Other than the days getting shorter this summer seems to be taking forever. It's seemingly endless, which sounds like a good thing, but I'm ready for it to be over. I have a tiny bit more me-time with work when the kids are at school. Well I guess it will come soon, only about three and half weeks until they are back I think. 

early morning country lanes

We are back at the academy training however with little to no people contact. Any contact is with a heavy punching bag or via kali sticks which is better than nothing. JKD has been great because with the schedule change there are now two black belt specific classes a week! I've been enjoying it but with early morning running, kids all day, then class, I forgot how foggy my brain can be at night. Any technical classes can be difficult. 

van by the river

The kids are back at their Tae Kwon Do class as well which has been good. I've been taking part in order to pad feed so it's essentially a normal class for them. Annabelle has been insisting on going twice a day as well! There's been a morning class, which we are taking full advantage of, and then an evening class on Wednesday and Friday. It's been an easy option to get the kids out of the house which has been good. Unfortunately I work Saturday so we can't get to the class that day as well. Colby seems a bit more interested now but time will tell with him, he's really interested in what I do but just too little. There will likely be a point where TKD will no longer be good for Annabelle, it's very kick intensive, which she will run into significant difficulty with, but there are other options; kids kickboxing and also kids krav maga if she decides to continue.

berry season snacks

Running is running. I had been increasing speed work and trying to focus on a longer run toward the weekend and of course too much too soon brings injury. I know better you'd think however fast is fun, and such a release during tough times. My feet are both bothering me, medial inside of my left foot and my second metatarsal head on my right foot. Both runnable, but do cause discomfort, mental and physical. I need to resolve them though. I couldn't handle another big lay off like spring. A lot going on in life right now and I need the escape. 

sunrise

Any big plans or ideas are on hold, not that anything was set in stone, but it's always nice to have a plan just in case time opens up. Autumn is usually a better time for trail running anyway as most trails can be really overgrown this time of year. No one like running through fields of nettle.    

kitten annoying me post run. For once everyone slept in. 

Been a while since I've blogged. Just been busy. The kids went back to school part time and I began working so time gets spread thin I guess!

Totally soaked commuting to work in Worcester 

Running has been going alright. It's easy to motivate early when it's light out so 430 am has been wonderful. Even had a couple pre 4 am starts to get in 15-20 miles which has been fantastic and something I should be doing weekly. Was trying to spot the comet that's been out but haven't been out early enough and it's been cloudy. I forget that we are a ways north and it's really light early still. I love the silence early morning. Lock down was fantastic with no traffic or people out but now these things seem to be back to normal. I miss days of seeing no one, sitting in near complete silence. Ironic as I struggled with this when I was a ranger, being alone.

Hedgehog 

Staircase in Kidderminster 

Seeing people's summer vacation posts on social media hurts mentally, every year I get this. Fun family road trips around the western US bring back memories and the inspiration to show my kids these places. I understand it's different here, which is fine, but even if we were planning a trip to Europe, which is possible with Covid, I can't go because the US president is a douche bag and I'm banned from European travel on my passport! However, I'm not holding my breath for anything anyway, I can't even get my kids to ride fucking bikes without complaining. I keep telling myself to be patient, yet consistent, and maybe they'll start to enjoy the things I do. 

Early in Bewdley 

Kidderminster canal tunnel 

Sunrise along the canal

I've got a huge itch for adventure. Been looking at options locally. I've planned out a Trans Worcestershire run (linked to route). Worcestershire is the county I live in and I figured out a north to south trail run that's 47 miles. I just need to figure out the logistics of getting to/from the start and finish as these locations are fairly rural. The start is close, within a 20 minute drive, but the finish is 45 minute drive and not very close to a convenient rail station. I've also considered running the Worcestershire Way (linked to route), an official path about 31 miles that starts locally in Bewdley. I've ran most of it before combining the Malvern Hills Ultra and also training runs but it would be fun to do it all at once to see if I could do it fast. It's fairly convenient as there's a train station right near the finish in Great Malvern. And as my ambitions wander I think of North Wales, Brecon Beacons, Scotland's Munros........... and then I realize I have no friends interested in any of this and I'm all alone, married with kids, and the ideas fade. I guess I’ll just keep running. 

Sunrise near Hartlebury 

I’m adding on after posting this sone more ranting. I’ve come to hate summer and we’re on day 2. All the kids want to do is stare at screens. It’s so difficult to get them to try anything I’ve almost given up. I look at places and things to do but don’t want to deal with all the bullshit that goes with trying. There’s only so much will power a person has and I think I’m tapped out. You see all the toys and shit spent on them boxed up in the garage. What an absolute waste of money. Bikes. Scooters. Trampoline. Gymnastics bars. The list goes on. Santa’s got it easy I’d say! Give them clothes. 

Holt Fleet Bridge over the River Severn 

So it's been maybe a week since we had to put our cat down. Well it just so happened that my wife stumbled across a kitten on a farm within a day. So, we now have a new kitten. And unfortunately we are having a heat wave. Upper 80's, into the 90's and humid. Bad time to have the windows and doors closed to prevent escape. Ugh. Anyway...... she’s a kitten, her name is Rosie, so you can't really complain.

I started work last week for a few days a week which has been great. Just nice to get out. The tiredness of working, early morning runs, martial arts, heat is adding up again. Sleep deprivation will always be my nemesis. Sleep is so insanely important but when you have to spend time with family and need to make time, well, you lose sleep. Mornings have been nice as always but I have started to sleep through my alarm. My routine is slipping as well. Running takes priority, martial arts, then strength work it seems lately. Strength routine has been on the back burner. It’s fascinating, all it takes is 20 minutes to get a solid workout in but when you’re exhausted and everyone wants your attention it goes away. I hate that. 

Nice country lane running, I need a gravel bike! Oh yeah, riding bikes takes time!

My previous injury seems to have gone. I haven't had any problems which has been fantastic. It's so nice to be injury free. I forgot how nice it is. I guess it's time then to do something dumb, like add in speed work, and tempt fate though! I'm just chugging away running easy, with no events in the immediate future that's about all there really is to do, easy miles. I do want to add in a speed session though! 

430am sunrise 

Unfortunately had to put one of our cats down today. He’d been hit by a car a few months back, survived, and was getting by despite crazy, unresolvable fluid retention in one leg. 

Shaky as a kitten

Yesterday I returned from a run and he was laying on the floor and meowing like crazy, he was obviously in pain. I managed to get him in the cat carrier and he bit the living shit out of my hand, very unlike him. 

The vets drugged him up and believe it was a trapped nerve, maybe from compartment syndrome from the fluid. Either way it seemed to be unable to be fixed. So  I got to go see him for the last time before they injected him and put him to sleep. 

I scratched his face one last time as he calmly went to sleep. He was always the first one to say good morning to me, and always listened to whatever I had to say. Definitely will miss him. 

New goal. Just entered the Arc of Attrition 100 mile. It’s in Cornwall and runs the coastal path point to point around the peninsula! Should be rad! Weather should be atrocious though, a coastal Atlantic run the last weekend in January. Cornwall is supposed to be beautiful. I’m excited. Here’s a link with more info: 

http://mudcrew.co.uk/event/the-arc-of-attrition/

Mulling through my head race options and things just keep being cancelled. One that’s still alive is a 24 hour race that’s local. The Joust 24 is in October and is an easy 5 or so mile trail loop that you run for 24 hours. Could be an option. Bonus is it’s about a 20 minute drive to the start! 

I keep watching for the Tor des Geants to cancel. No word yet. It’s in September. A cancellation could push back me getting in another year. If I’m reading it correctly if I enter the 2021 lottery I’m guaranteed an entry since I’ve tried for three years and been denied. 

Long term goals. Trying to focus on that to keep motivated.

It was actually cold this morning! Must have been low 40’s. Nice temp for running but I should’ve brought gloves! 

I ducked into a random “pocket park” along my route this morning. I’d been through before but in the dark. It parallels the side walk so why not run in the trees?

I first noticed an enormous larch, then of all things a giant sequoia! It’s surprising how many made it over here as ornamentals. They’re big too considering how slow the trees grow. It would be interesting to find out their history. 

I love summer early running. It’s normally quiet before 5am but now with the pandemic it’s what I’d expect walking dead was like!