Still here

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, mainly becaue I didn't feel like writing. I've been running, though, and have gotten a few good runs under my belt. Notably a 14 miler 2 weekends ago; I started it as a bagel run with Silas for 6 miles, then dropped him at home and picked up the iPod to listen to the new Aesop Rock album ("Eight planets bullied number nine until he fell"). I stopped by the lab to take some Petri dishes out of the incubator and then headed for the hills, exploring a little more of the area just north of campus. I then followed my nose around town until I got home; 14.2 miles in 1:53.

I had a nice fartlek last Tuesday as well, running with Silas, running for 7.3 miles with about 9 pickups between mile and half marathon pace. My mileage isn't really high enough right now to justify speedwork, but it's fun to pick up the pace a bit and a fartlek is a great way to do that with a stroller.

No memorable runs over the weekend, and I ended up with only 20 in 3 days last week (31 in 4 days the week before). Today was a run with Silas after work while C was at yoga. 7.2 miles in 1:02; I paid a visit to my new nemesis, the Marin Ave hill. I've only worked on the hard part of the hill twice before, and once with a stroller, and I was feeling the challenge. We only made it one block up the steep part before I decided I'd had enough, then headed home. Someday Silas and I will take on the 3/4 mile hill, but for now we'll just have to dream... Si was zenlike for this run, and I would have stretched it out to a 10 miler if it weren't getting close to his dinner- and bedtimes.

The best news of the last 2 weeks, running-wise, is that the pain in my right Achilles has gone away after nagging me for 2 months. I credit this to a recipe of dutiful stretching, massaging my calves, and otherwise ignoring it.