Flagship Tracksmith store on Newberry Street in Boston

I want to be clear that I don’t shave my body hair. I have it waxed. I’ve taken to waxing off my chest hair because I now need to have a heart monitor patched to my left breast a couple of times a year to check for atrial fibrillation. And health clinics are not spas. If they do shave a patch of hair off first, which they haven’t the last few visits – ouch – it’s only a patch and nothing more. I initially waxed off my entire front side but Karen felt like I’d surrendered my man card, so I’m allowing the belly hair to grow back. Chest only going forward.

Commonwealth Avenue where I ran a loop around the Back Bay in Boston

I just received the results of my recent heart patch and it recorded zero A-Fib over a week’s time. Even better, my doctor said he was okay with me running the Bandera Ultra in January. I should be happy with that. I don’t like that I’m at that age where I need to check with my doctor before I do fun stuff, but I am at that age, so there you go. I can check off the A-Fib box, clearing me to run Bandera. But if I’m honest, there was maybe a part of me looking for an excuse to not have to run it. I’ve set myself up for something that I’m just a little bit scared of. A 62 mile run through the Texas Hill Country.

The colors in Maine

Except for a couple of short runs around Boston this past week, I’ve hardly run since the Boulder Marathon. I have two months to try to lose another ten pounds and prepare for this ultra in January. I don’t mind setting myself up for failure. I’m actually quite comfortable with it. I think it’s the pain I know I’ll endure that has me scared. I don’t like admitting I’m scared, but I am.

Dropped off a copy of my second novel at the Ogunquit Library in Maine

I don’t know why people run ultras. I don’t know why I want to run one. I suppose because I don’t know if I can do it, but I can’t explain why that appeals to me. It just does.

Processed work email at the Boston Public Library one morning during vacation

While in Boston earlier this week, I stayed at the Lenox Hotel and my room looked out at the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston in front of the Boston Public Library. That photo is below. I found it inspirational. I’ve never run it. I came within 3 seconds of qualifying for it in the Boulder Marathon in 2015, six months after a prostatectomy. It’s on my list still. There’s a lot still on my list.

Boston Public Library on Bolytson Street