475 Miles!

I ran 3 miles today, mostly sprint running. I plan on running more sprints to see if I can increase my speed in the long term. I made the 475 mile mark today which puts me very close to my half way mark. I cannot believe it is the second week of June. We have had very little nice weather and what we are normally having these days is cold. I still have my furnace on most days and I rarely run in shorts but still wear my longs. We had such a long winter that we do not deserve to have it continue to mid-June! 

Chocolate and Pie: A story of two brothers

Today was my cycling group so I decided not to run. It was also cool and windy, with a bit of rain on and off throughout the day. Tonight Skender and I worked on his writing. We decided to write a short story by each taking turns writing a sentence. Here is our story. Can you guess who wrote which sentences? 

Chocolate and Pie: A story of two brothers

Once upon a time there was a little prince. His name was Prince Michael. Prince Michael had a dog named Buddy and a chubby mom named Caroline. Prince Michael also had an evil brother named Skender Big Butt. One day Caroline was eating an over weighted chocolate bar. Skender was plotting revenge on Michael for throwing pie in his face! Skender decided to steal his mother's chocolate bar, melt it and put Michael's underwear in the chocolate. Before Caroline started eating the chocolate bar, Skender snatched it and Caroline started to cry. When Buddy the dog heard Caroline crying he ran to her. He saw Skender running away with the chocolate bar so he bit Skender's big butt. Skender hurt Buddy's leg and ran to his secret lab. In his secret lab he melted his mother's chocolate bar and poured it into a big red bucket. He then went to Michael's bedroom to find Michael's underwear. But Skender forgot about the alarm system. Just as he broke into Michael's bedroom the alarm sounded, "WHAAAA, WHAAAA, WHAAAAAA!" Skender was so surprised by the alarm that he threw the bucket up in the air. When his mom came he was covered in chocolate. Because she loved chocolate so much Caroline mistook Skender for a big chocolate bar. Caroline took a great big bite and Skender yelled, "OWWWWWWWE! STOP THAT!" Buddy and Prince Michael came running when they heard the scream. Michael wondered why they were in his bedroom. Skender took a pie from Michael's draw and threw it at Michael. This would be Skender's revenge! When Michael saw Skender about to throw the pie he quickly ducked and the pie flew towards Caroline's face.  Caroline quickly deflected the pie with her chubby hand and it flew back and hit Michael in the face. "Splat!" He stumbled backwards and fell on top of Skender. Caroline looked at her sons, pie and chocolate, and began to laugh. Michael and Skender looked at each other and also began to laugh. Buddy the dog wondered why it was so funny so he wagged his tail and barked at the boys.....to be continued!

Cool Sunday Run

I ran 4.5 miles today (472.5 miles) with a friend of mine, Lee Wilson. Lee is a chemistry professor at the University of Saskatchewan. It was pretty chilly for June but perfect weather for a run. We had a great run across the Circle Drive Bridge over to the University Bridge and back to the house. Pictures above are of the street that we live on as well as our house and garden. If you take a close look at the garden pictures (the one without blooming flowers in it) you'll see a fat little robin. My garden has two robins that have made their home in and about the flower beds. As the weeks are passing and we co-exist in the flower garden, we have developed a very nice friendship. 

Saturday Bridges

I ran 7 miles today (468) in April weather! It was 5 degrees which is cold for this time of year but nothing compared to other parts of western Canada that woke up to snow. Medicine Hat and Calgary both had snow today and southern parts of Saskatchewan have a similar forecast for tonight. It is so depressing because we have such as short summer to begin with, so the loss of even a few days to winter like weather is terribly unfair! My perennial garden is slower this year and because it is still dipping below freezing at night, I haven't planted any annuals. 

I had a pretty good run this morning. Despite being cool there was no wind so it was comfortable temperature to run in. I ran the bridges starting with the circle drive bridge, across the freeway bridge and back home. I took pictures of all the bridges and the changing landscape along the river. Everything has turned very green in the past couple weeks.  I met a very nice lady along the run who was running ahead of me. We talked as we walked up the stairs near the University Bridge. I also ran into Tom and Anne Marie Graham. Tom and I work together at the University. 

In the past couple months the gophers have taken over parts of the running path along the east side of the river. I took a picture of the cute little guy above who is one of hundreds of gophers living along side the trail. The Children's Festival is also on this weekend.  I ran through the park where it is being held just as things were getting started.  

The Roastery

I ran 5 miles (461) today, most with my running group. I felt a bit better than I did the past couple runs. It helped having a group to run with and we had a nice run along the river. I did a bit extra to bring my run up to five miles. 

I am a creature of habit and the pictures above are from the coffee shop, "The Roastery" that I go to every week morning after I drop Skender at school. I have one quiet hour to catch up on e-mail, do a bit of writing and just escape from my busy work life. Over the past four years I have come to know a number of people who also have a morning cup of joe at the Roastery. Our morning routine is a small experience of "community" before we head off to our respective work places.  The people I know at the Roastery come from all walks of life, Betty who retired from The Bay as a manager now sells hats at "Hats & That" on Broadway Ave. No one leaves Betty's store without a hat that makes them feels wonderful and the knowledge that they chose their hat with the help of a very special person. Bonnie is a nurse with a beautiful singing voice. Her and her sisters write and record music and their group is one of our province's musical gems. Alex is a photographer, Nola works in an Art Gallery and her partner Rick works as a manager in one of the mines up north. 

Jan is the manager of the Roastery and serves us coffee every morning. She is the center of our little community and what is remarkable about Jan is that even for those people who rarely come in, she always remembers their names.  Throughout the day the Roastery has a regular clientele that comes and goes and what I have forgotten to mention is that the Roastery serves the best coffee in town! Sorry S.B. and Tim's, you just can't compete with our local brew!

Struggle run

I ran 5 miles today (456). Every mile was a  struggle. I haven't had a good run since the half marathon. I guess it took more out me than I realized. 

3 long miles!

I ran three miles (451) today however it felt more like 10 miles. I am still feeling tired from the trip to Toronto and very stressed about all the work I need to get done this month. Rule of thumb, take a deep breath and tackle one thing at a time!