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.

Avoid The Point

Not that I am a criminal activity expert or anything (or am I?), but I always find the idea of robbing or attempting to rob someone out for a run, rather poor planning. Most people I know don't go running with anything of value. I usually have a key to get back in my place and maybe $5, just in case (it used to be a MetroCard back in my NYC days). The risk-to-reward ratio is not in a robber's favor.

I guess if you choose the right person you could get an iPod and maybe $20 but it seems like targeting somebody moving more slowly, with a full wallet of cash and cards would be a better option. Who runs with a full wallet?

Anyway, Chicago milers, watch out for stabbers. Or learn to stab first. Or run faster. Whatever works as you don't want to wind up like this unfortunate guy: Jogger critically wounded in Chicago Riverwalk stabbing

A Dose of Spotz

I suppose I should have mentioned this earlier as it was pretty cool (at least to me), but you know how things sometimes often always come up and distract me from blogging. Well anyway, here I am. Late but better than not at all I suppose.

So last Thursday the club I'm in had an information session for anybody interested in rowing in Cleveland. I was actually out rowing when it started but figured I would stop in after to see who was there and hopefully get some free, post-workout snacks and adult beverages. Mission accomplished there.

In addition to that, someone managed to get local gal and ocean rowing record holder Katie Spotz to come speak. I missed the speaking by the time I had arrived, but she was still there hanging out. I think maybe less hanging out and more trying to survive the onslaught of questions, praise and photo/autograph requests. I played it cool and didn't join the masses, but as the place emptied out, it was just me, Katie and maybe four other people so we wound up talking.

I didn't ask her too many questions (even though I wanted to) because I figured she's had more than enough of that crap since getting back to solid ground but we did chat for awhile about the row, traveling, her blog and other random stuff. She was really nice, smart, funny and humble. I'm not sure I've ever called anyone "humble" before, but she was legitimately humble despite being so motivated, organized, disciplined and record holding.

I wanted her to be my friend.

Despite that I kept the leaching and stalking suppressed and we went our separate ways. Me off to chisel away a couple of miles here and there, and her to plot her next triple digit mileage endurance feat (it's going to be bike-related).

Beyond the rowing across the Atlantic in 70 days, check out the other challenges she's accomplished (keep in mind she's only 22) [from her web site]:

Swim for Water: Became first person to swim the entire length of 325 mile Allegheny River, averaging 12-15 miles a day, with my longest distance swimming +22 miles in a day

Big Ride Across America: Cycled 3,300 miles across the United States from Seattle to D.C., averaging 85 miles a day for forty days

Desert Run: Ran 150 miles across the Mojave and Colorado Desert, solo and self-supported

Half Ironman Triathlon: First in age group (1.2 mi swim, 56 mi bike, 13.1 mi run)

Cycled over 1,000 miles of solo bike tours within the United States, with my longest distance cycling +230 miles in a day

Oxfam Trail Run: Completed 62-mile ultra marathon in Melbourne, Australia

Crazy.

And through all that she raised money for American Lung Association, Oxfam, and the Blue Planet Run Foundation.

Crazy and Humble. It was really cool to meet her. And motivating (although not for my running numbers -- yet).