Duly Noted

I have been doing a lot of running lately.  It is unlikely that this surprises anyone, my family least of all.  But this training cycle is a bit different.  My sights are set on Moose Mountain Marathon, the shortest distance of the three fall superior races.  I have run a few trail races including the spring Superior 25k (an out and back that covers that last portion of the fall races), but this is my first trail marathon and it could take me upwards of seven hours so I need my body in tip top trail specific condition.  Fortunately, my longtime running buddy Rose is an ultra-runner.  For the last few years, Rose has been encouraging me to sign up and train for a longer trail race.  "If you can run a road marathon, you can run a trail ultra," says Rose.  I've been hesitant to commit for a few reasons: 1) time it takes to train for a trail race (driving time to trails + more time running=more time away from home) 2) amount of energy it takes to train for longer distance

It is always mid to late February when the stir crazy bubbles up.  I begin to wonder: What am I doing?  Why are we still living here?  How come everything feels so boring? So meaningless?   I blame it mostly on the weather; sludgy on the outside...equally sludgy on the inside.  I spend time blaming myself too; only boring people are bored.  That's what they say, right?  I travel to the land of I shoulds.  Dr. Seuss talks about this land in Oh!  The Places You'll Go.   Remember that book your Aunt bought you for 8th grade graduation?  To be honest, growing up, I never liked that book.  What do you mean you'll get stuck in the dumps?  In the land of waiting?  I didn't get it.  Life was pretty wide open and forward for my first 30 years.   Now, with two young children of my own and a little Bungalow that I've called home for over seven years, I resonate with our quirky Seussian hero.  I am familiar with slumps, bumps, and dumps.  And I sure don't like living the