If you aren’t a regular listener, let me put in a plug for Garrison Kellior’s “Writer’s Almanac” (Available as a podcast, so you don’t have an excuse not to listen). This morning’s pean to spring was absolutely wonderful, so good that it would have brought a smile even to Jon’s face, equaled only by a national body dedicated to tracking blood donations.
But, somehow, with the equinox, it seems like things are evening out in my fitness life. The legs are feeling good, the death rattle that’s been in my lungs since the fruit of my loins brought pestilence into my home a couple of weeks ago is down to a minor inconvenience, and I feel that I’ve bested nature once again by surviving a New England winter.
Oh, and I’m running again without feeling like crap.
With a new car, I’ve been looking for little tips and tricks to reduce the mileage I drive. One of the upshots of this is that I’ve found some additional access points for Arcadia State Park, literally right off of the shortest route home. AND, yesterday, I stopped into EMS at lunch, and saw a pair of Vasque trail-runners for 30% off of 30% off. Sweet – $90 shoes for $40. I know I’ve pooh-poohed specific trail-runners in the past, but I figured that in the worst case, I could use them when hiking with the cub scouts.
So, on the way home, I stopped to crank out three on the North-South trail. There was still pretty good snow/slush pack in the forest from the storm at the end of last week, and the portion of the forest I was in was rockier than where I usually ride. So, I slogged up hill and slipped down dale – and life was good. Never before have I been so happy with running 10 minute miles.
Today – vendor meeting in the AM, offsite, and a stop by Gym 109 on the way back to the office. 3 miles on NAVSTA, holding back to keep the HR down (and hopefully the stress on the legs down). Sunny, but mid-30’s and mildly windy (as opposed to just breezy). Good run – the last mile was with the wind, so I was nice and toasty when I came back into the gym. The wind was from the north, so I was tempted just to sit in the sun in the lee of the gym and soak up rays when I finished. Ahhhh, spring.
Anyway, ladies and germs, that’s my little bit of life. Not perfect, but nothing at all to complain about. Next time I’m whining, remind me that “this, too, shall pass.”
The Writer’s Almanac is the only good part about driving in late for work. :) I’m hearing it right these days about the time I should be hearing “Word for the wise”.
running in the slush in new $40 trail shoes, splashing mud, icky socks, wet shoe strings, dirty bathtub = priceless.