Made the run, somehow

It's worked out this season that more often than not I've managed to get to scheduled runs. I'm not capping the girls in any way... it's just this year, most of them drive. Then end of practice is the end of my time there. Usually.

We ran 5 miles tonight, and the pace appears to be quickening. Scott is feeling better too, because he pulled us along the whole time. I decided a while back that I was going to try to run on the front of whatever as long as I could - maybe there is some way to get back in better shape after all, and I might as well try.

It was a largish group too. John T, Roy, Scott, Miller, Greg, Me, Jimmy, Haley, Randwise... I mean, Rand. Jimmy, Haley, and Rand fell off the back, sticking to Jimmy's regimen of walking/running. It's good to have him back, and hopefully running longer and faster soon. No hurry there!

Scott broke the group up, and Greg, Miller, and I stuck with him. It got faster and faster as the run went on, and by the end we were running well under 7-minute pace. It wasn't that hard, it was just faster. I waited for the Miller/Scott double-headed mano-e-mano fest that was sure to come, but it didn't. Just as well. I would have been dropped had they gone.

One more ride tomorrow! If I make it (big if), it will certainly be my last one. I've said that many times, but I can't see how it would work out another week. We'll have to push hard tomorrow as it is. Daylight is waning fast!

Lord of the Segments Pt. 10

Two figures danced around the firelight, wrestling over a hand-blown glass full of homemade brew. Jimmy was near enough now to smell it, or at least he thought it was the brew, and it was vile, like it had been extracted from cabbage. There was no question it was potent – the behavior of these creatures was proof enough – but it could hardly have been worth the agony of ingesting it. So inebriated were the creatures they could not hear Jimmy’s rather clumsy approach. Not that it would have mattered… they were only interested in getting more of the witch’s brew.

“It’s my turn! You’ve had two drinks already!” said the red-headed one.
“Yes, but they were smaller drinks than the guzzle you took last time, you hog!” said the other.
“Guzzle?! I can’t help it if you can’t hold your liquor. I thought you had big boys?”
“The biggest! And they’re thirsty, too!” and with that he took another swig.
“Give me that!” roared the red-head, wresting the glass from the other. “I can keep this pace up allll night.”

Jimmy was intrigued. Both were small, like most Bedfordtonians, although slightly larger than Jimmy. The red-headed one had a rather largish tummy that sagged slightly. The other limped slightly, as if his hip hurt him. Other than that (and the color of their hair) they were of average build and indescript features. While he would have enjoyed staying longer to watch and listen, his quest beckoned, as did Randwise, and as there was much walking yet to do, he was forced to retire from the two. He did overhear a bit of drunken swagger regarding a running race and who would “win the neighborhood trophy”, or some such nonsense or other.