A Thrashing Surprise

Decided to give my loyal readers a break from all the running posts – and by “deciding” I mean bowing to the crap load of hate emails and phone calls I have received from those of you that believe the only running distance worth completing begins with a 0 and ends with a 0 with a single period between them.  The good news is we can turn this post into a win win.  First off, I spare you the last remaining run post and instead feature another catch while on our Texas Gulf Coast Birding Trip back in December 2017 – on the 30th to be exact so just a few days from the current year.  This makes this an extremely fresh post based on my normal wildlife recollections.  Recently  I was offered the opportunity to speak at our local camera club.  Their president saw my speech to the local Audubon Society and thought the camera club would enjoy it as well.  This has added to the overall whirlwind of activities that has been consuming me over the last two months (if you have been reading my posts, you are well aware of how I’ve been struggling to get posts out).  With the completion of the season’s last scheduled half marathon trail run past Saturday (yeah) this is the final task on my to-do list ahead of my favorite day Halloween.  The win on my part is this post allows me to pad my bird count by an extra tick before speech – yep, this is another new bird!

Long-Billed Thrasher found at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, December 2017

Hit the jump to find out what this mystery species is!

Continue reading A Thrashing Surprise

Daddle Daddle Do

Getting tired of the run posts yet?  If so, my apologies for this one and well, likely the next one too.  The good news, is when that next post is done the official running season should be done.  That is if a trail race doesn’t catch my eye in the next couple of months.  The great thing about being trained up for the 4 half marathons that closed the standard race season  is you are pretty much ready to go if anything at that distance comes along.  Will probably cycle back to maintain mode for training and start working more on getting the body fully recovered from another grueling year pounding pavement and new for this year.. the dirt.  Guessing if you read the previous post, you are wondering how the final piece of the 2 race event went.

WhiskeyDaddle Half Marathon Daddle Deluxe Oct 7th, 2018

That pretty much gives it away – successfully finished the back half of the challenge.  I forgot to point out that the 5K actually gave a really nice and classy looking long sleeve tech shirt very similar in design to the pull over they gave for last year’s half.  This race is on the expensive side when you sign up for the double event.  It has the absolute worst after race party outside of the typically much much lower budget trail events. Basically provided water, a few bagged snacks, a loose cookie and a banana.  Really bummed this year they were not giving out the free Whiskey samples like they did last year (yum).  I can get over the weak food offerings thanks to their incredible medals.  They are just slightly smaller than last year’s barrel version (link here), but still nice and heavy.

WhiskeyDaddle Half Marathon Daddle Deluxe Oct 7th, 2018‘

Hit the jump to see if I survived another half marathon!

Continue reading Daddle Daddle Do

One Shot Down

Welcome to the Run Recollection Month as I’ve decided to call it.  Already cranked out three race posts this month – figured might as well go for a whole month full of sweat hehehe.  Today’s featured run (also in chronological order if you are keeping track) was the second running of the WhiskeyDaddle.  It used to be called the Peoria Marathon, but they decided to take on a theme based on the Peoria whiskey heritage as well as pump up the overall festive element of a race that was starting to lose its luster.  The event now spreads across two days with race distances to meet any level.

Whiskey Daddle 5K - The Shot, Peoria IL Oct 6th, 2018

On Saturday, they hold The Shot.  This is the shortest distance for the two days coming in at 5K or for you non-runners out there, 3.1 miles.  As a general rule, I usually do not run races that take me less time to run that it does to get myself out of bed and ready to toe the line.  If you see me participating in a 5K, there is usually some other reason – in this situation it was to feed my inner medal whore.  That’s right, if I double up the race (for a hefty price of course), they give me an EXTRA medal.  Now that is what I am talking about.  This is similar to the Illini Marathon which also gives out three medals for completing two races.  This year, like with the Illini (link here), opted for the 5K + the Half Marathon or the Daddle Deluxe as they called it.  That’s the Shot (5K) plus the Bottle (Half).

Whiskey Daddle 5K - The Shot, Peoria IL Oct 6th, 2018

hit the jump to see how the warm up race turned out!

Continue reading One Shot Down

No Chucks for Moonlight Run

Things are finally humming here at LifeIntrigued.  With almost all of the stressors that were queued up for September and October finally behind me, the blog can get some badly needed love.  Just have a big speech coming up (will talk about that more when we get closer to the date) and a few other odds and ends to get cleaned up and I’ll finally be able to sit back, relax and breathe a huge sigh of relief.  One of those big stressors just got completed yesterday.  It also had a running theme and the reason I am pushing so hard to get current all my competed runs that have been sitting on my desk since July.  Sticking with the chronological order, going with a run that took place after the IVS Half from last post.

Moonlight Miles Half Marathon, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield IL September 2018

Now this run holds a special place in my heart… err, make that my stomach.  It is also the race that gets my wife the most concerned – that may be rightfully so.  The race is held 6 days after the IVS half on a Saturday night.  The race started out as a prediction race in the same vein as the Screaming Pumpkin race (link here).  In fact, so similar in that it also started out as a Marathon distance with relay options and held ..wait for it .. in an old cemetery.  It was a natural fit for our seasoned Pumpkin relay team.  Unfortunately, they backed off the prediction element, but added a half and quarter marathon to accommodate the shorter distance runners so they wouldn’t have to partner up.  Last year Ryan and Sung were able participate with  me, much to the relief of my wife (link here).   She is responsible for a dog competition event that weekend and has been unable to travel down to the run.  This is also the reason this race brings the biggest concern.  Why? Well, for two years in a row I’ve left a bit of myself there.. and not talking about sweat.  Something about this race ends up getting to me around the 9 mile mark that ultimately causes me to be seriously sick after the race – like throwing up sick.

Moonlight Miles Half Marathon, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield IL September 2018

Hit the jump to find out how the race turned out!

Continue reading No Chucks for Moonlight Run

Might As Well Do It for a Medal

For far too many Sundays over the course of a year, my running friends (Ryan, Sung) and I pound the pavement in Springdale Cemetery.  Non-runners always seem a bit shocked when they learn a portion of my weekends are spent with the dead.  Springdale has been a friend for runners for a long time.  Their crumbled roads provide the perfect terrain for those of us who prefer the hill races.  One loop is a quarter marathon and includes three massive hills that will  make your lungs burn and your legs scream uncle.  This all started when we discovered two races that call this course their home.  The Screaming Pumpkin is no longer held (link here), but the IVS Half Marathon is still running strong – and by strong I mean still being held.  The participation has always been light, but that is likely due to how tough this course is.

IVs Half Marathon 2018, Springdale Cemetery

The IVS Half is a two loop adventure through the cemetery.  That adds up to 6 … count them .. 6 impressive hill traversals and that doesn’t include the smaller rolling hills that make up the rest of the course.    After spending so much time there training, we consider the cemetery our home course.  There isn’t a turn, pothole or uneven surface we haven’t committed to memory.  Figured since we run it so often, why not get a medal for it!

IVs Half Marathon 2018, Springdale Cemetery

Hit the jump to see how the race turned out!

Continue reading Might As Well Do It for a Medal

Bix Cold Nixed

I cannot believe how far I’ve fallen behind on my running posts.  The Halloween event was all consuming for the last two months, but I’ve had run posts queued up since July!  There’s only one way to deal with this embarrassing output – hunker down and get’r done.  On the bright side of things, I should have zero problems with blog fodder this month (or next).  So let’s start at the front of the FIFO queue.

Bix 7 Race 2018, Davenport IA

Yep, it’s another BIX 7 in the books.  If you are counting, that should now be 16 consecutive Bix 7 runs and also marks the 16th anniversary of my decision to take up running.  I mentioned this in last year’s post, but as a quick reminder, this whole crazy running thing start with a realization that my martial arts devotion was coming to a close.  The time between injury and recovery was getting too thin for my highly physical dojo.  That is when Linda made me aware of this hilly bastard from her hometown in Davenport, IA.  Ever since then, Linda and I have been lining up to conquer Brady Street hill

Bix 7 Race 2018, Davenport IA

Hit the jump to see how the race turned out!

Continue reading Bix Cold Nixed

Pining Away

Technically I can claim I am sticking with a theme of light to close out this month’s posts.  The last post was about a structure made for light, this post is about a bird taken with too much light.  It’s a stretch, but the best I can come up with knowing that I am officially 68 minutes from blowing a blogging streak I’ve been committed to hitting for a long long long long time.  That is why I am spending time working on this rather than trying to figure out a way to make up for not being prepared for my wife’s birthday which is in …wait for it … now 65 minutes from now.  With all the sleepless nights focused on the trail, traveling to races and trying my best to get our new well up and running, I have not had time to address her special day.  I even missed our dating anniversary this year and I never forget that.  To my credit, I did manage to arrange to get a combined birthday cake for Ron and Linda at our party without either of them knowing.  That make a +1 for Ron and Linda on the year calendar – tonight’s featured subject is another +1 on my birding check list.

Pine Warbler shot in Texas December 2016

Hit the jump to find out what bird this is and see another equally bad shot.

Continue reading Pining Away

Light Thy Way

After 8 hours of non-stop work, I can officially say the haunted trail is officially tore down!  It is going to be a few more days before all the batteries are removed and the decorations get stored away until next year.  The primary reason for the delay is everything has to dry out thanks to a heavy rain that started just as the party was breaking up.  We headed down for the official lighting of the flaming pumpkin and it started to sprinkle.  The tree canopy shielded the trail from the light rain, but by the time we made it back to the house it was a full on downpour for most of the remaining night.  By the way,  it isn’t a Midwest Halloween until a carved pumpkin full of Kerosene is sending 4 foot flames out the top!  Seems like a fitting time to feature another form of bright light.

Lighthouse at ?? Minnesota shot in July 2017

I am guessing one of my followers already recognized this particular lighthouse.  For those of you not familiar with it, this is the Split Rock Lighthouse.  We discovered it on our Waterfall hunting vacation along the coast of Minnesota back in July 2017.  Ironically, if I recall correctly, it was raining a lot that week as well.  Seems to be a lot of water related events seeing as we just drilled a new well a few weeks ago.  Anyway, my wife is the big waterfall photographer and planned our trip up the coast in an attempt to get some in the tin to add to her portfolio.  Think I mentioned this before, but she is a big photographer as well.  While I focus on feathers and fur, she prefers landscapes and dog agility/portraits. Every once in a while she will encroach into my domain (pretty sure she does it just to bug me).  Two can play that game hehehe.

LL

Hit the jump to read a bit more about our lighthouse adventure.

Continue reading Light Thy Way

Something Fury Comes This Way

That loud collective sigh of relieve you just heard was a result of finally getting through all the hard work that goes into putting on our annual Halloween party.  Probably logged less than 8 hours of sleep during the last three days.  Thanks for both my brothers and numerous friends from work .. .and of course Linda, we managed to get it all pulled together in the nick of time.  Once again, I broke my promise to Linda and failed to get everything set up on the haunted trail before guests started arriving.  Luckily everyone chipped in to finish getting all the batteries loaded and a few tweaks to the linkages on some of this year’s new creations.  Everything went well until the last guests departed and then the skies let loose with a steady shower for the rest of the night.  Will take some time getting everything dried out and stored away for next year.  With the party worry over, I can focus on the next crisis…

Squirrels in Kentucky April 2015

pissed off squirrels!!  No, just kidding, Squirrels are too cute to be pissed off.  Honestly, have you ever seen an angry Squirrel?  Every time I see them they are busy chasing each other around the backyard or wandering around digging holes in random spots trying to remember where they left their prize nut.  My pressing crisis is the fact it is the end of the month (Ron’s birthday as a matter of fact) and I’m short on my personal blogging quota.  That is why I’m at the keyboard at the moment and not dreaming about sugarplum fairies or next year’s Halloween props.

Squirrels at Starved Rock May 2015

As a change of pace, thought it would be fun to feature something with fur instead of feathers. These first shot comes to you courtesy of a birding trip to Kentucky back in April 2015. Unfortunately, I am not up on all my Squirrel species. Thanks to growing up in the Heart of Illinois, I spent much of my years up until college thinking there was just one type of Squirrel. That would be the Eastern Grey Squirrel.  When I started branching out into the world, I noticed there are actually more than one species, yet all cute as can be.  The shot above came from Starved Rock and based on my untrained eye, looks to be the same Eastern Gray variety.

Hit he jump to see a couple more varieties captured on our birding escapades.

Continue reading Something Fury Comes This Way

Bet the House

What’s the old adage, “rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated”.  Yes, I’m still breathing, but to be honest, I am wearing down fast.  I’ve commented a lot about my busy schedule as of late and we are now in the pinnacle of stress and deliverables.  I am in the middle of a 4 half marathon race stretch (in a little over 6 weeks) and more pressing at the moment is our huge Halloween Haunted Trail event is this Saturday night.  I’ll catch you up if the total lack of sleep doesn’t take me out before then.  My apologies to all my blogger friends for not getting to all your posts for a while now – promise will get caught up as soon as Sunday makes it here.  For now, need to get another task out of the way – introducing my little red friend from Colorado.

House Finch shot at Colorado ?? In May 2014

That colorful bird is called a House Finch.  I found it while hanging out at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds which I think is technically in Golden, but it is just outside Denver, Colorado.   Linda and I were out there to run our furry children at the Teacup Agility Nationals back in  May 2014.

House Finch shot at Colorado ?? In May 2014
Hit the jump to read more about the House Finch. Continue reading Bet the House