Fat Tuesday

It is Fat Tuesday for the human kind, but for the local fowl, they are just trying to make it to another day.  The Spring weather lasted two days and recently we have had some really nasty ice, snow and cold.  If I was not sure, the border of Wisconsin has moved South about 800 miles.   Linda loves to feed the birds and likes to watch Mr and Mrs Cardinal.  Mr Cardinal  seems to be one of the most dominating bird at the feeder--they are territorial and aggressive.   We have been putting out feed to the birds when the weather gets cold and the birds have been trying their best to keep the feeder cleaned out.  I hope the weather gets back to normal soon. 

I have been running a little faster and longer on the treadmill and feel ready to get outside and do some running. I am getting up to the 7:30 minute mile pace for 800 meters without maxing out my heart rate.  I have done two per workout recently and sweat like it is July.   I know I am mixing English and Metric distances, but I am stuck in the past where we ran miles and quarter miles and now it is all meters.  My thinking is tainted by the old English pace and speed measurements.    My weight has peaked and the next milestone is to get below 200 pounds again.  For Lent, even though I am not a Catholic, I will be giving up any soda and chips (corn and potato).   I typically eat little of these foods, but during Lent,  I can speed up the cleaner eating and get my weight back down to running weight.  If I can get to and hold 195, I feel that is as light  as I can maintain without losing much muscle mass and still be fast. I ran at 194 last summer during the Nationals and felt pretty good.

I am looking forward to ST. Patrick's Day, but not for the green beer.  Linda and I are going to Miami Beach, Florida for the week for a trade show.   I love running on the beach and they have a  great hard packed beach near the hotel.  Shorts and shoes and let it rip.    During the week, running in the morning as the sun is rising in the sky is very invigorating and a great way to prep for the day of meetings.  The colors are incredible- blue, green, red and yellow in a collage of clouds and water as the sun fights through the clouds and tries to gets its beams on my skin.  Typically in the morning, the winds are light and the water has a rhythmic action that just makes the world a better place when you are near. 
  The trade show is Tissue World where we get to talk about all things tissue.  Tissue is the only real growth segment of the global paper manufacturing industry  and everybody that is anybody will be there to display their wares and tell their stories.  It is a fun week and it is warm!!