new pull-up bars--Albania

        When I started this afternoon, after a 40 minute jet-lagged nap, I felt sluggish.  My legs felt like they were filled with lead.  I came across many friends—this is the reason the first set of pull-ups was only 7.  It’s hard to keep exercising when people call to you.  I know that they, unlike me, have work to do.  (Well, the security guards are not working very hard, but the cleaning staff is always busy)
I ran up the short inclines to the park and found my first pull-up stand intact.  It is a door frame in the middle of a parking lot.  Until today, the next pull-up area was a tree branch rubbed smooth by thousands of pull-ups over the years.  Now, someone has installed two vertical pipes and a crossbar nearby.  I used my stuttering Albanian and fluent hand motions to ask some young, fit men and women if I could partake in the exercise.  The nearest man did the Albanian head wiggle to indicate agreement and I did 7 with the palms facing away from the body, and 6 with palms facing toward my body.  I jogged along happily in weather of delightful temperature.   The next pull-up spot is a bar nailed into the crook of a tree.  I did 11 with the palms facing away, then down to the metal tower overlooking an amphitheater, where I did 9 pull-ups, then back to the new crossbar for 7 more before going back to the door frame for 7, and finishing at the school for 5 more.
(For a closer look and some pictures of the various pull-up locations, go here:  http://oskarmaxim.blogspot.com/2012/01/running.html  )

I did the final sprint up the hill in just over 50 seconds.  My journals where I have all the times written are in the States, so I am going to guess that my fastest is around 46 seconds.  I am exhilarated by this because there have been times in Albania when I have run this in more than a minute—sometimes, I haven’t even been able to run at all.
It was a great run because I ran into many people that know me and everyone of them reacted positively.  I’m thinking this may be because the Albanian people are quite friendly, but I may have been able to coax them into thinking that I’m a nice guy, too.

WDM--leaving for Alb/France

I went out from Bill’s place slowly.  I was not interested in beating myself up today.  I had my Coffee Break French in my ears…I’m leaving tonight.  I thought about taking the car some blocks away to an area just between Des Moines and West Des Moines.  There are some beautiful neighborhoods with great forests and homes.  But then I thought, “I’d use gas, it would take time.  After all, that is the great thing about running—you DON’T have to drive anywhere. You can run ANYwhere and all is well.  Just be satisfied with here.” I told my relative before I left that on days such as today when I don’t have any time commitments, I usually run about 40 minutes.  On the run, I decided to go for an hour.  Very nice—a bit humid.  My right knee started to give me some complaints, but nothing terrible, and now, it feels fine. 

I started the final sprint quite slowly and then sped up.  My fastest time for this distance is 57.99.  I felt strong on the pull ups and the push ups.

Thursday 1 day rest

I went at the end of the day today so I would be free for an interview tomorrow morning.  The run started sluggishly.  I enjoyed listening to Coffee Break French, the first lesson about family.  Then I turned it over to a running playlist.  A Christian rock song, Romantics (Talkin’ In Your Sleep), Rubberband Man, Roy G. Biv (They Might Be Giants).  Then the songs go into the truly inspirational—What I Like about You, and ROCKY!  Today, when I go to the sprint, I slowed down a bit so it would be at the beginning of the next Rocky song.  Just as I was starting the sprint, the song “Going the Distance” came on.  It is quite inspirational, but it starts slowly.  By the time the trumpets were belting out their cadence and pounding beat, I was nearly done with the 60 seconds.  It doesn’t get into the super motivation until 1:30-30 seconds after I finish. 

As far as pull-ups, I was feeling good.  I did 14 at the park near Saxton’s and then did 7 more at the baseball field near 25^th St.  There was a gaggle of kids staring at me, and asking, “Who’s that?”  I was working at the monkey bars, interrupting their play.  After I did 6, I caught the eye of the next young man and said, “One more, OK?”  I finished and was gone.  I didn’t go to the H.S. track because as I drove back into town from the garden, I saw that they were starting a girls’ softball game.  They weren’t in the middle of the track or anything, but there was a heap of people all over and they were charging admission to the athletic field area.  I probably could’ve convinced them that I was not coming for the game, and I probably could have received permission to run around the track, but I didn’t want to fiddle with the attention that I might attract, and I didn’t want to have to explain myself.

Final sprint in over 1 minute.  When I consider that my fastest time is 57 and change, I think how today’s run was 3 seconds slower.  JUST THINK how far you can run in 3 seconds!  It’s all relative, baby.

Around the track, 23 May

If the final sprint time is underlined, that is a new record.

Date	Place of run	time	.25 mile, 400m	final sprint	sets of pullups	pushups
23 May 2012	H. S. Track, Elementary school	≈ 29:30 min.	1:21.05	1:00.25	2x13	0

I felt like I was really dragging my butt around the track, but I ended with a decent time.  My record book says my best time is 77.65 seconds on 8 May.  I'm not sure I can really believe that.  Actually, I can...the body is truly amazing when we are thinking about its capacity to push itself.

another record--.31 seconds

If the final sprint time is underlined, that is a new record.

Date	Place of run	time	final sprint	sets of pullups	pushups
21 May 2012	Emmetsburg (hardware stores/Wild rose/lake)	≈ 33min.	57.91	1x13	31

I started this morning about 6:15.  This is the second personal record in a row.  I have definitely decided that my final sprint is slightly downhill.  But the new record is stil significant.  I was feeling quite good as I ran this morning and I was anticipating a new record. 

New record for final sprint

The format for these entries will start like this:

If the final sprint time is underlined, that is a new record.

Date	Place of run	time	final sprint	sets of pullups	pushups
19 May 2012	Emmetsburg (lake, wild rose, Catholic church)	≈ 32 min.	58.22	2x13	0

I started this at about 06:30.  I woke up to find a message from a school in St. Petersburg, asking me to answer some pre-interview questions, to send an image of my passport page, and to send my Skype handle.  I was hoping I would get such a message.  I wrote my rough draft answer to the first question,

Why this blog?

The topic of this blog will be my running.  I often think about trying to write stuff.  I think about it, plan it, come up with great ideas, and then the ideas fade away.  I'm going to attempt to stay committed to this one.  I'm going to write little bits.  I'm not going to do a great amount of editting.  I'll also learn more about the ins and outs of this blog platform.

If you read something you like, leave me a comment.