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I had a little gap in meetings and work today before the afternoon so I decided to make it a short run to check out how the setup of Schooner Days was coming along. Seems like they are ready for the crowds this weekend!

A park with a grass field in the foreground and a skateboarding area. In the background, there are carnival rides, including a Ferris wheel, and colorful tents.

A covered wagon with “Eden Prairie Lions Club” written on it is parked on a road near a sign for Round Lake Park. An American flag is mounted on the wagon. The background features green trees and grass.

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Decided to get a run in at Hyland Park Reserve as overall it was a nice evening out. It was so nice to get out into the woods away from city streets as I was able to be in nature and it paid off by seeing a good handful of deer while on the trails.

Calm lake reflecting a cloudy sky and surrounding green trees at dusk, with a sandy shoreline in the foreground.

A deer with antlers stands amidst lush green grass and foliage, surrounded by tall trees.

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Tried to loosen the legs up on this run. It was nice out there even with the mist the whole time. Not to mention was great catching up with my running friend again now that he is starting to build back miles again.

A narrow wooden bridge crosses a body of water surrounded by greenery, with a sign in the foreground that reads “No Fishing From Bridge.

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Finally, my Obsidian Plugin Status.lol Publisher got accepted to be out in the wild now and can be found in the community plugin section. 🥳 Now that it is approved I can make some other updates I had been waiting on as I didn’t want to muddy the water during the approval and fixing what they wanted.

Alt text: “Screenshot of the Status.lol Publisher app information, showing it’s installed. Created by Eric Walker, it mentions options to post statuses to status.lol, log notes, and mobile compatibility.

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Decided to make it a long run day on the LRT with an out and back. Felt good, but the last mile reminded me of a hot, waterless run a year ago 😅. Luckily, I had just enough today and found a working fountain at the end.

A serene lake view framed by lush green trees on either side, with a clear blue sky and scattered fluffy clouds above.

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Had a great time exploring Sunfish Lake Park after getting something checked on my vehicle. Wasn’t really the plan but glad I had some running gear to go check out this out of the way park. Honestly, when on the trails I felt like I was no where near anything as I was all alone.

A serene pond surrounded by lush greenery and trees, with a clear blue sky and fluffy white clouds reflected in the water.

A narrow dirt path winds through a lush, green forest with tall trees and dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves.

A scenic view of a lush green meadow bordered by dense trees, with power lines stretching into the distance under a bright blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds.

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A quick nap

I found myself struggling to focus this afternoon as I was just really tired from all of the meetings today as well as just tired from the week so far. Sitting in the shed working away it was warm and I was getting sleepy. So what did I do, took an 8 min break with my eyes closed and felt as good as new and pushed on though the rest of the day.

To be clear, I don’t like to take naps as people would think of naps. However, a short timed amount like today is perfect for me. I always set a timer because I can’t have it be more than 15 min so today I set it for 10 but woke up before then.

Reflecting back, this is something I should do more when I feel tired in the afternoon and out of sorts. I used to do this all of the time when studying for the CPA (Certified Public Accounting) exam at the library in college. I was fortunate (or unfortunate), to have been able to sit for the two day exam right before we graduated from college so my whole last semester of school was spent taking classes in order to make sure I could graduate and then studying for the exam in my “free time”.

I am glad I had such a drive at the time but I knew that I wouldn’t want to try to study for this once I left school and started a real job. I figured I had to give it my all this first shot to jsut get it done. So I spent my whole last semester of school (or what felt like it) in the Library. I only left for classes, 30 hrs of work, and sleeping at night (when the libray was closed). Since I was there for countless hours I had developed this little trick of just taking a quick nap for 10-15 min and that was long enough for me that I could be back to normal and push on into the evening.

My girlfriend (wife now) was always intreged by this but also wildly frustrated when I would do this as she tried it a couple of times and would either not be able to nap and have wasted 10-15 min or would actually fall asleep and then when waking up would feel 100x worse.

So it probably isn’t for everyone but for me it did the trick and hoenstly got me though that semester and I skated by passing the exam thankfully and hopefully never going to have to take it again.

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Decided to try to squeeze this run in after dinner (mistake) and before picking the youngest up from swim and dropping off the oldest at hockey. However, with the weather it was worth it! ☀️

A grassy marshland with tall, dry reeds under a bright blue sky filled with scattered white clouds. Lush green trees line the horizon, and a small tree is visible to the left.

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Someone is ready to call it a day from the shed office… 🐶

A black and gray, fluffy dog resting on a light green, quilted mat indoors, looking directly at the camera.

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Just running in the rain today. Couldn’t avoid it as it rained all day today like yesterday so I decided to get out there and really it wasn’t to bad.

A narrow, paved path winds through a lush, green forest, surrounded by tall trees with dense foliage. The ground is damp, and leaves are scattered across the path.

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I probably should have done a really long run today but I wasn’t really feeling it so I set out for shorter. However, the cool overcast weather allowed me to go a little further than I was thinking I would which hopefully should set me up for some good millage this week (weather dependent).

A narrow, paved path leads to a wooden bridge surrounded by lush green trees and vegetation in a forested area.

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I really do like Flighty hands down it has been great on my travel trips lately. However, I don’t really like what I am seeing here. 😵‍💫

Flight connection alert showing a tight 29-minute layover at DTW, which is 1 minute less than the suggested minimum. The progress bar indicates a risky connection.

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Foggy morning today but still a great day for a run around Back Cove. I probably should have started earlier in the morning because by the time I got back I didn’t leave myself a lot of time to get ready and jump on a call. Thankfully I made it with a min to spare.

A sailboat sits on a calm, foggy body of water, with minimal visibility of the shoreline and distant trees. The foreground features a rocky, pebbled area leading to the water’s edge.

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Thanks to the dog in the hotel this morning I had a 5:15 wake up vs when my alarm was set for a little later. However, since I was fully up I guess it helped me get this run in before work.

Calm harbor scene with several docked boats along wooden piers, a red brick building in the distance, and a clear blue sky.

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Long day at work today so I decided to shake the legs out while the sun was setting.

A serene sunset over a coastal landscape, with the sun setting near the horizon and casting a warm glow on the calm water. A road and grassy area with trees are on the left, and rocky shoreline on the right.

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This route, well more specifically Mackworth Island State Park has been on my list to run to for a while now. It was very interesting roaming around that little park as it had a nice trail all around the outside. In fact there was a Pet Cemetery for Governor Baxter Dog’s. 🤔

A serene view of a calm, reflective body of water under a cloudy sky, with a distant shoreline lined with trees. Rocks and dark sand are visible in the foreground. Mackworth Island from Portland about where I started.

A serene view of a wide expanse of water under a cloudy sky, with a distant tree-covered island on the horizon. Mackworth Island and the connecting causeway

A narrow path bordered by wooden fences leads to a small pier extending into a calm body of water. Sparse trees are on either side, and the sky is partly cloudy. Civil War-era granite pier

Calm sea under a partly cloudy sky with distant shoreline and a few scattered rocks in the water. From the Island looking back at Portland, the big ship in the background is where I started.

A small, secluded clearing in a wooded area surrounded by a low stone wall. In the foreground, there’s a large boulder with a plaque attached to it. Three small, weathered gravestones stand to the right of the boulder, partially covered in moss. Bare trees and sparse undergrowth are visible in the background. The ground is covered with dirt and fallen leaves. Governor Baxter Dog Memorial

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It was a real nice day outside today so I decided to add a little bit to this run. Even with my tired legs I just keep pushing on.

A serene landscape with a small stream reflecting the blue sky, surrounded by green trees and dry grass, under a clear, cloudless sky.

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Fun to finally be able to watch my oldest daughter run in her first track meet of the year. Glad to see her back out on the track as it has been years since she last ran. Even though she was nervous before the 400M run, she did amazing and dominated her heat and might have gotten 1st for her grade.

Athletes run on a track in a competitive race, with spectators and other participants watching from the sidelines. The background features lush green trees and a bright, sunny day. 400m Run

A person is performing a long jump on a sandpit track during a sunny day. Two individuals stand nearby, holding tools for maintaining the sand, with a fence and trees in the background. Long Jump

Three people smiling in a sunny outdoor setting, with a fence and crowd in the background. The person in the center is wearing an athletic jersey, flanked by individuals wearing casual clothes with sunglasses on their heads.

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The plan wasn’t to run today but seeing how my wider group at work is doing a step challenge I wanted to stay competitive. Looking at my watch I have been doing a lot of nothing today so I decided to get a couple thousand steps in in order to keep up. It was a beautiful night out so having that extra push was probably OK.

Sunset over a field with silhouetted trees in the background. The sky transitions from deep blue to warm hues of orange and yellow. Sparse branches frame the scene at the top and sides.

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A meeting got canceled today so then my plan was to go out for a short run today after the long one yesterday. However, getting pressure from a company step challenge I decided to go my usual distance which actually felt really good until about the last mile was a struggle. Probably should have stuck with my first plan.

A serene wetlands scene with fallen branches protruding into a grassy marsh. The background features a clear blue sky and dense green trees lining the horizon.