On the evening of July 24, I ran with Jane and Laura out in the DNR/Roche Harbor Watershed for 1 hour, 37 minutes.  This was my 51st day of continual running.

The run was great with sunshine, warm temperatures and great trails.  The company of Jane and Laura was pretty nice as well.

Back on June 4th, the day after the San Juan Island Marathon that I direct, I started a Running Streak - which is basically how many days in a row that I can continue running.

Why a Running Streak?  In a nutshell, motivation.  Knowing that I had made a commitment to determine how many days I could run without stopping has gotten by butt out the door and down the road.  My definition of a running day is a day where I went outside and spent more than 20 minutes running. 

Yesterday I logged my forty-one day of continual running.  Thus far, no aches or pains.  My longest run as been 1 hour, 50 minutes and my shortest has been 20 minutes.  I have also dropped 16 pounds.

I have not determined when I will end the streak, but for now I am really enjoying it.

See you on the roads.

From Ammon and Angela from their recent visit to Hawaii.

This is so totally cool or rad, or whatever is the hottest thing to say.

Each year, in May or June, I travel down to the Seattle area to purchase a new pair of Reef flip-flops.  I was introduced to wearing flip-flops by my son Ammon and his friend, Nick.  Were were in Seattle looking for flip-flops that would be used in Ammon and Angela's wedding some time later in the year.  For whatever reason I never really looked in to wearing flip-flops, thinking they would not be good enough support for my most wonderful feet.  Boy was I wrong.

I purchased a pair of Reef's Flex Sandals and feel in love with them.  I wore them all the time.  To work, around town, wherever.  They were the most comfortable shoe I have worn!  My feet grew stronger and, most importantly, happy.

This past week weekend I was very happy to learn that San Juan Surf Shop, located at the Cannery Landing here in wonderful Friday Harbor, carried Reef Sandals or Flip-flops.  I purchased are really nice, comfortable pair - green, at prices lower than the mainland.  How cool is that.

If you need a pair of sumer flops, San Juan Surf will do your right!!


This the pair I just purchased.

I love summer.  Long days, warm and sunny - well at least for the most part, make this time of year here in the islands really enjoyable.  This morning Stan and I were running around Pear Point, starting at 8:00.  During the run the sun felt warm on my back as we ran around one of the most beautifulest roads here on island.  The sensation of having the sun warm me so early in the day was really nice.

Here in the islands the temperatures rarely reach above 80 degrees, so the warm days are not really hot days that I was used to by living in California, Montana and Wyoming - where hot meant 90 degrees or hotter.  In Helena, Montana, where I lived for some time, we would often go run in 100+ temperatures during the summer months.  The sweat would run off our bodies like torrents. 

Lately, I have been running early in the day, often on the road by 6:30.  The early morning temperatures are still chilly and often I need a long sleeve shirt to keep my arms warm, but by the time I run for 40 minutes I wish that I had short shirt sleeves on.  My friend Stan, when he runs in the morning, is still wearing gloves to keep his hand warm.

A sad point of this summer is I am boat less.  I sold my boat, SloPoke, over a year ago.  Not having a boat makes my heart long for a time that we can get on the water.  Motoring up to Stuart Island and running out to the lighthouse on Turn Point would be idea.  Turn Point is the farthest distance in the N.W. one can go in the United States.  I have run that distance before and it is a blast.

Last night we ate our dinner out on the deck, and, actually, I am writing this posting outside as well, which makes a great indicator for summer time.  I love eating out doors during the summer.  Takes me back to my childhood days when we ate outside on our patio much of the summer.  Nice hot summer days and cool summer nights.  Yum.

Last Tuesday Mike, Jan, Sam and I rode over to Lopez on Mike and Jan's boat, and ate a bunch of fried foods as we watched the sun dip down.  What a great evening.  Great people and good food.  Great weather as well.

Here is wishing everyone a fun filled, safe and exciting summer.