sgt.barney

The Sarge trained for, and finished his first marathon as a smoker. Not 4 minutes after crossing the finish line, he was digging in his pack for a lighter ... Easy Peasy

Be careful, folks: You have been warned. Easy Peasy

Run as short and as slow as you like. Easy Peasy

Here's the thing, Beth - nobody "earns" a right to post in any particular way. They ALREADY HAVE THAT RIGHT. The Sarge posts how he likes. Bakon posts .. well ... Bakon, y'know? and you, Beth, you get to post how you like. Nobody grants an "earned" (imagined) permission. Deal with it. Well she sure as shit ain't responding to anything else, now is she? Easy Peasy

8.5-miler. Treadmill, 0.5% grade @ 1:04:08 (7:32/mile) At this rate, Sarge might shoot for 7:30's pace on the upcoming half-marathon. That would blow the old PR out of the water - taking 6-ish minutes off the overall time. Easy Peasy

Woo-Woo. Here's your clue: There ain't no "secret". You can do damned near anything you set your mind to without shoveling money at some "philosophers and scientists". You don't need a "secret". You just need to get busy. Easy Peasy

Word of warning: Blueberry doesn't usually do well unless you've prepared the soil (in most places (most but not all)) Read up online about high acidity and blueberries. The Sarge killed dozens of bushes before he figured it out ... but figure it out he did. Easy Peasy

EDITED TO ADD: You are not special. You are "suffering" the same pain we all did: an addict missing his/her fix. Get over it and quit, or don't and die a smoker. It's a simple choice really. The only one it really matters to is you. The rest of us have already done our "suffering" and y'know what? It wasn't all that. It wasn't all that. Easy Peasy

Thinning fruit out in The Orchard today ... Easy Peasy

You relapse because you are an addict. Nothing more. Nothing less. Quit trying to make it something it's not. It's just quitting. Just quitting. Easy Peasy

Welcome back on board The Quit Train. Hands and arms inside the car at all times. Secure loose items. Prepare your ticket - the Conductor will be by soon. Next stop: Quittsville. Enjoy the ride. Easy Peasy

At our age (Sarge is 45 in about 8 weeks), Petra, there's always gonna be pain somewhere. We do start to wear out and Impending Decrepitude eventually catches all of us. The Sarge has just learned to Embrace The Suck when running. Sore muscles. Sore joints. Tired. Weak-feeling. Side-stitches. Cramps. All of it - the whole she-bang: Easy Peasy

10-miler due today at 7:40 or better pace. Still sore from Saturday's 8-miler at that pace (actually 7:38, but 7:40 was the goal). Writing it down (typing here) so The Sarge doesn't make excuses and wimp out later this evening. This one will tell The Sarge if the Personal Record is attainable next month. If he makes this, then there's 5 weeks of fairly easy training coming up before the race. If he doesn't make it, then there's some hard, difficult speed workouts coming up right soon now [1]... Easy Peasy FOOTNOTES: [1] And The Sarge f_cking hates Speed Workout Days.

8.2-miler. Treadmill @ 1:02:38 (7:38/mile) Better than goal half-marathon pace [1]... for almost 2/3 of the distance. Just might make that PR in 5 weeks. Will definitely hit a personal record [2], but going to try and stomp a full 3+ minutes off. That's gonna be the goal. And a tough one for old Sarge, too. He's not in shape this year. BTW - For those who don't know it already: The Sarge has retired from full marathons. 26.2 is not longer in the cards. Too. Damned. Punishing. Half-marathons with 13.1-milers from here on out ... [3][4] Easy Peasy FOOTNOTES: [1] Goal of 1:41 (7:42 pace) for 13.1 miles. [2] Current Personal Record is 1:44:10 (7:57/mile). [3] Until impending decrepitude reduces that to 10k (6.2 milers) some time around age 60 or so ... [4] Mrs. Sarge continues to train for the full 26.2 (F_ck me to hell, how does she do that smoking Marlboros ?!?!?)

Woot!

Easy Peasy

Easy Peasy

Easy Peasy