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What a sweet run for the Packers this year. Unbelievable that they are actually going to play in the Super Bowl. The NFC Championship game last Sunday was much closer than it should have been, but how awesome to beat the Bears and make it to the big show. It’s been 13 years since I will actually have an interest in the game. The Steelers will be tough, but I still think the Packers can win it all. Bring home the ring boys!
Running:
Last week was a first for me. I managed to get 56 miles in. That’s not unique in itself, but the fact all of the 56 miles were done on a treadmill is. I’ve done all my miles in a week on the treadmill before while coming back from injury, but this total would have been less that 20 miles for sure. I guess it was just a combination of bad roads, cold weather, work responsibility, and timing that caused that to happen. In past years I would have probably just skipped a couple runs, but with my new attitude toward the treadmill it allowed me to get it done. Last week’s total was the most since September of last year. The most unique run was on Sunday. I was so nervous in anticipation for the game I thought it would be a good idea to calm myself by running and watching at the same time. I ended up running for the entire first half, getting in 10 miles. Almost time to buy another pair of shoes to use for long runs. I’ve been keeping my eyes out for the right ones on eBay but so far nothing to pull the trigger on. Still on track for 200+ miles in January. Through today:
WTD 27
MTD 181
YTD 181
ODO 27452
Hunting:
I never got out to remove my stands from the woods last weekend. It was brutally cold and since there really is no hurry I thought it better to wait for the temperatures to moderate a bit before climbing up trees to unhook things with frozen hands. Cleaning up my hunting stuff last week I found my trail cameras which got me to thinking I should put them out for a few weeks to see what is still around after season. I’m especially curious on my bow hunting property to see what is making all the tracks and beds in a new area I found while last out there. One of my cameras is an old one that uses 35mm film. Hopefully I can still find some film and someone to process it. I wonder if Walgreens still does it and what it might cost? Here is a link I found with ideas to help a hunter with post season cabin fever.
Gardening:
This next month is the time to get out there and prune all my fruit trees. At least I need to do it before March and any warmer weather that would start the growing process. I really need to hit the trees hard this year as last year I didn’t do enough. It’s always hard as you think you are taking off too much and will hurt the tree or at least production of fruit. From everything I read and examples I have viewed of how to do it up in Bayfield I believe I can take off much more than I have been. With all the trees I have, to have less fruit but better quality would be a good thing.
What a Packer game it was last Saturday. The whooping put on the Falcons was comparable to the game I went to against the Cowboys back in November. The game it sets up against the Bears is even more interesting. Playing your biggest division rival with a chance to get to the Super Bowl sets it up to be one huge game. I can’t wait until we put those Bears in their place next Sunday.
Running:
My running streak for the year is still intact. My runs during the week are still usually only 5 miles. This past weekend I ran 10 on the treadmill on Saturday while I watched the early football game. Then on Sunday morning I ran 8.5 outside in 1:08:54. It was only in the single digits, but it was a good run. The roads were quiet and in fairly good shape. I used my new Garmin for the first time on Sunday’s run. I did notice that it registers the miles a little longer than my old one. What had been my 8.5 mile run came it at only 8.25. I’ll have to check out a few more routes to see if this is a one time thing or if I have to adjust my route mileage a bit. Half way through the month I’m close to on track for 200 in January. Through Sunday:
WTD 43.5
MTD 98.5
YTD 98.5
ODO 27380
Hunting:
It’s a good thing there was some good football on this weekend now that the hunting season is over. It takes up some of the time until I adjust to not having that activity to do on the weekend. I got all of my hunting clothes and gear reorganized and put away this past week. This weekend I actually got the garage clean since it was empty of hunting gear. I can now park one of the other cars in there over night. I haven’t been able to do that since the beginning of fall. This coming weekend I’m going to try and get out to remove my stands from the woods. Hopefully get a little scouting done too to figure out a few things for next year late season. My fix for hunting for a while will have to be some of the shows on T.V. Each week there are several that I can record that are worth watching. Speaking of watching something. Here is a short PBS video on the white deer herd in northern Wisconsin. I think you will find it interesting.
Gardening:
The garden catalogs just keep coming. I also get bombarded by e-mail from the few places I typically order from. Some of these are kind of deceiving. The recent e-mail I got from Gurney’s told me about a big sale, up to 70% off. Go to the link provided and try to find anything approaching 70% off. I only saw a couple non popular items that were on sale for that much. I guess that’s the point though. Get you to go there and order early. I’m not ready yet.
Can't believe this is my first post of 2011. It certainly has been busy the first 11 days of the month. Yesterday I had a tooth pulled and a post for an implant inserted. I was sure thinking the worst on how this would feel. Especially when they handed me the tooth and I saw how big the roots are on a molar. Then knowing they had to drill into the bone some to insert a post I wasn’t optimistic. Turns out it didn’t/doesn’t hurt much at all. Other than having to change what I eat for about a week it seems at least so far, this will be a non event. Thank God.
Running:
So far this month I’ve been able to run every day. All my runs have continued to be in the 5 to 7.5 mile range and 40 to 60 minutes of time. Again I continue to run outside as time and weather allow and on the treadmill when they don’t. I’m not purposely trying to start a streak it just turns out that way so far. Now that hunting is over I will likely try to increase the length of my weekend runs to get the weekly mileage back up near 50. When I get my mileage back above that I’m sure I will make at least one rest day part of the routine again. I still haven’t used my new Garmin, but that will change shortly when I run outside more consistently and on longer runs. I’ve given some thought to which races I intend to run this year. Tentatively I will shoot for the Trailbreaker (half or full) in early April, either Journey’s or GB or Ice Age50k in May, Grandma’s in June, Paavo Nurmi in August, and probably Whistlestop in October. I will also probably run the Lake Country half marathon Labor Day weekend and a few 5k’s over summer. Not much different than my plan for previous years. I just need to keep from being injured so I can run them all.
Through 1/11/11.
WTD 10
MTD 65
YTD 65
ODO 27336
Hunting:
I was able to get out hunting a few times in January and had several chances at deer, but chose to pass on all of them. I was really waiting for one last opportunity at a big one and didn’t need to get another doe. The last day of the season I received permission to gun hunt off my bow stand. I was really pumped about that. The last time I was there I saw 7 deer including two nice bucks. I was really hoping for a chance. I ended up seeing nothing in the morning, and it sure was cold. Temps were a few degrees below zero as I was driving out there. I only stayed a couple hours. In the afternoon I decided to forgo watching the beginning of the Packer/Eagles playoff game. I ended up seeing one nice buck that never presented a shot and two doe that I passed on. Next year this stand location will have to move a little bit. The tree I’ve been in the last couple years died this year and will likely not be safe next year. I have a couple trees in mind and will probably do the work to get the new location squared away yet this winter.
Sadly hunting season for 2010/11 has come to an end. The guns are already cleaned and put away until next year. It was a good year over all. I can’t complain with 5 deer total, including 2 nice nine pointers with my bow. Before the season began I was sure excited with being selected to hunt on the Ottawa conservancy. It was nice to have another option for gun hunting without having to go on public state forest land. It just turns out with the other success I had there wasn’t a lot of need to spend much time at another place. At first I was disappointed because all the other guys that hunted there had already taken all the prime locations. There were stands everywhere. After spending some time though I learned a few good locations way on the back of the property that I will use if and when I am selected again. Having access to the back side of the property through the land I have permission to bow hunt opens opportunity for me that is difficult for others having to access from the normal parking area. As always I learned a few new things this year and can’t wait until next year to take advantage.
Gardening:
As usual with the rolling of the seasons this is the slowest time of the year related to anything gardening. In fact with hunting ended and nothing much going on garden wise it is the slowest few months I have all year. I will be thinking about cutting down a couple of the big maples in the yard over winter. The silver maples are really messy trees with shallow roots and I think portions of the yard will do much better with them gone. There will also be garden catalogues to go through, hunting stuff to put away and some running to do, but that leaves lots of time for other things. Will try to make time for family things and house chores until spring comes around to busy things up again.
