Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: Monday’s not a rest day anymore, but old habits are hard to break. (That means I didn’t run today, or do much of anything else.)  ¶ 11:34 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: Monday’s not a rest day anymore, but old habits are hard to break. (That means I didn’t run today, or do much of anything else.)  ¶ 11:34 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: From now one, Sunday is for resting or cross-training. (Unless, of course, there is a big race on Sunday, like the Carlsbad 5000. Then Sunday is for racing.) I decided to use this first Sunday for rest.  ¶ 11:22 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: North Side Four
Distance: 4 Miles
Time: Not Timed
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Rain, 46°

Comments: I managed to squeeze in a quick four mile run before people started coming over for our lasagna party. The party went well, and we served just about the perfect amount of food. (Angie and I had enough leftovers for one lunch each.)  ¶ 11:20 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: 165 lbs.
Course: North Side Four
Distance: 4 Miles
Time: Not Timed
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Cloudy, 50°

Comments: I ran on the trail in the dark for the first time tonight, using the headlamp I bought yesterday. It was kind of creepy. I nearly shit myself when I heard something crash off into the bushes as I ran past. I later assumed it was a deer, but after discussing with co-workers at lunch how bears are coming out of hibernation earlier than usual this year, I first assumed I was about to get eaten, and had to suppress a heart attack.  ¶ 11:00 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: 164 lbs.
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: I forgot my damn running shoes. I didn't feel like running in my dress shoes, so I skipped my workout. I used my new-found time to cruise over to REI and buy a headlamp. Maybe it will make my twilight runs less gloomy.  ¶ 10:39 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: 163 lbs.
Course: Down by the River
Distance: 6 Miles
Time: Not Timed
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Dark, Cold

Comments: I ran an easy six miles after work. It was cloudy today, so it was even darker than usual. Luckily, the river course is flat, level, and far from traffic.  ¶ 10:35 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: 163 lbs.
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: I didn't run tonight. I forgot to pack my running gear, and by the time I drove all the way home from work (rather than stopping at the river), it was too dark to run.  ¶ 10:32 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: 163 lbs.
Course: Down by the River
Distance: 4 Miles
Time: Not Timed
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Dark, Cold

Comments: I started my new job today. I don't think I'm going to like the new schedule. I don't have much flexibility in my hours, so I pretty much need to stay until 5:00. That means I'm running in the dark, like I did tonight. Also, I don't have much time at home before I need to head to bed. Once we start getting a little more daylight it won't be so bad, but the next couple of months won't be fun.  ¶ 10:27 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: No workout today, feeling lazy.  ¶ 10:12 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: Farrel-McWhirter Orienteering
Distance: 5 Miles
Time: 39:44
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Rain, Cool

Comments: I beat Jake at an orienteering meet for the first time in a long time, but only because he made two big errors, costing him about ten minutes. I managed to run to the wrong control, but I only lost a few minutes.  ¶ 10:10 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: I skipped my run today so I could attend my going-away party. Only one person showed up, so I guess they won't miss me too much.  ¶ 10:02 PM

 
Resting Pulse: 60 bpm
Weight: 165 lbs.
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: I didn't run today.

Tomorrow is my last day working my old position. I still have a few loose ends to tie up, but I'm hoping the day won't be too stressful. I'll have enough stress to deal with next week when I'm trying to figure out how to do my new job.  ¶ 9:04 PM

 
Resting Pulse: 64 bpm
Weight: 166 lbs.
Course: North Side Four
Distance: 4 Miles
Time: Not Timed
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 56°

Comments: I went for my first run since Saturday's half-marathon. My legs felt fine, fresh even. It makes me think that my poor racing is all a head game I'm playing with myself (and losing). I never felt tired during Saturday's race, and I never felt sore afterward. I tried to treat the race like a training run, and I think I did too good a job.  ¶ 6:54 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: No workout.

I started editing my Nanowrimo project today. I decided I had enough distance to do so when I realized I couldn't remember the name of one of my major characters. I've set a deadline for myself, to try to keep on track: February 1st. I think I might have been a bit ambitious, though. I worked on the manuscript for two hours this evening, and I only made it through three-and-a-half pages. Gulp! At this rate, I have eighty hours of editing to go.  ¶ 10:42 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: I didn't do a damn thing today.  ¶ 10:35 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: Angie and I spent last night in Bellingham, thanks to the snow and freezing rain that turned the roads into an ice rink. This morning, despite sleeping on a tiny futon, and despite Saturday's craptacular race, I didn't feel sore. My legs felt tired and weak, but there was no soreness. Weird. I think my poor running of late is more of a mental thing than a physical one. Now, I just need to figure out how to get over it.  ¶ 10:31 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: Nookachamps Half-Marathon
Distance: 13.1 Miles (14 Miles w/Warm-up)
Time: 1:47:27
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Low 20's

Comments: Seriously, this was the worst half-marathon I've ever run. I might have run slower during the Seattle Half-marathon I did while I was in Junior High, but I'd have to check the seconds to make sure. I went from seven-minute miles to eight-minute miles to nine-minute miles to an all-time worst 10:30 final mile. I've run better when I had heat-stroke. I don't know what was wrong with me. I didn't feel tired; I just felt slow. And just when I thought I couldn't go any slower, I slowed down. This race put me closer to quitting running forever than anything else ever has. I'm still not sure if I'm going to continue. Over the last nine months or so, every race has been worse than the last. If I keep up this rate of deceleration, I'll be walking races instead of running them.

Well, at least I can say I saw some Trumpeter Swans.  ¶ 8:59 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: 166 lbs.
Course: Post to Post
Distance: 3 Miles
Time: Not Timed
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Mostly Sunny, 32°

Comments: I ran an easy three miles after work. I didn't want to push myself too hard because I have a race tomorrow—a half-marathon for which I'm woefully under-trained. I hope I can still walk when it's over. I also hope I see some Trumpeter Swans, like I did when I ran the race two years ago.  ¶ 9:28 PM

 
Resting Pulse: 56 bpm
Weight: 165 lbs.
Course: The Shrieking Shack
Distance: 4 Miles
Time: Not Timed
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 38°

Comments: I went for a four-mile jog after work today. It really lifted my spirits. I forget, sometimes, how a couple of days of skipped runs can send me into a funk—must be endorphin withdrawal, I guess.  ¶ 9:18 PM

 
Resting Pulse: 60 bpm
Weight: 165 lbs.
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: Another day, another skipped run. I just didn't feel like going out in the cold. I'm tired of being cold. Between the worthless climate-control at work, our frugal heating methods at home that making opening a closet feel like stepping into a walk-in fridge, and the current blast of cold weather, I haven't felt warm in a week.

Anyway, Angie and I spent the afternoon putting together our holiday letter. Yes, it's going out late, but Furious George didn't get around to writing it until this week. If you'd like to take a gander, follow the link below. (Angie didn't like George's original letter—she thought it was a bit rude—so she made me edit it. However, if you follow the link, you'll see the original, non-censored version.)

http://beenallover.net/xmasletter2004.pdf  ¶ 7:16 PM

 
Resting Pulse: 60 bpm
Weight: 165 lbs.
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: I didn't run today, although I intended to. Angie and I invited my mom over for dinner, and I spent most of the afternoon preparing the meal. I probably could have squeezed in a quick jog if I'd planned my time a little better. (Is that starting to sound like a familiar phrase to anyone else?)  ¶ 10:19 PM

 
Resting Pulse: 56 bpm
Weight: 165 lbs.
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: Today was a scheduled rest day, no workout.

In the afternoon, Angie and I saw The Phantom of the Opera (The movie, not the live show). I enjoyed it—maybe not as much as the "real" show, but it didn't cost $50 a pop, either. I have always identified with the Phantom a little, which, considering he's a murderous stalker, might not say much about me. However, when I first saw the show, I was an awkward, gangly teenager, and I felt like I was a hideous troglodyte. All the girls I liked were dating guys I thought were total asses, and I felt like I couldn't do anything except watch it happen from off in a corner. It seemed like I was trapped in a cage of loneliness for no other reason than I was who I was. So, I was always a bit disappointed when the Phantom didn't gut that personality-less, wet-blanket Raoul and leave him lying in the gutter. Now, luckily, I pity the Phantom instead of secretly rooting for him. Who says I haven't matured?  ¶ 10:58 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: North Side Four
Distance: 4 Miles
Time: Not Timed
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Partly Sunny, 38°

Comments: I woke up and decided that I must have caught Angie's cold. I felt miserable. I could barely drag my ass out of bed. I slouched around on the couch watching football, then managed to pull on some running clothes and head out for a jog during the half-time of the Minnesota-Green Bay game. Once I started moving I felt much better&mdashnot great, but better. The run cleared my sinuses a bit and improved my mood.  ¶ 10:30 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: Stonehenge Six
Distance: 6 Miles
Time: Not Timed
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 38°

Comments: I intended to participate in an orienteering meet this morning, but I couldn't get my truck up the driveway. It had snowed overnight, and even though there wasn't much left on the ground by the time I tried to leave, it was still too much for me to get any traction. Annoyed, I went for a jog from my house instead. I decided that maybe it was a good thing I missed the meet—I felt like crap. It has been a long time since I've felt so slow and so tired. The only positive thing about this run was seeing a Spotted Towhee.  ¶ 10:21 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: I didn't take my running gear to work with me today. I didn't know how crappy the weather would be, and I figured if it was really wet and cold, I would want to run from home, so I could dry out and clean up quickly. Since my intended workout was just a short jog, I figured I'd have enough time to drive somewhere after changing if I didn't want to run my North Side Four route. Well, the first thing I did when I got home was stretch out on the bed. I figured I could rest for thirty minutes and still have time squeeze in a run. Alas, I dozed for two hours and woke up with a headache. No run for me today.

I realized today that I just CAN'T come home before I run. The temptation to nap is too strong. Maybe when the sun is still up after five o'clock I can manage, but until then I have to stop somewhere for a run BEFORE I get all the way to my house.  ¶ 10:42 PM

 
Resting Pulse: 60 bpm
Weight: 167 lbs.
Course: North Side Four
Distance: 4 Miles
Time: Not Timed
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Rain/Sleet, 38°

Comments: Despite the craptacular weather, I managed a four mile run after work. Only the very top layer of mud on the trail was frozen today, which made for an interesting experience since every other footstep created a mini-sinkhole. I half-expected to break an ankle.

I interviewed for an internal job opening about a month ago. I found out earlier this week that I got it. I start on the 24th. The work is similar to what I'm doing now, so I hope the transition won't be too rough.  ¶ 9:54 PM

 
Resting Pulse: 60 bpm
Weight: 167 lbs.
Course: The Jumping Dogs
Distance: 8 Miles
Time: Not Timed
Other Exercises: None
Weather: Sunny, 32°

Comments: I ran eight miles after work. I started out easy, but I finished hard. I skipped my strides and drills because the ground was frozen, making the dirt was as hard as concrete. I didn't feel like suffering any more jarring than I already had.  ¶ 9:49 PM

 
Resting Pulse: 56 bpm
Weight: 167 lbs.
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: I meant to run today, but I decided I didn't want to deal with the cold. It didn't help that my legs felt tight and sore from the race on Saturday. I felt tired, so I took a nap. Yeah, I suck.  ¶ 9:19 PM

 
Resting Pulse: 60 bpm
Weight: 168 lbs.
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: Today was a planned rest day, no workout.  ¶ 9:15 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: None
Distance: Zero
Time: N/A
Other Exercises: None
Weather: N/A

Comments: I spent the morning cleaning and organizing my closet. I meant to go for a run in the afternoon, after the Seahawks game ended. Well, I watched the game, but I skipped the run.  ¶ 9:12 PM

 
Resting Pulse: Not Recorded
Weight: Not Recorded
Course: Resolution Run 5k
Distance: 5k (5 Miles with warm-up/cool-down)
Time: 19:44
Other Exercises: Warm-up Drills
Weather: Cold

Comments: My dad and I ran a race in the morning. I left a party early the night before so I could feel rested for the event, but I think I would have been better off if I had stayed—then I would have had an excuse for my poor showing. Seriously, this was my second slowest 5k since junior high.

In the afternoon I played in a Texas Hold 'em tournament that Jake held. I managed to finish in second place and win money. When it came down to just me and Ryu playing for the win, I was ready for the tournament to end. I had been playing for nearly six hours. When my first hand came up Ace-King On-suite, I went all-in. Ryu folded, and I took the blinds, making us just about even in chip count. My next hand came up Ace-Queen On-suite, and I went all-in again. Ryu called and turned up Two-Three On-suite. We waited for the flop. I pumped my fist excitedly when I saw I had made a flush, but my elation turned to disappointment once I realized Ryu had made a full house, Threes over Twos. At least we finished the game with a good round, none of this King-high stuff.  ¶ 10:09 PM