04 - Tiny Dancers and the Beach and Bay Half Marathon

I ran my first half marathon this week! 

I've been so caught up in pre-preparation for my 50K training that I slightly lost sight of the fact that this half marathon was the reason I began training in the first place. I got really excited during the week leading up to the race because I knew the half marathon would be a great indicator of my progress as a runner overall. Here’s how I did...

Runner’s High

I ran the Beach and Bay half marathon in San Diego. This gorgeous course circled Mission Beach, and, because the distance lined up so seemingly well, I was surprised to discover that this is the first time the race was put together.

(Photo courtesy of sandiegobeachandbayhalfmarathon.com)

This is the course as it displayed on Strava upon completion

It wasn’t until a few days prior to the race that I actually considered how I’d run it. Initially, I thought maybe I’d treat it like another long training run, taking it easy and getting through the mileage steadily. Having had very few race experiences, however, I didn’t want to limit my potential performance or experience so I decided to make a plan. How well could I do? What sort of time would I likely be finishing?

Pre-race Butterflies

Everyone says that starting too fast can be detrimental, and I didn’t want to kill myself, so I took a look at the paces I’d been running and gave myself a range to stay between. I decided I’d go out and listen to my body but to be especially wary if my mile splits were are under a specific range. I extended my walk/run intervals to be less frequent but still kept an interval so I would be forcing myself to stop periodically throughout the entire race for nutrition and hydration. I wanted to make sure I kept my effort levels low for at least the first half of the race.

Based on the pace I expected to run, I knew I’d be out there somewhere between two and three hours so I packed enough calories to keep me active and (hopefully) bonk-free for the duration of the race. I also calculated about how much water I wanted to drink at various spots of the race. In retrospect, all of this planning definitely helped lead to a successful run.

How do you plan for calorie intake/hydration for half marathons? As I’m training for even longer distances, I’m hoping to incorporate more whole foods into my races and training to avoid GI issues down the road when the events get really long.

I would have at least preferred to wake up bright and early, but unfortunately we didn't even get that luxury on race morning as the sun wasn’t even up when we left the house to get to the race for our 6:30 AM start time. Fortunately for Katie and I, as parents who run on a lack of sleep 90% of the time, getting to bed early the previous night was not very difficult so we were able decent night's sleep. Katie and Kim normally get to races early to avoid as much of the chaos as possible so we left before 5. I definitely recommend this strategy, although it results in less sleep overall, because you avoid the pre-race pile of cars, which is almost always out of control. 

We took pre-race pictures, I bounced around a bit with some dynamic stretches, and our legs began moving. The initial part of any race is exciting but also slightly technical. Hundreds of people around you are running at mostly different paces, and you have to navigate your way through them. To get through this, I stole a strategy I learned from Katie which is to run through at least the first mile before beginning walk/run intervals.

We're ready to go!

I settled into what I thought was a reasonable pace based on how I was feeling. My heart rate was low, and I was not expending a lot of energy on the first few miles as per my race plan. This being the case, I was surprised to see how fast I was going. It must be the adrenaline, I thought.

I was so captivated by the energy of the event, the cheerful volunteers at the aid stations, and the beauty of the ocean around me that the first five miles flew by. I kept up my walk/run intervals but not really paying too much attention to how fast I was going. Around mile 6 I looked down to see the times I’d been running.

Uh oh. I was going too fast.

I mean, I wasn’t breaking any records or anything, but I was going way faster than I’d trained, and I wasn’t sure how that was going to play out down at the latter miles of the race. I did a mental recap: I have enough calories at this point, I’ve been drinking water, and I have stopped at all of my walk/run intervals. Ease up a bit and regroup in a couple miles.

My splits for the majority of the race.

Mile 8 came and went, and I was still feeling solid. Mile 10 came, and this is when the race started to get difficult. Finally, I thought, this is that feeling I’ve been anticipating. Legs are stiffening and starting to feel heavy, and my heart rate was beginning to rise along with the rising temperature of the day. Now what?

Do I slow it down and finish the race off as if it were a training run? Do I go all out and attempt to finish as strong as possible? Would I even be able to do that if I wanted to?

It turns out, my brain wasn’t up for sorting through any of these questions after having run for an hour and a half so I just kept following my intervals and trying to maintain control of my heart rate. Keep the cadence up, and the steps light.

I shuffled my way to mile 12 when the thought finally hit me, When is this thing going to be over? It’s officially hot, this Gu tastes gross (why did I think salted watermelon would be a thing?), and my legs are blocks of cement.

Finally, a light appeared in the form of a saint who told me, “The finish is just around the corner there. You’re almost there.”

If it’s almost there, does that mean I already finished? Can I just stop now and say that I made it? Is that a thing?

No, that’s not a thing.

I'm trying to enjoy the course along the way. I think it's working.

 What?!?!?!?! Nooooooooo. That saint was actually a devil. The finish wasn’t “just around the corner,” it was still over three quarters of a mile away. For your personal reference, if you find yourself cheering anyone on at a race, don’t make this mistake. Whatever energy I had left vanished instantly, and I began walking.

Before I could completely slow down to my brisk walking pace, I felt a tap at my elbow. A determined runner behind me confidently reprimanded me. “Nope. We’re running this. Let’s go!”

But… But… Yeah, but…

I wanted to offer up some excuse, but she was right. “Alright. Let’s go,” I said. Slowly but surely I got my legs churning again. Eventually, more spectators and previous finishers lined the course with encouragement to get the weary to the finish line when I finally glimpsed it. THERE it is! 

I would have sprinted had my legs allowed it, but, as they were, a quick jog was just about all I could muster. I raised my hands in victory as I crossed the finish line just behind my encourager. I did it!

Aren't these throwback Cali license plate medals cool?

I didn’t know what my time was or what place I got (it was like 1000th or something, I’m sure), but the victory for me was running hard and further than I ever have before, following my race plan and accomplishing a goal I’d sought after for months.

I finished with enough time to stretch and get some water before cheering on Katie and Kim to the finish line. I could not have asked for a better first half marathon experience. If you have a cool half marathon in mind, let me know! I would love to fit it in somewhere along the way with my current training. Cue photo dump.

Katie and Kim are ready to be done with this race. It's now way too hot.

Hey stilt-man, you're blocking the finish sign! What you can't see is that there's a shark eating his leg.

Look, guys! Strava says I burned a day's worth of calories.

Bonk of the Week

What’s a taper? I’ve heard of this concept but have mostly been kind of winging it these last few weeks before my 50k training plan begins. I was in a weird spot because I wanted to run this half marathon well but not kill my body because I’m about to embark on huge training. We will see how I feel this next week.

I didn’t do any PT this week, but don’t tell, OK? Although I have been stretching, using the foam roller, and lacrosse/massage ball for my feet, I did not do any PT strengthening exercises. I got a little lazy and wrote it off as “tapering.” I’m not too worried about this at this point, but I definitely can’t get this lax when training starts to really get tough.

Dad is the Best

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a toddler’s dance recital, accept the offer without hesitation. They are cuteness overload, especially if you happen to know the toddler involved. This week Iris had a dance recital at the local community center and performed both a ballet and a tap number. Check out how ridiculously cute this is...

Iris got distracted during the performance, but who could blame her? Those kids on the side were being loud and were definitely worthy of attention. She didn’t always demonstrate it on stage, but Iris loves her dance classes. She’s constantly moving around the house and will dance along to any cartoon or Disney music you throw her way.

It fills me with joy to see her enjoy herself, and I’m unbelievably fortunate to have these experiences.

She's about to explode with excitement.

This week also marks the end of Iris’s time at the Child Development Center at Mt. Sac. I can give further details to anyone interested on why, but she got a lovely parting card from her teachers and brought them cupcakes as a treat for her last day.

Oh yes, and there’s this parting gem...

Dad Lesson of the Week

Sometimes there is nothing revolutionary to report. This is one of those times. I had a difficult time being present this week and am constantly working on growing my patience. Isn’t that what parenting is to some extent?

Parenting is an endless journey toward growing patience.

Placing someone’s needs above and before your own is humbling. Sometimes the slog of teeth brushing and cleaning up toys and spilling drinks after you repeatedly asked to use both hands pushes personal patience to its limits. I feel like I did fairly well this week with respect to maintaining grace and patience during these circumstances, but I know I can do better.

That’s the goal: let’s do better than we did the week before. Let’s pay attention to our actions and pursue more patience and grace. That’s my wish for myself and for you.

Brew Overview

I’d hoped to comment here about the craft beer garden at the marathon after-party but have no such luck this week. Unfortunately, halfway down to Oceanside on Friday we discovered that Katie accidentally forgot her ID at home! I was bummed and definitely didn’t respond with the grace and patience I mentioned above.

I could attribute this the nerves bubbling around within me, but I’m going to instead fall on the grace of my wife who patient with me when I most need it. We still had a great weekend and got to visit Hess brewery where I tried the delicious Grapefruit solace.

Grapefruit Solis (courtesy of mikehessbrewing.com)

According to the brewery's website, this beer “kicks it up a notch by taking an awesome San Diego–style IPA and pumping it full of citrusy grapefruit—we're talking real fruit, zest and juice. The hops complement the zestiness, and the subtle malt makes this an award-winning, crisp, and deliciously refreshing India pale ale.”

I love IPAs but was worried about drinking one on this hot afternoon as I thought it might be sensation overload. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by how refreshing Grapefruit solace actually was. It was the perfect taste for the afternoon, and I definitely recommend anyone in the area to check this place out. I believe they distribute throughout the San Diego area as well. Good stuff.

Each emblem hanging in the tasting room represents a different house beer. Very cool idea.

Thanks for sticking with me through this long post. This got out much later than I would have preferred, but I had much to say as it was quite the eventful week for me.

Will write again soon.


Be well,
UltraDadRunner

03 - Little Lies and a Mixed Bag of Training

My stepdad Brett says this blog is my online diary, and he’s not entirely wrong. I journaled frequently in high school and found it helpful. It’s healthy to sort through thoughts using writing or speech, gender stereotypes be damned. Having had 30 years now to observe the world, I think many people would do well to express their thoughts more often and communicate openly.

I see so much pent up anger and rage that could be dissipated with a few mere sentences. It’s interesting that my daughter's preschool introduced her to this skill that many adults don’t have. “Use your words:” When an action hurts you, it’s okay to let it be known, if it’s in an effort to find some resolution. It’s important for kids (and adults) to see this transpire.

I’ve been working on this as a parent in allowing uncomfortable situations to happen to Iris. If someone frustrates her, she should use her words to sort through the situation. When Iris and I are playing together, I sometimes tell her, “I don’t like this game when you play it that way. I’m not having fun.” It’s inspiring to see her switch gears and stop whatever she’s doing. Of course, it also could be that she’s just the greatest human on the planet. Not necessarily likely, but possible.

I guess my point in saying all of this is that we humans can be prideful creatures. We don’t want to look weak by admitting something upset us or, worse, that we may actually have some culpability in the pain of others. Heaven forbid we actually have to confront someone and accept responsibility for our actions! 

As tempting as it may be, don’t let pride keep you from peace. Okay, that’s enough rambling for this week. Here’s how the rest of my week went.

Runner’s High

This week was a balance between highs and lows, a trend I'm finding common in many aspects of life. Thursday’s workout, however, definitely stood out as the high. I pushed Iris in the jogger for 6 miles with miles 2-4 being at a higher effort. Iris and I enjoyed the cool weather, and she sang “Jingle Bells” to help motivate me up some of the larger hills. I actually felt good for the entire run and really got to push myself on those harder miles. I wasn’t looking at my watch during the run but definitely felt like I was going faster than my splits indicated. I gave myself a break though because I wasn’t running on a flat trail and I was pushing a toddler.

It's exciting to see these times slowly creep downward ("slow" being the operative word)

I’m working on consistency with my core and PT exercises. I’ve kind of been in a strange area training-wise as I have my half marathon this week and then another 4 weeks until my official 24-week training schedule begins. 

Any recommendations on what I might be able to fill that time with? 

I thought about potentially throwing in some speed workouts one week and maybe using one or two other weeks to just gain consistent easy mileage to build up my aerobic base.

Bonk of the Week

This week’s low point wasn’t any one run specifically. Rather, it was the fact that I didn’t get to do a long run on Saturday. I was only planning on running 5 or 6 miles but had to cancel it due to some crazy illness issues. I don’t know if I caught a bug or was just fatigued, but I felt like a pile of garbage for almost the entire weekend. After Friday’s hike, my body was shutting down. I was achy, sweaty, had that spacey feeling you get if you stand up too quickly and almost faint.

My goal throughout this process is to finish a 50k but to remain healthy in the process. As much as I wanted to run on Saturday, I felt it more important to listen to my body. I had gotten little sleep throughout most of the week and think that rest did my body better than a run would have. I’d rather be sidelined for a few days than injure my body because I’m overworking myself and have to miss multiple weeks as a result.

Dad is the Best

This week’s awesome dad moment was combined with a workout. Iris and I went on an awesome hike up to Etiwanda Falls on Friday while Katie was at class. A friend of mine told me about this hike a few weeks ago, and we’ve done it a few times now as a family. This was the first trek that Iris and I did by ourselves, and it actually went well!

Prepare for a flood of photos

Iris has been getting stronger and is walking more and more with each hike. The first time we tried to hike Potato Mountain we only went about a mile in total. On this hike, which is roughly 3.5 miles or so with about 900 ft of climbing, Iris walked almost half of it on her own! Most of her hiking was done on the way back, but it’s awesome to see her improve. Carrying her for the majority of the ascent was a great (albeit exhausting workout).

Beautiful day for a hike

Last time we went up to the falls, Iris wasn’t able to play in the water for very long because we didn’t have a change of clothes for her. This time, I was prepared with water shoes and a packed lunch. We spent a good 45 minutes or so splashing around, and Iris made a friend! Maya, almost the exact age as Iris, was eager to see someone else her age, and the two ran around together for the better part of our time up there.

Lunch break while actively planning what to accomplish on her next venture into the water

Maya was excited to see a fellow tiny human. "Yes, let us explore together."

The water was freezing, but that won't stop Iris from jumping in

Last cool parenting moment occurred on a late drive home. It was already past Iris’s bedtime, but she desperately wanted to read a bedtime story. I told her that if she changed and brushed her teeth quickly, I’d read her one quick story, and it worked. She got through it quickly and without any complaining, a definite accomplishment for this particular toddler. It’s cool that she enjoys our reading time and that she really looks forward to it. While part of this may be the fact that it pushes bedtime back a bit further, I’ll still gladly take it.

Dad Lessons

I’ve been thinking a bit about this section. I like the idea of talking about highs and lows in both running and parenting because highs and lows are a reality in life. I’ve had several valleys and peaks throughout my life and have noticed that the valleys always stick out more prominently in my memory. 

My hope is that acknowledging both throughout this process will provide some perspective for me. That said, I want to steer this section to lessons I’ve learned or reflections I may have had about parenting throughout the week. I’ll definitely mention low moments as they arise but want to focus on what I’ve learned from them.
p; Iris was awesome this week (as she is almost always) and she pretty much rocked the entire time. Looking back to her prime days of the “Terrible Twos,” most minor fits she has these days hardly register in comparison. Despite this, we did have a teachable moment about telling the truth the other day.

Iris is currently exploring the territory of honesty lately and has been, let’s say, generous with the truth. Part of it is her strong wit and ability to exaggerate or recognize the use of irony, but the other part of it is saying things that aren’t true in order to get something she wants. This occurrence was of little consequence in the grand scheme of things but was important in that it was a decisive moment when Iris realized what a lie actually is and that she told one.

  One night, we had finished reading out bedtime stories and it was time to finally lay down for bed. I’d already taken Iris to the bathroom but she insisted that she really had to go. She sat down on the toilet and… nothing happened. I asked her, “Do you have to go to the bathroom?”
“No, Dad,” she said. “I’m all done.”
“But you told me you had to go to the bathroom. Did you lie?”
“No, I didn’t lie, Dad.”
I went on: “You said that you really had to use the bathroom, but we’re here and you don’t have to go. So it seems like you may have said something that wasn’t true. Did you just tell me you had to go to the bathroom because you didn’t want to go to bed?”
Before realizing exactly what was happening she said, “Yeah. I didn’t want to go to bed so I said I had to go to the bathroom.”
“Ah, I see. When you say something that isn’t true, that’s called a lie. We don’t want to lie to each other in this family. It’s important for us to be honest with one another. Otherwise we’ll be just like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. We don’t want to be like him, do we?”
I could see a little spark in her when she made the realization. As she began talking, her voice slowly started cracking until it turned into a cry. “Well I was lying to you because you lied to me and I didn’t want to go to bed and I wanted to read a book and I miss grandma and I miss mommy too.”

Don't be like this guy

When the waterworks start it’s amazing how much Iris misses everyone who isn’t present at the moment. She’s hoping someone she loves can come save her, and I totally get this feeling. We all want to avoid confrontation and negative feelings. It’s easier to run away from a problem than it is to accept responsibility and remain in an uncomfortable state of guilt and shame. I saw the event as an opportunity, however, because I think it’s important for Iris to be cognizant of the feelings and to experience them fully.

While I certainly don’t want her to feel miserable and wallow in despair, I do want her to know that actions have consequences. If she can recognize that she feels bad after she lies, my hope is that she will want to tell the truth more often. I have no clue whether this will actually pan out this way or if I’m somehow scarring her for life, but I guess that’s kind of how parenting works, right?

Anyway, I explained to her that I love her and that we all make mistakes. She agreed to do better next time, and we went from there. It also helped that Katie got home in the middle of this process and was able to comfort her in that motherly way that is so effective.

Brew Overview

I thought I’d take this rare opportunity to highlight Coors Light this week because I rarely drink it, but it was given to me by a new friend. I'm a quality over quantity kind of guy and have never really been keen to down bottles of a domestic brew when I could instead enjoy a more potent, better-tasting craft alternative.

I’d planned to head home after working Tuesday night but was unexpectedly invited out by a friend of mine at work. His wife and daughter were out of town, and he found himself in a unique position to actually get out of the house. As I don’t get to socialize with adults other than Katie very often, I pounced on the opportunity.

We met at his house and he offered me one his last two beers before we got picked up and headed to Friday’s. Though it was a different location, the atmosphere definitely took me back to old happy hour trips to Friday’s I used to take when I first turned 21. We met up with some other coworkers and got to chat about work, school, music, and even running. I did my best not to drone on and on about all the tedious, esoteric information I’ve been learning as of late, but I have a hard time helping myself.

Anyone else go here a billion times when they turned 21?

As a parent, it’s so energizing to have conversations with other adults on occasion. It provides a bit of balance, which is important in every avenue of life.


How was your week? Did you get any training in? Did you have a parenting disaster or a moment when you felt like your parenting skills were inexplicably on point? Let me know. We’ll talk again soon. Er… I’ll write at you again soon, that is.


Be well,
UltraDadRunner

02 - I Can Do Anything Better Than You

So I’m told by myriad inspirational quotes and a large portion of pop culture in general that I can do whatever I want and achieve my dreams and build a rainbow bridge to Paradise to drink the nectar of the gods or something along those lines. I decided that my dream is to do everything better than everyone else.

In case you are somehow unable to detect the irony emanating from the above sentences, I don’t actually think I’m better than you. Nor do I think I can necessarily do things you can’t. Despite the platitudes thrown around rather generously, the reality I believe is that everyone has their own limits and deciding to run 31 miles is partially about discovering what those limits are for me. I don’t know if I can do this, especially in this window of time, but we’re going to find out together. That out of the way, here's what happened this week in DadRunning.

Runner’s High of the Week

High of this week goes to the 10-mile long run I did on Saturday. After an easy three miles on Thursday and the treacherous five miles on Wednesday (additional details below), I wasn’t sure how Saturday was going to pan out. This was the most miles I’ve run within a three-day time span up until this point, but I was fortunate to run with my father-in-law, which made for a completely different running experience. We chatted the entire way and the run flew by.

Mile 6 was the longest because we added a bathroom break

We kept a solid pace throughout and finished faster than we started. This was the first run where I actually felt strong and capable. My muscles and joints were tired during the last three miles, but I really felt the benefit of physical therapy exercises I’ve been doing in that I was still able to maintain control from my hips downward. This base is essential to continuing this training process injury free.

Another high of the week was expanding my knowledge and execution of physical therapy exercises to continue to strengthen my core and supporting muscles and ligaments. The importance of these strengthening exercises can’t be understated. They’re the reason I’ve been able to start the process of running again in the first place, and I would love to share my knowledge if anyone has any questions. I feel I’ve learned a lot thus far.

Bonk of the Week

Low point of the week, as referenced above, definitely goes to Thursday’s “tempo run.” I had planned to run 5 miles with the middle 3 miles being higher effort, tempo miles, but my plans were scoffed at by whichever running god was handling my specific training that day.

I should point out, in my defense, that Wednesdays are kind of like Saturdays for me because I work Friday through Tuesday.  I cajoled Katie into going out with me for a few drinks to get out of the house for a while. We stayed out a bit too late and slept a bit too little. This specific combination unsurprisingly affected the outcome of the training run the following day. Whaaaaat?! The following conveys my thoughts as they occurred during this disastrous run:

Mile 1 (lots of downhill and most shade of the run): Wow, this is going to be a great run. My pace is great after that week off. Who needs sleep?

Mile 2 (a bit of uphill and much less shade): Alright, let’s get this push started. Be consistent, focus on breathing. Hey, it’s kind of hot. Whatever, those carbs from the beer last night are definitely going to get me through this run. I found the secret to running like the Tarahumara before me.

Mile 3 (temperature exceeds 80 and the sun beats down on me): Alright, it’s officially sweltering. I might as well be running through a desert. Oh wait, California is a desert. Damnit. I’m running through the desert right now, “a desert veiled in pavement.” All the gardeners for sure think I look ridiculous because I’m certain I look ridiculous. I’m not even trying to hide it on my face. I’m sure I look miserable. So much for beer as fuel. This water in my waist pack is already hot and not at all refreshing. Maybe I’ll pour some on my head to let the wind cool me off. Now I have tepid water on my head. That didn’t at all have the effect I had intended.

Mile 4 (Still hot, over half uphill): At least my skin will get some color. I’m going to power-hike these hills. Well, this my cooldown mile so I’ll just take walk a bit. Maybe I can run to that mailbox. Alright, not to the mailbox but that bush. Hmmm…. I was almost at that bush when I started walking so it counts. I’m turning off my interval timer. The beeping is just mocking me at this point.

Mile 5: Turn off the app as quickly as possible so my overall pace doesn’t look as bad as it felt.

Note the pace completely tank at mile 3

It sucked as I was doing it, but I am actually grateful for this workout. The more terrible workouts I can push myself through, the greater the victory of finishing 50K will feel. Not every training run is going to go perfectly. The fact that I finished and kept my effort level high was enough for me. About halfway through the run I decided I should be smart and stay healthy. I walked when I felt it was necessary and drank water throughout the run. Despite the heat or how bad I was feeling, I pressed onward, and that is precisely the same mentality I am going to have at my race.

Dad High of the Week

There were actually several highs this week worthy of mention. We’ve officially turned on the pool heater and the water is comfortably swimmable. Iris learned how to swim last summer but was still young enough that she forgot it when we were back in the water this week. We worked on it, and she’s already got it back! This is going to be a great summer for her. We’re going to be in the pool a lot, and she’s going to get great at swimming.

Also this week, Iris told one of the most compelling stories I’ve heard in a while. You definitely need to watch the entire video to hear the ending….

Finally, Saturday was Farm Day at Katie’s school. Iris loves animals, and it was a joy to see her pet goats and chickens and rabbits and horses. She beamed while riding the pony and waved as she told us, “This guy is bumpy!”

That is one stoked child

Dad Flop of the Week

Low of the week was brief but potent. I was carrying Iris to make breakfast and decided I would open the cupboard so that I could make her cereal. As I was opening the cupboard, she expressed her intense desire to open the cupboard and began bawling at the fact that I’d already done it. Once the water works started, I told her to go ahead and finish up her crying in her room because it was excessive. She then replied, “I hate you, dad.”

The sting was softer than what it may have been given the fact that her actions were so irrational I knew it would fade pretty quickly. All things pass with time. With toddlers, you don’t have to wait that long. After three or four minutes, when her tears ran out, she came out and apologized. It actually provided a nice opportunity to talk about how words can be hurtful so we should be careful about what we say. I’m not sure where the H-word was first heard, but I’d like to move past it. I relayed to her that “hate is a lack of imagination.” I heard it from Pete Holmes’ podcast You Made it Weird, but he quoted it from someone else. I could Google it, but I’m not going to. How’s that feel?

Beer of the week

Beer of the week goes to Hamilton Mango Double IPA. Hamilton is a brewery out in Rancho Cucamonga, and the DIPA is pretty solid overall. Mango was subtle but strong enough to ameliorate the potency of the double IPA.

There is a beer in this picture, I assure you

It was especially delicious because my wife rallied and went out with me even though she was tired . She even brought Boggle so we could play a bit in the bar. Despite the awkward gazes received from other people basking in the sea of noise from the bar speakers, we had a blast. We hang out a lot at home—even at work now, occasionally—but it’s different when you’re “out.” The time away together leads to conversations that we’ve been meaning to have but have postponed for whatever reasons, legitimate or otherwise.

There are at least two people in this photo, I think

Thanks for reading. I’ve had fun writing these thus far. How was your week? Any fun stories you’d like to share, running or otherwise?

Be well,

UltraDadRunner