34
Today is a scheduled rest day for me. Forty one miles over the last four days and it came at an opportune time. 22 miles on Sunday, speedwork on Tuesday and 11 miles yesterday. Muscles rebuild and get stronger on days off. I'll need all the strength I can get in a month.
This post does not concern actual running but running related occurrences. Two of them happened on Sunday's long run. There is a lake where my long run takes place. Usually on a weekend I'll see fisherman . But as I was approaching the bridge I heard a strange bird sound. It wasn't a cardinal or red wing black bird. But I had heard that sound before on a remote northern Minnesota or Wisconsin lake. It was the famous loon. You know the bird found on the famous Canadian "loonie" coin. But then I looked to the lake and saw three pairs of loons. They are not seen around here. Very odd to see in an area surrounded by roughly 3 million people. They must be migrating north so they probably won't be here very long.
Northen Loon (pic provided by Wikipedia)
The most bizarre was after I crossed that same bridge I saw a group of about 12 people in a grassy are next to the lake. They were what I have chosen to call Tai Chi Square Dancing. Men and women coupled off dancing in a weird ballroom style but moving in enormously slow motion. What the...? They were not Asian. There is a decent Asian population near my house and I've seen people practicing tai chi. That is not odd. This group was slow dancing with coupled hands up in the air tango style, tapping their feet very slowly three times and taking a step or two before repeating. Moving in a circle. It must have taken them five seconds to tap their feet. On my second loop of the lake they were still there all gathered around a large book singing. Was this a religious service? Not one I've ever seen. A search of the google/interweb turned up Dancing with the Stars videos. So I'm clueless.
Last was an arrival of an email yesterday from the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle. This is spring kick-off 8k race that will take place in downtown Chicago on Sunday. A traffic nightmare for an 8k as it is you and 39,999 of your closest running competitors. The email said I was assigned to Corral B. Cool...that will avoid some of the crowds. Only problem is that I am not running nor did I sign up for the race. There is no one with my name registered for the race. I ran it two years ago in slush and a raging snowstorm.
My 2009 Shamrock Shuffle Sleet Fest
I guess they want me back. They can't live without me. Must have been short of some above average runners.
