Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Mangoes are starting to drop, is season starting?


I have a mango powered workout again.

I was sitting on a bench at the park.  I decided that after 7 miles of bombing the trail, it was time for a water bottle.  The Goodyear Blimp was on the other side of the trees.

I was sitting under a 30 foot tall Mango tree there by the water fountain and looked up.

Hey you tree!  Lets have some fruit, Oscar needs some too.


It really is early for this.  On the dog walks, if there are any unripe fruit I will pick it up.  We had a wind storm and some rain for the first time in months, probably before xmas.  On the ground there were quite a few golf ball sized and larger fruit waiting.  Right after the last storm there were a couple quarter pound fruit there for the passers by to enjoy.

I had those this morning, Oscar had a few golf ball sized mangoes and some peanuts.

I was thinking about all of this and talking to the big tree while looking up.  Probably  I was just hungry.

My mind flicked back to the cookies I took for a post workout snack sitting on the passenger seat of the Jeep and I thought, may as well get back to it.

It was just a quick couple of miles to get to the car anyway, and while the conditions were perfect, it was about time to go.


Skating in South Florida is a bit different.   In Pennsylvania, I could easily go for a 5 mile stretch without having a break in the pavement, road crossing the trail, or even a water stop.  Marathons were common.  My usual workouts were 33 miles three times a week.  I'd make the difference up for a "Hundred Mile Week".  

Here at the Pompano Airpark, it is a short loop of only 4.6 miles.  Every mile has breaks in it.  Rumble strips for the blind, ingress and egress for the airport, close corners around the little mall where if you don't watch for debris on the trail, you will fall.


So I sat there.  Semi New Skates with only 100 miles on them.  I finished that bottle of ice water I brought with me.  You don't want to drink from a public water fountain these days.  It is the only source of water on that side of the park and it gets used in odd ways.

Standing up, I looked at the tree and the benches, and moved on.  

New skates with new bearings with new wheels mean that you can move.  In my case, a Four Minute Mile is not unheard of, although I have been purposely holding my speed down.  

After all, a missed pebble and you're painting asphalt with your own skin.  I've done that too many times.  But let me tell you, moving along with the speed of the birds and the wheels humming out the miles is a wonderful way to spend a morning.

Getting back to the car, the treat of those cookies and a rather nice view across the open grass to the Goodyear Blimp was in store. 

It's time.  A wonderful time to eat up the miles and the cookies.

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