Monday, April 24, 2006
Home Improvement XT and A Great Tempo Run
Today was a busy day, I was up early and drove to the German equivalent of Home Depot to pick up some masonry cement and some paint.
Most German houses are some kind of brick construction which has a layer of masonry cement splattered on the outside for insulation. Over several years time water seeps behind this cement layer and the layer starts crumbling. The lower 3-4 feet skirt around the front and side of our house has several patches that need repairing. So this was my job for the day.
The first order of business was to walk around with a masonry hammer and knock down any cement that was crumbling. This left 3 major areas of around 4 square feet each to repair. Step two was to paint a sealer over this exposed area in preparation for plastering, or re-cementing the area.
I had these first two steps done before lunch, and as I had to let the sealer dry for 2-3 hours decided it was an opportune time to get my run in. My wife had gone grocery shopping, so I left a note and headed out.
It was just after 12-noon, the sun was shining, the sky blue, the temperature was already 21C/70F and a gentle breeze was blowing – perfect weather in my book! So off I went on my 14K/8.7M loop. I quickly settled into a comfortable pace and put it on cruise control. It was beautiful outside - the trees are all budding, the fields are growing, I love the springtime.
I was feeling quite good so just kept cruising along. I made it back to the house just in time to jump in the shower and sit down for lunch. My average pace was 5:22/K (8:39/M), not a bad tempo run consisting my long run this past Saturday.
So after a long leisurely lunch with my wife I went back outside and finished my project – all the mortar work is down, I only need to let it dry out a couple days then I can start painting. I only hope the weather holds out.
Tomorrow I want to head to the pool for some laps, on Wednesday I will do another 14K/8.7M run and probably a shorter run on Friday. Sunday I have a longer training run scheduled so need to take it a little easier this week.
Most German houses are some kind of brick construction which has a layer of masonry cement splattered on the outside for insulation. Over several years time water seeps behind this cement layer and the layer starts crumbling. The lower 3-4 feet skirt around the front and side of our house has several patches that need repairing. So this was my job for the day.
The first order of business was to walk around with a masonry hammer and knock down any cement that was crumbling. This left 3 major areas of around 4 square feet each to repair. Step two was to paint a sealer over this exposed area in preparation for plastering, or re-cementing the area.
I had these first two steps done before lunch, and as I had to let the sealer dry for 2-3 hours decided it was an opportune time to get my run in. My wife had gone grocery shopping, so I left a note and headed out.
It was just after 12-noon, the sun was shining, the sky blue, the temperature was already 21C/70F and a gentle breeze was blowing – perfect weather in my book! So off I went on my 14K/8.7M loop. I quickly settled into a comfortable pace and put it on cruise control. It was beautiful outside - the trees are all budding, the fields are growing, I love the springtime.
I was feeling quite good so just kept cruising along. I made it back to the house just in time to jump in the shower and sit down for lunch. My average pace was 5:22/K (8:39/M), not a bad tempo run consisting my long run this past Saturday.
So after a long leisurely lunch with my wife I went back outside and finished my project – all the mortar work is down, I only need to let it dry out a couple days then I can start painting. I only hope the weather holds out.
Tomorrow I want to head to the pool for some laps, on Wednesday I will do another 14K/8.7M run and probably a shorter run on Friday. Sunday I have a longer training run scheduled so need to take it a little easier this week.
# posted by Jack : 7:47 PM
