do (run) while date < (20070730)

July 23 through 29:

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOTAL
6 mi		6 mi	5 mi				17 mi

The 20+ streak is stopped at seven weeks in a row.

do (run) while date < (20070723)

July 16 through 22:

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOTAL
5 mi		5 mi	5 mi		8 mi		23 mi

do (run) while date < (20070716)

July 9 through 15:

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOTAL
		5 mi	5 mi		8 mi	3 mi	21 mi

do (run) while date < (20070709)

July 2 through 8:

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOTAL
	2 mi	4 mi		4 mi	7 mi	3	20 mi

This is the fifth week in a row at 20 or more miles.

Reading, Writing, and Twice-a-Day Smooching

Today is the 7th day of the 7th month of 2007. So what better way to start it than a 7-mile jog? On my way back, I passed by a school -- on 7th Street -- with a "BUSSES ONLY / 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM / 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM" sign.

I guess this is where the pre-teens are expected to take care of their making-out before and after class.

Not-Quite-5K Freedom 5K

I'll start by saying that I haven't been the "happy camper" in the past several hours. This is the week I have the on-call phone from work, and I only got four hours of continuous sleep last night. But I was determined to make it through Freedom 5K because it's one of my favorite local race courses.

I arrived at the park, picked up my packet, then went over to the chip-pickup table and got a little bad news. On the table was a notice that Oyster Creek was high because of all the recent rains, thus flooding the adjacent trail. An alternate course would be used for the run. We were going to be running a 2.6-mile bow-shaped loop only on the boulevards next to the park -- so no final mile on the park's wooded trail of which I'm rather fond.

The good news was that conditions were mild for July -- an overcast sky and a race time temperature of only 76F with 94% humidity. Between the favorable conditions and knowing the course was short, I was determined to press the pace a little harder than I might have otherwise. I had a couple recovery jog periods in there, but for the most part I ran really well. I was in a heightened state of awareness in every step, trying to generate quality thrust through every footstrike and toe-off.

I'm a bit disappointed because I was on a pace to break my 5K PR. I'll never know if it could have happened today. On the other hand, I now have a 2.6-mile PR.

For the third straight year, I went home with a door prize, so my lucky streak is still alive. This year I got a one-year subscription to Runner Triathlete News.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

Event: Freedom 5K
Location: Lost Creek Park, Sugar Land TX
Result: 23:52 (Garmin Forerunner 101 and chip) on 2.6-mi course, 11th-of-19 in 30-34 age group
Benefits: Fort Bend CORPS

Red-White-and-Blue Fruit Salad, version 2.0

This afternoon we have an all-IT Independence Day social. I brought in a Fourth of July iteration on a favorite dessert of mine:

Red-White-and-Blue Fruit Salad

8 ounces whipping cream
8 ounces cream cheese
45 ounces Del Monte "Very Cherry" mixed fruit (3 x 15-ounce cans)
6 ounces maraschino cherries
17 ounces coconut gel (AKA nata de coco)
3.5 ounces Sunsweet dried blueberries (one bag)

1. Drain liquids from all fruit. Split the cherries into halves.
2. Soften the cream cheese (30 seconds in the microwave works), then mix with the whipping cream in a large bowl until a smooth mixture results.
3. Add all the fruit into the bowl. Blend well. Chill in refrigerator overnight.

I am calling this version 2.0 because I had attempted to create a red-white-and-blue version of Filipino fruit salad before. My mistake the first time was using frozen blueberries. The juice from the thawing berries overran everything, and the result would have make Cook Smurf very proud.

do (run) while date < (20070702)

June 25 through July 1:

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOTAL
	4 mi	4 mi	4 mi		5 mi	5 mi	22 mi

For the month of June 2007: 89 mi

Mother Nature "comes correct."

Today's run could probably be best described as the inverse of yesterday's. When I woke up this morning, the sun's rays were beaming down hard. I laced up my shoes and donned my sunglasses and hat, bracing for a slow three-miler in the heat. In just a few minutes, the sun and sky were engulfed in gray clouds. Rain started falling, and a cool breeze started blowing.

When the breeze hit my skin, it was so cool that I could feel goosebumps forming. My body, invigorated and fueled by last night's homemade lasagna (thanks Claire and Bobby!), was signaling that we were clear to go for more. With the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band twanging in my headphones, I accelerated to 10K race pace. I returned home after five miles that went by 12 minutes faster than yesterday's five. What a great run!