Thursday, January 5, 2012

Spring in January

I couldn't wait to run today. The temperature was about 60 degrees and just about perfect. It was maybe a little too perfect since on my way home I saw a guy running in shorts and no shirt. Definitely not the norm here in the winter Midwest.

The Wife ran almost three miles with me and there were several other runners out. Once we split routes I took off for a tempo run and did so for three miles. It's funny because yesterday I was reading a bit in that runner's magazine we all read about coming up on somebody to pass them and they speed up. As I crossed the road at one point another guy was running the same way on that sidewalk and I let him go by first. I was running a pretty good clip at that point but he'd doubtless seen me before the turn and I had no idea he was there. We seemed to be running about the same speed but as I got closer he sped up and kept up a faster pace for the next mile and a half. He crossed the road at my turnaround point and ran back up the street on the other side while I stayed on the same sidewalk. I kept up a pretty steady pace, particularly up the hills, and there were a few places where I would expect to have moved in front of him because I was on the inside of the curve. Apparently he sped up because I never got in front of him and by the time we returned to the point we'd first joined up he beat me there. I wasn't racing but I thought it was amusing in light of the article about people who won't let others pass them. He's probably the same when driving, too.

Anyway, it was a great day to enjoy the outdoors. I wore shorts a technical t and it was perfect. I wish this weather would stay all winter but I know that at some point we'll get a big old dose of winter. For now I'm reveling in the warmth.

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