Erg

Distance 3 miles
Time 30:06

Final run before Sunday's 7-miler. I feel like I may be coming down with something, but I'm trying to convince myself it's just allergies. In spite of feeling sort of crappy, today's run felt surprisingly great. Have a great weekend!

April Showers

Distance 5 miles
Time 51:52

Another run at the gym thanks to the apparent monsoon that hit Philadelphia this week. Hopefully, I'll be able to run outside Friday. Still not sure about the orthotics.

3 Weeks to Go

Distance 4 miles

Time 40:49

After weeks of adjustments, shoe shopping, and more adjustments, I ran for the first time in my insanely expensive custom orthotics today. The left one felt great, but the right felt sort of unstable, like my shoe was a little too big. I'm hoping I can improve the fit through creative lacing and sock-wearing, but if not, it'll mean another trip to Temple Foot & Ankle Institute.

After the run, Todd and I had brunch at Dos Segundos, followed by a nice walk home and a nap on the couch. Can't ask for a much better Sunday.

Happy Easter to those that celebrate - and Happy Sunday to everyone else!

Cross Training

Distance Who the hell knows?

Time 1:30:00

I am generally pretty lax about cross training, unless you count yoga. It's all I can do to get up at an ungodly hour to run a few times a week - getting up at an ungodly hour to lift weights or hop on the elliptical machine just isn't happening. But my friend and coworker James invited a few of us to a spinning class at his gym, so I decided to go see what all the fuss is about.

Apparently, spinners like pain and a lot of it. After 45 minutes of listening to an incredibly fit, incredibly energetic woman command us to speed up, stand up, sit down, increase the tension, and "climb hills," the rest of the class was still cheering and occasionally pumping their fists in the air. I was trying to keep from falling off my bike. Spinning is hard. So hard that when the instructor invited us to a 30-minute "Abs & Bands" class afterwards, I lacked the energy to say no.

Prediction: no running on Broad - or anywhere else - for this broad tomorrow morning.

Stepback

Distance 3 miles
Time 30:17

It was 39° and windy this morning, so being the wuss that I am, I did my run at the gym. I felt a little guilty leaving Todd to run outside on his own, but I got over it.

This is a stepback week, which a lot of trainers recommend to enable runners to rest and reserve strength for upcoming weeks with longer runs. Next week, it's back to increasing the mileage, so I'm enjoying the short runs while I can.

4 Weeks to Go

Distance 6 miles

Time 1:07:42

Perfect sunny day for the longest run I've done in a year and a half. The only downside was that half the city seemed to think so, too. In addition to a crew tournament and a bicycle race, there were hundreds of runner, bikers, rollerbladers, and walkers out enjoying the sunshine. I actually love to see so many folks outside being active, but it made for some dodge-and-weave running.

H and I ran together again, and it was his first 6-miler ever. He's been struggling with some shin pain, and being a chronic shin splint sufferer myself, I know how tough it can be. He was a complete rockstar, running the entire distance and keeping up conversation with me the whole time. I'm really proud of him, and I can't wait to run the BSR together.

I got hit by a serious case of the sleepies on the car ride home, and by the time I got in the door, I was so exhausted that I told Todd to shower first so I could take a quick nap. On the floor. In my running clothes.

I seriously considered calling it a night after my shower, but I was roused by the promise of Turkish food from S&H Kebab House. I replenished my calorie reserves with some shepherd salad, döner kebap, and a perfect piece baklava. If you're in the Philadelphia area, I highly recommend S&H.

The Rainbow Connection

Distance 3 miles

Time 30:12

Ran at the gym (boo!) after work thanks to unpredictable thunderstorms all day. And I drank half a beer beforehand at my boss' 50th birthday celebration, so my hopes weren't particularly high for this run. Turns out it was great. And I saw a rainbow on my way to the gym - a big, full arc. Awesome.

Maybe there's something to the drinking/running combo. These guys seem to dig it.

April Fool

Distance 4 miles
Time 43:03

Slow, leisurely run to welcome April. Now that the weekday runs are getting longer, I need to get up earlier to get them in. I fell asleep on the bus ride to work today. At least I didn't drool on the person sitting next to me.