Training Archive: Swampfox

skiing 1:41:00 [2]

Another beautiful afternoon, and another day with no wind to speak of.

Lots of folks were up at Happy Jack and even in the late afternoon the parking lot was still 95% full.

run 1:12:00 [3]

Mostly on snow packed trails.

run 1:34:00 [2]

skiing 1:39:00 [3]

run 35:00 [3]

ONA arrived today; I took a quick look at it and read one article before heading out. A neat map would be one that showed the average arrival times of ONA around the country from the time it was mailed. Perhaps an isobar type map, portraying arrival times in colors. Fire red could be one extreme, showing a really quick arrival time hot off the press. And it could range on over to deep blues or purples, showing where the pace of delivery was mosre glacial. Out here on the frontier, I'm guessing we couldn't get a red hot fire color. But that's OK.

The article I read was the one about sedentary athletes, and that's what I was thinking about while I ran. The article shoehorned in nicely with a segment on "Talk of the Nation" I listened to yesterday about a correlation between the amount of time spent watching TV and increased rates of death from cardiovascular disease and other causes as well.

This in turn led me to think about various athletes I've known. The skinniest athlete I've known on a pretty good basis is without a doubt Dave Pruden. Dave is the type that literally drifts into losing weight unless he actively thinks about it and takes action to consume more calories. I doubt he could get fat even if he wanted to.

Take a casual look around and it's pretty easy to see not many Americans share that tendency (towards skinniness) these days. A substantial majority of all adult Americans are overweight, and I think the latest stats are that about 1/3rd are considered to be obese. And that's despite the fact that probably pretty nearly all of these people wish they weighed less--whether or not they would openly admit it to someone else.

And when you do see skinny people? It might well be the case that quite a few have a whole other set of serious problems (bulemia, anorexia, etc.)

It's quite interesting to think how, despite spending far more per capita on health care than any other nation, our health is actually not very good at all here in America.

The article also mentioned "fidgeters". That made me think immediately of Brian May. I really don't know Brian all that well, and the most time I've spent around him was on the trip to the 2004 WOC. But from what I saw, Brian would be a classic fidgeter. I doubt he could sit perfectly still if his life depended on it. Like Dave, Brian will probably never have to worry about becoming obese either, or even very slightly overweight.

Note

Back in the part of the year where sunshine exceeds 9 1/2 hrs/day. Always nice to emerge from the darkest part (very approximately 1/6th) of the year. Probably means someone should go skiing today!

skiing 1:34:00 [2]

run 49:00 [3]

skiing 1:43:00 [3]

run 53:00 [3]

While I was out running and in between keeping an eye out for the extra deep snow holes, I thought a little about one of the words of the day: contrition. And, in particular, the prospects of finding some contrition on Wall Street (for last year's financial crisis.)

I don't know. If I was going to hunt for some contrition, I don't think Wall Street is where I would head--ever. And if a gaggle of investment bankers came up to me and started to try to explain how and why they were feeling so contrite, I would get my hand on my wallet real fast.

Wall Street's about money, money, and more money, and not so much about morality.

skiing 2:00:00 [3]

run 47:00 [3]

run 1:09:00 [3]

Ran out in the Flats; tough going much of the way--the snow is deeper than I can ever remember running out there before. It doesn't usually get so deep because of strong scouring action from the winds. But still so far--keep fingers crossed--the winds haven't been so bad on average this winter, and *nothing* like last winter, when they were out of category.

There was one carcass in a little draw. It might have been an antelope or a mule deer, but I couldn't tell. There wasn't much left besides the rib cage and lots of blood in the snow. It must have died not much more than a few days ago, since the last storm. And the question would be from what? Natural causes? Or poached?

Note

Interesting article about Tim Burke here:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/12/sports/...

But is the article really correct when it identifies biathlon as Europe's most popular winter sport? I thought that was ski orienteering. And of course it wouldn't be ice hockey, so at least they got that part right.

C • Europe's most popular winter sport? 25

skiing 1:59:00 [3]

Mild, probably about what it's been like in Tallahasee lately. No wind.

skiing 1:11:00 [3]

Noon skiing--100% perfect! Blue skies, no wind, temps in the low 30s, fresh corduroy on the trails...so fine!

Another half dozen or so beetle killed trees bit the dust today.

skiing 1:15:00 [3]

run 48:00 [3]

No wind at sunset up top at Happy Jack. Folks who haven't spent a winter here in Laramie would have no chance of properly appreciating this!

Note

9 hrs 26 min. of sunshine today!