I know some of you are not runners or bikers or swimmers, but those who are understand the title of this week’s e-mail. There are days when you go out to run, swim, or bike, you feel really good, and you feel like you could go forever. Movement is effortless and you get lost in the euphoria of your commune with nature. OK. Maybe that’s laying it on a little thick, but you get my meaning. There are other days when you go out and you feel like you have lead weights tied around your ankles and you don’t know if you can make it around the block.

All winter I was having those lead weights around the ankles days. Maybe it was because I had a season off from racing with the UC problems. Maybe it was my attitude because I had turned 59 and the “BIG SIX OH” was just around the corner. My last week’s e-mail described my Sunday run as one of those bad days.

Whatever the reason, lately my training runs, bikes and swims have been more good days than bad. It’s obvious that a good part of the reason is that I feel like I’m in nearly the best shape of my life, which at 59, tells a sad story about my conditioning through the years. My weight isn’t exactly where I feel it should be but it’s working its way there slowly and not having to carry those extra pounds up the hills has to be a factor. I’ve talked about nutrition and that seems to be coming around although I did have a slight overexposure to fermented grains on Friday night. Just kidding Mom!

I’m convinced that much of it is attitude. After taking a season off from being able to compete and, more importantly, train with friends, I knew that not training isn’t the life style I wanted. Being back into it all is where I’d rather be. I’m still not fast…never have been…never will be and that’s OK. When I was in my twenties, thirties and even forties, I never grasped the thought that someday the ability to choose to run or not to run would end. But as time goes on I realize that this won’t last forever no matter how much I try.

Before you think I’ve dropped into that old age funk and I worry that death is just around the corner, that’s not what I’m talking about. I look around and see people my age…some friends…some acquaintances…some strangers and I see a lot who don’t exercise at all and for many of them it’s because they can’t. Whether it’s knees, hips, ankles, heart or other maladies, the body wears out.

It reminds me of the old junior high joke (middle school joke to you youngsters) about the young man who was caught “pleasuring himself”. His father say’s “Don’t you know that will make you go blind?” The boys thinks for a minute and says “I guess I’ll just keep going until I need glasses”.

So I guess I’ll just keep going until I just can’t run any more, but I’ll probably still be able to bike and swim. If I fall off the bike many more times, that may end the riding career, but it’s harder to get hurt swimming. At that point I’ll team up with a biker who can’t run any more and a runner who can’t swim and do the tri circuit on a geezer relay team.

Today’s run was one of those effortless days. I felt good from the start and tried to work on a consistent pace. If I’m nothing else I am consistent. Every time I looked down at my Garmin (GPS) it said my pace was 9:04, 9:07, 9:08 and so on. I’m sure I was a little slower on the uphills and a little faster on the downhills but pretty consistent. When I was all done I had gone 8.59 miles and my average pace was 9:06. For most of you that was slow, but for me it was faster than my average pace from the last couple of years and, as I said, most importantly it was consistent.

My plan in races is to not go out on the run at a fast pace, burn out early, and walk half the run. I don’t care if everyone is passing me…I want to run the last mile at the same pace as the first mile and not be “on the edge of puke” at the finish line. The hard part is finding that “best pace” so you don’t leave anything out on the course and kick yourself later for not being the best you could be.

Jean’s healing is progressing nicely. I’ve learned to stay away from her when she’s at the lake aqua-jogging while we’re swimming. She’s bored enough that when you go by her, she starts talking. The other day I tried to ignore her and did as I swam toward the store but felt guilty and stopped a listened to her on the way back. At least she’s doing what she can and not overdoing what she shouldn’t…so far!!

Just (Feeling Better Than I Look) Jack