Alright, let’s see what we have today. First up, for the love of all things, vote blue (up and down the ticket):
Skydivers put on an amazing show with some pyro effects!
A new coffin that helps to turn you into compost is becoming available! A cool addition for green burials!
The trailer for WandaVision looks amazing and I can’t wait! Anything with Katherine Hahn is going to be great:
Also in trailers, we’re getting close to the new season of The Mandalorian! This is the way.
Have you played the amazing web-based game, Blaseball? Check it out (And root for the Hellmouth Sunbeams, obviously).
Myst is being remastered from the ground up and released for both computers and VR setups, and it looks (and sounds) gorgeous:
I think that’s it for me today, but I’ll be back soon with more, have a great one!
The world is awful, and there’s a lot going on, but let’s see what we have. First up, let’s calm down a bit with a beautiful exploration on Canon in D:
Dumb Runner (The Onion but for running) had two great articles which made me laugh a lot recently. The first, local runner receives photos from his virtual marathon and one that is so true locally, ‘without the marathon, residents scramble to find something else to bitch about.’
Brass players (and percussionists, opera singers, etc), be the change you (and hero) you want to see in this world.
Feeling down? Here’s Chris Hemsworth to tell you, yes you, how awesome you are!
We’re getting a new Star Wars Holiday Special! Which….that is news, but this time it’s Lego!
Also, here’s how we should swap the titles of the Star Wars movies around.
Okay, buckle up, getting to politics. First up, the Mass Dem party coordinated with the College Democrats of Mass to try to levy false sexual abuse accusations at a gay candidate in the primary. The whole thing is dirty and reeks of homophobia, as well as a misunderstanding of the dynamics of gay relationships.
AT the DNC, Michelle Obama was immaculate (transcript here):
Likewise, President Obama set out in the starkest of terms what is at stake (transcript here):
On the final night of the convention, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was extremely funny, and since I enjoyed VEEP so much, a nice touch!
Pete Buttigieg had a moving moment talking about his marriage as he was introducing Biden.
And then finally, the acceptance speech:
Since then, of course, things have gotten worse, with more stoking of hatred and violence, but in a stirring move, the Mets and Marlins left their game and left a BLM shirt draped over home plate.
And finally, the NBA has come to agreement to turn their arenas into voting sites!
That’s it for today. Have a great one, wash your hands, wear your mask, double check your voter registration and make a plan to vote!
Virtual race week is here! And of course, the weather went bonkers.
I’m working on my race report for Pink Lightning, hopefully I’ll have that up later this week. For now though, taking this week off and getting back at it next week.
Second to last week of this training block, let’s do this!
Next week will be the end of this training bloc, and my Pink Lightning virtual. It will mostly be a day of decision how much I run based on the weather and how I’m feeling. I think I have a sub 6-hour 50K in me, but I don’t think I have a sub 6-hour virtual 50K in me (although I certainly have the radical self-reliance and Leave No Trace principles covered!). So it will be between just a casual 50K or a 50M. We’ll see what happens, especially in the spirit of immediacy!
Shuffling some days around, but it all worked out. Lots of early morning miles on the Westmoreland Heritage Trail! This is also my peak week (would have been one of two), and my second time at or above 60mpw!
A note on my mileage, I always round to what I was supposed to run. So even though on days when I run a mile or so more than I’m supposed to, I don’t log it below. I figure it gets added in to wherever I’m missing a few tenths somewhere or something like that, even though I’m consistently running more than what I write. Strava says I actually ran 62 miles this week, although if you follow my math below, it’s only 60.
Here’s the timeline:
Total, with one overlap week, that means I will have been in a training plan for 36 weeks. It’s time for a break. As much as I’d still love to run 5050 in 2020 (my original plan), it’s just not in the books (I’m not at a point where I could, logistically or mentally, run that much by myself).
Pink Lightning is a virtual 50K, and on my plan, it’s either 50M or 100K (62M). Depending on the weather and how I feel, I’ll play it a bit by ear. Part of me want to run it as a 50M, but I’m also okay not destroying myself for it.
I’ll have to readjust my eating a bit during some off weeks, but maybe it’s good to mix that up as well, we’ll see. And part of me wants to end with something big and exciting (I’ve never run a 50M before), but again, I have to weigh it against what’s smart in the long run, my right leg has what could easily turn into an injury if I’m not careful, so there is a bit of babying that at the moment, anyway.
The yoga I’ve been doing (in the park) has been great, just the right kind of class for me! I also want to get back into my bodyweight fitness routine, I know I’ve lost a chunk of that progress. A ‘down’ fall with less mileage and focusing on some core and strength work I think would be good, and will put me in good position to start training for spring races (tentatively again, Eagle Up and O24).
Through all this, I still haven’t gone back to a gym (I’ll have to change anyway, as mine closed), but I’ve really enjoyed getting to know my neighbors a bit as I do my tiny loops, or at least getting almost all of them to wave back at me. I’ve caught up on most of a podcast series (Critical Role), so I’ll need something epic to listen to again anyway.
I’m so glad I forced myself to run this summer, something I’ve never really done before. I definitely learned a lot (including how much a new pair of shoes really can change in my running), but I’m looking forward to running in the cold once again.
This has been a tough and strange year, and I can see the finish line a few weeks away. Then I’m looking forward to some much deserved time off.
Virtual Races coming up: Pink Lightning 50K, Mario Lemieux 6.6K, New Holland Lightpoint 5K, The Great Race 10K (and hopefully 5K when I sign up for that challenge as well).
