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August 2015

Hop, Flap, Buzz, Ick: Run Log Week of August 24

Grasshoppers and August It’s late, dry, hot August. And that means one thing: Grasshoppers. The trails are loaded with the little buggers. Hop, Flap, Buzz, Ick, that’s what they do. It is, in fact, the only time of the year when I am tempted to shave or at least clip, my leg hairs. It is constant: they hop to get out of the way; flap their little wings in the air; buzz my… Read More »Hop, Flap, Buzz, Ick: Run Log Week of August 24

More Home for a Lower Cost of Housing

What if you could live in a larger and possibly newer home for less than you are currently? Would you consider moving? Do you want to hear more? Interest rates, while they’re expected to go up, actually took a small dip and are still hovering at the 4% or below mark for a 30 year mortgage and almost one percent less for a 15 year term. Let’s assume that you… Read More »More Home for a Lower Cost of Housing

Destination: All Over. Run Log August 10-23

Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga The past two weeks have been busy: teaching, travel, nights away from home. In the past, these are the weeks that tend to kill any hope for mileage. This time, however, it’s been different. I guess my newfound motivation is real as in every city, on every trip, I have been able to run and keep the mileage up. I’m pretty excited about that. My mileage presently… Read More »Destination: All Over. Run Log August 10-23

Get Ready for College

One of the important things as a parent is to plan for their children’s education. Let’s look at two different approaches: a savings account or investing in rental real estate. Assuming your child is five years old and you start putting $250 a month in a savings account earning 2%, in 13 years you’d have $44,497.41 to pay for their college. Anticipating that isn’t going to be enough, you’d have… Read More »Get Ready for College

Wait a Year…It Won’t Matter?

There is a frequently quoted expression “more money has been lost from indecision than was ever lost from making a bad decision.” Regardless of the extent of its accuracy, most people can recall when procrastination has cost them money. There are markets so short of inventory that buyers have become frustrated after losing bids for several homes and have decided to wait until more homes come on the market. In… Read More »Wait a Year…It Won’t Matter?

How Do You Like Your Ass Served?

Pikes Peak lurks over the hill The question tonight is How do you like your ass? The context for the question is that in the last four + months, I have lost a LOT of weight, I’m consistently running 70-80 miles a week and tonight, on a simple 9 mile run: I got my ass handed to me! The Barr Trail, Manitou Springs: 4 1/2 miles up, 4 1/2 down.… Read More »How Do You Like Your Ass Served?

49 Years Running: It’s Who I Am

49 Years and “miles of trials” I know my birthday. I know my wife’s birthday, my sons’ birthdays, my step daughter’s. I know my wedding anniversary (the first one and the present one). I’m a guy who knows his dates. I also know that on this day forty-nine years ago, I became a runner. Forty-nine years is longer, by the way, than I have done anything in my life with the exception… Read More »49 Years Running: It’s Who I Am

Georgetown Rules: Run Log Week of August 3rd

The highlight of this week was my sixth running of the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon. Two things: the last time I ran it was twenty years ago. That seems like a LOOOONG time ago. The first time I ran it was thirty years ago. My time this year was 1:56:20 and while I am not displeased with that, it is BY FAR, my slowest ever. Race Report here: http://runspittle.blogspot.com/2015/08/its-been-twenty-years.htmlIn… Read More »Georgetown Rules: Run Log Week of August 3rd

It’s Been Twenty Years: Georgetown to Idaho Springs Report

Wow, I knew it had been a long time. The last time I ran the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon was twenty years ago. It was August 12, 1995 and I scalded my young friend Geoff Lawton in the process. 1:29:24 for me; way behind for him (yeah, I’m still rubbing that one in, Geoff).Today, adding twenty years added 57 minutes. Yikes (and by the way, “you’ve come a… Read More »It’s Been Twenty Years: Georgetown to Idaho Springs Report

GTIS: Ready or Not! Run Log Week of July 27

Well, the “racing” season begins Saturday at the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon. I carefully place the word racing in quotes as, while I’ll will be at a race Saturday, I don’t really think we’ll do much racing. Packet pickup was actually a week ahead of time (I REALLY liked that). It was held at the Runner’s Roost in Denver and was as easy as it could possibly be. As… Read More »GTIS: Ready or Not! Run Log Week of July 27