Anytime you can get a brick in November, you're doing okay. I got that and more. First a ride, then a run, and the cherry on the sundae, I even got a lift. Since the pool was unavailable to me tonight, it's the best I could have hoped for.
I was watching the weather all day to see if it would be good enough to go out. I wasn't that worried about rain, I didn't think it'd be that cold, and it didn't seem all that windy... still, this time of year it just takes a combination of a few of the factors to make it unsuitable. By the end of work it was 54 degrees, partly sunny, and slightly breezy from the southeast. It was not beautiful by any means, but it was very doable.
I had no illusions about a fast ride - last night's run was a pretty good effort, and my hip hurt all day. Probably a ride was just the thing to help it, but not if I blasted the ride too. And anyway, it's November, way too early to be blasting. That will come soon enough.
I went the regular route, down the cut, Dixie Highway, Yockey, Rabbitsville Road, Woodville Road, Highway 37... I just kept a rhythm. No push, just steady effort all the way. I'd given myself plenty of time to complete the ride, actually with time to spare - always a good idea, because a flat will put you 10 minutes behind in nothing... flat.
The timing was perfect. I had just enough time to switch shirts, put on running shoes, gather up a VCR/DVD player for the Energy Lab, and head off to the run. Scott was indeed there, meaning there would be a faster portion of the run somewhere. Miller was there too, dispelling my Fox News-generated theory that WinD had murdered him, which Obama knew about (but denied).
Along with the speedy duo was Jimmy, Nathan, and the girls Amelia and Chelsey. Miller would run with the girls; the rest of us would soon part ways. Jimmy kept to 3 because of a sore knee. Miller and the girls would only run 4. Nathan was in his silly slipper-shoes, so my choice was obvious; run alone, or stay with Scott. One way or another, I was going to get 5.
Scott finally did break it open, and I did follow. Nathan came along too, more than I thought he'd be able to in those "shoes". The power of the human mind to deny the obvious when it wants to believe something else is beyond comprehension. Nathan talked about how good the shoes were for his running, except by using them he nearly got a stress fracture and had to take six weeks off running... and that's a good idea? Knowing Miller is a full-blown Kool-Aid sipper, I went for the only reasonable mind within range - Rowan. I kneeled down, looked Rowan in the eyes, and shook my head "NO!" He agreed. But I digress...
Scott tends to really bring it home a lot harder, this time hard enough to earn him the #4 spot on the "Miracle Mile". We ran step-for-step on the mile, but somehow his time was faster than mine. Really bizarre. Anyway, we were under 6:30 pace by the end. That's not too tough to do, finally, and there is hope that when tempos start in January that will be a reasonable pace to try.
Tomorrow... sketchy. The kids have an inter-squad meet at 5, the guys want to swim at 8:15. I think those things will fit okay, but I'd sure like to snake a run and a lift in there too. That will prove harder.
I was watching the weather all day to see if it would be good enough to go out. I wasn't that worried about rain, I didn't think it'd be that cold, and it didn't seem all that windy... still, this time of year it just takes a combination of a few of the factors to make it unsuitable. By the end of work it was 54 degrees, partly sunny, and slightly breezy from the southeast. It was not beautiful by any means, but it was very doable.
I had no illusions about a fast ride - last night's run was a pretty good effort, and my hip hurt all day. Probably a ride was just the thing to help it, but not if I blasted the ride too. And anyway, it's November, way too early to be blasting. That will come soon enough.
I went the regular route, down the cut, Dixie Highway, Yockey, Rabbitsville Road, Woodville Road, Highway 37... I just kept a rhythm. No push, just steady effort all the way. I'd given myself plenty of time to complete the ride, actually with time to spare - always a good idea, because a flat will put you 10 minutes behind in nothing... flat.
The timing was perfect. I had just enough time to switch shirts, put on running shoes, gather up a VCR/DVD player for the Energy Lab, and head off to the run. Scott was indeed there, meaning there would be a faster portion of the run somewhere. Miller was there too, dispelling my Fox News-generated theory that WinD had murdered him, which Obama knew about (but denied).
Along with the speedy duo was Jimmy, Nathan, and the girls Amelia and Chelsey. Miller would run with the girls; the rest of us would soon part ways. Jimmy kept to 3 because of a sore knee. Miller and the girls would only run 4. Nathan was in his silly slipper-shoes, so my choice was obvious; run alone, or stay with Scott. One way or another, I was going to get 5.
Scott finally did break it open, and I did follow. Nathan came along too, more than I thought he'd be able to in those "shoes". The power of the human mind to deny the obvious when it wants to believe something else is beyond comprehension. Nathan talked about how good the shoes were for his running, except by using them he nearly got a stress fracture and had to take six weeks off running... and that's a good idea? Knowing Miller is a full-blown Kool-Aid sipper, I went for the only reasonable mind within range - Rowan. I kneeled down, looked Rowan in the eyes, and shook my head "NO!" He agreed. But I digress...
Scott tends to really bring it home a lot harder, this time hard enough to earn him the #4 spot on the "Miracle Mile". We ran step-for-step on the mile, but somehow his time was faster than mine. Really bizarre. Anyway, we were under 6:30 pace by the end. That's not too tough to do, finally, and there is hope that when tempos start in January that will be a reasonable pace to try.
Tomorrow... sketchy. The kids have an inter-squad meet at 5, the guys want to swim at 8:15. I think those things will fit okay, but I'd sure like to snake a run and a lift in there too. That will prove harder.
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