Tarantula Attack During Run & New Marathon Registration (SQUEAL)!

It’s been a pretty good week of runs/workouts. I’ve been adjusting to the warmer weather and the non-stop wall of wind. I also started up with hill repeats again – which means track work is soon to follow…So, good times?

Ha, in other good times, I was able to join TNSR for a run too. Only problem was the SWARMING TARANTULA ATTACK!

Our runs are so dangerous!

OK, maybe “attack” is an exaggeration. There was just one fuzzy little guy on the trail.

He’s not so bad.

I actually see those suckers fairly frequently on my runs. They won’t bother you, and they eat a lot of bugs and things that I don’t like, so we’re cool. All you have to do is hop over them and continue on your way!

After all, there’s a margarita at the finish…

Even the margarita has bunny ears this close to Easter.

Now for the marathon news!!! I’m very excited for this! VERY! This will be my 5th full marathon. Every other one I’ve done was at Disney World. And while they’re a ton of fun, man, that humidity just takes it out of you.

After the Disney 6 Dopey Challenge last year.

I’ve also made some training mistakes in preparing for those marathons. That’s ok, you learn and move on. And now I hope to take that knowledge (and hopefully lower humidity) and finally have a good showing in a 26.2 mile race.

My shoes and socks after my very first marathon. Told you I made some mistakes. Try not to barf.

But which marathon is it? Well, you’ll have to wait a few days to hear that news (I need to prepare a few things first). Sorry to be a tease. 😉

I will give you a few hints: It’s in the USA. It’s in the Fall. I may or may not celebrate afterwards with a billy goat.

Can you guess which marathon I’m going to run? What’s something you’ve learned from running? Ever jump over a tarantula?

-Scott

PS – COME BACK IN A FEW DAYS TO HEAR ALL ABOUT MY NEW MARATHON!!!

Disney Marathon Weekend – Complete Guide from Expo to All Races (incl. Kids’ & Dopey)

This weekend is the Disney Marathon Weekend. I have run the 26.2 magical miles x’s 4. And last year I ran the inaugural Dopey Challenge – 4 straight days, 4 straight races – Thurs 5k, Fri 10k, Sat 13.1, Sun 26.2. For all those running any of the events this weekend, or thinking about running in the future, here’s my official guide.

BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE RECAP LINKS BELOW FOR TONS OF PICS/VIDS/INSIGHT!!!!

The 6 Dopey Challenge Medals.

1. The Expo!

Yup, that’s an expo.

The Expo is Huuuuuuge. It’s takes over three buildings at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. You pick up your race packets, you get to see famous expert speakers, and you shop. You can shop for miles. It can be pretty overwhelming, but luckily there is a bar on hand where you can relax with a cold one, if you so desire.

To read my full in depth Expo recap, CLICK HERE NOW!

2. The Kids’ Races

Medals for everyone!

Our boy has run the Kids’ Race x’s 3. The races also take place at the ESPN sports complex. Distances depend on age and desire, from the 100 to a mile. And yes, parents can run with their kids. And yes, it can be pretty chaotic. The start times, corrals, etc. can AND DO change at the drop of a hat. My advice: Be early, be ready, be flexible. They are a lot of fun though, and it’s great to get kids involved in the marathon weekend.

To read my full in depth Kids’ Races recap, CLICK HERE NOW!

3. The 5k (or Day 1 of the Dopey Challenge)!

All smiles at the finish photo line!

The 5k takes place on Thursday at the parking lot of Epcot. The race itself basically takes you in and around the theme park. It’s actually kind of neat to be in the park before it’s open. They still have characters you can take pictures with, and tons of volunteers to cheer for you. And just like that, it’s over. A quick 3.1 miles through Epcot.

To read my full in depth 5k recap, CLICK HERE NOW!

4. The 10k (or Day 2 of Dopey)!

Don’t really need gloves in Florida heat, but ya know…

2014 was the also the inaugural 10k. I gotta say, this was probably the least exciting of all the races. Again, you start/end at Epcot, but the first 3 miles you are on the dark roads outside the park. There’s a little entertainment, but mostly it’s silent. The second 3 miles you do run through a resort before entering Epcot to the finish – that part is fun!

To read my full in depth 10k recap, CLICK HERE NOW!

5. The Half Marathon (or Day 3 of Dopey & Day 1 of The Goofy Challenge)

Yes, I wore a child’s Snow White apron.

The half marathon again starts/ends at Epcot. The difference is here that you do an out and back from the park to Magic Kingdom and back. The highlight is running through Magic Kingdom (and thru Cinderella’s Castle), but in between the two parks, again you’re just running on roads. Of course, they do have people cheering, characters, entertainment, and there’s more to see (resorts, etc.). And this race can be a lot of fun.

To read my full in depth Half Marathon recap, CLICK HERE NOW!

6. The Marathon (or Day 4 of Dopey & Day 2 of Goofy)

Medals 6/6 (includes Dopey & Goofy bonus medals)

The marathon is the shining jewel of the whole weekend. The granddaddy. The big kahuna. And it’s my favorite as well. Over the course of 26.2 miles, you go through all the theme parks (Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios) as well as through several resorts and also a lap on the race car track and a jaunt through the ESPN sports complex (incl. a lap on the track & baseball stadium). There is excellent support along the course & tons of entertainment. This is Disney at it’s best. They pull out all the bells & whistles. Really a magical marathon.

To read my full in depth Marathon recap, CLICK HERE NOW!

7. Disney Meet-Ups!

We had to refill our carb levels somehow.

Of course, Disney is a big draw. Not only for tourists, but for runners as well. I’m really happy that at the Disney races I’ve run, I’ve been able to meet-up with so many long lost (and new) friends. At the Dopey Challenge, I couldn’t believe how many old friends, fellow bloggers, etc. that I had the fortune to meet up with.

To see my in-depth Meet-Up recap, CLICK HERE NOW!

8. After the Races – Time to Celebrate!

At Magic Kingdom with our medals.

Of course, Orlando is a huge tourist destination. There’s tons to do and see there. Disney World has so much to offer. But so do others, such as Universal. So many rides, foods, drinks, good times.

To see my in depth recap of how we celebrated CLICK HERE NOW!

9. Finally, Be Thankful!

Anyone who runs, knows it takes a lot of support. Months and months of early morning miles can’t happen without the support of family, friends, social media pals, etc. This was not lost on me when I was Dopey last year. And so I made sure to thank everyone – from fellow runners to fellow bloggers to the fams.

To read my in depth thankful recap, CLICK HERE NOW!

Rumors confirmed – I am dopey.

So to all you who are running in any or all of the races this Disney Marathon Weekend, I wish you the bestest of luck! Whether you’re running or not, or just thinking about running this event in the future – hit me up with any questions you have! I’ll try to help! Soooooo……

Today’s Question: What Disney Marathon Weekend questions do you have for me?

-Scott

Running Frozen, New Ambassadorship &Soccer Season Ends

Sorry I’ve been MIA recently…well, actually I wish I was in MIA as it would be a lot warmer than it is here in Texas this week. But I digress…

Yes, we also got that Arctic Blast that blasted much of the USA. It went from 80 degrees on Monday, to below freezing for the rest of the week. Let’s just say that my transition to cold running hasn’t been so pretty. I still ran each day, but I wasn’t loving it.

So cold that a snowflake formed on my shirt.

Now I know that it could be much worse, and it is much worse up North, but I feel Frozen. Ah well, I just need to let it go. (See what I did there)

Before the cold snap blasted our backsides, we were able to sneak in a season’s end party for the Landsharks. I guess we had a decent enough season because they renewed my coaching contract for next season.

We couldn’t get one picture all season with all eyes open.

And now for some other cold cool news. I’ve been named an ambassador for Ramblen! You can see my Ramblen profile HERE!!!

What is Ramblen? Basically they’re for folks who like to take their workout gear with them when they travel. It helps you find places to run, workout, etc. when visiting a city…or even finding new places in your own hometown. Pretty cool.

I like this because I always take my running shoes when I travel. Like in North Crackalaka…

Running in OBX, NC, USA.

Or in sunny Orlando…

Running at Disney World.

Or on the open sea…

Runnin during an Alaskan cruise.

I gotta tell you about that last photo. I need to write a post on it someday, but let me just say that the miles fly by when the views are like this…

Mountains & icebergs.

Or like this…

Mountains & glaciers.

I’ve been to Alaska a couple times. It.Is.Uhmaizing. I can’t even describe the views there. Maybe someday I’ll get to run a race there (that’s not on a cruise ship). We’ll see!

How bout you? Do you workout when you travel? Did you get arctic blasted? What’s the most amazing place you’ve seen?

-Scott

Dopey Meet-Ups!

I love how that now-a-days pretty much all my friends are so active.  It always amazes me that I can go to a race, or just go on a training run, and I’m almost guaranteed to “run into” someone I know.  I like that.  It was no different when I traveled half way across the country for a race.  At the Disney Dopey Challenge, I got to meet-up with a few peeps.

If you missed my recaps of the races, you can see them here:  5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2

First off, these aren’t really reunions, but traveling with me was our boy and my moms.  The boy was doing the Kid’s Race for the 3rd time.

Collage credit goes to my mom. She got all artsy recently.

My moms was doing the Dopey Challenge too.  She only started running a few years ago, and hadn’t run a full marathon yet, but she wanted to make this happen!

Traditional pre-race family photo.

And of course, my sis.  She lives in Orlando, FL so of course we saw her.  Also, her and her roomie let us crash at their crib (I’m so hip), so that was groovy (see).  And if you’ve followed along, then you know that she ran the Dopey too!  We even ran the whole half marathon portion together.

Sibling photo op.  The castle photo bombed us.

Many of you asked how my mom and sis did, and I’m here to tell you that they both finished!  My sis came across the full marathon line a little after me and we reunited when she passed by me stretching next to the medical tent.

With Sis before the marathon. We looked much better here than afterwards.

After we cleaned up, we went into Epcot to look for our ma.  We bought a rose with a Mickey Mouse in it to give to her.  Our plan was for the boy to hand it to her as she passed so she could cross the finish line with it.  All we had to do was wait.

While waiting, we cheered on all the other runners.  And we saw my sister’s friend and cheered for him!  He had met us each morning (he was Dopey too) before the races and served as our official pre race family photographer.

Pre one of the races with my sis’ friend.

Then we finally saw our ma!  We yelled at her to come over so we could hand her the rose, but get this…she blew us off!!!  Haha!  She literally waved us off and kept going.  Everyone around us thought that was pretty funny too.  They said it was comical that we had been waiting there for her, and she was not interested in stopping.

The boy said he was looking “stylish”.

Now I know how it is in a marathon, and I’m sure at that point in the race she just wanted to finish, but it was still funny to us.  Anyway, we gave her the rose a little later.

You can see the rose on the ground next to her. Don’t marathons look fun???

Another mom collage.

Another meet-up I had was with a friend from high school…who I hadn’t seen since high school.  We ran track together at our Ohio high school, but now he lives in Hawaii.  Not a bad gig if you can get it.  Anyway, he was doing the Dopey too.  I actually bumped into him in my coral before the 5k and we ran the whole way together.

That’s him next to me (he’s in the kilt).

We would see each other before and after each race.  It was cool to catch up.

Representing the mean streets of our hometown – Westerville, Ohio.

I had another long time reunion.  Now I must preface this with a short fun fact – also in high school, I used to travel the East coast competing in (mostly) hip hop dance competitions.  My sis went to a dance school, and I just kind of fell into it.

National championships in Myrtle Beach. I know you’re jealous of my mighty dancing shoulder pads.

So, one of the gals I used to dance with now lives in Florida and her and her husband were running the marathon.  After they finished (PR’d!!!) we met up for some post race re-hydrating.

We had to refill our carb levels somehow.

I hadn’t seen her in a long long time, so that was awesome!

Another meet-up I had was with a fellow blogger.  Danielle over at Live, Run, Grow.  There were many that I wanted to run into, but I was only able to find this one.  And here’s how: before the Dopey she had blogged her race costume – Newsies.  After the 10k, I saw a group of Newsies, and knew it must be her.  So we had a brief meet-up.

Virtual friends meet! We take life very seriously.

That’s a great tip from her – post  your race costumes before hand so people looking for you can find you!  For you other blogger friends who were there, know that I was looking for you, and I’m sorry we weren’t able to meet up.

So there are the running reunions I had at the Dopey Challenge.  So cool!

How bout you?  Ever run into old/new friends at races?  Any surprise get togethers?

Post Dopey Challenge Festivities

If you missed any of my recaps of the Dopey Challenge, you can see them here:  5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2.

After we finished the Dopey Challenge, it was time to celebrate.  I learned a few years back to book a few days AFTER a destination race to do the sightseeing (not before!).

It’s official – I’m Dopey and Goofy.

And props to the boy for putting up with being in Orland for 4 days without visiting a theme park!  Now he was to get his long awaited reward!

He was all smiles by now (and stole my sister’s hat).

Immediately after the final race (26.2), which ended at Epcot, we went ahead into the park.  They have a few fun rides there, though most of em aren’t all that exciting (the boy likes them though).  A lot of people visit for the different countries (some like to drink around the world).  There’s a pub there where we had a celebratory Guinness or two.  Then we ate some tacos in Mexico.  To be honest, after running four races through Epcot, I was ready for a change of scenery.

After four days of running through Epcot, it was time to wave goodbye.

The next day my mom, sis, the boy and I hit up the Magic Kingdom.  It was fun to be there without having to run through it like we had in the previous days!

We chose an unique location for a photo. OK, everyone who visits takes the same snapshot.

Yes, we wore our Dopey medals – When else would we get a chance?  It’s also a great conversation starter with other runners, and non runners alike.  The amount of “Congrats!” we got was unbelievable…especially from the “cast members” (Disney employees).

On the Buzz Lightyear ride with the boy. It was very exciting (it’s always good to know where the cameras are).

I’ve always loved the Magic Kingdom.  I’m constantly amazed by their attention to detail and cleanliness.  And this visit, we got a rare treat.  They are redesigning Fantasyland and as part of that the Beauty and the Beast portion has a new castle restaurant.  It’s a 6 month wait for reservations, but we were able to snag one that day!  LUCKY!

Just a couple o’ sad gargoyles outside the castle entrance.

And while you can have an adult bevie at other Disney parks, never ever could you at Magic Kingdom (unless you sneak it in, I suppose, like a teenager injecting vodka into oranges, and then eating the oranges in the park).  But now at dinner service only, you can order a drinky poo.  My sis and I had some wine.

We so fancy.

And remember the attention to detail I mentioned…even the napkins were folded like the Beast’s enchanted rose.

We had until the last petal fell off to find true love. Or until we finished eating at least.

The “real” rose.

We went ahead and made this our celebratory meal.  Though I didn’t pig out on fatty food like we’re supposed to post big races.  They had some wild Scottish salmon that I had to get.

I know I kind of ruined the presentation when I added the broccoli (that the boy didn’t want to eat).

I also actually had a desert.  I never have dessert.  No real sweet tooth in my mouth.

We like to hug before dessert.

After we ate, we had an audience with the host of our meal.

He was very gracious and has the most stunning blue eyes.

We spent the rest of the day riding rides (of course I had to go on Pirates of the Caribbean)!

Capt. Grif didn’t like the flash on my phone.

It was another great visit to Magic Kingdom!

The same castle as earlier, but at night.

The next day we hit up Universal Studios.  I love their theme parks!!!  No, they aren’t as clean, classy, and family oriented as Disney, but they have some really extreme and fun rides!  This time around we hit up the new Simpsons Springfield.

We got a Duff beer at Moe’s Tavern!

But then I had a misunderstanding with the chief.

One of the coolest new rides was the Transformers one.  And outside they had Bumblebee.  This was an actual moving character, not a statue….

I guess that’s my “Transformers” pose.

And of course we had to stop by Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.  I am a huuuge Parrothead, so this is always a must!

Booze in the blender…

The next day, we hit up one more park – Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM).  Again, it was fun to be there leisurely and not all sweaty like when we ran though it for the marathon.

Big wizard hat.

The highlight here was for the boy.  He had been waiting a year to be chosen to fight Darth Vader at the Star Wars part of the park.  This year he made it in got some light saber training from his Jedi master.

Like a choreographed dance they were.

Then he got to fight the dark lord himself!

Attack the dark side!

Then we took a ride on one of those things they rode in one of those movies.

Look out for that tree!

And we were able to meet up with the man mouse himself, Mickey!

He hadn’t had time to change out of his robe yet.

And thus concluded our Disney adventure.  I must say we had a lot of fun and I tip my hat to them!

See what I did there?

So there it is!

How bout you?  Do you plan vacations around races?  Do you sight see before or after?  What’s your fave Orlando attraction?

Disney Dopey Challenge Week is HERE!

In just a couple days we’ll be in sunny Florida for the Disney Dopey Challenge – 5k, 10k, 13., 26.2.  This weekend’s training called for 8 miles on Saturday and cross training on Sunday.  Done and done (Sunday was a really tough yoga class).  All that’s left is 2 miles (+ weights) on Tuesday.  Then the training is done!

Let’s get doped up.

Some exciting news – they released the official design of the race shirts…well, 4 of the 6 anyway…

I’m guessing the Dopey and Goofy shirts will have Dopey and Goofy on them, respectively. Yup, I’m smart.

It’s time to make final preparations.  Thanks to everyone who gave me costume ideas.  I found a couple gems in my box of Halloween past.  They aren’t too exciting, as I want to keep it functional and also light, as the weather may be warm.  I’ll be sure to post photos at the race!  Be sure to check my Instagram and Twitter!

My standard Disney statue and castle photo op.

Even if you’re not going to this race, here’s a tip – DO NOT PACK YOUR RACE SHOES IN YOUR LUGGAGE! Last year, an American airline (which shall remain nameless, ha!) lost my bag for a MONTH.  Luckily it was on the way home from a race and not on the way to a race!  Keep them on with you, like they’re your little shoe babies!

My precious Brooks (and heart shaped butt sweat), can’t run without em!

I’ll also be sure to leave room in my carry-on for all the bling!  My eyes are already looking like this…

Dopey in the sky with diamonds.

Because these will be some of our rewards…

I hope to have the energy to carry these!

Anyway, my brain is kind of skattered trying to get everything ready.  I’m itching and ready to race!

If you care to follow my progress in real time during the races, then either follow my Twitter, or sign up for Runner Tracking through Disney – HERE.  Just enter my name – Scott Evans, and choose how you want to follow my progress.

How bout yous?  Any last minute personal tips you want to share?  How do you get ready for a destination race? 

Dopey Challenge Training Big Weekend Day 1

The upcoming Disney Dopey Challenge (5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2) will be four fun days of racing. For my training, today was supposed to be 2.5 miles of running to represent the 5k.  I accidentally on purpose went 3.  Didn’t see the harm.

I also went to the gym for an hour of strength training.  I had thought about skipping it to rest as much as possible for the coming 3 days of miles and miles.  But I did not skip, and here’s why.

He’s leading the pack! I’m right behind him.

Like I said, the race I was supposed to be “simulating” today is the 5k.  But what happens after that race is what I also want to be prepared for.  The boy has the Disney Kid’s race.  It’s only a 200 on the track, but I will most likely have to run it with him.  Add that to the walking we’ll also have to do that day getting to the track and such, I figured I might as well do some extra workout to prepare for it.

I can’t believe he has better form than I do. He also has better race photos.

Last year Grif won his heat!  Hopefully he can repeat this year, but he’s running with bigger kids this time.

Showing off his medal. He’s as serious around a camera as his pops is.

So that’s why I did some extra running/working out today.  I know I’ll need it for the Kid’s race!  BTW, after the race last year, I had to chase him about another qtr mile down the road.  When I finally caught him, I asked why he was running.  He said he was getting ready for his next race.  Yes!  Get em hooked while they’re young!

Photo op with the mouse.

How bout you?  Ever do a little extra workout than the plan calls for?  Ever been to a kid’s race?

 

My Watch is a Jerk (& Dopey Training)

So the previous couple weeks I wasn’t able to follow my Disney Dopey Challenge (5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2 in 4 days) training schedule due to some sudden weird ache in my knee.  But since I’ve got it rested and taped up, it’s been much better.  I was able to jump back into it the past few days, and that makes me happy.

Dat my RockTape job.

This may change, as the weather here is supposed to go from righteous to growdy.  Today it was 80 degrees (American) and sunny.  Tomorrow it’s supposed to be in the 30’s and sleet/snowing.  What?   And then it gets worse.  Supposed to get colder and colder and icier and icier.  That could mess with my weekend training.

Click to enlarge.

As you can hopefully see, I’m supposed to do 4, 9, 19 on Fri, Sat, Sun.  This weekend is also the Dallas Marathon, and they came out today and said that if the roads are too icy, they will cancel it.  That’s a bummer.  Especially for all those people traveling here and all those who have done months of training.  Here’s hoping the weather dude on TV is as accurate as he normally is (not very at all).

Anyway, since I’ve been able to run again this week, I was trying to be smart and take it easy.  Take it a little slow.  Well, when I got home from one of my runs and plugged the Nike+ GPS TomTom watch into the computer to record my run, it gave me the following message…

Insult me then try to get me to buy stuff, is that your game?

Yes, my training device is mocking me.  It’s insulting me.  It’s taunting me.  Why?  I can only conclude that it is a big stupid head jerk.  I already know I’m running slower than normal…that’s by design you butt-clown!

Ahh well, I’ll get him/her back (somehow) soon enough!!!

How bout you?  Ever been insulted by a robot?  Do you think we’ll be able to run this weekend?  How you doin?

Weekend Long Run on a Weekday

If you follow this blog, then you know about my training predicament this week.  For the first time this season, I’m having to adjust my schedule.  Thanks to all of your advice, I’ve made a plan of action.  And so, for the first time in my life, I’m going to have to do my normal weekend long run on a weekday.

I’m going to get up super early to run 17 miles.  It should be interesting.  Luckily with the time change, the sun comes up earlier, but I know I’ll still be in the night darkness when I get up.  Running with my old constellation pals.

My running buddy, Orion!

I won’t be able to run at my normal long run spot, so I have no idea what my route will be, just going to wing it.  I kind of like not knowing where I’ll be going.  It’s good to have variety in your workouts.

And the weather is supposed to be in the 40’s.  A rarity in Texas.  I can’t wait to run in humane conditions!

That said, usually after a long run like that, I’m pretty useless to be around.  I only want couch.  But being a school morning, I still have to go to work afterwards.

Don’t be fooled by the fancy photo, I’m actually not wearing pants.

I work as a TV producer dude, and luckily I don’t have any shoots after my run, just an edit session and some script writing.  So at least I get to spend most of the day sitting.  Butt I do see a buttload of tea in my post run morning future to keep me going.

One extra bonus (redundant?), I get to eat something other than my normal Irish Oatmeal for breakfast.  Usually I save my cheat meal day for after my long run.  Ya know, like pizza or tacos.  So I plan on rewarding myself with a little something naughty after the run.  Hooray for that!

Migas Taco from Torchy’s Tacos. You may be in my belly soon.

I must say it has been weird, as you should know, the long run is not all about the day of, it’s about the days leading up to it.  Proper hydration, proper nutrition, etc.  And I must also say it was quite weird having a rest day in the middle of the week.  And it’s always awkward when I’m stiff from running, and so I kind of do a Frankenstein’s Monster walk around the office, which results in having to answer questions about my gait.  But we do what we gotta do, right?

What about y’all?  Ever have to crazy manipulate your training sched to accommodate something else?  How often do you mix up your routes?  What’s your go to cheat reward meal? 

 

Disney Dopey Training Week 8

Disney World Dopey Challenge – 4 straight days of races in Jan – 5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2.  On the Hal Higdon plan I’m following, his week’s start on Monday…er, ok.  Mine start on Sunday, but whatevs.  Going by his plan, it looks like this:

Mon – Rest, Tues – 4 miles, Wed – 7 miles, Thurs – 4 miles, Fri – Rest, Sat – 10 miles, Sun – Cross Train.  I also have a couple gym sessions in there, and still deciding on my cross – Def yoga, but maybe a little trail run too?  We shall see.

So Dopey indeed!

This is one of the “easy” “off” weeks that we are rewarded with after pulling a back to back weekend of runs.  This past weekend was a 6 miler followed by 16.

This morning’s run was kind of eerie.  Not many people on the roads, not much light from the crescent moon, very overcast, mighty windy (around 20 mph), humid humid – 90%, and 70 degrees.  So yes, my tank top was soaked.  The weird thing was that most of the run there was a faint smell of skunk in the air.  I hate coming across skunks on my runs.  I have yet to be sprayed, but I’d rather avoid any chance.  Believe you me you, I was analyzing every shadow to see if there was a white stripe in there (no, I’m not talking about Jack White).  Luckily, ole Peppy never revealed himself to me today.  Maybe he smelled my musk from my sweat and it was too much to handle, so he scurried off.

True words. It takes a lot of work.

My only dilemma this week is that I usually get up early before work to run.  If you don’t know, I work as a TV producer.  And the problem is that I have an early shoot on Wed.  So I’d have to get up extra extra early to get my 7 miles in.  I’d say I should just wait and do it in the afternoon, but we’re supposed to have a massive storm roll through town.  Don’t think I want to be running in hail weather.

Oh crizzap, I think I just convinced myself to get up at the butt crack of dawn.  I guess it’s good training, after all for the Disney races, we have to wake up at 2 a.m.  Yes, it’s an early check in and start time, so the alarm goes off at 2 flippin a.m.

How’s bouts yous guys?  Ever come across a skunk on a run?  What’s the earliest you’ve gotten up to run?