Where's The Running Moon?

Tuesday
I ran one heck of a convoluted route in town tonight. Avoiding the hills in town is becoming difficult, but I think this was probably my last run in town for the year. What with snow coming soon enough I was going to need to shift Tuesday to an off day. So I've come up with a workable schedule that will put the off days on Tuesday and Friday after this week. By the time spring comes my body should be more prepared to handle some hill workouts and then I know right where I can get them.
So anyway I found a route that snaked through the neighborhood and stretched 2.56 miles. I didn't feel extremely fast, but I felt consistent. None of that urge to walk garbage from Sunday. At times the wind was really trying to work against me, but that was ok because it gave me a little push at the end. I finished in 38:56 with no walk breaks.

Wednesday
I was back at home for this afternoons 2.5 miler. It's interesting how things change in the running department. It's like there is an ebb and flow to the energy that is impossible to figure out. All day long it was dark and rainy, which led me to really not looking forward to the run. I got home and geared up though. Started and the rain and wind were both sporadic. I felt good though. Fell in that really solid groove early. It felt like I was flying, but I got back to my driveway in a time that was completely average, 11:35 (read: higher than previous times). No matter the groove was holding up strong. I pushed a little harder, sure that I would reach the last mile mark in record time. When I turned up there though just another average time, 11:44. Not a problem I'd have the wind at my back for last mile and it would probably be a PR. Another tenth of a mile and I started to get that bonk feeling (light headed and shaky). It didn't make sense though because for once I actually remembered to have a snack this afternoon. I figured maybe I was just pushing too hard. I tried to slow down but the groove was so effortless that it would have taken more energy to slow down. Luckily the feeling subsided within a minute or so. About a 1/2 mile from the end the wind died, so much for the extra push. I did get to witness a meteorological oddity though, the sun broke through where I was running yet there were dark clouds on all sides of me. I ended up finishing the last mile in respectable, but not record fashion, 13:57. Total time was 37:16 with no walk breaks. So like I said at the beginning, figuring out the ebb and flow of running is definitely something that is beyond me. Good days turn bad, bad days turn good, and sometimes it feels like a good day and the clock says it was really more like an average day. It may sound like this frustrates me, but it really doesn't, I'm just happy running felt so easy today.

I almost forgot to mention Halloween. Our kids are young enough that we only go to a couple houses, just friends and relatives. Still the amount of candy available and given to them is ridiculous. I was able to keep the candy from myself until the last house. My wife's parents had bit o honeys, I couldn't resist. So I had one. It was really good. It's got to be some kind of record for me though, only one piece of candy on Halloween.

In other news I found another race, yeah no one saw that coming right. The Tortoise & Hare Turkey Trot is being held on 11-11-07. There is a 5k and 10k, it looks like I'll be running the 5k. My running friends should be able to come and run it with me, so that is good news. Also oddly enough my mom has unrelated plans that put her near the town that this race is held in (a good 2 1/2 hours from where we both live). So it looks like she might swing by to do some cheering. Sometimes it surprises me how things work out, two weeks ago I thought it would be 2008 before I did a race, now it looks like I'll have two in by the middle of November.