that was for you, Mike...

july 2, 2014

i ran 5 miles at noon today for the first time in at least 5 years and probably longer than that. it was 66 degrees at the start. a light rain was falling. I've been running 4 fairly consistently. my buds ran earlier, or not at all due to the rain, i guess.

my eeky-leaky heart was hittin' on all cylinders early.  i run by myself as a rule, either ahead or behind my buds, from the flc at first Baptist. i'm not sure what got into me but i set out to run the mister mister 5 mile course.  running along julian i got to the fork in the road that would have taken me to the 2.5 mile turnaround.  instead of bearing right i stayed left taking me on another of mike's favorite training runs, the wellington course. it's a bit over 5 miles but what the heck, in for a penny, in for a pound. the weather was perfect, what the heck.

on my 4 milers I've been really trying to push the pace, running as hard as i can for as long as i can until my system tells me "okay that's enough".  i walk just long enough for my circ system to recharge then i'm off again. the guys don't see the value in this approach.  their take is to run without stopping but at a slower pace.  who can say which is better?  i find it easier

it's ten years now since mike passed.  we often talk about what he would have to say about the state of our running these days.  yes we're older and heavier but, hey, we're still out there come rain or shine, hot or cold.  most of us are closer to 70 than 60.  come noon time, 4 days a week, we're there at the flc hitting the bricks, carrying on the tradition mike started back in the 70's. 

i think he would be proud.

aio