Now it's around 7:45 and darkening into the evening time.  My intention is to throw on a light "Mister Rogers style of sweater and sit around on the front or back porch.  Baseball is on the TV schedule and I'm looking forward to enjoying some of it.  Tomorrow morning they're holding another Depot Parkrun 5K.  I'd like for Melissa to drive me down there, and it sure would be cool if I were to manage completing the entire four-lap 5k course,without any attempt to be fast.  I've also been trying to check out on Libby an audiobook version of D.S. MacHale's fantasy nove Pendragon1: The Merchant of Death.  So far I haven't been successful with this clearly-flawed app, and that book remains unloaded.  I do have a couple of old Hardy Boys adventure books ready to read, along with the original Foundation novel from that classic old Isaac Asimov series.  I think tomorrow morning during the 'race' I'll try listening in to a story.  Well, tonight I'll be tuning in to our MLB Channel to watch a couple of live contests...their presentation has been very good so far since the 2026 regular season began late last month.  I'm tired of all the war news and how our politicians and media hounds are trying to manipulate my emotions while offering little-to-nothing of value.  So, I wish you and yours a great day if you're "down under' and a wonderful, blessed weekend...

New Book Series, and My Reactions to Streaming MLB Channel at Start of Season

 Now that I finished reading Joshua Khan's dark fantasy novel Shadow Magic and began Martinus Evan's SlowAF Run Club after updating my public library registration, I have been looking for new books to read.  D.J. MacHale is the author of the young adult Pendragon fantasy series, and I got the first installment, titled The Merchant of Death, which is now on my Chromebook.  So far I'm enjoying reading it and can somewhat relate to the personality and life circumstances of its chief protagonist Robert "Bobby" Pendragon, who is starting out at the start of high school enjoying more popularity than I could ever muster in this so-called real world.  His uncle soon intervenes and Bobby finds himself whisked away on a motorcycle, fearing that he might never return. I liked the characters and could relate to the story's modern, suburban American setting.  I'm looking forward to many more hours of enjoyable reading here.  Regarding TV, I've been watching our subscribed MLB Channel and generally enjoying the live game coverage.  It does annoy me how much the announcers tend to criticize the newly-implemented ABS challenge system that makes the umpires' balls and strikes calls more equitable.  When I first click on a game, I have to get past a little disorientation as I try to find out who's playing, who's at bat, what inning it is, how many outs are leftin the inning, who's at bat and pitching, who-if anyone- is on which base-the superimposed strike zone, and the short countdown timer that seems to rush the pitcher into quickly letting go of the ball.  Since the challenge system has become less subjective, to me it shouldn't upset a batter, manager or pitcher whenever they strike out walk a batter.  That part of the game I like. As for the teams and blackouts, in Florida "my two" cities, Tampa Bay and Miami, have all their games visually blocked, but I can hear their audio coverage.  When I signed up for comprehensive live baseball coverage on MLB Channel this spring/summer, my aim was to get to know each team in a more complete way, including who their players are and what they are like.  I think this is likely to happen the more I watch, and it is a very good sign.  I also dig "being" at the 28 assorted ball parks spread over America and Canada...it "kind of like" feels like tourism, especially when the cameras focus on the crowds.  Today, it being Thursday, the available MLB games are limited, so I'll get my schedule set and enjoy what's coming up...

Run Club Author Evans Providing Fitness Hope and Workout Information

 I woke up at at little past one this morning.  I had to linger in bed for time to "catch up", but eventually it did and I set out, in the living room, to do some 12 minutes of running-in-place.  The air conditioning in the house was mostly on, but I took some of the "off" time to brew a pot of coffee.  Yesterday I took some time to switch around running-in-place with walking back and forth through the house, using the initial training formula of Slow AF Run Club author Martinus Evans' suggested timed ratios of running to walking at a ratio of one to three, building up to a total of twenty minutes leaving pace out of it...I worked my way up to ten minutes.  Later today my plan is to go a little further with the Slow AF workouts, without going overboard with them...I'm enjoying reading through this funny, helpful book. Melissa earlier gave me a good report on my most recent MRI brain scan.  It's still something I need to be cautious interpreting, since these tests can easily quickly turn toward the worse.  I have to be reasonable about my own medical expectations, especially regarding the detection and growth of cancer in my own brain. Living onward for a multitude of years is something I'd like to be a part of, and being effectively active during that hoped-for span places high on my list of priorities...especially concerning running and walking long distance endurance events.  Completing race events of 5k to half-marathon length, regardless of finishing times, are goals I'd like to attain as 2026 progresses into the spring,summer, and fall months. I've already experienced a severe, seemingly random brain cancer diagnosis bomb dropped on me from last October, with the brain surgery and subsequent chemo and radiation treatment side effects having their own negative effects on my athletic endurance and general fitness level.  Let's see if this morning I can't at least approach the exhortations of Mr. Evans, who believes that factors limiting running and walking distance attainment are more than 90% mental in origin.  I say let's get mental with it all and crush it...

Just Checked Out Running and Beatles Books from Library

The other day I finally completed my reading of Joshua Khan's childishly dark and forgettable 2016 fantasy novel Shadow Magic and promptly wrote a mainly negative blog article review on it.  Now I'm ready for more books.  I persuaded Melissa yesterday to look in my old wallet for my ancient, dilapidated public library card.  We eventually found it and went on down there.  After discovering a thick, very heavy volume claiming to discuss every Beatles song ever recorded and released, I found a book about running for absolute, rank beginners by Martinus Evans titled Slow AF Run Club.  We checked both out for 4 weeks and renewed my library registration.  I started reading Evans and found his unapologetically Earthy language did not interfere with his book's compelling message, which claimed that running is 90% mental and that his goal with the book was to light a fire under readers' asses and have them get up and start running, with speed playing no factor in the process.  That really hit the spot with me, for I couldn't care less about running a fast race...only getting through them no matter how slowly.  Evans has a training protocol that mixes light, limited running with more time-extended walking, interspersed with rest and recovery breaks.  His simple plan is something I'd like to get started with soon, and I'm on board with his notion about how much of a role the mind plays regarding how runners limit themselves.  I'm 69 and a half and firmly believe that light, light running is the way to go for me. And my future running aspirations are pretty much set in stone: let me get to where I can cover the distance, and then on race day show up, finish and walk away with the medal. Or the Parkrun postings on Saturday mornings..

The Beatles were such extreme head cases that I was somewhat turned off by their combative attitudes toward each other during their studio recording sessions, lead by George Martin.  I watched on YouTube, on its Film Retrospective channel, showing how different famous rock albums were recorded, and how disruptive and chaotic the sessions tended to be, mainly with acts like the Beatles and Rolling Stones often on drugs, carrying on with their fighting.  And then I saw a show about the making in 1970-71 of Led Zeppelin IV and was impressed (and surprised) by how that band was depicted as being professional, not at all subject to runaway egos. So this Beatles book stands at home as couch reading, not a reading endeavor project per se but rather as something I might look at based on the topic...

Early Rising, Day Planning

I woke up and got out of bed this morning a little past three...did ten minutes of running in place while brewing coffee.  Now I'm sitting here looking ahead to the coming day, just a little past four.  One item on my agenda is to go down to my local public library branch, update my card and account, and check out one or two interesting books.  Unlike the case with 2nd and Charles a few weeks ago, I have no intention of picking out books out of desperation because I'm too tired and can't find a place to sit.  i do know that this is now post-Easter and we're now back on the regular calendar. It's a foregone conclusion that further exercise for me today will tax my ability to accomplish it.  If i do more back-yard inner perimeter laps, then I know what to expect.  And my eating will be measured and recorded., with the notion that spacing of meals and snacks is to be recommended. Yesterday evening i did watch a YouTube video listing and explaining 7 simple habits I could easily adopt...probably would be better off writing them down and implementing them, 1 by 1.  i want to install and begin using a smartphone app that identifies wild bird species by their songs...this afternoon on the back porch sounds like a good time to get that going.  And hydrating a lot more, that sounds good. Life is good, and I am a person in charge of my own happiness...