[gman242]

It comes with global media I suspect but imho it’s rather a shame when any country loses some of its connection with some of those old particular stories and traditions that are passed on from one generation to the next.

I suspect it's that, commercialism, globalism, urban creep and so forth.

When we moved here in '88, it was a small town with its own 4th of July parade, hot air balloon festival and there were only 3-4 highschools.

It wasn't exactly a one street light town, but it was small enough to know someone who knew someone.

Now, what used to be open land is apartment buildings, neighborhoods, strip malls and every 1/4 there's a highschool.

I miss the home town style events and how everything used to be family oriented. All there is to do here is buy over priced food off a truck, drink lousy "craft" beer and get a free keychain from a bank or car dealership.

I really have no desire to do big holiday blow outs anymore.  Maybe once I'm a grandpa! I'm fine waiting until then.

[Watcher]

Hi Gman.

The other day I was at this bagel shop and there was a lady standing next to me with a baby in a carriage. The baby really had big beautiful blue eyes and she wouldn't stop looking at me, as if, she were in a trance.

Her mother kept trying to get her attention and just laughed as the baby did not break her expressionless stare. Finally her mother apologized and said she must think you're grandpa. 

OMG. I have never been so insulted in my life and I'm absolutely never going back to that bagel shop, lol. She must have said grandpa like 4 or 5 times. I mean once was bad enough but she kept hammering home her point. Ok lady, I think everyone heard you already. I may have to go back to therapy for that trauma.

I finished week #2 of training and the calendar actually says there will be 24 weeks of training so I may have to make some adjustments since I started early apparently.

I was looking at marathon alternatives for the Spring of 2024 since I won't know about Tokyo until October. In September the charity applications open up for Boston 2024 and that's probably the only way I can get into that one.

I think I would be satisfied just to get Chicago in 2024 as my 4th major. People say Tokyo is too long of a flight and I say that's why I would go with business class to be able to lye down, lol.

I saw this Hadrian's Wall Challenge today and I would so do that one if I lived in England. I was reading the time to visit England is from June to September, lol. That Steel Rigg was beautiful and it was raining while I was there. I can only imagine how it looks in the sun.

I was looking at the Edinburgh Marathon course because I'm inundated with everything Edinburgh for some reason in my feed. The main criticism about that marathon is that not enough of it is actually run in Edinburgh.

It's a really flat course though and thus is the number 2 marathon in the United Kingdom. No lottery for this one. I have the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach as a backup plan for the Spring 2024 if things don't work out with a major and Grandma's in Duluth. I was supposed to run both in 2020 as half marathons.

The Buddhist's have a marathon in August and I have to fight the urge not to run it, lol. August is too hot and I may foul up the Marine Corps one. They also have designed a 3 mile laps course. Usually I go through a malaise period and now I just want to run another, lol.

No running this weekend since I hit my benchmarks already for the week. Rain tomorrow anyway.

[Biscuit]

Watcher,

The weather is absolutely lovely in the UK just a couple of weeks after you left! The sun is out and it really does feel like summer is on its way.
It’s cool enough in the morning and evenings to run still though.

[UrsaMajor]

The other day I was at this bagel shop and there was a lady standing next to me with a baby in a carriage. The baby really had big beautiful blue eyes and she wouldn't stop looking at me, as if, she were in a trance.

Her mother kept trying to get her attention and just laughed as the baby did not break her expressionless stare. Finally her mother apologized and said she must think you're grandpa. 

OMG. I have never been so insulted in my life and I'm absolutely never going back to that bagel shop, lol. She must have said grandpa like 4 or 5 times. I mean once was bad enough but she kept hammering home her point. Ok lady, I think everyone heard you already. I may have to go back to therapy for that trauma.

Get used to it.....

Right after ABD and after I had my own apartment, I was with my kids in a local supermarket and the cashier (probably in her late 20's), who I had seen often there, made a comment about how cute my grandkids were..... I just looked at her and she turned about 50 different shades of color, alternating between beet red and "on the slab in the morgue for a week" white..... She then looked at me and squeaked out "Oh.... those are your kids, aren't they?" I just nodded and tried my best to look offended and not laugh at her discomfort..... I didn't go back to that store for a while but after a while I did and I never did see here there again....

[Watcher]

Hi Biscuit, UrsaMajor.

I receive photos from the sunny United Kingdom everyday mocking me, lol. The photos from Edinburgh are just stunning. People online were saying to bring a coat to Ireland even if it's August, lol. I'm also receiving photos from Galway, Ireland for some reason. See Dublin is calling me to run.

I don't know how I missed Greyfriars Bobby. I also missed the Heidelberg Bridge Monkey when I was there and visitors are supposed to touch it for luck.

Edinburgh has the David Hume statue all colored like the Statue of Liberty, however, I did notice the big toe was bronze so I believe one was supposed to also touch that one but I did not since it was a toe after all.

Today the Abbott Organization contacted me and they saw that I still needed to run Chicago to complete my 6 stars and asked if I wanted an entry to another lottery shot at 2023 so I replied, of course, lol. So that will be announced in June along with London 2024.

It's always important to keep a potential world major on the back burner.

Saturday was a wash out so I didn't hike. Yesterday I did partake in a 20 mile bike tour. They claim cycling is easier on the legs than running however I felt it in my knees.

I already know my legs look good while running but yesterday I noticed they look just as good cycling so I'm kind of a dual leg threat I'm thinking, lol. I also formed that opinion prior to the port wine shots they were giving out.

So Chicago is now in play for 2023. We shall see what happens. It would also be nice if the Abbott's sent me an email saying they noticed I'm still missing Tokyo and Boston, just saying.

[Watcher]

This morning I had a 5 mile race at the beach along the Atlantic Ocean to kick off the Summer. The weather was beautiful. This run had 12,500 runners and it was my first time. Registration opened on Super Bowl Sunday and it sold out within 5 days.

That's a lot of runners for a 5 mile race. I positioned myself up front because I didn't want to expend energy fighting my way through the walkers. It's always beyond baffling how some people clog up a course.

For instance, at the London Marathon, I had never seen so many people walking during the first 5 miles. That means I had to run sideways a lot. I wasn't doing that today. Plus there were no assigned corrals anyway so it wasn't a starting issue today.

I finished with a 7:55 pace and shaved 5 minutes off of my previous best for a 5 mile. So I have broken my personal best times at each distance during 2023. I have now accumulated 830 miles and should surpass my high of 1,400 miles from 2022.

The after party looked real nice but the man is making me work today.

[FaithWalker]

Hi FaithWalker.

I've been taking turmeric with curcumin daily for 2 years now because I had both arthritic pain in my ankle and that heel pain associated with plantar fasciitis. No issues since. Knock on wood, lol. Hiking steep uphills and kickboxing are my usual culprits.

I will try that as it is ridiculously out of control and I want to enjoy vacation in just a few weeks and I know we will want to walk and hike a lot.

[Watcher]

Today I ran my 39th half marathon in the rolling hills of farmland. This was a smaller venue with a cap of 250 runners which afforded me plenty of space to run. This was also the beginning of week #5 of training for the Marine Corps Marathon in October.

I usually run without music only for marathons but I've been running naked ever since London and just listening to nature as I go. I hear the woodpeckers when I'm training during the week for example.

This was a challenging course. It was advertised as having two difficult hills and I counted four. The last one around mile 10 was steep and brutal. Probably the steepest climb I've come across so far while running.

I finished at an 8:41 pace and just two minutes off from my best time with this one now being my number two half marathon overall. Without the hills I probably would have broken it. I am around the 890 mile mark currently for 2023.

[Watcher]

I was informed today that I won the 2023 Chicago Marathon lottery.  I need to start playing the money lottery. It complicates my Fall running schedule a bit, however this is a World Major and it has to have priority. So this will be World Major #4 of 6.

Had I just dropped that rope sooner I would have already completed my mission. However, I decided to jump rope with that rope, double dutch with that rope, play tug of war with that rope, and swing from the trees in the jungle like Tarzan with that rope.

Old MacDonald had a farm syndrome, interpret this, interpret that, here interpret, there interpret, everywhere interpret, interpret, interpret......

When I stood at the starting lines at Berlin, NYC and London, I felt complete satisfaction. Never look back. I met a guy from Cornwall at the starting line in London and he said, you came all the way here to run this, and I replied absolutely.

So I will have run 4 consecutive World Major Marathons in 12 months. I have a week to accept the lottery invitation.

I was hesitant with pursuing London at the time because I thought it was too soon after Berlin. However, my coworker told me to seize the opportunity while it was being offered. So I did.

Well Canada is trying their best to destroy the planet this week. The state of New Jersey is brown with smog and choking on their out of control wildfires. IDK, maybe try throwing some water on it. That may help matters.

[Biscuit]

Watcher, I would accept it!!