"Twas the Run Before Christmas...

And Cheryl and Mike wanted to run another 15 mile training distance.  In Davenport!  Again!  Sure, the weather was a little different this time, but we had so much fun last time, why not repeat it. 

The early morning sunrise was pretty.   Cheryl wanted to capture the color change in the clouds.   We do not usually get up that early, so watching the sun rise is one of the perks for "Morning people".  The trip to Davenport was fairly uneventful.   One thing to note was the RV Super Center finally go their huge flag back up.  One of the landmarks when traveling to Davenport: you know you are close when you can see the flag. 

Mike and Cheryl planned a strategy while Pam and I jumped on the bikes.  The wind was less obtuse this time, but it was still there. The first half of the run was rather uneventful and even turned out to be faster than last time. 

I should also note that the Temps were in the 40's.  Perfect Cheryl weather, but Mike does not like running in the "cold".  So he was bundled up for the event. 

Around the half way point,  the duo fueled up with their various energy gels and lost a few articles of clothing.  Cheryl removed her hat and gloves as she said she was now plenty warm.   I'm not sure what Mike removed, but I'm sure he took some of his arctic attire off. 

Around mile 13 or so...  The heat caught up with Mike.  ( Almost exactly the same place Cheryl melted down last week.)  He was forced to walk to recover some of his energy.   You could call this a "Melt Down" because he certainly looked like he was melting.   He was sweating profusely and steaming up like a chimney!  

But I would not call this a technically "Runner's Meltdown."   I have definitely seen those and there is a Jeckle and Hyde transformation!  (Remember all those earlier blog posts?....)  And Mike was no where near that. (Although, Pam looked entertained....)  One of the first things that tipped me off was he apologized for being the "Weakest Link" and letting everyone down.  This is NOT what a runner who is  melting down does.   They snap, yell, curse, and cry awkwardly and  randomly.   It's kind of scary. kind of like a Carnival Ride that is out of control.   Sure, it looks funny for the passengers who are spinning around, but it also looks dangerous, as the bolts could come loose at any time and smash into the crowd down below! 

Everyone has to find their own dress points.

So what was the cause?  Obviously, it was the weather.   You would think that cooler weather would guard against overheating.  But actually, it is the opposite.    Cooler weather calls for warmer clothes.  And Warmer clothes will cause one to overheat over time.. especially  over 15 miles!  Mike and Cheryl averaged a 7:45 pace for the first half, but the second half dropped to 8:30 minute miles.   Mike is also known for running in hot weather, and dislikes the cold. ( The Opposite of Cheryl.)  This is probably why...

The good news is that the event did not last long.  After a brief walk, they were back to running in no time at all.   It probably helped that there was another runner approaching from the opposite direction.   Runners never want to show weakness to other runners.  Especially strangers!  In the Army, we called it "feeding off of the Weak!"  But no one wants to be on the menu for other runners to feed off of.  Runner's Pride should not be underestimated!

After the run,  new Strategies were discussed, future long runs were planned, and everyone was hungry so we headed to the local pancake house for some grub. 

Pam and the Pancake House.

And then the long ride home.   By the way, we continue to sell stockings!  Who would have ever thought that?   We sold 8 today, with several on the back burner for tomorrow!  ( or Sunday, since there will be no mail heading out on Christmas.)  Cheryl and I have never kept the Shop open this late in the season before.  It makes us wonder just how many sales we could have gleaned had we not shut things down a week before Christmas.  Most folks know by now that their stockings will not arrive by the Holiday, but they have decided to buy them anyway.  Lucky us! 

And finally!  Merry Christmas!    Wish everyone a Happy holiday and blessed new year!  Things have got to get better than 2021, right?   I mean, 2020 was kind of bad, but I'm thinking 2021 was slightly worse.  We DID get to run this year, at least.   So there were pluses.  I'll try to look at the bright side late this week, after I post the Great Pet Stocking Parade of 2021.   There are some pretty good pics to show off with more to come.  We shall see.  

Merry Christmas Folks!   Say "Hi" to the In-laws for me.