Back on track

No bonus mileage this week, but I’m back on track running wise. No really noteworthy runs, but somehow I’m pleased with muddling through.

The sun may be a mass of incandescent gas, a gigantic nuclear furnace, where hydrogen is made into helium at a temperature of millions of degrees, but it didn’t make much of a difference today. Plus, it was thinking about snowing all day, so the air was heavy with humidity. Yep, cold and humid, so I banged out my three miles for the end of the week on the treadmill. 9 minute pace. Dunno why, but lately I’ve felt a lot slower on the ‘mill than on the roads. But it’s all good. Hopefully, I can get the runner’s high kicking again, soon.

First day of Paris-Nice was just a 4 Km time-trial prologue. Frankly, (and I say this as a cycling fan) individual time trials bore the snot out of me. Yes, there’s the race against the clock, and the thrill of watching finely tuned athletes on the verge of greatness, but time trial stages always leave me cold. There was Bobbke’s kid though. And it was actual cycling on US TV, so I’m there.

Next weekend? Selection Sunday…

Five Miles

Did it today. Didn’t feel great, didn’t feel bad. Average pace was 8:14. Last mile was 7:33.

So a large part of the good but not great run may have been that I was pushing myself pretty hard for the first time in a couple of weeks. We’ll see how the legs feel during tomorrow’s three miles.

The forerunner came in great today. I was able to do side streets and such and end up with exactly the mileage I was shooting for.

It’s baaack…

The iPod, that is. Turns out there was nothing to lick. Things learned in the repair:

1. The LCD is pretty well self contained.
2. The Battery is taped to the front shell, which will make replacing it a bear.
3. The printed circuit board (PCB) is darn flimsy, unlike one of the boards you Windows types must add to make your computers useable.
4. A guitar pick makes a fine tool for opening the case.
5. To loosten the ribbon cable connecting the screen to the PCB, you lift up on the black tab at the back, the pull gently on the cable to remove. Likewise for the ribbon cable connecting the click-wheel ™ to the PCB.
6. Apple must use child labor in Thailand to put these puppies together. Criminey. Seriously – the innards are tiny.
7. The one tool that you need but might not have is a frickin’ miniscule Torx head driver. I think it’s like a T-6 or something. Ridiculous.

In any case, the iPod is functional again. It didn’t look like it’d been damaged beyond the screen. Will post inside pictures later. Many thanks to Jon and his brother for the cautionary words.

Miscellany:
– Tim Horton’s – There was a family donut chain up here, Bess Eaton, that went bankrupt about the same time Wendy’s bought the rights to Tim’s here in the States (not sure if they own it up in the land of the ice and snow from where the midnight howls and the north wind blows, and blows, and blows). Wendy’s saw an opportunity and snatched up a bunch of property and pretty well trained workforce for a song. And I finally found a donut shop I like. (One way I know I’ll never really be a Yankee is that I think Dunkin Donuts coffee is about the nastiest swill I’ve ever tasted. And I’ve drank cajun chicory coffee, Navy coffee, etc). Tim’s coffee is the bomb. And their donuts and baked goods are great. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I think the secret is that they don’t use quite so much sugar in their recipes. They don’t skimp by a long shot, but it’s not oppressively sweet.

2. Tim Horton’s Chocolate Cake Donuts are surpassed only by their chocolate old-fashioned glazed donuts.

3. I’m all up on dislikin’ wind again after yesterday’s attempt at reconciliation.

Work went long again today, so I missed running outside, but even worse I missed bedtime by about 10 minutes. For the baby, that’s the same as missing it by hours, but the boy was still singing softly to himself. Grrr. It’s drill weekend, too, so I miss out on cooking Saturday and Sunday breakfast. We do get to have pizza night, though.

4 miles on the treadmill, 9 minute average pace. The first three miles stank, but something clicked for the last mile, and my legs finally realized I wasn’t giving up after this illness. I’m looking forward to 6 miles tomorrow. Unless it’s only 5 on the schedule.

21 April 2004

Dragged myself out of bed early enough this morning to hit the road at about 0540. Made it to Newport in time to hit the road for about a 4 miler. If I’m going to get serious about running again, I need to start timing and measuring the runs, but for this summer, I think I may just take it as it comes.

That is, of course, if my application to run in the NYC Marathon gets declined. If it’s approved – well, then I’m in a world of hurt.