mlawton

mlawton, 3 months ago to random

Today starts off with a bracingly cold shower, yet again, because our new gas hot water heater apparently has a defective blower and the pressure switch gets stuck in the closed position. The new blower arrives this afternoon and hopefully resolves the issue.

If not, things become more complicated. This is part of a home warranty claim and you don’t have a choice in the plumbing company. There will be credible arguments that they are not competent. I hope we don’t get to that point.🤞

mlawton, 5 months ago (edited 5 months ago) to running

Taking a short pause from #running because I've picked up some pressure in the outer metatarsal bone on my left foot. Web searches suggest it could be overuse and the tendons are suffering. Of course, it could also be a stress fracture.

I had been on pace to reach my goal 1,000 km for the year, but I think I'm going to have to let it go.

mlawton, 5 months ago to chess

I’m a fairly average #chess player, but I was proud of finding this. White to play and win.

mlawton, 7 months ago to running

What can I expect when I return to #running after recovering from #covid? It's my first time and I have no idea what comes next or how much of a struggle it might be.

I'm beginning to feel normal again and hoping to start up this weekend. I know I'll have lost fitness and will have to take it slowly for a time.

Advice?

mlawton, 2 months ago to random

50th birthday today. I wish I had some hard-earned wisdom to share, discovered in so many laps around the sun. The truth is I’m still figuring things out myself.

An animation of the earth orbiting the sun. The earth makes a full circuit in a counterclockwise orbit. Upon closer inspection, the earth itself is roasting on its axis.

mlawton, 1 year ago to running

All things being relative, this is absolutely flying for me. 😃 One of those runs where you feel great from the outset and feel even stronger as your body warms up. #running

mlawton, 15 days ago to running

Another terrible run, hot and with my heart rate out of control. I cut it off early in frustrated disgust. I am not myself & I can’t explain it.

My stress and sleep issues have mostly resolved and that two weeks without running shouldn’t have affected my fitness as much as it has.

And while I may not understand it, it’s clear to see. I went through the stages of grief on the walk back & am mostly landed on acceptance. Will now run slower & target zone 2, rebuilding my vanished base. #Running

mlawton, 7 months ago to running

First run after Covid. Felt pretty decent, but definitely not 💯

Good to be back #Running

mlawton, 5 months ago to running

My first half! 🎉 Getting a celebratory milkshake on the way home. #Running

mlawton, 2 months ago to wildlife

Saw this beauty through the window, a 4-1/2 foot (~137 cm) Central Ratsnake (Pantherophis Alleghaniensis). It climbed up a bush near the corner of the house and I was able to get some close ups. I didn’t see a birds nest, so I suspect it was preparing to lay in wait for prey to ambush, which I’ve read they sometimes do. #wildlifephotography #WildLife #snake

A long black snake on the ground among leaves and green plants.

mlawton, 4 months ago to running

A relatively warm & foggy night, with intermittent bands of rain. Continuing to try to stay in my zone 2 HR, which I find to be difficult. I fully believe in the process, but I feel like I’m running with the parking brake on. Last time I did a poor job of it. Tonight was dead on.

Song of the day: Electric by Lucious Jackson

#Running

mlawton, 4 months ago to running

The only thing that was fast today was my heart rate, which was out of control from the outset. If you saw my HR, you’d have thought I ran strides. In hindsight, know I was a bit dehydrated, but otherwise I don’t know what’s happened to my fitness. I’m at a loss to explain it. It’s just vanished and that’s super frustrating. #Running

Song of the day: “I Don’t Know” by The Beastie Boys, which is so beautifully simple and elegant. It’s such a wonderful testament to their depth.

Me, looking frustrated, as I try to figure out what has happened to my fitness. I’m a late 40s (about as late 40s as one can be) white guy with a short salt and pepper beard. I’m wearing a light blue T shirt, a red Liverpool hat, AirPods, and a pretty creditable scowl.

mlawton, 8 months ago to running

Tonight, rather than having any pace or HR zone in mind, I simply allowed myself to be lost in thought and let my subconscious control the show. It was both a meditation and a run. #Running

mlawton, 10 months ago to running

Cool night. Soft breeze. Full moon. Train horn blowing in the distance.

🎶 “Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance. Everybody thinks it’s true.”🎶

#Running

mlawton, 7 months ago to random

Tossing & turning on the couch in the basement during my Covid quarantine, around 1:30 AM. Newly-installed side motion light comes on, so I get up to see if it’s wind or some animal. Do I need to adjust the sensitivity?

Adrenaline jolt as a large man walks up to the door and prepares to open it.

“You’ve got the wrong house buddy!”, I say forcefully. He starts and quickly backs away, apologizing. In his hands, maybe some food containers? I don’t yet call the police. (1/3)

mlawton, 7 months ago to random

We used to live on a rural street, with a long, steep uphill driveway. For 17 years, we had a grand total of zero trick-or-treaters. We've since moved to a small neighborhood on a quiet cul-de-sac. A few families have young children.

Tonight, I stepped outside after dark, drank in the nearly full moon, heard an owl hooting nearby, and declared, "by god, this is our year!" We had full-size candy bars at the ready.

We got a single group of four kids. 👻 Everyone goes to bigger neighborhoods. 🙃

mlawton, 13 days ago to random

A pretty decent thunderstorm rolled through and knocked our power out. Despite their claims to the contrary, our local power company is completely negligent about maintaining their infrastructure, so trees are forever falling on the lines. We’re used to it, but I still get irked about it.

No idea how long we’ll be down, but two hours in and no ETA means it’s going to be awhile.

We’re fine. Cooking steaks on the grill and we’d brought home ingredients for strawberry shortcakes. Not all bad!

mlawton, 6 months ago to running

Trying to build a stronger base of endurance, which meant a slower but longer run this morning (my longest ever). I’ve been toying with running a half marathon to celebrate turning 50 in March. Seems less crazy after today. I mean, I run, but I’m not a hardcore runner. #Running

The greenway here is a paved path leading off towards SE Roanoke. The skies are overcast, the trees barren, and the ground still quite wet from recent rain.

mlawton, 3 months ago to random

Today has been amazing. This morning, I got to cheer on my son in his varsity debut, the first of two games. We weren't sure what to expect for playing time, but he got in for a third of the game and looked good.

Then, home to see my beloved Liverpool FC score a dramatic late winner. Let's go!

Then back out for the second varsity game. My son played half the game or better, looked excellent and scored a stoppage time game-tying goal. I'm not ashamed to say, I cried tears of joy. Let's go!!!

mlawton, 7 months ago to premierleague

Match officials should adopt an “only captains or yellows” policy to cut down on all the nonsensical protestations after every decision. #MastodonFC #premierleague

mlawton, 1 month ago to random

Waiting on my grocery order to be brought to the car and everything is FUBAR, severely understaffed and lagging. Everyone is angry.

I’d be mad too, but am instead enjoying the absolutely incandescent stream of profanities coming from the redneck lady next to me. She can’t find the right person to yell at, and keeps sending her hapless husband on sorties to try to get things moving. He wanders around, holds his arms up in despair, and returns unsuccessfully to be scolded for his ineffectiveness.

mlawton, 30 days ago to running

HR just kept rocketing up, surely the consequence of a mostly sleepless night. Cut it off early in defeat. Live to run another day…

#Running

mlawton, 23 days ago to running

Things have been hectic at home. Tonight was my first run in a week and just the second in two weeks. Both terrible outings. My legs were so dead I couldn’t continue. Super frustrated and down. #Running

mlawton, 6 months ago to running

Back on the track tonight. It was a mostly quiet 10km, except for having startled some unidentified bird that shrieked for nearly 20 minutes. I never got a good look at it, but it was on the ground initially, light colored, and maybe grapefruit sized. There was some rando guy walking as well and he said he thought it was a snowy owl.

“You’re probably right”, I said to be nice, inwardly thinking that’s a really dumb guess. SW Virginia is not the arctic tundra. #Running

mlawton, 4 months ago to random

I just took a three hour nap.

🎶 a three hour nap 🎶