Friday

Already its Friday, I find it surpising sometimes how fast the weeks can progress. The next 8 weeks before heading to Washington DC will probably blur by at this rate.

Well, I've done some new things this week. Yeah I can still do some things I've never done before. I broke down and purchased a MP3 Player yesterday and have already loaded close to 80 songs onto it from my CD collection. Use it today while I ran and while the ear buds are ok they aren't my choice for listening and I'll probably get something different.

Hmmmm, last update was Wednesday; OK Thursday, I did a 10.23 mile run that took me over the top of the hill behind Picturesque West Point down to the Hudson River and back home. Total elevation change was 781 feet and completed that run in 1 hour, 51 minutes and 36 seconds. Considering the elevation changes I'd say its an pretty good time frame for a 50 yearold person with wobbly knees.

Then yesterday afternoon I took the motorcycle out for a easy ride. Why, because I wanted to, not because I had to. Still it was nice to watch the scenery go by. I also stopped at the Cadet Book Store on Campus and purchased the inexpensive MP3 player, 2 Gig of storage space will hold more music than I'll listen to for any single spand of time. The hard part was deciding what to load onto it first. Well theres a couple of hours worth of Celtic Music.

Also This weekend I'm overseeing 3 small dogs. They aren't a nuisance and are really low maintenance. Give em some water, give em food, let the out and hopefully they take care of business out in the yard. The sad thing about the three is that they would rather be indoors. Well so much for the smaller and toy breeds. Yip yip yip.

Today; Friday, woke up later than usual. Not a problem as there was a light rain over night and the roads were still wet, not my favorite condition to run in or surface to run upon. So I let the dogs out for a bit and had breakfast without running first, a true rarity. Well the dogs displayed their boredom with the greatoutdoors and waited patiently at the door so they could get back inside. Ok they done for the morning and in they go.

11:30 rolls up the temperature is agreeable, its time to run today. So where do I go, what do I do? I've got it a different run from my normal routes. So up towards Morgan Farm I go, only this time I don't turn at the back corral. I head up along the old fire break which runs north & south and comes out on 9W near the Pointer Echo Motel. Now where I live the road out front is at 177 feet above sea level the course out is sort of steep and I climb to 587 feet in the first 1&3/4 miles. A gain of 410 feet but half of that is on loose stone & gravel, drop down to 452 feet before climbing to 527 feet then its down hill to 9w at 375 feet. From the 375 foot elevation on 9W I head north to the junction of 9W/Stoney Lonesome Rd/Mountain Ave which provides me a elevation 488 feet before I head down hill into the village and home. My lowest elevation is at 163 feet above sea level.

Ok so I'm doing hills today, big deal; well for me it is, as I went 5.1 miles in 52 minutes and change on those hills. Some thing different indeed.

Well, after I got home, washed and dressed, I let the 3 dogs out again. I've never seen 3 animals so intent on staying indoors. Well I'll feed them a little later chase em out for a while and then secure em for the night.

That about covers it for today. a little practice with the bagpipes in a while maybe some drumming on the Bodhran and who knows what the night will bring.

If I don't return before Tuesday and update this, let me wish everyone a safe and easy Labor Day Weekend. Throw out a GO ARMY, for the Cadet's first football game of the season at Home tonight. And a heart felt thank you to all those who've made donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through the Team In Training Program.

Have a safe weekend everyone.

Q