Running Is For the Birds

I’m sitting here all loopy after the latest long run.  Ever hear of the runner’s high?  I think this is how it works – every 3 miles equals about 1 beer, so it’s as if I just drank 5 beers – girls are prettier, jokes are funnier, and I think my writing is better than it really is.  You’ve been warned – I apologize in advance for the lame jokes that I find hilarious while I’m in this state.

I need to knock this post out so I can watch the NFL playoffs, namely the Falcons versus the Seahawks.  As I sit here with legs still numb after placing ice on all the old sore spots, I’m amazed at how little respect the Falcons are getting from the ESPN analysts – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 13-3 team get so little credit.  ESPN has all but guaranteed a Seattle victory.  I would expect some analyst to give Atlanta at least a little love – I mean it’s not like they’re coached by John Fox, for chrissakes.  So I want to go with the Falcons.

I see a lot of birds while I’m running through various parks and down assorted trails – hawks, buzzards (aka vultures for you non-southerners), crows, bluebirds, owls, and the ubiquitous geese – in fact, I saw examples of all of these this very week.  I even spotted the rarest of all birds on Friday while I was running on some trails around Lake Davidson, the elusive turducken.  You’re more likely to spot Bigfoot or a flying saucer.

For the second time in the last couple of months, I spotted a rare turducken.

I’m starting to believe that birds are bearers of omens.  For example, a couple of weeks before the Boston marathon, while running a Boston marathon simulation, I encountered a group of buzzards feeding on some carrion.  Then, during the Boston marathon, I nearly died and I could have sworn I saw some of those very same buzzards circling overhead.

Bear with me –  here’s where I’m going with this.  Yesterday, while running through McAlpine park with Laura, I spotted a couple of  hawks, one of which was as fat a bird as I’ve ever seen – fat and happy.  So this means the Seahawks will win today.  Granted, these probably weren’t SEA hawks, and as a matter of fact, I know nothing about birds so I guess it’s possible they were falcons.  Okay, all bets are off.

So I’m off to watch the games (Patriots and Texans later, neither of which I’ve encountered this week).  Quickly, before I give all my attention to football, here are some pics from this week.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a few thousand words worth:

Me on Thursday, explaining how things will work at the Triple C beer run. “The bartender will pour the beer in the glass like so. Then you will take the glass, now full of beer, and put it to your mouth. Then you will pour the beer down your gullet.”  Laura, ignoring me, was unsure what to do with her beer later.

A nice-sized Triple C crew, pre-run. Laura, even after some 8 months of dating, is still star struck in my presence. Can you blame her?

Some of the gang, post-run. How cool is that, hanging out outside, wearing shorts and singlets?!? That is Scott the brewmaster far right. I made sure to befriend him. You can’t go wrong having brewmasters as friends.

Yesterday, Laura received her Charlotte Running Club 1,000 mile award.

I got one too.

So did Megan and Ben Hovis. But since Megan ran over 5,000 miles, I think she should get 5+ plaques.

That’s it.  Myrtle Beach is 5 weeks away and I keep vacillating on what I think my odds are of qualifying for Boston.  Monday, I felt fine during a 19+ mile run – if you asked me then, I would have said, “Oh yeah, I’m very confident”.  Today, after my 15 miler, um, not so much.

Well since I started writing this post, Atlanta is now up 20 – 0.  So maybe those birds I saw were falcons after all.  See you guys on the roads and trails!  Come join us at Triple C on Thursday nights at 6:30!