My Achilles heel

My right Achilles tendon, which has banished me from running since December 5--until today. And somehow, the world seems better, if only by a mile.

Things ain't what they used to be

Two guys just came into Hunters pub, tripling the number of customers. What the hell is Boxing Day coming to anyway?

Greetings of the season

Mr. Culbertson and I wish you greetings of the season, and alcohol in its many wondrous permutations.

How's it hangin', Bisons

Hmm, North Dakota State Bison. I've always wanted my nickname to be Bison, or Bisons. One of those.

Laufty

Must not let old(er) lady pass old man. End of the Sankt Nikolaus Day Lauf this morning. We tied. The games always end in a tie.

Me and my pal, Krampus

Hanging out with Krampus, again, before the annual Sankt Nikolaus Day Lauf 5-miler this morning.

A mind closed up is like a parachute, useless

Free your mind with education. Help to build a better nation. Stop killing for recreation. Let your mind be free. --Soul Rebels

We three kings

Guys with white beards and Krampus. (Because we could use a smile in the U.S. of NRA today.)

Muddy turkey legs, and beer

Earned it on muddy trails in the Turkey Legs Trifecta this morning (into afternoon).

Seeing Redd

I might just sit here awhile, hell, maybe forever.

IPA and goat, a combination made in...

Goat sliders wrapped in naan and a "dank" (said the bartender) IPA at an Indian grocery and pub with many tasty craft brews on tap and lots of pierced and tattooed people. It's Austin baby.

The pause that refreshes

After a long day in a convention center full of supercomputer geeks.

Color me gold and black

I like big gold and black better than big blue.

Lay off the layoff

I'm crossing the line (both of them, I hope) at the Monumental 5K in the morning, first time in 27 days since the Glacial Trail 50K (plus 2), so I got a new shirt to celebrate.

The stuff dreams are (not) made of

I've dreamed of this moment.😉

Up my Blues Alley

Adding another notch to the iconic jazz club belt. Rudresh Mahanthappa is in the house tonight.

I salute them

Mile 19 in the Marine Corps Marathon. I feel their pain. (Even so, I'd like to be out there.)

She's back

She's back! Guy at the hotel: You should take a cab, it's about a mile and a half. Me: Oh I can probably walk that (and thinking: a mile and a half, heh, heh, heh).

Not a bad run

12 half marathons, 2 marathons and 1 50K (plus those extra 2 miles I added running down the wrong trail). Like 'em all, but the little tan clay number is my fav. Says it's not about the finish (and what they hang around your neck when you get there). It's what you get on the way to getting there that matters.

Step by step

I'm not moving too fast this morning, but I have to say, all things considered, I feel pretty darn good.

Thoughts on the run

What do I think about when I am spending most of the day running 33 miles (I goofed and took a wrong side trail then had to back track, which added a couple unplanned miles)? Today, I thought about my grandfather's three-legged collie Queenie...and how that damn dog could run faster than me. As race medals go, it's kind of homely, but I'm rather fond of it. The dog was quick. She couldn't go long though.

It waits

Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail waits, and plots my suffering on the morrow.

Priceless

50K on the docket Sunday morning so early to bed tomorrow night, but tonight in downtown Plymouth, WI, Wisconsin Brewing Co. Yankee Buzzard IPA in a chilly mug. Priceless. No, $2. Now that's priceless.

Just kick me Robbie

If my life was on the line, I'd want Robbie Gould kicking the ball.

Gonna make a move to a town that's right for me…taper town

10. Last long(ish) run before making a run at 50K on the Ice Age Trail next Sunday. I'd like a little less wet and windy, but can't say I didn't train in it.

13 is my lucky number

I had a hard week, but nothing running 13.1 miles in the woods couldn't cure. Knobstone Trail Mini was its usual satisfyingly brutal self. That's 12. The goal for the year was a dozen half marathons, one a month (plus some other stuff). I'm three months early so, what the hell, I might just make it a baker's dozen.

Anything is possible with the proper incentive

Today I eradicated the (kind-of) word "incentivize" from a piece of copy and I feel like I earned a beer. As good an excuse as many.

Peace out

Some kid on the trails: "You look like a man who knows what he's doing." Me: "If I knew what I was doing, I wouldn't be doing this." The surf-board toting Bug is for not being the slowest slow old(er) guy to finish today.

Light on the limbering

Yoga class at Run Woodstock. I did not participate because I'm running the Mellow (yeah, right) Marathon in the morning and didn't want to pull anything vital.

To the victors...

Bowling trophy!

You're going down "Man of Steel"

Making my move on superman last night. Boom Shakalaka!

Boom Shakalaka!

I ran No. 11 because it had a funny name and started, as well as ended, on a velodrome. Plus 8 this morning makes 21 for the day, the last big day before Run Woodstock weekend and the Mellow Marathon two weeks hence. "Mellow" Marathon, who are they kidding? Boom Shakalaka!

Riding the bull

Well first you gotta wanna get off bad enough to get on in the first place. A thought that comes at mile 20 of a 21 miler courtesy of Rodney Crowell and Norah Jones and Bull Rider.

Slow mo

Nasty hill just before the finish line was plain mean. Beaver Chase half marathon on some surprisingly good trails in downtown Indy. I didn't see any dam-building rodents to chase. I think I could have taken them. That's 10 halfs for 2015.

It's a Stevie kind of morning

Smokin' cigarettes (not really) Writin' something nasty on the wall (maybe) You nasty boy (Yes!!!)

Spiderman ain't got nothin' over on me

If you're doing the trails behind the Tippecanoe County Amphitheater today, I've cleared out the spider webs for you.

Planning ahead (just a little)

Well, I know what I'll be doing the morning of April 30, 2016 (and hopefully only the morning of). I'm pretty sure of my plans for the evening, too, assuming the Esquire Lounge stays in business. Illinois Marathon registration day.

What's that big yellow ball in the sky?

Perfect day for No. 9; third half on the trails at Eagle Creek this year, but only the first in the daylight (and the second without it snowing on us).

The day after 19

Got your Sunday morning church right hear buddy.

Accidental bird

Amusing myself at the end. I'm such a bad kid (at heart, anyway). Then again, if I wasn't such a kid I wouldn't have been out there running (and finishing) 13.1 miles in that heat and humidity Saturday in the first place.

Spend a couple hours in the sauna

Half marathon No. 8 for 2015, Rock 'n' Roll Chicago, was a blistering (air temperature not land speed) sweat fest. But it is in the can. I need a shower, stat.

Shop 'til you drop

The Rock 'n' Roll Chicago half marathon expo is like a giant mall for runners, he said 4 pairs of socks, a pair of shorts, a new hat, a can of sunscreen, some Body Glide and a packet of Root Beer-flavored Gu later. At least I didn't buy any shoes.

Fast Fourth

I like getting a receipt, especially when it says I ran a minute faster on the back half, which always makes me giddy. I'm damn strange.

She plays the guitar, too, and rather well

If I'm going to stay up late two nights in a row, it's going to be for Ana Popovich!

So good, and so (not) good for you

Deep fried Oreos are wrong, just wrong ... and so good. I'll be eating nothing but kale next week to pay for my sins.

If you're going to dig ditches, be the best ditch digger

Stuff happens, you've got to adapt, improvise, overcome and by the gods I can do it (defined as drink this cold beer).

She's a Wonder(land)

If I'm going to stay up late, and I'm rarely going to stay up late anymore, it's going to be for Carolyn Wonderland,

Membership has its privileges

As far as can tell, it's the only valid reason to be a VIP.

Yo, get that stick out you ass, Tony

The good news is Scalia has health insurance (although willing to make others lose theirs), because the man really is badly in need of a stick-ectomy.

Jogged again

Working myself up to a free pork burger this morning after the Hog Jog 10K, which has become an annual rite of summer.

Enjoy a refreshing swim, complete with clouds of mosquitos

Mr. Bad Ass Trail Runner should have been wearing a swimming suit and fins not running shorts and shoes on the Wabash Heritage Trail this morning, but if I have to "wade" a race later this year, at least I can say I trained for it.

Before...

Coming in bloody…but not broken.

After...

I was all like "man, I really feel like running tonight" before the Eagle Creek Summer Night Trail half and I felt great all the way, even when I tripped on a root and ate dirt. No. 7 was a keeper.

A day like any other day

I commemorated National Running Day by running, as opposed to all the other days I run with no rational explanation for doing so.

I'll finish a lot faster than it took getting to the start

After 8 hours in the car yesterday getting here from Wisconsin, 10 miles on trails sounds really good this morning.

Cheesy

Cheese curds, because when in Rome...

Union strong

One thing I have to say about Bucky, he has a well-equipped campus union building.

Sweet dreams are made of these

I'm going to drool on it when I'm sleeping tonight, which I shouldn't have any trouble doing after what I'm sure will be a scintillating university IT communicators confab.

Blue socks, nothing but blue socks (OK, and a blue shirt, too)

Perfect morning for the Noblesville Mini half marathon (and best time this year, so far). That's six, and one ahead of schedule. I see beer in my future.

Not cool

What kind of idiot buys a car, nay, orders a car, without AC anyway? Then drives it for 15 years? Oops. Never mind. (We learn from our errors.)

Beard envy

I should have a beard as good as Avishai's, although mine would be white.

Long live(d) the King

The King is never going to be dead at my house, not as long as I'm spinning the platters.

Indoor thunder and lightning

The family that plays together ... and with two drummers and a brother on tenor. You think they don't make some noise!

Beauty brought the beast

I don't know who Susan and Derek have playing this beast tonight, but I'm going to keep an eye on them.

Danced out

I did, however, get a beer (a hoppy Quaff On Brewing Co. wheat) after the Dances with Dirt trail half at Gnaw Bone. No. 5 was a brutally satisfying run. I might have to drink another beer when I get home, heh, heh, heh.

The new abnormal

Covered a breaking story (new Purdue supercomputer built and running in a day) and filed on deadline, which floods my synapses with (mostly) good memories. Now, instead of heading for a bar, I'm heading south to run a half marathon on trails at Gnawbone in the morning. Some things never change, and some things do. Damnit.

At least it's not a clown

Disconcerting can, but a damn tasty IPA.

Lemony

Prune hand from very wet gloves. Race called for lightning, which I still haven't seen. I'm tallying it as a moist 20-mile long run. That's how we make lemonade from lemons. I need a drink. Not lemonade.

But lightening would be nice

Breakfast of champions all laid out. I'm OK having that with a side of incessant rain, but hold the lightning, please.

Close enough

I think I'll be able to see Chick and Herbie playing, and sweating.

Some ivories will be tickled and then some

On tap tomorrow night and I'm giddy. This is going to be so-o-o good.

And free mud, too

Some people pay extra to run in mud, we got it inclus. Lounging after the Allerton trail half marathon this morning. That's four.