High Five To 55 (And Beyond)

 

High Fiving 55

“One foot on the brake and one on the gas.”

I Can’t Drive 55 (Sammy Hagar)

Like a bell shaped curve, I’ve run; leading up to and beyond my 55th birthday.  And for the 365 days of the year 2021, which was apparently still full of surprises of its own accord - not wanting to lose any luster to the unforgettable 2020, I cranked out over 1000 miles of running.

I’m still old school.  The miles are logged within my daily journal using a good ole HB#2 Ticonderoga pencil.  It fits my personality for the present.  Friends tease that I should get one of those new fangled watches, that somehow logs my mileage automatically on an app, and then totals it all for me in a nice little package at the end of the year.  Ha Ha, Right!  Those same friends also know that on most runs I can point out my mile markers; a cherry tree limb bent at a 90° angle here, or an open meadow there.  It’s what works for me.  If I do need to monitor my mileage on a run, I use the “Map My Run” app on my phone, and then quickly turn the location off afterwards so that nobody knows where I’m at.  If you know me, I’m sure that you can picture the whole process.

Throughout this year I’ve run with friends as well as by myself.  I’ve run on soft, dirt, trails through the woods as well as on roadways and paved paths.  I’ve run early in the morning, late at night, in freezing cold temperatures, and within extreme heat and humidity.  I’ve run in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and the Lone Star state of Texas; through downtown Waco and along the Brazos River.

The process of running provides me a purpose and identity while allowing me to make goals.  It also helps me burn energy; as an outlet from the schedule I have from day to day.  This year I ran three different races; the virtual Yeti Half Marathon, the grueling, but unforgettable, Tiger 10 Miler in Byron, Illinois, and the Last Call Half Marathon in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

I averaged about three runs per week this year; two five mile mid week runs and a ten mile long-run on the weekend.  Sometimes I ran more as I amped up before a race, and sometimes I scaled back before or after that race, or due to life's schedule.  I achieved my goal of 1000 miles on Christmas day this year; at the 5.3 mile mark of a 10 mile run.  It’s a good thing too, because although I still had a good week to spare, the following day I got an uncharacteristic headache and felt exhausted.  At first I thought it was simply the let down following a crazy month and schedule at school, but after being tested for covid a second time in as many days, it came back positive.  Mystery solved; because I honestly can’t remember the last time that I was sick.  I know I missed a couple of days of school back at the end of 2006, but that was from a cut that led to a staph infection.  Of course it was that staph infection that threw me into the hospital for 3 days prior to Christmas Break that particular year, but that’s a story for another day, and besides, I recovered before the line going up the vein in my arm made it to my heart.

So with this base of 1000 miles now under my belt, and my self-prescribed rest due to covid, I’m ready to begin training for my next big adventure.  I am now officially signed up for the Ice Age Trail 50 Mile Ultra Marathon.  This will be my second time running it.  The first time was in 2016 when I ran the 50 mile race in the year that I turned 50 years old.  If you’re interested, check out these old blogs from that race by clicking the link:

Part #1: THE HISTORY (Sparr-Gaylord-Trinity-1st Marathon)

Part#2: THE TRAINING (Preparing For The Ice Age 50 Miler)

Part#3: The Race (Pics-Videos- And Dialogue From The 50 Miler)

I’m not quite sure what my motivation is this time.  I have more going on this winter; things that I’m responsible for that I didn’t have six years ago, but I’ll work around those things.  I do like the “simplicity” of training, pushing my mind & body, and the silence of the trails.  If nothing else, it will help pass the time; from event to event each day, week, and month, as well as providing a yearly mile marker in my life.

Now halfway through my 55th year of life, I look back, high-five where I’ve been, lace up my shoes, and take off down the trail that lies ahead.

See you along The Way

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THE 2021 PHOTO ALBUM

Andrew And I Ran Together On Most Weekday 5 Milers
Just Across The Stateline In Beloit, Wi - Usually In Snow

Justin And I In Sub Zero Temps

Louie And I Found $20 While Running Beloit (We Split It)

Justin & I (Not To Be Outdone) Find A Quarter To Split On Our Run

A Negative 13 Degree Run In February

After The (Virtual) "Yeti Half Marathon"
I Ran Three Different Loops Through Beloit

A Negative Split (Faster Second Half Of The Race)
I Felt Good For A Winter Half Marathon

Finally, Warmer Spring Air (April)
Louie, Scott, Me, And Justin

On A Long Run From Our Rented Cabin
To "Downtown" St. Germain, Wisconsin

Running The Waco, Texas Rec Path Along The Brazos River

Yup, It's Magnolia's Silos!  (July)
Here In Waco Previewing The Area Before Jodi Comes To School

Running Downtown Waco Where My Daughter Jodi Would
Be Attending For Her Master's Degree In The Fall

Running A 10 Mile Loop Around Birch Lake
In Harshaw, Wisconsin

Back Down In Waco, Texas - Dropping Jodi Off

I Love Running In Waco, But It's Hot!

End Of August - My New Brooks Glycerin 19's
From Rockford, Illinois' "Runner's Image" Store

One Of My Favorite Races - The Tiger 10 Miler
It's So Hilly, So Hard, And So Beautiful!

Pushing Towards The End Of The Tiger 10
September 18, 2021

First In My Age Group & 13th Overall

A 10 Mile October Run On Stone Bridge Trail
In Roscoe, Illinois

I Started Slow And Easy

I Finished Running Faster

I Ran A Couple Of Times In The Fall With Team Work Vision
To Spur Them On Before Their Marathon!

The Last Call Half Marathon In Waukesha, Wisconsin
December 5, 2021 - A Cold/Windy/Snowy Day

37th Place With A Time Of 1:40:20 (7:40 Min/Mile)

December Trail Runs In The Snow
At Roland Olson Forest Preserve

At The 5.3 Mark Of A 10 Mile Run On
Christmas Day I Reached 1000 For The Year!

At The 1000 Mile Mark On Christmas Day!
2021 Is Finished...
Now, Onward Towards 2022
And The Ice Age 50 Miler In May!

Back From A Seasonal Sabbatical

For six years and eight months I wrote religiously in this blog every single month.  Sometimes I wrote just one entry per month, but more often than not I wrote multiple entries for each month; usually about the various adventures that I’d have every few days and weeks.  I last wrote in July, about a family trip Up North and a muskie that I had caught that week.  I didn’t upload that particular post until August.  I haven’t written anything since then.  I needed a break.  I needed a sabbatical.

My outings for the last 4 or 5 months have mainly been teaching and running.  I’d escape periodically with a hike up a creek here, or a paddle down a river there, but I didn’t write about those intermittent times.

And so I now find myself on the doorstep of the Winter Solstice; at the last day of fall and the first day of winter.  Most see this time of the year as drab and depressing; especially on the backside of the holidays.  I typically see this upcoming season as the start of the time when I can get out and about in the woods.  It’s when the mosquitoes, ticks, and poison ivy are on hiatus and I’m free to roam.

Before I set my sights on those adventures to come, let me reflect on the couple of times I was able to fish or paddle this fall.  It seems like a fitting tribute as I bounce back from this seasonal sabbatical.

See you along The Way…

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PHOTO ALBUM

A Little Small Mouthed Bass On Turtle Creek (8-15-21)

A Local River Clam - Can You Name The Species? (9-5-21)

Canoeing With Scott - A 29.5" Pike (9-5-21)

An Early Morning And Heading North (Labor Day: 9-6-21)

A Prayer & My Traditional Gift Of Cedar Before I Begin (9-6-21)

A 14" Brown Trout (9-6-21)

A Shallow Little Creek In SW Wisconsin (9-6-21)

A Warm Afternoon For Trout Fishing (9-6-21)

A Sunset On Turtle Creek (9-11-21)

A 16" Smallie That Jumped & Fought Hard
Before Being Released (9-11-21)

A 12" Smallie In Clear Water (9-11-21)

An Early Morning Smallie (9-19-21)

My Friend Scott Rogers Creek Fishing With Me (9-19-21)

A Furrow Orb Spider Hanging Out Over The Rock River
Walking With Cindy In Beloit, Wisconsin (10-6-21)

Tag Alder Cones - Final Trout Outing (10-10-21)

Trails To Out Of The Way Places (10-10-21)

River Pike Fishing In The Rain (10-10-21)
CLICK BELOW FOR A VIDEO:

To watch the video you may you may need to
change the "view version" at the bottom of the page.

A Chunky 24" Pike Caught & Released (10-10-21)

A "Gulo Adventure Clan" Gathering
For A River Outing (10-24-21)

Andy And I Manning The Canoe (10-24-21)

Andrew And Justin Cruising The Currents (10-24-21)

Scott, Justin, Andrew, Andy, And Doug
Waiting For Our Breakfast To Cook (10-24-21)

Scott Adding The Final Touches - Eggs (10-24-21)

Kora Enjoying Her Portion Of The Outing (10-24-21)

Kora, Me, Andy, Justin, Andrew, Scott, And Doug

The Floatilla (10-24-21)

A Stretch Break (10-24-21)

Loading Our Gear Up To Head Home (10-24-21)

Kora's Ready To Go! (10-24-21)

Cindy And I Hiking At Hononegah Forest Preserve (11-7-21)

A Happy Pup On The Fall Trails (11-7-21)

A Final Fall Evening In The Kayak (11-7-21)

At Two River Forest Preserve (11-7-21)

The Sunset Became More Awesome
The Later It Got (11-7-21)
CLICK BELOW FOR A VIDEO:

Deep, Rich Colors

Finding Peace At
The Mouth Of The Sugar River (11-7-21)

Heading Home As The Planets Chase The Moon

Kissed By Kora On A Warm December Day (12-19-21)

We're Back From The Sabbatical
And Ready For Winter Adventures
Down By Dry Run Creek (12-19-21)