Toboggans are way faster than DSL eh.

This post is for my friend Wayne who lives out in Virgina Beach. Wayne was one of my best friends throughout high school. For a time we even worked at Stuart Anderson's Cattle company together. It was a fun place to work at even though we sometimes made fun of the place. We once changed the lyrics of Elton John's "I guess that's why we all get the blues" to "I guess that's why we all work at Stu's" It was all about the wait staff and being a bus boy. The company had this really blocky bull icon. Wayne named him Everett. I don't remember why.




For awhile Wayne's grandmother lived with them and he got to enjoy her cooking. Well... he may have enjoyed some of it, but there is one dish that she made that really stood out. Often referred to as doorstops "Pasties" were to Wayne what Lutefisk is to Jennifer. Click on the image below to enlarge and read a pasty recipe. Keep in mind that to be true to old world cooking shortening would be replaced by lard.



Wayne's family left the snowy tundra of Iowa for Virgina sometime around 1984 and we lost touch with each other. Happily after 24+ years the power of the internet has allowed us to get back in touch. I'll close this post with a clip I found of a reunion show featuring Bob and Doug MacKenzie. Wayne and I were huge fans of SCTV and often quoted Bob & Doug. Say here's to you hoser if you found my blog. It's good to be back in touch.

Sue Sylvester "Vogue"

On the shelf for now.

I am officially placing DAM to DAM 2010 on the shelf. At this time I do not see it happening. The first month after WDW I was on track and doing well with mileage at the gym. Since Superbowl Sunday however... I have only worked out four times. I could put the blame on many things but I am going to refrain from doing that. For nearly two years I have grumbled about how far I have slipped since my best DAM run in 2008. A 20K in 2:04 seems like such a dream to me now, but only short time ago I lived it.

The injuries I suffered in October 08 and again following DAM 09 have healed. The struggle I am dealing with now is all mental. I want to be back in shape right now but I have to put the last 4 1/2 years into perspective to get there.

That 2:04 finish did not just happen, it was the result of nearly three years of walking and jogging.

Back in 2005 I began walking an hour each night for health reasons. Later in the year I was encouraged by a few people at my church to consider running DAM to DAM. I began turning my walks into runs and soon discovered that what I had been doing to simply to get fit was something I actually enjoyed. In 2006 I signed up for my first DAM race and came out with a nice 2:19 finish. Although I did not run DAM in 07 I was staying consistent with jogging and maintaining my weight loss. When Spring rolled around the following year I was ready to take on DAM again.

October 08 following the Des Moines half marathon(2:22)I had my first experience with plantar fasciitis. The pain kept me from training the way I would have liked going into that first WDW half back in 09 and that was reflected in a 2:49 finish.

Over the years I have noticed a pattern within myself that follows the accomplishments of finishing a race. Its like "oh well thats done. Now I can coast awhile and relax."

When DAM 09 came around I was not prepared. My heart was in it but I knew my finish would not be pretty. I expected a slower time but had kept telling myself that I really just wanted to finish. I was proud to have finished but it came at a cost. I made a horrible error in judgement when it came to my footwear. Rather than using the arch supports that had worked so well for me I had used a pair of Dr Scholls gel inserts. The support was not there and when I returned home and stepped out of my car I realized that I once again had plantar fasciitis.

The 09 DAM run was also unique in that in past years the first mile has been a fast walk and that worked good for me as a nice warmup. In 09 everyone started off at race pace and soon I was running faster that I had trained for just to keep from getting run over. It is with that first mile in mind that I have decided to not enter DAM this year. I simply do not see myself as being ready by June.

But don't worry I'm not hanging my running shoes up just yet. There's still WDW 2011 out there and possibly a mouse and not a duck waiting for me at the finish line.



My plan right now is to focus on weight loss and simply getting in an hour of exercise a day at least six days a week. As the year progresses I'll work on extending that hour and the miles.