Off Week

This week has not been a good one from a running standpoint. I had an 8:30 interview Monday morning for a class assignment, which stretched into Tuesday. By then, inertia and weather took over. The sleet and snow was coming down just a little bit too heavily Wednesday afternoon, so my run (in addition to my 1:00 class) got called on account of the weather. It wasn't until later that I realized I could go to the Y. Oh well.

So I haven't run in a week. I'm healthy, just fighting the blerch at this point.

I did work at Fleet Feet Thursday and Friday-- I like talking to/meeting people and helping them find good shoes. The store really has a good vibe and I like being a small part of it. I'm also excited about picking up a Garmin 220. I just have to figure out logistics.

Hitting the gym

I've been pleased with my training recently-- 22 miles in each of the last two weeks. Not a whole lot, but the good part is that I've been able to get out and bang a few miles pretty regularly. Nothing special as far as intervals/repeats or anything specialized, but just a good feeling knowing I've done something to help myself.

The First Lady and I also got gym memberships at the local YWCO that's right up the street from our home-- about one mile away. We looked at this place and at the Gold's Gym equivalent, which is also very close. We walked in there and they wanted to see ID and have us fill out marketing information. Truth is, they lost us in this first 30 seconds. Then they sat us down to talk numbers like we were about to buy a car. There are gobs of treadmills there and it was a really nice place, but I don't really want to belong to/pay for a joint that has a pool table in the men's locker room. 

So we went with the gym that seems a little more community-oriented. They have a pool I plan to make use of, but today I went and got on the treadmill for a fiver. I was a little short of time or I'd have run up there-- used to do that in Clay Center all the time. I got a solid workout in, beginning with two sets of lunges while I waited for a machine to open up. The run itself was dull-- Let's Make A Deal and The Price Is Right kept me occupied. I fiddled with the speed a little and got five miles done in 43:03. 

As this issue goes to press, I don't even feel like I ran-- it's like when I ran on the indoor track last month. No hills, no wind, and I didn't have to layer up. It doesn't matter though, I got miles in today on a low-impact surface and I changed the scenery a little. 

Plus, I added in some strength training. This is something I've avoided in the past but I'll pay more attention now that we've made the investment. Besides, my body has gotten a little out of control as a result of my back issues of last fall. 

Now I know

The training has gone well over the last few weeks since my last 5K. I made it to 22 miles last week, capping it with a Saturday trip to the track for 6x800 repeats that were about 3:50 per half. It was a solid effort, but I left some effort out there. 400 repeats are on the agenda for this weekend. Sure is nice when the long run is also speed day and two birds can be killed with one stone.

Speaking of the Chilly Dawg 5K, I figured out who the gentleman is who has beaten me the last two years. The guy lives in the neighborhood and he runs past the store often with one of his dogs (he has four). He'll run with one and then with another. The dogs might be Labradors, not sure on that, but they're definitely good running dogs. I think he said the other two aren't really leash-trained. The store has a metal Saucony water bowl out front which his pups take advantage of, especially when the weather heats up. He's a regular at the running store, and I spoke to him for a moment and it suddenly dawned on me. I don't think he knows who I am-- it's possible he knows me from the race or from the store, but likely not both.

It's funny how knowing who a rival is definitely makes it harder to talk smack.