"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself." - Henry Ward Beecher

I did my run about 10:00 this morning knowing that it was going to get crazy hot again today. I did the 3 mile out-and-back because I want to do the Scandia 5k again this August. It will be the third year for me. I was slower last year than the first and would love to set a PR this year.

So I'm keeping track of my time for this particular route and experimenting with some variations. If I exaggerate my arm movement my stride gets noticeably longer. Does that make me faster? If I shorten my arm movement and try to pump them faster it has the same effect on my feet - a shorter and faster stride. Is that the better way to go?
Today I did the former on the way out and the latter on the way back.
Q: Which is faster?
A: The car.

I got an email from the race organizers this afternoon. The race is August 11 and this year the winners get a long sleeve race shirt. Two years ago I finished second in my age division and got a Scandia Run hat that I wear almost daily. Last year I finished third and got a nice technical race shirt (made of a special fabric that wicks moisture well). I'd love to have a long sleeve shirt to wear for winter runs but each year it gets harder to win my age division as I move to the top end and young bucks enter.
I'll start track work this week. Give it my best effort.

I'm no expert and I've never stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. But....
It is beyond crazy to hear Putin, a former KGB agent and now president say that he didn't even know Trump was in Russia in 2013, the visit when it's suggested the Russians gathered compromising information on President Trump.
AS heavily involved as some immigration lawyers have been with the separated families it strains credulity to think some of the statements being made by those parents haven't come as the result of coaching.
And I think the barber down in Elmira could have done a wiser job of a meeting with Putin.

At 5 p.m. it's 95 with a "feels like" of 101 thanks to the humidity. The living room is 92 and will climb another couple of degrees over the next hour or two. I told Pam we could go out for dinner but she said there are leftovers that won't require any heating.
Tomorrow's high - 88.
Thank you, Jesus.

I'm working each day on Portuguese using Duolingo. It's probably not the best program but it is FREE and I'm learning. I can see what's happening, though. I'm learning how to read, not speak. And Portuguese has some crazy pronunciation rules that make no sense and will be tricky to learn.
OK, it's a place to start and to test my dedication. If I find myself sticking with this and working through the Duolingo program I'll spring for one of the pay-to-learn options.

I woke up thinking about Brazil and the people I met there. The Maximos are a sweet family that have been through some struggles but seem genuinely to be coming through them because of a commitment to their family's relationship with God.

I spent some time cleaning up Sally's exterior and it made me wish I could do the body work. Now that she runs well and reliably she should look the part. Patience.