September 2, 2017 WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

268 miles left.  Just updated my mileage for the year and as of today I've run 732 miles. NOT TOO SHABBY. I definitely ran a lot (TOO MUCH)  this summer--June 112--July 120--August 102. I was really feeling it though--ESPECIALLY--after the Kelley Race in August. I WAS HURTING ALL OVER. I can honestly say that I haven't enjoyed A RUN since THAT race UNTIL today. It's so weird. I felt light as a feather today--AND--that's NO small feat. It really isn't much fun running when your legs feel like tree trunks and every muscle and joint aches--AND THAT'S LITERALLY HOW I WAS FEELING --EVERY time I ran-- until today. Guess that's ANOTHER good reason (besides paying my daughter's tuition) to get back to school. At least I WON'T run myself to DEATH because I don't have the time. I can get back to enjoying my runs and not worry so much about the challenge. I have four months to run 268 miles. That's a mire 67 miles a month right??

EASY compared to what I've been doing.  All this talk about challenges made me think of a great book  by one of the most hilarious writers of all time, Bill Bryson. In 1998, Bill Bryson decided he would attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail. NO SMALL FEAT. Beginning in Georgia and ending in Maine--this is a 2, 200 mile trek. His book A Walk in the Woods is the story of his journey with his high school buddy, Steve Katz. This is a serious undertaking--not sure they thought this one through--especially for men in their forties with limited hiking experience. Katz was also a recovering alcoholic who was overweight, and seriously out of shape  at the time. Sounds like a recipe for disaster right?  They learn several lessons on their journey and  meet some interesting, quirky people along the way too. Some of the situations they find themselves in are laugh out loud funny. Bryson is great because he can find humor in almost every situation. The trail is actually quite dangerous--a difficult, treacherous trek at times too with black bear, moose and serious bugs. YUK.  In addition to being an adventure story, Bryson travelogue is interesting for many reasons. It's also part history, geography and ecology lesson. Find out whether Bryson and his buddy complete their challenge when you read this book for yourself. It's about 350 pages--maybe a 5 mile run--that you will thoroughly enjoy.