Jakob's Running and Hiking Page
	Barium 56
	100 200 400 800 --------------------------------- September 2008 ..... 38.69 87.19 ..... August 2008 17.50 41.75 90.53 ..... January 2008 ..... ..... 96.15 ..... September 2007 ..... ..... 96.25 ..... August 2007 18.43 42.97 ..... 03:27 July 2007 19.32 ..... ..... 03:35 June 2007 19.81 43.84 99.00 03:39 May 2007 19.91 ..... 102.0 ..... March 2007 20.28 45.56 ..... ..... January 2007 ..... ..... ..... 03:52 October 2006 ..... 47.00 105.0 ..... September 2006 21.06 ..... 111.4 03:59 August 2006 21.63 ..... ..... 04:02 July 2006 22.06 ..... ..... ..... October 2005 ..... ..... ..... ..... September 2005 ..... 48.00 112.3 04:07 August 2005 ..... ..... 113.2 04:12 July 2005 22.?? ..... 116.? 04:25 April 2005 23.?? ..... 124.? 04:44 January 2005 ..... ..... ..... ..... December 2004 ..... ..... 136.? ..... November 2004 26.?? ..... 143.? 04:56 October 2004 ..... ..... 144.? 05:36 September 2004 29.?? ..... 155.? .....   5K ----- November 2008 23:53 August 2008 24:12 June 2007 25:18 November 2006 25:31 October 2006 26:50 October 2005 32:14 September 2005 34:06 August 2005 34:50 Mile ------- June 2008 06:47 August 2007 07:04 May 2007 07:31 January 2007 07:35 December 2006 07:50 November 2006 07:55 October 2006 07:58 September 2006 08:19 August 2006 09:21 July 2006 10:38

Sunday, November 16, 2008.

We ran the Great American Smokeout 5K in Bloomsburg today. Good running weather — gray skies, about 40°. As usual, Jakob took off like a rocket. At about the quarter mile point, two runners pulled up even with me and one of them said to the other, "Look at that kid up there!" The other speculated that the kid (Jakob, of course) would flame out. But Jakob's pace dropped only a little. His mile split was 7:02. I was still trailing. I finally caught up to him after about two miles, and we ran side by side for a while, but then another kid, probably about 14, passed us. At that point, Jakob picked up the pace and I could not keep up. Jakob ran all out at the end to catch the kid, but could not quite make it. Still, it was a new 5K record: 23:53! I came in four or five seconds behind him. Jakob beat me fair and square for the first time on a 5K. He won a medal for finishing third in his age group (and I won one for finishing third in my age group). On the way home, it started to snow.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008.

We ran the roamer again after dark, this time in an hour and eighteen minutes. The hardest part was Pine Hollow, a winding back road that goes down about 400 meters through a wooded area. At the end of Pine Hollow we double back and rejoin Tree Line. We did not talk as much this time. Jakob had his heart set on running an extra five kilometers, and I kept hoping he would be too tired for that by the time we got back to Shawnee, but he really was determined to keep going. I know he could have done it, but I still thought that we should wait a while before tackling that kind of distance. The roamer is already insane enough.

Sunday, November 9, 2008.

Beautiful gray autumn day, 47°. We ran the Shawnee Mile in 7:07. Actually, that was Jakob's time — I could not keep up today. But it was fairly close.

Saturday, November 8, 2008.

100m and 200m sprints at the track.

Monday, November 3, 2008.

I came home from work and Jakob had the idea doing of a roamer — you just put on your running shoes and start running, without any planned routes, distances or times. We ran and ran, and it got dark, and we kept running. We ended up following an extended version of our 6-mile route. We ran up Pine Hollow, around the Oak Street loop, over in Audobon circle, and so on. After 40 minutes, I was famished. But we kept going, and at one point I suggested that we make a bee-line for the house, but Jakob had not quite completed the mission that he had mapped out in his mind during the run. We kept going. Finally, after an hour and twenty-two minutes, we reached the corner of Gray and Shawnee, walking from there back to the house with rubbery legs. It felt great to warm up inside and eat!

Sunday, November 2, 2008.

A casual 1.5 miler, just to stretch and stay loose. Beautiful weather again. We ran down to the near end of Shawnee, then to the far end, then over to Central and back to Gray Street, but we tacked on an extra leg up to the end of Gray and back. We worked hard enough to heat up and breathe deeply, but not so hard that we could not talk along the way. Of course, we sprinted the last block. Jakob took an early lead, but I closed the gap right at the end and we crossed the finish line simultaneously.

Saturday, November 1, 2008.

Today we ran the Warrior Run 5K in Turbotville. It was cool, low 50s, perfect for running. The trail was a double loop that wound through some wooded areas and down the middle of a soy field, with a few mild hills. There were only about 30 runners. Jakob placed 11th, finishing in 24:39, his fourth best, and he placed second in the 14-and-under age group (the winner in that group looked like he was about 12 or 13).

Sunday, October 26, 2008.

We ran an extension of the Shawnee 5K which we estimate to be about 4.7 miles long. The course follows the 5K to the halfway point, but instead of turning back onto Cherry Hill from Treeline, we cut across to Highland and do the Oak Street loop. Then we take our usual route back to Gray Street, but from there we run down to the end of Shawnee and back up the hill again.

Saturday, October 25, 2008.

Good running weather &mdash about 50° with a drizzle. Jakob ran the Pumpkin Run in 24:24, his third best 5K time. His 2-mile split was 15:11. Alex was there and finished around 22:40.

Thursday, October 23, 2008.

I just got a call from Jakob at home. He ran the Shawnee Mile with Minna biking beside him in 6:48. That ties his record for this course, and is only one second off his mile PR on a flat course. This is great news, because we have been running sporadically for the last month or so, even though the Pumpkin Run is coming up. Looks like Jakob is ready.

Sunday, October 19, 2008.

Shawnee 5K at a casual pace. Crisp at 52°. We have a couple of full-pace workouts planned for the coming week, in preparation for the Pumpkin Run.

Saturday, October 11, 2008.

We were in NYC for the day, and Jakob and I ran two laps with Mike around the Central Park reservoir. That's exactly 5K. It's a fun, flat, packed-gravel path with hundreds of walkers and runners. Jakob weaved in and out of the crowds, forcing Mike and me to work hard to keep up. He finished the first lap in 12 minutes flat, a PR pace, although our pace dropped a bit on the second half. We finished in 25:15. Then we met Minna, Linda, Victoria and Mike's parents, and wandered around for a bit in the park. All three of us, the runners, felt it in our legs later in the day.

Sunday, October 5, 2008.

Shawnee 5K in 24:16! Jakob was at the end of Shawnee at 3:01 while I was still at the top of the hill. By the time I got down to the bottom, he was already turning onto Cherry Hill. I chased him for a long time, finally catching him on the final stretch, about 21 minutes into the run! We had just ascended the hill and he said that his legs felt destroyed, but he kept going, finishing strong and just 4 seconds behind his record.

Friday, October 3, 2008.

Dark and chilly. There are no street lights in the neighborhood, and most of the houses were dark, so the stars were bright. It began as a casual half miler, but we felt strong and decided to do the whole mile. Jakob said that he felt like he could run forever. On the way back we were mostly quiet. At Gray Street, with no words spoken, we both broke into a sprint. I could hear the frenzied barking of the two dogs in 105 as we passed, the only sound other than our own desperate breathing. After the run, we cooled down with a walk over to Light Street, the big dipper in plain view.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008.

It's now Pumpkin Run season. The race is in 24 days. We started training with an lightly paced Shawnee Mile, or at least it was supposed to be a light pace. It started out that way — I certainly felt sluggish and stiff, even though I had a great racquetball workout this morning. After about a quarter mile, Jakob forged ahead. We passed each other near the turn-around point, and then I finally caught up to him at about Gray Street. It turned into an all-out jet-lightning race, and this time I got him, finishing about a meter ahead of him. Both of us were out of breath for a good sixty seconds. We walked to Gray Street and back as a cool down.

Sunday, September 21, 2008.

We ran the Shawnee Mile. Jakob took an early lead, reversing direction at the turn-around point with 3:01 on the clock — I was still at the top of the hill. We exchanged a high-five as we passed each other. On the way back I steadily closed the gap, but it was too much: at Gray Street, Jakob was about five meters ahead, both of us sprinting all out, and he finished still two meters ahead, at 6:58. Yesterday, by the way, he and Minna biked 20 km.

Sunday, September 14, 2008.

We went to the track with Minna tonight. It was dark and windy. Minna cheered, Jakob ran and I was in charge of the stopwatch. He did some 100s and 200s, and then a few 40s on the football field.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008.

We went to the track at 8:30pm — pitch black outside. Jakob ran 100 meter sprints but was not satisfied with his times. I suggested trying the 400, which we had not done in a while, and that turned out to be a good idea. He shaved 3 seconds off his old record, crossing the line at 1:27.69.

Sunday, September 7, 2008.

We ran the Sawmill 4.5 Mile this afternoon in 39:48. That's an 8:51 mile pace. We passed a dead cat by the side of the road, and I swallowed a bug (accidentally), but otherwise the run was uneventful (but fun).

Wednesday, September 3, 2008.

Sprints at the track after sundown.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008.

Sprints at the track after dark. Jakob ran two 100m dashes in good time, 200m in 40.53 (PR) and then 200m in 38.69 (another PR!). We actually ran the 200 a third time, but I mishandled the watch — hit the wrong button, perhaps...not sure: it was dark.

Sunday, August 31, 2008.

Jakob and I hiked Mt. Minsi in the Delaware Water Gap with Mike. We ate lunch on a boulder next to a snake skin with a few turkey vultures floating around in the sky.

Friday, August 29, 2008.

Jakob is a man of iron: we ran the Shawnee 5K in 24:12, shattering his old record of 25:18! On a flat course, it would have been somewhere in the 23's. This was our first 5K together in quite a while. The Pumpkin Run is coming at the end of October.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008.

Jakob ran the Shawnee 5K with Minna.

Sunday, August 24, 2008.

Track workout as the football team practiced on the field. Jakob ran 100m in 17.5 seconds, shaving a quarter second off his record, and 400m in 1:30, also a record. We ran the 800 as well, finishing in 3:31.

Saturday, August 23, 2008.

We ran sprints at the track. Jakob ran 100m five times, his best at 17.75. That's a record. He also ran 200m in 41.75 seconds.

Friday, August 22, 2008.

Market Street races today! Jakob ran the half mile in 3:02, finishing fourth, which was disappointing for him. He had been targeting 2:50. But it was a good run. I ran the mile, finishing 3rd in my age group, in 6:01. We both won door prizes: Jakob picked up a pair of running shorts that might fit him after another 10 years or so, and I won a $50 gift certificate for a bar and grill.

Thursday, August 21, 2008.

Last workout before the Market Street races. We tried to run sprints at the track, which opened recently after a summer of construction, but band practice interfered. We waited for a while, gave up, drove home and ran our estimated 400m stretch of Shawnee. I took off way too fast, faded, and Jakob overtook me, eventually finishing about 2 or 3 seconds ahead. But it was dark and I accidentally reset the watch before I could see the time. No matter — we are ready for the race tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008.

Quarter mile sprint.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008.

Jakob ran his last half-mile before Friday's race, with Minna biking beside us. He was a bit disappointed in his 2:56 mark, but we can do some speed workouts tomorrow and the next day.

Sunday, August 17, 2008.

Jake ran a quarter mile sprint and then biked with me as I ran the Shawnee 5K. Yesterday he ran some short sprints and swam for a couple of hours.

Thursday, August 14, 2008.

Half mile in the dark in 2:53.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008.

Jakob ran a quarter-mile sprint in 1:28. The distance is approximate: from our mailbox down to the Henderson mailbox.

Sunday, August 10, 2008.

We raced against each other down to the end of Shawnee (1/2 mile). The lead changed three times, but I edged him out at the end by a mere 4 seconds. His time of 2:49 was his best ever on this course. We walked home in a light rain and sat on the swing for a while.

Friday, August 8, 2008.

Downhill half of the Shawnee mile in 2:53. I rode my bike beside him. Dark and a bit chilly, actually.

Thursday, August 7, 2008.

My cell went off on the way to class. It was Jakob, telling me that he ran the Shawnee Mile in 6:48. That's one second away from his best mile ever, on a flat course. Minna biked beside him and kept the time. That evening, at around 9pm, I told Jakob that it was time for his shower, but he wanted to run again. So I rode the bike as he ran the downhill half of the Shawnee Mile in 2:53. He cooled down by jogging back home. Shortly aftr that, I took the dog to the field and heard pounding footsteps approaching in the dark — Jakob out for a final sprint. When the animal concluded his business, Jakob ran back to the house.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008.

I am at the office as I write this. Just got a phone call from Jakob. He tells me that he just ran the downhill half of the Shawnee mile in 2:51 (a record). Minna biked beside him.

Monday, August 4, 2008.

Shawnee Mile. Minna cheered Jakob on at the finish line. He was well ahead of me.

Saturday, August 2, 2008.

Half mile by the river in 3:06.

Friday, August 1, 2008.

Shawnee Mile again, getting ready for the Market Street races in three weeks. I trailed Jakob for most of the run but caught him near Gray Street. He struggled furiously to keep me from overtaking him, but I somehow managed to open up a two-second lead. Jakob crossed the finish line at 6:54.

Thursday, July 31, 2008.

Shawnee Mile. We started fast, but on the way back Jakob developed stomach cramps so we slowed a bit. At Gray street, though, we raced as usual.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008.

Shawnee Mile. I overcame Jakob's early lead but could not pass him down the stretch. It was a tie.

Sunday, July 27, 2008.

We drove to Hamburg (PA) and hiked the Pinnacle, an 8-mile section of the Appalachian Trail that we discovered three years ago. We have talked about it several times since then, but this was our first return visit. Skies were cloudy at the outset, and there was continuous rolling thunder as we ascended, with just a few drops. But it started to rain in spurts about an hour before we reached the top, tapering off just in time for lunch on the pinnacle. On the way down, the rain started again and at one point we took shelter under a thick stand of trees, but the downpour was brief. We met a 61-year-old woman who was hiking the entire AT by herself. Jakob ran the last half mile, where the trail turned flat and smooth, but I had the backpack and so was content to walk.

Friday, July 25, 2008.

We ran the Shawnee Mile in the dark.

Sunday, July 13, 2008.

We ran the Shawnee Mile without timing it. Before starting, Jakob asked if we should run together or at our own paces, and I said that it would be fun to run together but that if he felt the urge to pick it up then he should not wait. He felt the urge. It was dark by the time we got back and I could not see him as he crossed the line, probably about 30 seconds ahead of me. To be fair, if I had stretched and warmed up then I could have run quite a bit faster, but it might not have been enough to close the gap.

Thursday, July 10, 2008.

Shawnee Mile in 6:52. We caught our breath watching fireflies in the backyard for a while.

Sunday, July 6, 2008.

Shawnee Mile. We did not time it. My legs felt like lead, but Jakob was in fine form. On the way back, with Jakob about 20 seconds ahead of me, our neighbors at the far end of the road were returning home and they pulled up even with me in the car and said, "He's beating you!"

Saturday, July 5, 2008.

We hiked Rickett's Glen with Minna in just two and a half hours. Jakob ran much of the last half mile, where the trail is relatively straight and not too rocky.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008.

Shawnee Mile. We did not time it, but it felt very fast.

Sunday, June 29, 2008.

The day before Jakob's ninth birthday, and we ran the river mile in 6:47, a new PR. Instead of walking around to cool down, we just sat on a bench by the river and chatted. An hour or so passed before we decided to go home.

Thursday, June 26, 2008.

Shawnee Mile in 7:21.

Saturday, June 21, 2008.

We started out for a 10K on a sunny afternoon, but Jakob's sugar dropped with just a third of a mile remaining. We stopped and had some glucose tablets and waited for Minna to pick us up. Our time was 56:53, so certainly we would have finished the 10K before the hour passed.

Thursday, June 19, 2008.

River mile in 6:50, a new PR!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008.

Jakob ran the river mile in 7:02 (which was faster than I could manage today). He was wearing his new Nike Air Pegasus shoes, which we picked up yesterday in NYC.

Saturday, June 14, 2008.

Long run today. We set out with the wooded trail that joins Papermill to the Shannon 5K in mind, but I could not recall exactly where the trail begins, so we just continued along Papermill (surprising several deer), into Lightstreet Village and then over to the Sawmill area. The whole thing took well over an hour. Minna picked us up and we retraced our route to check the distance: 5.9 miles. Slow pace, but we were just meandering, watching the sky as evening came on, and the cows by the side of the road.

Friday, June 13, 2008.

Speedwork on Upper Campus. We sprinted 5x200m (approximately) across the soccer fields, with a minute's rest between each, and then some 100m sprints.

Thursday, June 12, 2008.

Jakob ran a mile in 6:55 on our flat course by the river &mdash a new PR! He also ran 16 laps around the house again today.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008.

We measured a mile-long course by the river, an out-and-back starting at the town park. The road is straight and flat, and shaded by huge oaks. Jakob ran it in 7:19. Later in the day, he ran 16 laps around the house in 6:40. We also registered for the Market Street races in August.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008.

Jakob ran 4/5 of a mile (as measured by the odometer) near the town park, next to the river, in 5:38.

Saturday, June 7, 2008.

Today we ran the JesVic 5K in Watsontown. Our time was 25:23, just 5 seconds off last year's time. The last mile goes straight down Main Street, and quite a few spectators were incredulous that Jakob was running so hard and so far. Milling about after the race, I heard that many people ran slower this year, which was generally attributed to the humidity.

Friday, June 6, 2008.

Shawnee Mile, nice and easy, just to loosen up for tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008.

Jakob ran the Shawnee Mile in 7:13. We had discussed in the past how to handle the event of my not being at the finish line when he crosses it: assuming that I am not far behind, he will throw up his arm at the instant that he crosses the line so that I can, from behind, stop the timer. This was the first time when our protocol was actually needed — he lead the whole way, and I was about 10 seconds behind him at the end.

Monday, June 2, 2008.

Sunny and 81° at 6:30pm. We ran the Shawnee 5K in 25:34! Jakob maintained a lead all the way to the turnaround point, which we reached at 12:08. JesVic is just 5 days away, and it looks like Jakob is peaking at the right time &mdash just 16 seconds off a PR. When we were resting on the swing after the run, he observed that that an all-out run makes a person feel more energetic.

Sunday, June 1, 2008.

Beautiful morning. Jakob ran the Shawnee Mile with Mike in 7:32.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008.

Shawnee Mile in 7:16. We are gearing up for JesVic next Saturday.

Monday, May 26, 2008.

Shawnee Mile in 7:31.

Sunday, May 25, 2008.

Shawnee 5K in 27:52.

Thursday, May 22, 2008.

We returned to the Foothills Trail, and this time I carried lunch in my pack so we went a lot further. We hiked for about four hours. We also made plans to hike a longer stretch when we come back next year. This was our last day in North Carolina.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008.

After horseback riding for an hour, we hiked part of the Foothills Trail near Whitewater Falls. We loved the terrain: rocky, steep, dry. It descended to a boulder field along a river. We continued past that point for a while, crossing the river over a rickety wooden bridge and following the trail for another half hour, parallel to the river. We saw massive black gum trees — maybe 4 feet in diameter at the trunk, rising up 200 feet or so. Later that day, we played another hour or two of ping pong and then ran an easy lap around the track.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008.

We ran four laps around the quarter mile track at the recreation center in 7:44. Got rained out of a hike.

Monday, May 19, 2008.

We drove into Georgia to start today's hike, the Bartram Trail, which runs through North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. It was a relatively easy hike — a few long ascents but nothing overly taxing. Nice view from the top, where we had lunch with another hiker on a 75-mile hike, last fling after law school and before a new job. According to our GPS, we were at 4812 feet.

Sunday, May 18, 2008.

We are in North Carolina now. This morning, we went for a 40-minute run along the golf course, following the paths that golfers drive their carts over. Extreme hills! Green and peaceful. It was all I could do to resist running down the fairways. No one else was out at that hour — we had the whole place to ourselves. Later that afternoon we tried to drive into Georgia for a 4-mile hike, but we got rained out.

Thursday, May 15, 2008.

Shawnee 5K. Tomorrow morning we hit the road for hiking in North Carolina.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008.

The track is still inaccessible due to construction, so we ran one of the two loops that make up the BU Alumni 5K Open, and then a 100-yard-dash across a soccer field.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008.

Shawnee 5K. Hot — shirts off.

Sunday, May 11, 2008.

Shawnee Mile.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008.

Shawnee Mile before breakfast. Beautiful day.

Sunday, May 4, 2008.

We did the annual Sick 4.5 Mile Trail Run with the Shepards, our first time on that course. It is a winding and extremely hilly double loop on the Sick family farm in Millville. As far as I know, this is the only race with a rope at one point to help negotiate a steep and muddy ascent. The course starts with a brutally long and steep climb, and after that it was down and up, down and up — mostly up, it seemed. Jakob took off like a shot, and I really had trouble keeping up with him for the first 20 minutes. I do not know how he maintained that pace. Even on the sharp climbs, he did not stop running (as some people did). At one point the course veered out onto the road, past a water station. A girl handed Jakob a cup of cold water — a blessing. He gulped down half of it and poured the rest over his head. We had started so fast that of course we started to fade a bit, somewhere around the half-way point, where Alex caught up and passed us. But Jakob's determination did not waver. Later, after we reached another summit, Jakob confessed that his legs had started to feel rubbery. So had mine. Once we were back on the farm, there was still a final hill to conquer and then a long sloping descent past cows and chickens to the finish line. His time was 46:57. We both dropped to the ground and rested. Jakob downed two bottles of water, exhausted but in great spirits.

Saturday, May 3, 2008.

Jakob ran the Shawnee Mile by himself, and then we ran some sprints together.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008.

I returned at 9am from racquetball, needing to shower quickly and meet someone at 10, when Jakob proposed that we run the Shawnee Mile. No time for that, but I had an idea: after my shower he ran and I followed in the car. He finished in 7:37. Nice tune-up run.

Saturday, April 26, 2008.

We drove to the Delaware Water Gap and met Mike for a hike around Mt. Tammany. Twice Jakob fell and scraped his knees, but, as he says, at least they were different knees. The trail was rugged in spots, and interesting on the whole. Great views of the Delaware River. We saw curious pink flowers and fiddleheads, and also a 3-foot-long Black Racer snake. Mike tried to catch it and Jakob waded in to help, but the thing slithered away too quickly. Later some passers-by alerted us to a black bear with her cub, but we never saw them.

Monday, April 22, 2008.

We went to Town Park for an Agora gathering, and Jakob ran 3 laps around a gravel track, about a mile and a half total, with many sprints afterward.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008.

Shawnee Mile.

Sunday, April 13, 2008.

We went to the track but it was gated and locked because of construction on the football field. So we ran the first of the two loops that comprise the Alumni Open cross-country 5K, talked for a while as the sun set, and then did some interval training: a light jog across three soccer fields, a faster run back, repeated three times.

Sunday, April 6, 2008.

Shawnee Mile. Then we walked to Gray Street and sprinted back from 101.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008.

Shawnee Mile. We ran in shorts for the first time this year — 69°. Actually, we stopped briefly in the middle of the run to greet new neighbors who were moving in. Jakob was very professional in stepping forward to shake hands with their 8-year-old son. Then he took off again, and it took me a while to catch up. After the run, Jakob biked the Shawnee 5K as Minna walked the dog (and I tagged along).

Saturday, March 29, 2008.

We drove out to the rail trail near Mainville for a run in the woods — 30 minutes out to the turnaround point, not far from the tunnel (we think), and then back. Not sure of the total distance. 6 miles maybe? Walking from the trail to the car, Jakob challenged me to a race, uphill for about 50 meters.

Sunday, March 23, 2008.

Sunny, low 40s. Ridge Run. It felt chilly at first, but after the first mile we were overheating so we shed our hats and jackets, and dropped them in a field by the side of the road, to be picked up on the way back. Jakob wanted to do the loop twice, which would have made it a 10.6 mile run, but I eventually prevailed upon him to stick with the original plan. When we were running down the gravel lane from Ridge over to Fowlersville Road, Jakob, out of the blue, casually informed me that he was going to run ahead for a bit. The wide open fields must have inspired the idea. Later, on Fowlersville Road, he nearly stepped on a chipmunk.

Monday, March 10, 2008.

Jakob proposed that we return to our new Ridge Road 5.3 mile route, explaining that he felt especially energetic. My counter-proposal: Shawnee mile. He pondered that for a moment and then calmly and hopefully pointed out that his heart was especially set on the Ridge Road run. My own heart had not been set in that particular direction, but I warmed to the idea. We got ready and drove out there. As it happened, however, slightly over a mile into the run Jakob somehow tripped and fell and scraped his elbow. A little blood. We decided to walk back, which Jakob was not particularly happy about, but there were silver linings. First of all, before we started back, the sound of geese in the distance rose to a roar as thousands of them circled overhead. It was like a fractal, totally chaotic at first glance, but with little groups breaking off from the main group and weaving about in what came to look like sophisticated patterns. We could not really tell who was in charge, or where they were planning to go, but there seemed to be some internal logic driving the swarm. It was fun to watch for a while. That was one silver lining. Then instead of walking we decided to run back. Sometimes we would pick out a speed limit sign or a flag down the road and then sprint to it, slow down, sprint again, and so on. It turned out to be a nice little workout (silver lining #2), just shy of two miles, a good warm-up for longer runs later on.

Thursday, March 6, 2008.

Shawnee Mile today in 7:27. Jakob sprinted ahead early and I did not catch him until the 7:16 mark. We went for a walk afterwards but cut it short in order to make it to the Chess Club on time.

Monday, March 3, 2008.

It was beautiful outside today. Quite mild. It felt like the start of running season. I played 90 minutes of intense racquetball (got dusted by Curt), then drove home to pick up Jakob, and we headed out to our Sawmill 1.8 mile route. The countryside was so pleasant, however — the view and the fresh air and the gentle hills — that Jakob proposed a new plan early on: just roam. We went out further on Ridge Road than we ever had before. Clear view of the nuclear power plant smokestacks in Berwick. Several times I chose a landmark in the distance as our turnaround point, but each time we got there Jakob wanted to press on. Eventually we strayed off Ridge Road into unknown territory, although it was fairly easy to keep our bearings. We made a square loop back onto Ridge Road along a dirt and packed gravel lane, got barked at by a black dog named Bear (the owner yelled Bear! Get back here!), and along the way I started feeling a bit drained. I tried a few of Jakob's glucose tablets and eventually felt better, so we picked up the pace again. He said that he had not minded at all slowing down a bit for me. On we went. Conversation was lively, but I no longer remember exactly what we discussed. The sun went down and we ran the last mile or so in darkness. Of course, when it was all over we had to measure the length of our route in the car. It was 5.3 miles. I think that we are both ready for warm weather and long hikes in the mountains and evening runs.

Sunday, February 17, 2008.

Shawnee Mile. We both were in the house all weekend. It felt good to run.

Monday, February 4, 2008.

Shawnee Mile, dusk, cloudy, calm, 38°. Our sprint from Gray Street was a virtual tie, or as Jakob put it, we would have needed a nanosecond clock to determine the winner.

Sunday, February 3, 2008.

Jakob was hoping for another ice run, but it is sunny today and the track was completely dry. So he ran the usual 1-2-4-2-1.

Saturday, February 2, 2008.

Jakob ran a mile at the track — four laps plus an extra 9 meters. The stadium parking lot was completely iced over, so that one had to walk gingerly to avoid falling, and that was fine but the track was also iced over. I told Jakob that we had better call it off and try another day, but he insisted on running. I really thought that he would get a few meters, slip, crash, and call it quits. But he just kept going while I watched from the warmth of the car. He slid often but caught his balance. It was a decept pace, too — not a mere trot. After the second lap, I got out of the car and yelled out that (a) he was insane, and (b) he might as well run two more laps to make it a mile. He practically begged me to get out on the track too — he said he would do anything if I would join him — but I would have wiped out at his pace. Actually, he did slip and fall three times, but each time he popped right up and continued running.

Sunday, January 27, 2008.

Shawnee Mile today, sprinting from Gray Street as always.

January 16, 2008.

Our first track workout in a while. Jakob ran the 400 in 1:36.15, which is a fraction of a second better than his previous best at that distance.

Sunday, January 13, 2008.

Shawnee Mile in 7:11. That's A range. In fact, we ran the back half in 3:58, which was a new record for Jakob.

Saturday, January 12, 2008.

Shawnee Mile. Later when I took the dog to the field, Jakob tagged along and ran a few sprints.

Monday, January 7, 2008.

A quick track workout and then on the road to Washington. I wore shorts at the track— it was that warm. We could not find the watch so our sprints were untimed, but it seemed to me like Jakob was flying. He ran the 400 alone in the dark, and we ran a pair of 100s and a 200 together.

Sunday, January 6, 2008.

Shawnee Mile in the dark. We sprinted the last 100 meters, or maybe more, and I think Jakob edged me by a few centimeters. It was not too cold outside, so we just sat on the driveway for a while, listening to our own breathing.

Monday, December 31, 2007.

We ran the Bloomsburg YMCA New Year's Eve 5K. We had good splits — 7:40 for the first mile and 15:59 for the second. The course was flat but occasionally icy. We finished in 25:28. Pleasant way to close out the year.

Saturday, December 29, 2007.

6 miles! Our route was an extension of the Shawnee 5K with a fair number of hills. We measured the distance in the car yesterday. It was cold and cloudy today. We ran silently for long stretches, and at other times we talked about whatever popped into our minds. For example, we talked about how there is only one person in history who was a world-class mathematician and also a world-class runner. In 1948, Alan Turing ran a marathon just 11 minutes slower than the Olympic marathon winner that year. Anyway, at the end of this run there was a small crowd of spectators — Minna and Aino, waiting in the yard, cheering Jakob as a conquering hero.

Friday, December 28, 2007.

We ran just shy of 2 miles. We had mapped out a 6 mile course in the car earlier in the day, an extension of the Shawnee 5K, but we had to postpone that longer run until perhaps tomorrow.

Thursday, December 27, 2007.

Jakob ran the Shawnee Mile with Aino while Minna and I were in Lewisburg for lunch. He took the hill alone, but otherwise they completed the route together.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007.

We roamed for about two miles at a decent pace.

Monday, December 24, 2007.

Crisp, about 40°, and quiet outside. We embarked on the Shawnee Mile but decided en route to extend it past the finish line down to the near end of the road and back. I set a pace on that last leg, uphill, thinking that Jakob would find it hard to match. He was in "no mercy" mode, having responded to my initial request for a little that he would be providing none. So off I went. He did indeed fade at first, but then picked up his pace dramatically for the last 50 meters. We laughed as we crossed the finish line because it was just too close to declare a winner.

Saturday, December 22, 2007.

Shawnee 5K. Cold and cloudy.

Thursday, December 20, 2007.

Shawnee Mile with an audience &mdash Aino gave us ready-set-go and cheered for us on the return. As usual, the last 200 meters was a jet lightning sprint.

Saturday, December 15, 2007.

We warmed up by sledding five times from the mailbox down the side yard and diagonally across the back, over the property line and into the neighbor's yard at the bottom of the hill. Then we ran a Shawnee Mile. Dark and sub-zero. Our modest pace turned into a barn burner at the end, and Jakob managed to clear the finish line a half second ahead of me. We wandered over to Gray street, just cooling down, and I noticed that all of my afternoon drowsiness was gone.

Monday, December 10, 2007.

Shawnee Mile again. And again we decided to just run, without timing it.

Sunday, December 9, 2007.

Shawnee Mile. We did not time it — just went out on the spur of the moment for a quick and easy run.

Saturday, December 8, 2007.

We ran the Sawmill 2.7 for the first time in over a year. Upper 30s, but no wind, so the air had no real bite. We saw four flocks of geese. One of them had only six birds, but another must have had hundreds. All flying in perfect formation. I counted 13 birds in the third flock, but Jakob said it out loud a split second before I could manage it. I asked how he had counted so fast and he said that he had grouped them into threes. Interesting. I had been counting by twos... Anyway, it was a good solid peaceful run that ended just as the sun set. We sprinted at the end and then walked around for a while talking about everything and nothing.

Sunday, November 25, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:33.

Thursday, November 22, 2007.

Our third annual Thanksgiving Day run, this time the longest distance we have ever run, about 6 miles, out on the rail trail in Mainville — a packed-gravel mountain biking path that winds through quiet countryside, past a few farms, with a view of Route 339 at spots in the distance. It rained during the first quarter of the run. Minna and the dog drove out there with us and waited near the finish line. We ran for about 26 minutes and then turned back, completing the whole run in about 53 minutes. The path was lined with a thick carpet of oak and sycamore leaves, the latter still falling from the trees as we ran. We went through a rocky ravine with water trickling down the sides, echoing, and sometimes we talked, but mostly we were silent. Jakob got muddy and I got bloody, but just a little, from some minor scrapes on my legs. It was, said Jakob, a beautiful run.

Saturday, November 17, 2007.

And today Jakob ran the annual 1/2 mile for 3rd and 4th graders at the C.W. Heller Memorial Market Street Races again. He picked up some more hardware — a medal for 8th place (3:23). Alex was there too (6th place). By the way, this was the first race in which I did not tag along. I just waited at the finish line. Jakob told me there was a little jostling for position in the beginning but he kept his position (as a matter of instinct, he said).

Sunday, November 11, 2007.

We ran the Great American Smokeout 5K Race today (and also last year). It was a flat course that wound past the river. Plenty of people cheering for Jakob. And one of my students was a little ahead or a little behind the whole way, until the end when Jakob took the lead for good. We finished in 25:32, and Jakob won a medal for second place in his age group (14 and under). I also came away with a prize — a door prize (half dozen bagels from the bagel shop in town). We topped off the day with a few football tosses in the back yard and then raked the leaves into mammoth piles as the sun set. Maple leaves for the most part, red and yellow.

Thursday, November 8, 2007.

Shawnee 5K, untimed, after dark, and it was bitterly cold — in the 30s.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:29. Cold and windy. We passed Minna and the dog, the latter watching us with a visible sense of longing. Jakob and I were parallel the whole way, breathing hard, except for the last three meters when he kicked it into extra high gear, purely for the pleasure of beating me.

Sunday, November 4, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:25, and an hour later we went mountain biking with Erik.

Saturday, October 27, 2007.

We woke up to a cold rain, so we did not go to the Pumpkin Run. Same thing happened last year. But we went to the track in the evening and ran the usual distances. Then Jakob challenged me to a 100-yard race on the football field. It was close...

Tuesday, October 23, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:09. Light rain. Jakob's time on the second (uphill) half was 3:55, which I believe is his fastest ever.

Sunday, October 21, 2007.

Shawnee 5K in 26:23. Six days to the Pumpkin Run.

Thursday, October 18, 2007.

Shawnee 5K. Jakob got a sharp muscle cramp when we turned onto Treeline, so we slowed down to a moderate pace. It was a relaxing run and a good little workout. At the end, Jakob kept running, down to the woods at the end of the road and back, twice.

Sunday, October 14, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:07.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007.

Time to start running a few 5Ks — the Pumpkin Run is coming soon. We ran the Shawnee 5K tonight, and for the second time in a row Jakob crossed the finish line at the 25:18 mark, again tying the record he set in June. That's three of the last four runs, on two different courses, in exactly 25:18.

Monday, October 8, 2007.

Another track workout. Jakob tied his 200m record, and the rest of the runs were not bad either. We concluded with what seems to have become a tradition: I line up at the goal post on the football field, and Jakob lines up at the 50-yard line; then I try to get to the other goal post before he can make it across the width of the field and back.

Monday, October 1, 2007.

We ran at the track tonight and set a new 200m record: 41 seconds.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007.

Shawnee Mile again. Jakob took off like jet lightning, as he usually does. But this time, for the first time ever, he sustained his lead for the entire run. I tried to close the gap, and got close in the end. Jakob finished in 7:12 and I was about three seconds behind. Fortunately we had previously worked out a timing protocol in the event that I should find myself trailing him at the end — I have my finger on the stopwatch as he nears the line, and he signals the exact moment of the crossing by raising his arm.

Monday, September 24, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:06. Jakob reached the turn-around point in 3:02. Minna cheered at the finish line, and Karl watched sadly from the window.

Sunday, September 23, 2007.

Jakob and I hiked Hawk Mountain. We started on the River of Rocks trail and picked up the Golden Eagle trail, which rises 800 feet over a fairly short distance. Our hearts were pounding in our chests, although we handled it with no problem. We eventually got to the Skyline trail and then hiked it back to the North Lookout, scrambling up and over massive boulders along the way.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:14.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:24. Today we ran first thing in the morning, and it was our first run of the season wearing sweatshirts. It was chilly (43°) but we warmed up quickly.

Friday, September 14, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:21. Jakob took the lead after a minute or so, and it was not until the 5:19 point that I finally caught up to him. We sat on the deck for a while after the run, and then he ran another lap around the house before we went inside for the night.

September 8, 2007.

Today we ran the Bloomsburg University Alumni Open Cross Country 5K. Minna filmed most of the race. It was brutally hot and humid, and I grew a bit worried about Jakob during the run, but he insisted that he was fine (allowing, however, for a ruinous thirst). We finished in 29:39, and I think that from now on we will wait until autumn for the 5K races, focusing on mile runs or shorter in the summer. When we got home after the race today, we showered and then lay on the bed reading as a thunderstorm rolled in. It must have been a taxing run, because Jakob fell asleep — he never does that during daylight hours. Although later that day, he came with me when I took Karl for a walk and past the field decided that he wanted to run (literally) home, about a third of a mile away. As far as I could tell, he ran full speed.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:13. Again, third time in a row, Jakob beat me to the turn-around point. I caught up to him at around the 5-minute mark. Minna and Karl were at the finish line. One cheered and the other chewed his leash with excitement.

Monday, September 3, 2007.

Papermill 2-mile in 16:12. Last run before the start of third grade (tomorrow).

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Track workout today. Jakob ran the 400 in 1:36, a new PR. We also ran 100m and 200m, twice each, in decent times.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:10.

Sunday, August 26, 2007.

Shawnee 5K in 25:18. It was our first 5K since June, and the time today tied his record.

Friday, August 24, 2007.

Jakob ran the Market Street Half Mile (for age 10 and under) in 3:10. He was in high spirits after the race, and proposed beginning to train on Sunday for 5K races in the fall. First one up is the Alumni Open (2 weeks from now).

Wednesday, August 22, 2007.

Four runs at the track, three new records. Cheerleaders were practicing, so Jakob had an audience. He ran the 100 in 18.43 seconds, 200m in 42.97 seconds, and 800m in 3:27. Day after tomorrow is the Market Street Half Mile, and his goal of 3:15 seems quite possible at this point (the course runs slightly downhill).

Sunday, August 19, 2007.

We hiked the Canyon Vista Trail at World's End State Park. Lots of Black Gum and Wild Cherry trees. It was the kind of terrain that we both like — rocky and hilly, a carpet of yellow leaves. It rained much of the time, but only lightly, and the canopy was thick enough to keep us try.

Saturday, August 18, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:04! Jakob will soon break into the 6's. We reached the turn-around point in record time, 3:04; at that point Jakob was several strides ahead of me, and he called back to point out that last year's Market Street Half-Mile winner (age 10 and under) finished in 3:05.

Friday, August 17, 2007.

We ran 100m sprints and 800m at the track today. Jakob's 800 time was 3:30 (better by four seconds than his previous record). The Market Street Half-Mile Race is one week from today...

Tuesday, August 14, 2007.

We ran the Papermill 2-mile, a winding packed-gravel country road with some mild hills and one steep one. We had originally planned it to be a light untimed run, but Jakob told me that he has felt full of extra energy since his 18 second 100m sprint the other day. So we timed it, and ran it hard. The boy took off like a shot and I really could not catch him. He eventually built a 50-meter lead...around some of the curves I could no longer see him. Finally, near the turn-around point, I started to gain. He made it there in 7:39. I caught up to him after another quarter mile or so, on a steep climb where my longer legs proved to be an advantage. Thereafter, it was a test, a genuine competition: he overtook me, I overtook him, and so on. On the long straight-away at the end I finally found a rhythm and took a lasting lead, but a very short one. We passed the birch tree marking the finish line together, at 15:53.

Saturday, August 11, 2007.

We ran the Shawnee Mile in 7:09, shattering Jakob's old record of 7:31! For much of the first half, he stayed a few paces ahead and I was barely able to match his pace. We got to the turn-around point at 3:13 and already we both could tell that this one would be special.

Friday, August 10, 2007.

Today we worked out at the track. Jakob ran a fast 100m, close to his record of 19.32 seconds. Then he improved his previous 800m record by a second, to 3:34. Finally, another 100m sprint, this time in 18.57 seconds, best ever. We were walking to the car when Jakob announced that he felt like he "just got a sudden burst of energy", so we did another 100m (18.94 seconds), and another (18.97 seconds), and then one more (19.37 seconds).

Sunday, August 5, 2007.

I was sealing the driveway this afternoon, and Jakob came outside to do some laps around the house. First two laps, and then ten. He estimated that each lap is about a hundred meters, and announced that he would run 50 laps. I thought about this for a moment, but before I could say anything he put his hands on his hips and said, "I am determined to do it." Ok. He ran inside to fetch a stopwatch and came back out ready for business. I counted out each lap as he passed, and 24 minutes and 54 seconds later he completed the 50th. Minna gave him cold water with lemon juice to cool down.

Saturday, August 4, 2007.

Two fast 100m sprints at the track, and 800m in 3:35 — a new PR.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:38.

Sunday, July 29, 2007.

Another track workout. Thunder, but no rain.

Friday, July 27, 2007.

We worked out at the track today.

Monday, July 23, 2007.

It was nearly dark, but we wanted to squeeze in a run. So we ran about a mile and a quarter, untimed, mostly along Shawnee but with a couple of detours, quite slowly except for a sprint near the beginning and one at the end.

Saturday, July 21, 2007.

Interval training at the track. Then we tried running 100m backwards, just to see what it was like. Next, Jakob ran a fast 100m, second-best ever, a fraction of a second from his record. Finally, an innovation: a race on the field, with Jakob running from one side to the other and back, and me going end to end. He won, but it was close.

Thursday, July 19, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:48.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007.

We rose at 5:15am for a long bike ride before breakfast, as we sometimes do, and this evening we ran the Shawnee Mile in 7:47.

Sunday, July 15, 2007.

Interval training at the track: 400m, first half at a light pace and the second half at full speed, three times in a row. Jakob then shaved nearly half a second off his old 100m record, down to 19:32. As of today, the world's fastest 100m sprinter (9.77) takes more than half the time that Jakob takes.

Saturday, July 14, 2007.

We hiked Rickett's Glen today, stopping as usual at the Midpoint Crevice for water and a Clif bar. And later in the evening, shortly before bedtime, we went biking, as we often do in the summer. Minna came, too. Our route is 4 or 5 miles long.

Friday, July 13, 2007.

Today we worked out at the track. Had to fight a stiff breeze, and it was our first run in 11 days. But still, we had a good time and made our hearts beat fast. Starting to think about the Market Street Half Mile race at the end of August...

Monday, July 2, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:39.

Sunday, July 1, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:40.

Friday, June 29, 2007.

Jakob's last workout as a 7-year-old. We ran sprints at the track. He had a couple of second-best-evers, and one new record: 200m in 43.84 seconds.

Monday, June 25, 2007.

Easy, untimed Shawnee Mile, sprinting at the end.

Friday, June 22, 2007.

We needed some exercise first thing in the morning, since we would be in the car all day on the trip home. So we ended our vacation in style with a final fox runrun.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007.

This time we hiked the Hickory Nut Falls trail at Chimney Rock Park. After lunch we went swimming.

Monday, June 18, 2007

First thing in the morning, out on Fox Run road, we went for an innocent sounding 9/10 mile out-and-back, our inaugural Fox Run run, or fox runrun as we like to call it. But factor in the North Carolina hills and you have a brief but quite intense workout. We are spending the week at Fairfield Mountain Resort with my parents. Minna is home with the dog, enjoying her vacation every bit as much as we are enjoying ours. Today we (Jakob and I) hiked the Skyline-Cliff loop at Chimney Rock Park near the town of Lake Lure. It was a bit more civilized than we are used to, but at the same time the views were spectacular and the trail pleasingly rugged. We picked up the trail at the top of Chimney Rock itself, the ascent to which was advertised as requiring 20 minutes (but exactly 5:02 for us). Some non-climbing couch-potato turists were up there too, thanks to an elevator whose shaft was blasted out of the center of the mountain.

Saturday, June 16, 2007.

We ran the JesVic Watsontown 5K today and Jakob's time was a new personal record: 25:18! There was a brutal 400m hill beginning right after the first mile, at which point he had arrived in 7:04. After the race we drove home for lunch, loaded up the car and took off for our hiking trip to North Carolina.

Friday, June 15, 2007.

Jakob shaved off a tenth of a second from his previous 100m record at the track today. That record now stands at 19.81 seconds. He also ran each of the other usual distances in record time: 200m in 45.35 seconds, 400m in 1:39, and 800m in 3:39.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007.

Shawnee 5K in...26:36!

Sunday, June 10, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:36.

Thursday, June 7, 2007.

Shawnee 5K in 27:22. We relaxed afterward on the deck with water and the dog.

Monday, June 4, 2007.

We walked down to the end of Shawnee and ran back (half mile, mostly uphill, in 3:59).

Saturday, June 2, 2007.

We hiked the Falls Trail at Ricketts Glen. Probably our favorite hike. 7.6 miles with lots of steep rocky ascents, roaring waterfalls, and massive towering trees.

Thursday, May 31, 2007.

Unplanned workout. We went for a walk before bedtime, down to the end of Shawnee Road and beyond. On the way back, turning onto Shawnee, Jakob started to run. When I saw that he was not going to stop, I sighed and started running to catch up, and which point we continued together the whole way home, not too fast, really just jogging, until the last 50 meters or so when Jakob broke into a sprint. A long walk and a casual half-mile run, very relaxing.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007.

I had thought we would take a day or two off, but Jakob wanted to run the Shawnee 5K. We waited until the end of the day, when it had cooled down a bit. The moon was out. This was a great run and a new record for this course — 27 minutes flat. That is more than a minute faster than his previous record, set only a few weeks ago.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Shawnee Mile in 7:31, a new record by 4 seconds, which we celebrated by way of a fierce water balloon battle in the backyard.

Sunday, May 27, 2007.

Back to Big Pocono State Park today. We hiked Indian Trail, ate lunch, and then hiked the North Trail, which was steep and rocky at points. Jakob declared it to be one of our best hikes ever. We continued to work on the periodic table along the way. He has it all burned into his brain, including atomic masses up to Krypton. I cannot do all that, but at least I was able to rattle off the elements up to Fermium (atomic number 100). Just 15 more elements to go... We met a couple of girls with two Labrador Retrievers on the trail, and we passed a large group of campers on the final hill, but otherwise it was fairly quiet.

Friday, May 25, 2007.

We drove out to Watsontown to scope out the course for next month's 5K. It is flat except for a single hill at the mile point, 400m to the top and then 200m back down. We walked most of the course and ran a few sprints along the way, or ran lightly from one block to the next down the sidewalk on Main street.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007.

The track brought to mind the opening of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, which begins "On the third day of rain they had killed so many crabs inside the house that Pelayo had to cross his drenched courtyard and throw them into the sea", but instead of crabs it was caterpillars. More per cubic inch than I had ever seen before. At first I tried to walk gingerly, but eventually gave up on that. Anyway, we had some splendid runs and some new records. Jakob ran the 400 in 1:42 (actually, twice in a row!) and we finished with a series of 100m sprints, each of which was a fraction of a second off his previous best; more significantly, he finally broke into the teens — 19.91 seconds!

Monday, May 21, 2007.

Last night Jakob announced that he wanted to run the Shawnee 5K. It was too late for that, but I promised that we would do it the next day. When I picked him up after school, it was still on his mind. The Shawnee 5K has some steep hills, and I was all for taking it lightly since it was our first 5K of the year. But Jakob set the pace and we finished in 28:03, shaving 83 seconds off his old record.

Saturday, May 19, 2007.

Mike and Linda are visiting. We ran the Shawnee Mile with Mike in 7:42.

Friday, May 18, 2007.

We ran the uphill half of the Shawnee Mile. On the walk down, we identified mailboxes that marked where we wanted to be at each minute's passing. That was a helpful technique — we finished in 3:50!

Saturday, May 12, 2007.

An experiment: we woke up feeling fresh and went for a run before breakfast. This worked nicely. We did the Shawnee Mile in 7:39 — only four seconds off his record. We reached the turnaround point at 3:30, completing the mostly uphill return trip in 4:09.

Thursday, May 10, 2007.

I just meant to close my eyes for a moment on the sofa but somehow fell fast asleep. Jakob woke me up, with apologies, reminding me that we had talked this morning about running after work today. Well, night was coming on and it was raining, but this did not seem to concern him overly much. So off we went. Something new: we walked down to the far end of Shawnee Road and then ran back. The return trip is the one with the steep uphill. Finished in 4:09. The rain was refreshing, actually.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007.

Track workout. It was windy, but Jakob ran the 400 in 1:45, and had some other solid runs as well.

Monday, May 7, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 8:03.

Sunday, May 6, 2007.

We hiked the South Trail at Big Pocono State Park. Jakob had hoped that the trail would have some boulders to climb over, but it was a good hike with some decent ascents. We talked about our plans to hike the entire Appalachian Trial someday, and perhaps part of the Rocky Mountains. As for Big Pocono State Park, the plan is to return and try the North and Indian Trails, both of which are supposedly a bit more rugged. We saw a black and white warbler on the trail today, and caught glimpses of what were probably other warblers. Along the way, we quizzed each other on the elements: Jakob can rattle them off up in order of atomic number, up to neodymium (60). He coached me with gentle hints until I had mastered it up to rhodium (45).

Saturday, May 5, 2007.

Shawnee Mile, late in the afternoon, still a bit tired probably from biking earlier in the day, but it was a decent workout, and we made plans afterward to go hiking tomorrow.

Monday, April 30, 2007.

We ran the Papermill 2-mile in 17:04.

Sunday, April 29, 2007.

Track workout. Minna came to watch. We ran 1-2-4-8-4-2-1 (x 100m) and then a few sprints on the football field.

Thursday, April 26, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:52. We walked to the field to cool down, reciting the first twenty elements in atomic-number order.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:59. Minna cheered us on at the finish line. We rested for a while, and then tossed the football around in the front yard.

Sunday, April 22, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 8:03. We passed Minna and the dog. Nearly 80° today. After the run, we tossed around the football for a while.

Sunday, April 15, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 8:02. Snow is on the way tonight.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007.

First track workout of the year, at dusk, still warm outside. Two new records right away: 100m in 20.28 seconds and 200m in 45.56. Then we did the 400, and he was only 3/4 of a second off his record. After a few more short runs, we finished with a hundred-yard-dash on the football field. By then it was dark, so we sat in the bleachers and talked about running and hiking and constellations.

Sunday, March 25, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 8:00. First run of the year in shorts!

Monday, March 12, 2007.

Shawnee Mile. Another tune-up.

Sunday, March 11, 2007.

Sunny and warm — upper 40s. It feels like spring, and this was our first run of the season. We ran the Shawnee Mile. I imagined something like 8:30, since we have not been training over the winter, except for a few tune-ups. Jakob predicted 8:10. He took off like a rocket, but I did not think he would be able to maintain that pace. We got to the turn-around point at 3:25 (4 seconds slower than his record), and we finished in 7:51. We are both excited about the new season. Jakob is determined to break 7 minutes on the Shawnee mile, which on a flat course I think would be something like 6:30. And his goal for the 5K this year is 23 minutes. All of these times are, for a 7-year-old, unbelievable.

Friday, March 9, 2007.

Another tune-up: Shawnee mile, leisurely pace. We did not bother to time it.

Sunday, March 4, 2007.

Shawnee mile. We are not timing ourselves in the winter. Just going out to loosen up and keep in decent running shape. But still, it was a pretty good run. We both enjoyed it.

Sunday, February 25, 2007.

28 ° outside, but clear and somehow mild. We decided to try the Papermill 2-Mile, but when we got there we found that it was it was completely iced over. So we drove to the Sawmill loop, and measured out a nice 1.8 mile out-and-back. Snow started to fall midway through. It was good to run again.

Monday, January 8, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:56. Actually, he got to the turnaround point in record time — 3:21.

Thursday, January 4, 2007.

We worked out at the track today, for the first time in quite a while. Jakob ran several 100m dashes, but his main focus was on the 800, which he finished in 3:52 (new PR). He also had a good 200 and 400 run, and we did a couple of 40-yard-dashes on the football field before heading home.

Monday, January 1, 2007.

Shawnee Mile in 7:35, shattering his old record of 7:50! He got to the turnaround point in record time as well — 3:23 (the return trip is mostly uphill — were it flat then I think he would be running a sub-seven-minute mile). All that disappointment from last night was powerful fuel, it seems.

Sunday, December 31, 2006.

We started the annual New Year's Eve 5K in Bloomsburg, our first race at night, and Jakob ran heroically but after a mile he got intense cramps, and we had to stop. He was so disappointed. By the time he recovered it was too late — we walked back to find Minna at the starting line. In the car, Jakob said that he was going to run the Shawnee Mile as soon as we got home. Pure determination in his voice. So we ran at home. Before I could even get out of the car he was already at the top of the driveway, ready to go. It was very dark — no street lights on Shawnee Road. Our time was 8:14, about which he was again dejected. We talked for a while about that, and I promised that we would look for some road races in January. He had wanted to close out the year with an explosive run, I think. But that will come. There will be fireworks.

Saturday, December 30, 2006.

Last Shawnee Mile of the year. We ran it in 8:06. Jakob was disappointed, but I think it was a good solid run. He is excited about breaking 7:45, and plans thereafter to work on half miles for a while, and perhaps a few 5Ks over the winter.

Sunday, December 24, 2006.

Shawnee Mile in 7:55! We were at the turnaround point in 3:29, but the way back is almost all uphill. It was a good hard run.

Saturday, December 23, 2006.

We ran the Shawnee 5k for the first time in a while. Christmas lights were coming on just as we got to the end of Cherry Hill. We finished in 28:34, a record for Jakob on this course.

Thursday, December 21, 2006.

Shawnee Mile again, 8:05 again. It was dark and the air was crisp. We sat on the driveway after the run, just chatting for a while.

Sunday, December 10, 2006.

Shawnee Mile in 8:05.

Sunday, December 3, 2006.

Shawnee Mile at dusk, full moon, cold and clear. Jakob got to the turnaround point in record time, 3:25, and finished the whole thing in 7:50, which is also a new record.

Sunday, November 26, 2006.

We hiked the 4-mile Oak Loop Trail at Locust Lake State Park again. Minna came, and Alexandra too. Jakob led the expedition, keeping a sharp eye out for the trail markers. He found his own paths across the streams, jumping from rock to rock.

Friday, November 24, 2006.

It felt strangely like spring outside. We put on shorts and drove to Mifflinville, just to try something new. I like the quiet neighborhoods there with their quiet roads. There were wheat fields and cozy lawns, I-80 in the distance, and even a circling hawk to complete the picture. We measured out a 3.3 mile loop, twice around a square of streets, and Jakob finished in 30:30. This was our first run together further than 5 kilometers.

Thursday, November 23, 2006.

Our annual Thanksgiving Day run. We did the Shawnee Mile again, without even timing it, but even at a relaxed pace it is a nice hill workout. Last time was soft and snowy — this time just cold and drizzly.

Saturday, November 18, 2006.

Today the C. W. Heller Memorial Market Street Races took place. There was a half-mile run for first and second graders. Jakob placed 5th out of 57 runners, finishing in 3:50. For that, he received a medal and ribbon.

Sunday, November 12, 2006.

Rain in the morning and puffy gray skies all afternoon. It was 5º C at racetime. It was the 2nd annual Great American Smokeout 5K. Alexandra and Robin came to watch. It was a flat out-and-back. The road ran parallel to the Susquehanna river most of the way. Jakob's one mile split was 7:30, and he finished with a new PR — 25:31!

Wednesday, November 8, 2006.

Shawnee Mile in 7:58.

Monday, November 6, 2006.

Dusk. Shawnee Mile in 7:55!

Saturday, November 4, 2006.

Jakob, Mike, and I ran around the resevoir in Central Park, a 1.5 mile flat track on packed gravel. Hundreds of people. His time was 14:22, a slower pace than usual, but that always happens on a new route. On Sunday we had a few sprints on the streets of Manhattan, coming back from the Museum of Natural History, and later in the day we walked across the park to 5th Avenue and watched the New York Marathon for about half an hour. Tens of thousands of people. Jakob said that he plans to increase his training runs 5 miles every year until he is up to marathon distances. And I promised to run his first marathon with him.

Monday, October 30, 2006.

Track workout today. We ran sprints until it was too dark to see. Jakob smashed his old 400m PR — it was 1:50 and today he ran it in 1:45. We also had a nice hundred yard dash on the football field (20 seconds).

Saturday, October 28, 2006.

It was cold and rainy this morning, so we had to skip the Pumpkin Run. Disappointing. But we have our eye on a race in Berwick later in November, a half-mile run for kids and then a 5K for all. And this afternoon we ran the Shawnee Mile in 8:01.

Thursday, October 26, 2006.

Papermill 2-Mile again. Last workout before the Pumpkin Run.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006.

Shawnee Mile in 7:59.

Sunday, October 22, 2006.

We measured a new two-mile course on Papermill Road today. It is slightly hilly in spots, but also has long level stretches. The road winds through forest and field, through nowhere really, an unused road, mostly packed gravel, leading eventually to Lightstreet Village, which is our turnaround point. I think it is our most beautiful course. The last quarter mile is a straight shot with cornfields on either side and lots of crows watching and, it seems, thinking. We start and finish at a small commercial mine of some kind. Minna ran with us today. It rained lightly. Jakob's time: 16:51.

Thursday, October 19, 2006.

Another phone call at the office. Jakob and Minna ran the Shawnee Mile again, and this time he broke the 8 minute barrier — 7:58.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006.

We went to the track today. He had solid times on the 100, 400, and 800. Then he ran another 400 in 1:50, 200 in 47 seconds, and 100 in 21 seconds flat. Those are PRs.

Monday, October 16, 2006.

Jakob called me at work with news: he and Minna ran the Shawnee Mile in 8 minutes flat!

Saturday, October 14, 2006.

Shawnee Mile in 8:18. We were both bundled up — it was cold.

Friday, October 13, 2006.

Shawnee 5K in the cold. A new record for that course — 29:26.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006.

Shawnee Mile at dusk in 8:07.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006.

Shawnee Mile in 8:06! He shaved 13 seconds off the old record. Take away the hills and I think it would be something like a 7:15 mile.

Sunday, October 8, 2006.

Shawnee Mile in 8:21.

Saturday, October 7, 2006.

Minna and I ran the 1st annual Berwick Health Alliance 5K with Jakob today. It was cold, but Jakob's recent 30:54 on the Shawnee 5K gave me hope that he might break 30 minutes on a flat course. Dozens of racers passed us in the beginning, but we kept a steady pace and after about ten minutes started moving past some other runners. Each time we would pick out our next target, in code, like "blue shirt white hat". Some of those runners eventually tried to retake the lead, and when they got close Jakob picked it up a notch. I think one of them eventually did overtake him, but only one. Did he break 30 minutes? Yes, and this sounds hard to believe, but: 26:50!

Thursday, October 5, 2006.

I was mowing the lawn and Jakob said that he wanted to train. It was chilly, and almost dark, but we decided to do the Shawnee Mile anyway. When he was dressed and we finally started, a bright full moon was high in the sky. We finished in 8:23.

Monday, October 2, 2006.

Jakob and I had one of our most intense track workouts ever. We began, as usual, with a 100m sprint. He finished in 21.53 seconds, just 47/100 of a second off his best. Then we did 200m, 400m, and 800m — each within seconds of his best. And then another 100m. Here an interesting thing happened. Instead of calling it a day as originally planned, I guess he felt that he was so close to a new 100m PR that he wanted to try again. This time, his third, was close but not quite a PR. So he tried again. And again. And again. And again. In fact, he ran seven 100m sprints in a row, with a range of times from 21.53 to 21.90. Amazing that all seven runs were within a half second of each other! After that last one he was, I suppose, convinced that the record was not going to fall today. Oh well, time to go home. But wait, he wanted to try a 300m run, something new. His goal was 1:25, and we did it in 1:23.66. Ok, time to go home. But wait, he wanted to try a couple of 40-yard dashes on the football field. And then he was finally ready to head home (except that he wanted to race to the car — which was a tie). When we did get home, he timed me on the Shawnee mile, cheering wildly as I neared the finish line and bringing me a glass of water as I cooled down afterwards.

Sunday, October 1, 2006.

Shawnee Mile in 8:21. Then I ran it alone and Jakob timed me. When it was over, Jakob brought me a glass of water. We sat on the driveway for a while, just talking. I was ready for lunch, but Jakob wanted me to time him on a few laps around the house before we went inside.

Friday, September 29, 2006.

It was dark, but Jakob wanted to go to the track. The moon was out, and there was a little extra light from the tennis courts. It is the last night before his grandmother returns to Finland. He ran 100m in 21.06 seconds, a new PR, and then 400m in 1:53, which was less than a second off his best. We also ran 800m and then 400m and 100m again, all of them fast.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006.

Shawnee Mile in 8:29.

Saturday, September 23, 2006.

Shawnee Mile in 8:32.

Friday, September 22, 2006.

We went to the track and Jakob ran like a cheetah. His warm-up 100m was nearly a PR. We ran 800m in 3:59 and then 400m in 1:51.44, which is a new PR by 44/100 of a second. We ran another 100m and also 200m. Then we went onto the football field and I timed Jakob on a few 40 yard dashes. By then it was completely dark.

Sunday, September 17, 2006.

Good news and bad news. The bad news first: Jakob has been fighting a cold for nearly a week, and he was in no condition to run the Alumni Open 5K yesterday. It would have been fun, and we had been thinking about that race all summer long. Now the good news: today we ran the Shawnee Mile again... His grandmother is here, and she timed us...I keep thinking that Jakob has peaked, but again I was surprised...he had not had any serious workout for over a week because of the cold...and his time was — 8:19. On a flat course he would definitely have broken the 8 minute barrier.

Saturday, September 9, 2006.

Jakob wanted to run the Sawmill 2.7, which we have not done in a while. It was nearly dusk, and we saw a few lightning flashes over the cornfields. 29:06, which is easily a new personal record.

Friday, September 8, 2006.

Good runs at the track. 100m several times, 200m, 400m (in 1:51.87, a new PR), 800m, and a 40 yard dash to top it off.

Wednesday, September 6, 2006.

We ran the Shawnee 5K at dusk. The moon was full — almost a harvest moon. 31:01.

Tuesday, September 5, 2006.

Just one day out of the hospital, and I thought Jakob would feel a bit rusty when he told me that he wanted to train tonight. He has been through so much lately. We did the Shawnee Mile, and shortly into it I could tell that something was different. This one was really special. His old PR was 9:21, and I had thought he would stay there for a while, but tonight — 8:44. He inspires me.

Sunday, August 27, 2006.

Heavy rain all day long. To tell the truth, I really did not feel like going out in it, but Jake was practically pining for a run in the rain. So...we did the Shawnee 5K, and after half a minute it felt great to be out there. Absolutely beautiful pure rainy gray day. Down Shawnee road, along Sleepy Hollow, up Cherry Hill and down Treeline, to the halfway point in record time — 15:08. I kept stealing glances at him, his black shorts and neon green running shirt plastered against his skin by the rain, wiping the water out of his eyes, focused on the road ahead, no cares and no worries, just running, as if the road was the only thing in the world. Back on Shawnee, at the top of the hill with the finish line still distant but finally in sight, his old PR of 32:14 (set on a flat course last year) was clearly in danger. We finished in 30:54. We dried off in the garage, and Minna had baked apple crisp for us, too!

Friday, August 25, 2006.

We watched Market Street Mile from the finish line. The winner came in at about 4:30. Then we headed to the starting line for the Half Mile. There were about 16 kids (10 and under). Parents were allowed to run with their kids, so I ran right behind Jake. Some of the kids were really fast. Jake kept up a great pace. You could read the sheer focus and determination on his face. And what was his finishing time? Remember, he had recently run 800m (which is 4.5 meters shy of a half mile) in 4:02, and his goal since June was to break 4 minutes. What was his time tonight? THREE MINUTES AND 39.65 SECONDS!

Wednesday, August 23, 2006.

We ran 200m in 50.88 seconds, some 100m sprints, and then a few 40 yard dashes on the football field. His best 40 time was 7.96 seconds, and if he could only shave off three and a half seconds then he would look like an elite NFL wide receiver. We also ran a few 100 yard dashes. Ready for Friday's race...

Monday, August 21, 2006.

Jake is primed and ready to go! First, as a warm-up, he ran a 100 in 25 seconds. Then we ran the 800. Jake kept a fast pace from the very beginning, and we finished the run in 4:02, which smashes his old record of 4:07 from last year. Then, after resting for about two minutes, we ran the 400, and it was another record: 1:52.28, which is 6/100 of a second faster than his old record. Next we ran another 100, finishing in 21.94, which comes within 31/100 of a second of his record. We wrapped things up with a couple of dashes up the bleachers. Then we went to buy strawberries to make a smoothie at home.

Saturday, August 19, 2006.

Madeleine is visiting, so she and Minna timed us on the Shawnee Mile. Great run — 9:22!

Friday, August 18, 2006.

We went to the track this evening and Jake ran the 800 in 4:23. Then he ran 400m and a bunch of sprints.

Thursday, August 17, 2006.

The plan was to do an 800m test run for the race next week, and then two 100m sprints. Jake was quite disappointed by the results. His second lap of the 800 was not bad — in fact, we passed and kept ahead of another runner on the track — but I guess on the first lap he was a bit sluggish. Anyway, he insists on running tomorrow and the next day to compensate.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006.

We went to the track today after karate, and there was a crowd of cheerleaders practicing. One of them evidently remembered seeing Jake at the track before, because as we were stretching she told the others that he is the fastest little boy in the world. We lined up for the 100m, and Jake took off like a shot; as we passed, they all cheered wildly (for Jake, I assume), and seemed to be amazed by his pace. And indeed, it was a new PR! 21.63 seconds. Then we ran 400m, 800m, 200m, then another 400m and 100m.

Sunday, August 13, 2006.

I really thought that Jake had peaked on the Shawnee Mile for a while, but today he ran it in 9:21. That, in fact, is his fastest mile time ever, and remember that the Shawnee Mile is very hilly. Just like last time, Minna timed us, and so did I because Jake likes to know his splits. Twelve days before the Market Street Half Mile...

Saturday, August 12, 2006.

We hiked the Oak Loop trail at Locust Lake State Park. It was poorly marked at spots, so we had to backtrack a few times to pick up the trail, but on the whole it was a nice one. Four miles long, a winding trail through a forest of massive oaks, pines, and hickory trees, and supposedly "difficult", but I am not sure about that. We had lunch after the hike by the lake, where lots of people were swimming.

Wednesday, August 9, 2006.

Shawnee Mile...9:38! Minna timed us and cheered at the finish line, and I took a watch too so that Jake could hear his splits on the way. Afterwards I carried him on my shoulders for a bit, Champion of the Universe style.

Sunday, August 6, 2006.

The Shawnee Mile again, this time in 10:05. It's hilly, so I think he might be able to beat his old one mile record on a flat course.

Monday, July 31, 2006.

We ran the Shawnee Mile in 10:38. Just over 3 weeks left before the Market Street half mile race!

Friday, July 28, 2006.

Warm-up lap at the track and then 800, 400, 200 and 100m runs. When we got home I asked Jake how he felt about the workout and he said "not disappointed, but somewhere in between happy and disappointed." I know what he means, but still it was good exercise. It counts. I think next time we should try something else. Perhaps the Sawmill Loop or the Shawnee 5k, or maybe a whole new route if I can find one.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006.

Jake asked out of the blue to go to the track this evening. I had just eaten so I did not run with him — just operated the clock instead. He warmed up on the bleachers, did a bit of stretching, ran a 400m warm-up, and then I timed him on 400m, 800m and then 100m. He was visibly disappointed by the results, but I thought it was a great effort and a solid workout.

Monday, July 24, 2006.

Our recent runs have been less spirited than usual, so we mixed up the routine. We started with a casual 400m warm-up, then a real 400m on the clock. And then 800m, and Jake had his best time of the year, and his third best time ever — 4:15. We also ran 200m and a couple of 100m sprints. Jake attracted quite a bit of attention. A man asked his time after the 800m run and congratulated him heartily. He wanted to know Jake's age, and then his name so that when Jake is famous he (the man) can say that he once ran on the same track as Jake. Later, some kids (maybe 12 or 13 years old) who were on the field for some kind of soccer camp asked Jake about his times and his age, and they called over to their friends to say that Jake can run a mile in 9:34 and is only 7 years old.

Sunday, July 23, 2006.

We ran at the track today. A couple of 100m sprints, then 200m, 400m, and another 100m.

Thursday, July 13, 2006.

Jake called me at work to say that he and Minna ran the Sawmill 2.7 loop in 36:18.

Monday, July 10, 2006.

New PR! After warming up with 100m, 200m and a couple of 400m runs, Jake ran 100 meters in 22.06 seconds.

Sunday, July 9, 2006.

We hiked the Skyline Trail at Hawk Mountain. It was a land of boulders with many sharp and rugged ascents and descents. We were on hands and knees at points. At one peak we came upon a raptor of some kind, a turkey vulture I think, just ten meters away. He eventually flew off to join five others who were floating and circling very close overhead in the warm air currents. The hike took about four hours, and at the end we had lunch at the South Point overlook.

Wednesday, July 5, 2006.

We ran the Shawnee 5k in 36:49 this morning.

Tuesday, July 4, 2006.

We hiked the River of Rocks trail (4.5 miles) at Hawk Mountain. It descends about 700 feet over rocks and boulders in heavily forested and somewhat boggy terrain. Back at the top, we ate lunch at River of Rocks Overlook. Being a workday, there were no other people on the trail, and just a few back on top of the mountain.

Thursday, June 29, 2006.

Jake was in a zone tonight! The idea to go to the track struck him at about 8:30pm, out of the blue it seemed, and it was nearly dark by the time we got there. He had great times, running 1-2-4-8-4-2, and by then it was so dark that we had to hold the stopwatch at just such an angle to catch the moonlight and read the digits. His first 400 meter time was 1:52.68 — just a third of a second off his best ever! And his first 200 meter time was quite good as well — 51 seconds, his best this year.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006.

1-2-4-8-2-1 again at the track.

Sunday, June 18, 2006.

1-2-4-8-2-1. He is returning to form on the 100m (23.29) and had a solid 4:26.53 for the 800.

Thursday, June 15, 2006.

We ran the Sawmill 2.7 mile loop just before sunset in 36:22.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006.

1-2-4-8-16 and some sprints on the football field. On the 1600, Jake finished in 9:42. We are training for the Market Street Half at the end of August. Jake's goal is to break 4 minutes.

Sunday, June 11, 2006.

Went hiking with Caleb and Christopher at Hawk Mountain. Great trails, with quite a bit of boulder climbing. We would like to go back and try the River of Rocks trail, which we could see from several overlooks today.

Saturday, June 10, 2006.

1-2-4-2-1 and a few stairs.

Sunday, May 28, 2006.

Light sprints: 1-2-4-8 (x 100m).

Wednesday, May 24, 2006.

One mile tune-up run to the end of Shawnee Road and back.

Sunday, May 7, 2006.

We ran a 2.8 mile section of the Sawmill Loop. Minna rode behind on a bike. At one point, a groundhog nosing about in shrubs by the side of the road attacked us — well, not really attacked us, but he was startled by our approach and darted away with a hiss, which inspired Jake to later say that he had felt like fainting. The rest of the run was pleasant but uneventful. We finished in 36:04.

Monday, May 1, 2006.

It feels like summer now. We went to the track and ran 100, 200, 400, 200, and 100 meters, followed by five stair sprints on the bleachers. Then Jake wanted to run on the football field. In particular, he wanted to run a 100 yard dash, and then a 90 yard dash, and then 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 yard dashes...and then (again, his idea) a 5 yard dash, a 1 yard dash, and a half yard dash.

Sunday, April 9, 2006.

The hill from our mailbox down to the end of Shawnee is not far, but the return side is fairly steep. A nice hill workout. Jake ran 5 laps in 14:15.

Sunday, April 2, 2006.

There is a flat packed-gravel bike trail that runs along the old railroad tracks. The round trip is about 5K — perhaps slightly more, but I am not sure. Today was bright and sunny — the first hot day of the year. We ran the trail in 37:31. Jake saw what was either a snake or a giant worm — he is not sure which. I did not see it myself and so cannot settle the matter.

Saturday, March 11, 2006.

We hiked Ricket's Glen — the long 7-mile loop. The weather was quite mild, but the trail was still iced over in many spots. It was treacherously icy, in fact. There was a fair amount of slipping, and emergency grabs of overhanging roots, and sliding cautiously on the ground at points to avoid slipping. Jake loved it, but Minna and I were a bit worried. At one point some people turned back because the trail was too slick, the drop off the side of the trail too steep, and the only other way around was a very narrow climbing strip of mud and rock. Two people slipped and slid a good 40 feet. But we were extremely careful, holding roots and exposed rock fragments, and everyone made it across without incident.

Sunday, February 26, 2006.

100, 400, and 800 meters. Freezing and windy.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005.

We went to the track today. Ran 100 and 400 meters, and sprints on the football field. Still a few dirty patches of snow on the ground.

Sunday, November 27, 2005.

Surprisingly mild weather. We ran the Sawmill loop at dusk.

Thursday, November 24, 2005.

Today is Thanksgiving Day. We skipped the race last weekend — it was bitter cold and we were already coughing and sneezing. But today is perfect! Jake and I ran to the end of Shawnee Road and back, which happens to be exactly one mile. There were soft swirls of snow in the beginning, gray skies, and absolute silence — no cars, no people no crows, nothing. We were the only two people in the world. It was a light run — no attempt at records, and we did not even clock it. I think that we both just wanted to run outside, to be in the snow, to hear our own breathing, and I suggested that we go for a run together on every Thanksgiving Day, starting now and continuing forever. Jake liked the idea. At the halfway point, the wind and snow picked up. The swirls became driving sheets, slanting down right into our faces. It was good to be alive.

Saturday, November 12, 2005.

Mild weather, so we went to the track. 100, 200, and 800 meters, then sprints on the football fields for about 10 minutes. There is a race next Saturday just for kids, and Jake is going to run the half-mile run for first and second graders.

Saturday, October 29, 2005.

Race day! We ran the annual Great Pumpkin 5K Run. It was too cold for standing around in shorts, but just right for a hard run — about 50 degrees. Totally flat course, mostly on packed gravel, looping through the PPL Riverlands Recreation Area, in plain view of the nuclear power plant in Berwick. Small race — 147 runners. Jake finished in 32:14, a new PR, and he is happy to close out the racing season that way. I think we still have time for some weekend runs together before the snow comes. By the way, Jake ran with Minna today, and I went solo. I won a pumpkin for finishing second place in my age group (there happens not to have been too many runners in my age group), 21:29.

Sunday, October 23, 2005.

We went to the track and ran a 400m warm-up, and then ran 3000m. There was a brisk wind, and Minna had bundled Jake up in layers of clothing, but he still ran it in 19:49, beating his old record by a few seconds.

Friday, October 21, 2005.

Jake ran the Shawnee 5K with Minna.

Wenesday, October 19, 2005.

Track. We ran 400m a few times, 800m and some 100m sprints. Jake also ran on the football field — 100 yard and 40 yard dashes. Then we did stairwork on the bleachers, until it was too dark to see.

Saturday, October 15, 2005.

We went out on the Sawmill 2.7 mile loop, but just over the first big hill, about 5 minutes into the run, Jake tripped and fell. Skinned his knee and palm. I had to carry him back to the car, and at home we had to put a big bandage on his knee.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005.

Jake performed at the track for his grandmother today. Nice workout, but the weather is turning chilly now so he had to wear long pants. He had some good 100m sprints, and also ran 200m and a couple of 400m runs. And stairs at the end.

Tuesday, October 4, 2005.

A few sprints at the track. Some stairs too, until it got dark.

Tuesday, October 4, 2005.

A few sprints at the track. Some stairs too, until it got dark.

Saturday, October 1, 2005.

Finally, today, the race. We signed in a half hour before start time, and Jake got his number: he wore #1179. We spent time warming up — stretching, sprinting, some light jogging. At race time we lined up and waited for the gun...and Jake took off like a cheetah. People (race monitors and spectators) were cheering for him and shouting encouragement all along the way. He got tired and hot, but he kept a good pace and even saved enough for a dash at the end. And whenever we ran past a cheering crowd, Jake picked it up with a defiant little burst of speed. The two hard hills were not that bad. In fact, the hills on our Shawnee 5K and the Sawmill Loop are longer and steeper, so he was prepared. His official time was...it was 32:46, a new personal record! After the race, the BU cross-country coach said that she wants Jake on her team when he grows up. And a few older kids asked him if he really ran the whole thing. So we are done with that. Next up is the 5K Pumpkin Run (a flat course) at the end of the month.

Thursday, September 29, 2005.

Quick one at the track. 100, 200 and 400m. It was cold and very windy.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005.

We were supposed to go for a long run yesterday after work, but it was raining hard so we had to skip it. Today we did the Sawmill 2.7 mile loop. New record for Jake — 31:52. The course is shorter than a 5K, but has long and steep hills. Actually, we have never run a long flat course, but there is a flat 5K road race (Pumpkin Run) coming up at the end of October. Maybe we will try that one.

Sunday, September 25, 2005.

The three of us went out to upper campus with a map of the race and walked it through. A lot of it is flat, but there is one hill (Hospital Hill) that the course goes up twice. Later in the day we went to the track for some sprints and stairwork. Jake ran 1500 meters in 9:13.03. He also had some good 100m sprints.

Saturday, September 24, 2005.

One week to race day! Today we ran the Shawnee 5K in record time: 34:06. Jake is ready to go! By the way, last night Jake's karate school held a belt ceremony. He was promoted to the next rank: red stripe (on white belt).

Thursday, September 22, 2005.

Track today. We did separate workouts. Jake's included a 100, 200, couple of 400's and an 800. Then we did a few 100m sprints and stairwork on the bleachers. No times to report -- we both seemed to be a bit sluggish. It was very windy, and that may have been part of it. His times were solid, but I could tell that he felt disappointed (as when he said darkly that he was going to run 9000 laps before going home).

Tuesday, September 20, 2005.

Got a map showing the route for Jake's upcoming (next weekend!) cross-country 5K, his first real race. But we got lost trying to follow it. Not sure how far we ran, but perhaps it was about 3 kilometers. I have heard that the race has some deadly hills, and I wanted to take Jake out on those at least once before race day. May try again later.

Sunday, September 18, 2005.

Track today. I ran 1-2-4-2-1 (laps) with Kevin while Jake ran sprints solo: 100m, 200m, and some dashes on the football field. Then he and I did stairwork on the bleachers.

Saturday, September 17, 2005.

We ran the Sawmill 2.7; that's a 2.7-mile loop that starts out on Sawmill Road. Lots of horses and rolling hills. Took us 34:49. And those are serious hills, too!

Friday, September 16, 2005.

We stood under the bleachers, or in the conserving tunnel as Jake calls it, stretching and waiting for the rain to stop. It didn't, so we had to cancel the workout, but we did a quick 100m sprint before getting into the car.

Thursday, September 15, 2005.

Hard workout at the track. Jake warmed up with a 100m sprint, then ran 800m twice. The first one was fast — 4:07.41, a new PR by 5 seconds. Then he clocked me as I did 400m sets and a couple of 100's. After that, he ran 200m in 48 seconds flat, and finally a 100 yard dash and a 40 yard dash.

Sunday, September 11, 2005.

We had planned to run 5K yesterday, but Jake decided he felt instead like running laps around the house. But today we did the Shawnee 5K. And a new PR. 34:43, shaving 5 seconds off the old time. I knew the record was on his mind (it always is), and that last half mile, when it was clear that he had a chance at a new PR, he really poured it on. I told him that he is like a bulldog.

Thursday, September 8, 2005.

I wanted to stop after 100, 400 and 800 meter runs, but Jake prevailed upon me to give the 1500 a try. Actually, this was our first time at that distance. Did it in 9:15.91.

Sunday, September 4, 2005.

Track. 100, 400 and 800 meters, then three 55 meter sprints. Broke his record for the 400: new PR is 1:52.34.

Friday, September 2, 2005.

Shawnee 5K. At 15:04, we passed the point where Jake wiped out yesterday. He picked it up right there, almost sprinting; not sure why, but I think it was an act of defiance. Anyway, finished the whole thing in 34:48. Shaved 2 seconds off his old time.

Thursday, September 1, 2005.

We started the Shawnee 5K, but Jake wiped out just shy of the halfway point, tripping and falling on the road, skinning both knees and an elbow. I prevailed upon him to take it easy and walk back. We were at 15:35. Try again tomorrow.

Saturday, August 27, 2005.

Track. 100m, 400m, 800m. Also a few 55-meter sprints. Shaved a fraction of a second off his old PR for 100m, from 22.63 to 22.41 seconds. I was not there...Minna took him. I was running with Kevin — his 4.4 mile course, rolling hills, horse stables, corn fields.

Thursday, August 25, 2005.

Went to the track. Saw cheerleaders practicing, and a man walking on his hands. Jake ran a 400, then a 100, another 400, and then an 800. No PRs, but solid times. Then we ran on the football field: 100 yards and then three 40 yard dashes. Finally, a quick dash up the bleachers to top it off. By the way, today was Jake's first day of first grade.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005.

Track today. New PRs for the 400m (1:53.22) and 800m (4:12.03).

Monday, August 22, 2005.