Day: July 10, 2006

So, I’m checking out gmaps pedometer this lunchtime to figure out how I’m going to get my 5 for the day, and I catch a glimpse of this:

Hmmm… Never being one to turn down a chance to go check out something cool, I say “Sure!” Then, I realize that someone’s staring into my cube to figure out what I’m so excited about…

Parked over at Fort Wetherill State Park – man, I love that place. Started running – what a day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the sun beat down on my ears. iPod kept making me happy, legs felt good, and the trip out was fun.

Headed down Battery Drive, and found Conanicut Battery. Wandered around for a while, looked at the WWII era artillery battery observation posts lost in the woods. Pretty stinking cool.

Ran back to the car, and grabbed the snorkel and fins and swam for about 10 minutes. How cool is that? (Pretty chilly, actually, but it was fun to watch the fishies.)

So – Drill this weekend. My marathon buddy Mac (by marathon buddy, I mean another marathoner in the unit, not someone with whom I’ve run marathons) was down from his lab deep in the bowels of Harvard, and Saturday afternoon was the command picinic. So, after muster, I said “Hey, why don’t we go do two laps of the base perimeter – I need to do 7 for the day!”

“Sure, fine, whatever” says Mac.

We head out – the first bit isn’t bad, but as we were finishing up the first lap – well, I dunno. Something just wasn’t clicking. There was no pain, I wasn’t particularly physically tired, the weather was beautiful if a tiny, tiny bit on the warm side…

But, for whatever reason, I just knew that there wasn’t another lap in me. So, I called it quits.

And that was a good feeling. One of the nice things about not having the Marathon Monkey on my back this year is knowing that I can listen to my body and mind, and on days when I just don’t have the miles in my legs, well – I just don’t have the miles in my legs!

Conversely, and looking back over the last couple of months it’s happened more often than not, when I do have the miles in my legs, I feel free to let them rip.

So, even with a dissappointing run on Saturday, I’m pretty thrilled about the whole deal. Mac was understanding – he was up over 30 miles for the week, and was pretty much running for the company. He also, at least a couple of times, mentioned how he didn’t know how folks with wives and kids (he’s still single) fit in time to train for marathons.

So, I’m feeling good about the legs.

What I’m not feeling good about is the belly – it’s been over a week since I’ve seen the light side of 170 lbs. So, I’m going back to tracking food today, which seems to be the only real way I can get myself to eat well.

So, Arrivederci, amici!