The Birds

Not really related to miles, and especially not to running (since I am way behind in that category), but while rowing this spring I've seen a lot of birds.  I don't know if there are more than prior years or if I'm just noticing more, but I had a mental list going then decided to actually put it all down for whatever reason.

And for those of you who may row or formerly rowed, I am well aware that I technically shouldn't be looking out of the boat, but sometimes there are breaks and I check out my surroundings.  And I've also been a coxswain a couple of times which makes for good viewings.

Anyway, here's my list of feathered friends I've seen this year while rowing:

• Blue Jay
• Wood Duck
• Rock Pigeon
• Great Blue Heron
• Canada Goose
• Ring-billed Gulls (one impolitely pooped on me)
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Turkey Vulture
• Grackle
• Mallard Duck
• Sparrow
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Robin
• Starling
• Tree Swallow
• Great Northern Loon aka Common Loon (this one was in Craftsbury, VT, not Cleveland, OH)

And that's your nature report for today. Keep on milein'.

Another Done

Kudos and Congrats to Runner_Steph who has hit mile 365 and then some. All miles tallied via running and a half marathon completed in the process.

Challenge Met!

I can't decide if I'm a creep for even talking about this.

Before I get started I just want to say that I bought a new mouse for my computer. One of those "Magic Mouses" for a Macintosh. It's pretty awesome.

Now on to my running story.

I'm out running. I figured with Warrior Dash less then a month away at this point, it's time to get serious. Having not run since last Tuesday I figured an easy two miles would suffice for the day. I'm about three quarters into my jog when I look across the street and see an abandoned BMX bike on a tree lawn (for all you non-Ohians, a "tree lawn" is the grassy patch between the sidewalk and the street). I think to myself, "Someone must be getting rid of a BMX bike, maybe I should stop and take a look."

Just as I'm about to commit to go check out the condition of the bike, I look about 6 feet back from the bike. There, about two feet from away from the side of an apartment complex, is a female of undetermined age, pants around knees, full squat position.

Now there is only one explanation for one this girl was doing:
1.a. Taking a shit.
1.b. Taking a piss.

I know that's technically two things but they both fall in the over-arching category of "going to the bathroom in public."

As a member of the human community with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), I am fully aware of the sudden, and often overwhelming, urge to take a shit at any given moment. However, I have NEVER just up and squatted next to a building and taken care of business. Sure, I've peed outside countless times. But this girl had her head down, she looked like she was in it for the long haul. I'm pretty sure she was dumping.

So that was one of the weirdest thing I've seen in a while. It sure does make a mundane run a bit more interesting.

Challenge Met

I'm happy to say Bill and Berto have met the challenge. We're not even halfway through the challenge and these entrants all ready did it.

Congratulations!

Total For All Activities - 5/15/2010

Challenger	Mile(s) Logged	Days Left	Mile(s)To Go	Current Rate	Required Rate
Bill	458	230	-93	3.393	Challenge Met
Berto	387	230	-22	2.867	Challenge Met

Total For Jogging - 5/15/2010

Challenger	Mile(s) Logged	Days Left	Mile(s)To Go	Current Rate	Required Rate
Berto	373	230	-8	2.763	Challenge Met

I was almost kidnapped today

I went running today at my parent's house. They live way out in BFE Pennsylvania on some old barely paved road in the middle of no where. It's great for running and riding bikes because there are hardly ever any cars going by.

So there's a 3-mile route that I know pretty well and I took off to try to get back in good standings on my miles. About halfway through this route I cut down a dirt road to pick up with a paved road on the other side. (Keep in mind, none of these paved roads have a center line or anything.) There are just planted fields on either side of the road and the nearest house is about a quarter mile or so away if you cut through the field. I'm down this dirt road about halfway when I heard a car turn down it behind me. No big deal. I hear it rumbling along and then it starts to slow. That makes me a little bit nervous. I mean, there's no one around. No other cars in sight. I have no weapon or anything. So this car comes creeping up on me and I'm going through all the scenarios in my head of how I'm going to get away from this creep and the car comes into my peripheral view.

So I sorta stop and look over at this 65-year-old man (maybe more) in the driver's seat. Of course this makes me think I've got a way better chance now at escaping. I could totally take this guy in a fight or a 50-yard dash. Now me and this guy are looking at each other and he says to me, "Honey, can I give you a ride somewhere?" I of course smile and say no and he shakes his head and drives off.

So moral of the story is this. Evidently, my poor attempt at "running" looks more like a lame horse stumbling along than someone out for some exercise.