I just got back from a short run and I wonder why I don’t spend the winters in Florida and get out of this cold, wet weather. The run was short because, contrary to my good sense, I ran with the Trilanders this past Sunday at the Country Club. I’m not a good trail runner and I don’t know why I did it other than wanting to be a part of “the group”. The front nine was, according to my Garmin, 2.23 miles and the constant up and down wore me out. I almost decided to call it a day when I got my second wind and started running the back nine in reverse order…down 18, then down 17, etc. I got most of the way down 16 when my left soleus muscle (the one below the gastrocnemius or “calf muscle”) began to tighten. Rather than risk a pulled muscle or a torn achilles tendon, I turned around and walked in. So today when I ran, the soleus was tender and tightened some after two miles so that was the end. It’s warmer to run back in than to walk, hence the whining.

 Most of you know that my father was a minister so I was brought up going to church on Sunday. I’ve attended often since I left home but not as often as Dad would have liked. I enjoy the Sunday runs and (sorry Grandma Walker, who was Seventh Day Adventist) Saturday isn’t “church day”. You runners all know that there are only so many running related things you can think about before your mind starts to wander. So I can, and often do, have my own little church service. The songs are really, really short, the sermon is even shorter, but I probably have more “close to God” moments than I ever had in Church. It would seem that with all that devotion, God would give me a break on the weather, but I guess I’m still being tested.

 I sent out a note yesterday to the Trilanders inviting them to a wine and beer tasting get together on December 1st. You all are welcome to come, but I’m guessing for you out of towners, it’s too much of a drive. Anyway, I referred to the “underpants catastrophe of 2007”. I really meant 2006 so I screwed up. Just when I was about to go the whole year without a typo. Darn!! Maybe next year.

 I’ll be leaving for San Francisco tomorrow afternoon. It will be nice to go out and see Matt and Anna. I should send pictures more often to remind them what I look like. We plan to tour the Anchor Brewery (brewers of Anchor Steam Beer), hike around Mt. Tamalpais http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tamalpais to a pub in the State Park that is only accessible by foot, go to a Barrel-Aged beer fest in Hayward (East Bay) followed by poker at Matt’s place, and brew an all-grain batch of beer. All of this mixed with going to some world class (and my class) restaurants and wandering around the city on my daily walks. Since Jean isn’t going I don’t have to take biking or running clothes and I may even take a few days off training.

Just (Leaving Right Now To Go Vote) Jack