Thanksgiving Week

Running is starting to feel good again. I've never felt really all that bad post fifty miler but my last couple of runs have been really enjoyable. On Wednesday I went out and did my road four mile loop. I left my watch at home not caring about my time and comfortable about knowing the distance to be able to add the run accurately to my log book. A great day for a run, still in shorts with a long and short sleeve technical shirt on. Not even gloves required as my hand are always the coldest part of my body. That run was actually my first back to back day runs in over a month. I had ran my three mile road loop the day before, obviously, and then ten more minutes with Wild. I fastened the leash around my waist and it worked better than expected. I felt less pull from him. Just being under thirty pounds now I wonder how hard he'll be able to pull when he's full grown. I shouldn't say pull but rather 'mush'.
What pleased me most about my Wednesday run was that I felt good, kind of strong headnig up Bow Street hill. A viscious hill that comes with less than a mile left. It actually gets steeper near the top but I felt like I maintained my pace quite well. I wasn't going fast enough to set off the radar gun display the Freeport Police had set up to slow down drivers coming into town. I wanted a Micheal Scott moment of running at a clocked 35 mph. But alas.
I didn't overdue eating on Thanksgiving, just one plate full, not heaped over and just one piece of pie for dessert. I was pleased to see so many people out either running, walking or biking as I drove to my parents for dinner but there were only two cyclists I saw on the ride back home in the afternoon.
So on Friday I didn't feel the need to burn off excess calories but it was such a great day out and after getting some chores done, helping Quinn learn to ride his bike, and after a family walk at Wolf Neck SP, I headed out to Bradbury for a quick loop. Even though the lot was nearly full and I had on my orange Pineland shirt I still decided to head to the west side to avoid being accidentally shot at by unlucky late season hunters. Unlucky that they hadn't gotten one yet. I've made it a point not to be irratated by the number of hikers at Bradbury while I'm out on a run. I go there with my own family and it is good to see so many people enjoying the outdoors even if I need to dodge around them, just as long as they respect the rules of the park I'll happily do my best not to run them over. I seemed to meet people on all the trails except the very backside of the Boundary Trail coming onto the South Ridge. I was doing a slightly modified Bruiser loop, skipping going down the South Ridge and up the Summit Trail as I knew there would be lots of people on the Summit Trail and I also really didn't want to climb that ...ker. So from the Ridge intersection it was over to the summit, down the Tote following the race course again back to the summit and then down the South Ridge and back to the parking lot. Just slightly over four miles and about thirty six minutes. I did bring my watch as I just really wanted to know the mileage, but was moderately pleased about the time. I did really feel like there were spots that I was flying right along and although my watch indicated under a eight pace it felt much faster I suppose because fifty miles at an eleven minute mile pace is not a pace that makes you feel like a jackrabbit. Rabbit or turtle today, it didn't really matter. A fine day to run.