Much better

I ran again today. This morning actually. Not too early though, left just before 9:30. It was a much better run. Possibly because the temperature was much cooler, about 70F I ran a bit faster (for a slow, get back into shape run) than I managed either of the two previous runs. The run was a bit longer too (5 1/4 miles). Altogether not totally displeased.

So, looking at the comments from Blunoz over my las few posts, I've decided to produce a quick list of gear/kit that I use with any regularity. As a word of caution, I am not a gadget-head, nor do I feel the need to have the top-of-the-line of everything (or anything for that matter). I fall into the 'it works for me' and the 'I don't want to spend too much' categories. So, here goes.


Shoes: Mizuno Wave Rider 10. I have a pretty neutral gait it seems, and these shoes seem to work for me so far. I recently replaced a pair of Wave Rider 9s and these new ones don't have many miles on them (only 25 so far). We'll see how I feel as they age.

Watch: Polar S120. Pretty basic features, but it works for me. I've forgotten it on this trip and am really missing it.

Music: RCA Lyra RD 1028. It took some effort to find this on the web for a link. See the comments about my HRM.

Clothing: I've pretty much got a mish-mosh of different brands and styles. Probably b/c I'm still trying to figure out what I like. I'm not wild on running tights though. I've got a pair of Under Armour shorts that I like a lot (read: no-chaffing) as well as two of their shirts. I'm particular to Adidas running shirts of which I have a few. I'm not too keen on the Nike running shirt that I have. I find it a bit rough and on longer runs painful.

That's about it.

Reports of my demise...

Yes, that's probably a misquote of Mark Twain but I am still alive. Despite the hopes of some (Lovely Wife perhaps?) who believe I may be worth more dead than alive.

I hit a bit of a running low point. It's called a move. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this or not, but moving is a bit unpleasant. I probably could have eeked out a few runs here and there. In fact I did manage two over a period of about a month. But sometimes you have to make a choice: Happy family, well organized, planned and executed move on one hand, continued regular running on the other. I selected the former.

So now I've managed two in the past three days. I am back on the horse, but it hasn't been a painless experience.

I'm now in Washington, DC. I've left lovely England where the temperature was nice and moderate all summer, and arrived here. Where it's been over 90F everyday. I'm not a morning person, I just can't get myself up and run at those hours. So I waited till after the heat of the day to get my run in. Or so I thought. The first day I found an outdoor thermometer that read 94F (34.5C) as I was finishing up. Not very pleasant. But at least it was a humid heat.

I must continue though, because I have a goal! A GOAL! Yes a goal. I found a 10k to run. A few months back I had the 'great idea' that I could run the Marine Corps Marathon this fall. Then the Lovely Wife reminded me of the upcoming move. Yes, she keeps me out of trouble all the time. So I've elected to run the simultaneous 10k. Should be doable I think. With essentially a month to prepare I should be okay. Probably no Personal Best this time though.

Post Script #1: I made two cheap shots at the lovely wife. She doesn't deserve them. Lovely Wife is truly a lovely wife!

Post Script #2: New blog for people to check out: Blunoz' Random Ramblings