The first booter of the season goes to Mike!

Ain't it funny how we forgot who we were through the years
Put your fist through the wall cryin' television tears
Maybe I had something nobody saw
Blame it on the wall

Ryan Adams, Walls, 48 Hours (unreleased album, but I have a copy)

We had a nice little 17 mile run today through south peg.  The conditions were extremely icy for the first 10 miles and then, as the sun warmed things up the ice turned to puddles... enormous puddles!  Dodging the puddles was almost impossible near the end.  Several of us just plodded right down the middle giving up all pretence of staying dry.  The first booter was awarded to me at mile 6.8.  Three runners were downed by the ice, one serious, one sorta serious, and one pretty funny (or so I heard ;>). So nice of that woman in the blue honda to stop and drive M home after that nasty spill landing her firmly on the tail bone, ouch!  The kindness of strangers in heartening. Gotta blog that one day.  


The perceived effort felt like a 20 miler. The conditions were that bad, but our group is strong and we're making connections, telling stories, talking, laughing, listening... like distance runners are prone to do.  It's a fine group, we're gelling, we're becoming a community of runners.  They will be there for me on race day as I will be there for them.  That's what we do, we're there for each others and it is joyful along the way.


I managed a couple of other runs this week, an 11 miler on Thursday and a 7 miler on Saturday. Here's a few images of Saturday's run.

The sweet melt along Disney Way.

Olmand's Creek footbridge, my favourite bridge in the peg. There's something about this bridge that i find haunting, ghosts live here, nice ghosts, family ghosts, sweet hearts hand-in-hand ghost, kids with tobogans ghost... I like this bridge.

Assiniboine River from the footbridge, looking east.

And for all you injured out there I think of you... I really do and I know how it sucks, and I know how you ache to run, and I know how defeated you feel, and I know that embracing the suck will take you only so far. What can I do to lighten your load?


I have a new idea.  Forget physio, massage doesn't work, pool running is for sissies, vitamin A is bad for you, swimming shrivles your skin, the doctors don't know sh*t. What you need is new body parts, 50% off at this joint in east Transcona.  I have an order in right now for a new right calf, a gently used right knee, and and a brand new version 3.22 right big toe.  Give me a call if you need a few parts.  50% off too, wow, I love a deal... don't you?  


You injured runners, take care, you'll be running one day soon, blame it on the wall.

It's a good day to be alive.. don't forget your sunscreen.


Mike