Day: July 26, 2007

Well, that stank

Headed out at lunch – the plan was to do a quick 1.7 over to the track, do a mile on the track, and head back. The run out was great – sunshine, light breeze, light on the feet.

At the track, well, I suppose my heart wasn’t quite in it. I started off pretty well, but as I finished my second lap, I noticed that Nike+ didn’t say “Halfway point – .5 miles to go” until I was about another eighth of a lap past. On the third lap, the sun and the effort and the egg sandwich I had this morning really kicked in (and into the back of my throat). I crossed the line at 7:30, which is on par with my fastest mile for the year, but didn’t get Nike+ confirmation until 7:53.

The run back was really, really rough. So I walked. Easy enough.

Bleh.

I’m pretty pumped, though – a good meal this evening and plenty of hydration and the Blessing of the Fleet should end up being a good race.

Oh, and I am planning another Marathon – the Oklahoma City Marathon, on 28 April 2007. Cannot wait to run with my little brother again! (And a knock on wood for other stuff!)

Bad News Comes in Threes / Actually Running

The current Mellow Johnny, Rabobank’s Rasmussen, has been fired by his team and left the Tour due to missed doping controls in the off-season.

I’m happy, I think, but can really feel for Rasmussen, who hasn’t tested positive, and looks to be getting booted for being not properly anal about proving he’s clean. At the same time, it shows that there’s definitely a sea change afoot – what team doesn’t want to bring home yellow in Paris? Sure, there’s a hint of witch-hunt (Witches float, like a duck and very small rocks), but staying documentedly clean is going to play a big role in the future.

My dad raised a good point last night, though – If a team’s out when a rider pops positive, what’s to stop folks from bribing a rider on a favorite’s team to dope in a big race, kind of a cycling version of the Black Socks scandal in baseball?

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Ran last night – stopped on Jamestown, cranked out 4.6 or so, and went for a swim afterwards. What a day! About 80 and brilliant sunshine, tiny bit of a breeze, and just wow. I’m psyched.

I’m also psyched about the Narragansett Blessing of the Fleet 10 miler on Friday. David, April Anne, Michele, and others. I don’t know that I can go ten miles at this point, but I can’t wait to try.

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Edit Frank Steele at the Tour de France for the Rest of Us has a brilliant, brilliant bit up today on the recovery and the silver lining. Go read it and tell him thanks.