I’m sure many of you know I went to Florida this past few days to see my Mother and Brother over Mother’s Day weekend. You probably think that the title means I had a good trip, and I did. We talked a lot about the “old days” and talked a lot about family, both living and not. We went out to eat at our favorite places and I even had my Mother going along to try and find a new beer bar on State Road 54 near the Suncoast toll road. We went through a bunch of boxes looking for Dad’s doctorate diploma and sorted through dozens of photo albums, but still couldn’t find it. We went to JD’s in Indian Rocks Beach on Sunday so Mom could get Chicago Style Oysters, one of her favorites. So we did have fun.

The title actually refers to my run last Thursday. I got to Florida on Wednesday and the weather was really warm, in the high eighties. I planned to run on Thursday, so I got up early and was out the door by 7 AM. I could go into a science lesson here, but some of you would soon lose interest and I’m sure all of you know anyway. But this time of the year, it gets light earlier and stays light later in Michigan than it does in Florida. But by 7 AM it was plenty light and I headed out the front gate of the condo complex. I waved to the guard at the gate and was headed for the public street when a girl came out of the house near the entrance, hopped in her car, and looked to be headed for work.

I was concerned that she might back out as I ran by, so I was watching to see if she did when, all of a sudden, I was on the asphalt skidding on my right knee, my stomach, and the palms of both hands. I didn’t see the speed bump, but it saw me. My water bottles went flying and skidding down the asphalt as well and I knew it wasn’t going to be good. You would think I would be concerned about possible injury, but the only two things going through my mind were 1) I’ll bet that guard is laughing so hard he’s fallen off his chair in the guard shack and 2) I bet when the Trilanders hear this they’ll be trying to stifle even bigger laughs. Many of our running group like to do a trail Marathon or Half Marathon over near Pinckney. They’ve asked me to come, but I don’t like trail running because I don’t see my feet very well. Almost all of them have fallen over tree roots at one time or another and I’ve kidded them about it, shaking my head, wondering why anyone in their right mind would do that race. This last time I told them I could think of better ways to get hurt and everyone got a chuckle.

I picked myself up, dusted off my hands which had been scrubbed raw, picked up my water bottles, and continued on the run. I could tell that my knee was bleeding a little, both hands were sore, and my right elbow and right shoulder had been jammed. By the time I got back, the sweat was running into the bleeding knee and it was starting to sting. I cleaned myself off as best as I could and took a shower to get the rest of the dirt and sweat off. Mom brought me some antibiotic ointment so I wouldn’t get an infection, and I didn’t do much (athletically) the rest of the day. By bedtime I was starting to hurt all over and the elbow and shoulder pain had crept up my neck. My left hand throbbed all night and I was more sore by morning (I knew I would be).

I’m pretty well healed up by now but my left hand isn’t quite right yet. The right elbow and shoulder pain were OK until I came home yesterday and had to carry my bags through the airports. As for the run, it was the same old story. Left hip was sore at three miles and I stretched it enough to finish four. On Sunday, I planned to run seven miles but was only able to do six. And that run was a three mile run, two minute stretch, one mile run, two minute stretch and a two mile run followed by a limp back to the condo. This getting old isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Muncie Half Ironman is in eight and a half weeks and I’m not anywhere near where I should be in training. If things don’t drastically improve soon, I may drop down to either the AquaBike or the Sprint Triathlon and call it good.

The Sunday before I left for Florida, Becky and I picked a whole lot of dandelions for dandelion wine. We tried to pick off all the stems and I picked the petals from half the heads before I got tired. We poured in boiling water and soaked them for a couple of days. On Tuesday night, we cooked the juice, added the zest of four oranges, the juice of four oranges, and three pounds of sugar. We added yeast nutrient, yeast, and let it ferment while I was gone. It will be ready by December, so those of you who come to the 3rd annual beer, wine, and mead tasting party can try it. The stains from cleaning all those dandelion heads is just now coming out from under my fingernails. All that for a gallon of wine that we may not even like.

Just (Getting Ready To Put In The Dock At The Lake) Jack