My dogs are sissies.

My knees have been bothering me as of late. My right knee one day, left the next, but only while running. So, even though earlier this week I planned on running today, and taking tomorrow off, I’m taking today off. The training guide I’m using has today off and intervals tomorrow, but I play hockey tomorrow and have a meeting at work that will keep me later than I’m accustomed to on a Thursday. But, I don’t think it would be wise to take three days off before my first race, so I’ll try and fit a short set in someplace in my day. I could wake up at like 2:30am and get a morning run in. That would give me an hour and a half less sleep, and hopefully let me be rested enough for hockey at 9:00.

I have to call my step-dad and decline his invitation to join him for a half-marathon on May 5th. It’s the inaugural half in Prairie du Chien, WI. I think I could run that far by then, but not recover for my last A league game the next morning. Also, I don’t think I want to try a half until I can finish in less than two hours. Maybe it’s a bad thing to set standards like that for myself?

The baby has been moving a lot lately, so I’m told. I’ve felt him/her move before, but yesterday my wife said she could see her belly being pushed out during her workday. Then at night, the baby calmed down, so I just talked to him/her. I learned, and humored my wife, that yet to be born babies can’t be scared into jumping.

At least my dogs are calm. The male is afraid of the snow, so he doesn’t want to run today either.

Sleep

In the last 44 hours, I’ve played two hockey games, bowled three games and went to my league banquet, worked 22 hours, had and in-house interview to transfer departments-will happen after our baby is born- slept for about 3.5 hours, and napped for 20 minutes.

Now I’m cranky. But I can never sleep right when I get home from hockey, so here I sit.

My legs have felt pretty good the last couple of days, with only some slight pain in my right knee while going down stairs (IT band?). What I really want to do is get done with hockey tomorrow, come home and grab the dogs and go run trails for about an hour.

My brother wanted a pair of running shoes, so yesterday I accompanied him to a running store. He found a pair he liked, and we made a plan to run a race together in three weeks. But, in the third period of our game tonight, he pulled his groin, and was barely able to walk to the truck after the game. Right now, I’ll say I’m still running it. It feels good to have a running goal.

I haven’t really seen my wife in two days, and I need rest.

Wild game.

I’ll be at the Wild/Coyotes game tonight. Upper level, first row, along the Wild’s defensive goal line in the first and third periods, on Manny’s or Backstrom’s glove side, Harding’s blocker side. So you could look for me if you knew which face to look for.

My A league game on Sunday was wild in its own right. We beat an undefeated team, and they didn’t like it. A fight broke out late in the game that our guy absolutely did not want any part of. He didn’t want to drop his stick, let alone his gloves. Fighting about a beer league hockey game is stupid, that’s the best word for it.
I played well, and appreciated hearing that from a bunch of my teammates. And a team that I’ve subbed for has asked me to fill in this weekend. Ego Boost, which my wife will tell you, I don’t need.

Yesterday's run was odd for me. I wanted to run at an uncomfortable pace (not sure of all the terms, is this a tempo run?). I figure if I’d like to get faster, I shouldn’t take it easy all the time. And my dogs would like me going their speed for once. But, my dog Gus (she’s a fawn uncropped Doberman) started limping about half a mile out, so both dogs came home. If one gets to come running without the other, the one at home goes crazy.

Around the 1.5 mile point, I started thinking about how far I wanted to go, and thought about three miles would be good. When I got to the block where I would take a right and head home, I went left. Going three just didn’t seem like it would cut it (or I was putting off grocery shopping), and I’m glad I kept going. Even if my right leg was sore today, instead of my usual left. My GPS said I went 3.86, but http://www.usatf.org/ and my car said 4.1. So if the GPS was off that much on the distance, I wonder if it was also off on time. I hope not. It felt like I accomplished something, quickly. Maybe my short days will now be closer to four, instead of two miles.

Last night, I had a dream where I asked my kid if s/he would like to play with dad, or go to school that day. S/He said go to school, which meant I’d have to go to work.
First dream I’ve had where I was a parent in the dream.

(opening to Time by Pink Floyd)

I really wanted to run Friday after open hockey, but my better judgment prevailed. I figured that after almost three hours of hockey in just over 12 hours, my legs could use a break.

While resting Friday evening, I decided to try for seven miles Saturday morning. Most of my run today felt good. At any given moment, I couldn’t tell you how fast I’m going, but it seems to work out to the same 10 minute mile easy pace. On my easy days that is.

It was even a productive run with a stop at the local hockey shop to pick up some laces. Around the six mile mark, my shins began to hurt just below my knees. This may have been psychosomatic(sp?) considering I’d just read the Runner’s World review of my shoes. To me, the review says I’m too light for a stiff shoe, and I had it in my head already that I’d like a new pair. I haven’t spent any indulgence money since my upcoming parenthood was announced, but bonuses were just handed out at work. Tonight, my knees are still a bit sore, but got better after an icing.

After my run and an errand or two, our nephew spent the day with us on a spur of the moment call by his mother. He’s not quite two, and doesn’t talk yet, but you can still read his emotions. It was discovered that he likes our dogs better when his mom isn’t around, death metal can put a baby to sleep (he liked The Ocean), and my time will be given away freely to my kid when he/she arrives. I’ve known my time would be more in demand when that day comes, but having our nephew around put it very much into perspective for me. I can’t wait. Hence the title of this evenings post.

I still need to relace my skates for my game tomorrow, and doubt I’ll be getting new shoes any time soon.