Trust Technology or the Force

As a child of the late '70s & early '80s, I have a penchant for geeking out on Star Wars.  I mean -- I got to see the original on both the big screen and at the drive in (you can start envying me, Now!  Because I won't lie to you, it was freaking awesome).  Anyway, today I had a long run that just felt all kinds of wrong (-- like watching Episode I on Spike TV).  Hay Fever season is getting underway and only exacerbated my mouth breather tendencies, there was the time change, my falling out of love with peanut butter Gu, an assortment of pains both real and imagined, and the poor Saturday dinning choices of leftover Curry and rice for lunch, and a pork roast for dinner, which all combined to make me nuts for the entirety of my 9 mile run in Umstead.  However, when I came home and plugged in Old Bob (named after a character from The Black Hole) to look at the data from my horror show of a run, it wasn't that bad.  I was basically on par with last week's 12 miler and a bit slower than a 10 miler I did on the same course about 3 weeks ago, but the numbers didn't look as nearly as bad as the run felt. 

Screw you Obi Wan the damn computer stays on!

But this goes against all the teachings of Star Wars, I mean, Luke turned off his targeting computer and searched his feelings to take out the Death Star, but here I am clinging to technology (the tools of the Empire and the Dark Side) and trying to ignore my feelings.  I feel like I just kicked an Ewok in the face!  Actually, that's not true, I'd love to kick an Ewok in the face.  I just found out that Darth Vader was my Father . . . no that one would be even better than kicking the Ewok . . . Ok, I feel like I just turned my friend over to Lord Vader and an overrated bounty hunter that I can't understand why so many people are obsessed with Boba Fett, that's a better comparison.   Anyway, my point is this is all kind of counter intuitive and I don't know which to trust my feelings about the run or the data from my Garmin.  Maybe, the run was only bad because my mind was all twisted by my negative emotions . . . oh who knows . . . I just hope that over the course of the week things sort themselves out before my Half Marathon next weekend.   

 

Just Drop Me Off, and I'll Run Home!

It sounds cool, doesn't it? "Drop me off here and I'll just run home."  That is essentially what I told Hiroko yesterday morning.  She needed the car, and I planned to run a 10 miler in Umstead.  However, as it got closer to the time for us to leave, I began to do some complex mathematical calculations simple addition and realized that the Ready Creek Trail through Umstead was approximately 5 miles one way, and the Greenway from Meredith College to Schenck forest was 4 miles one way, and there is about 1 mile between Umstead and Schenck, which made 10!  10 miles by my monkey math and it got me thinking, so I told my wife, "just drive me out to Umstead and drop me off, I'll run home." 

Now, my wife is kind of use to my hare brained ideas, since the time that I rode my Japanese granny bike from Kasukabe to Shin Koshigaya and back on a whim.  The trip is normally over a 20 minute express train ride one way and took me nearly three hours.  I repeated the trip the next weekend just for fun.  So, when I told Hiroko that I wanted her to just drop me off roughly 10 miles from my home with no cell phone, a hand held water bottle, and a Garmin, she knew that I was serious.  In fact, this run had been something of a goal of mine for some time now.  The mileage wasn't a problem, but the course is hilly as all get out (as you cans see from the elevation cart below.  However, the idea of being committed to the run is what appealed most to me.  One way or another, I was going to have to cover that ten miles in order to get home.

Also, I enjoyed this run a lot because I feel like I had been building up to this run for some time now.  I have run portions of this course over the last year, but I have never tried to connect all the dots in one run before now and doing so gave me a thrill.  I enjoyed the idea that every step I took got me on step closer to home and it helped me to keep moving forward.  There were only two drawbacks to this run.  1).  The second half of the course would be run on sidewalk and paved Greenway rather than compacted gravel and a little harder on my feet than I needed.  2).  The hills from mile 7 to 10 loomed heavy on my mind for the entirety of the run.  I won't try to say that they didn't suck because one look at the grade on the hill at the end of mile 7 will tell you that I was lying if I tried say otherwise.  Even though, I have run 10 miles and beyond several times over the last 12 months, this run gave me a particularly large feeling of gratification when I finished it.  Mainly because I can remember a time not too long ago that the thought of completing this course was beyond unimaginable.  Now all I can think about is the day I do this as an out and back!

The Athlete's House of the Rising Sun

Runner's Porn Site

Today, I have an affliction that is common to athletes around the world on a rest day.  It is the Athlete's  House of the Rising Sun, and it's been the ruin of many a poor boy, And God I know I'm one . . .

I am lusting after OPPA (Other People's Physical Activity).  Yep, I'm staring a you little miss jogger in the NC State Track Tank, not because you're hot, but because I want to be running down Avent Ferry Hill like you.  Yes, Boring Runner, I'm cyber stalking your blog today, and it is not because you talked about running "naked," but because you were running intervals this morning while I was making plans to clean of my cat's litter box!  And, I know that I have spent an amazingly unhealthy amount of time on a few of those websites that my wife doesn't like to see me on (because of the  fees)!  No, not the ones Charlie Sheen has bookmarked!  The Race Listing you pervs! 

Yep, I am on a rest day, and even though I am in a long term committed relationship with my training plan, my eye is wandering, and I am breathing heavy thinking about all those sexy little pieces gym equipment just waiting for me at the Y or those lovely trails out at Lake Johnson with all their curves, not to mention all the tantalizing temptation presented the more than ample hills of Umstead Park-- someone, pour a bucket of water on me!  I know that I need to stay strong and faithful to my training plan even if all we have planned is a night in front of the TV together in sweats.  Yes, this is a beautiful Friday night with all kinds of potential for the trill of a spontaneous workout fling.  I must put these lustful thoughts aside and stay true because the wandering eye the athlete will only lead me to ruin.  I keep telling myself that the short term cheap thrill is not worth the risk.  But, Lord knows I am a week man! 

Pitfalls of Training For the Athlete on the Rebound

I've been training for the Tobacco Trail Half Marathon for the last few weeks.  The race is getting closer as February, thankfully, comes to an end.  Seriously, I will be happy to see March just so I don't have to hear that annoying "Februany" Subway jingle!  Arrggg!  Anyway . . . the race is four weeks away, and I have been hitting the gym and working out rather hard following my return from south Florida and the Miami Half Marathon.  As my long time followers already are all too aware, I was not pleased with my results in The Sunshine State, and am eagerly awaiting a chance to take on the Half Marathon again.  I am . . . An Athlete on the Rebound! 
 
However, I am precariously close to falling into one of the major pitfalls of training following a poor performance.  Often athlete's (even the recreational athlete like myself) will have their confidence shaken following a poor result and become overly cautious about their next attempt or feel that they don't have what it takes and begin to loose their edge.  We've all seen this story played out in every medium humanly imaginable -- it is a very old tale, perhaps as old as athletics themselves and is an easy story with which to relate.  However, it is not my story, my confidence was not shaken in a manner that left me with a debilitating feeling of doubt.  My confidence might have been given a bit of a stir, but I have not been paralyzed by my lack luster performance in Miami.  On the contrary, my internal pendulum swung entirely in the opposite direction and have set about doing everything I can to ensure a better result from the Tobacco Trail Half.  I know that I just had a bad day and have set out to prove it by running four days a week with gym session following all but my Sunday long run, full gym sessions on the two of the three days that I don't run.  I've pushed myself to run more hills and insisted that I return to the gym to finish workouts that I couldn't complete before work.  Laying an egg in Miami did nothing but steel my resolve, and that is the crux the problem.  I am on the edge of the major pitfall of over reacting to a poor performance and training either to the point of injury or exhaustion: The Zealots Rebound Training Trap.   I want to slim down and tighten up more before the race and set myself up for a success so huge that it will erase the bitter taste in my mouth from my last race.

But, attacking this race headlong and full force like Mel Gibson attacking a six pack of Foster's is more likely to guarantee another poor performance than the type of results that I covet.  Thursday morning, I pushed myself through and 6 mile run despite a persistent soreness in my ankle and heel, and I stubbornly followed it up with a hill 8 miler on Saturday.  By Sunday, I felt worn out,  yet so strong were the urges of my athletic rebound that I nearly refused to compromise and take an extra rest day.  I kept attempting to justify the extra off day to both myself and my wife, who eventually just told that there was no need for me to justify anything to her, and I should do what I wanted/needed.  That was when I realized what just how close I am to falling into The Zealots Rebound Training Trap.  I need to be confident that my training will have me ready without going complete workout crazy.  I need to be flexible, listen to my body, and not rigidly adhere to plans that are were good in theory  when I made  them, but are now a tad unrealistic.  The Pitfall is there.  I see it.  Now, am I smart enough to avoid it?

Beat Up, Worn Down, and In Need of a Rest Day

First off, let me say that I have at long last broken down and joined Twitter @Locker_29 so please follow me.  Also, I have created a page for Locker29 on Facebook, so you can be more connected to me than ever.  Hey, I guess that it is time that I join the collective . . . Resistance is futile after all!  Also, I have officially registered for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon in May, and if all goes well in my next two Half Marathons: Pittsburgh and The Tobacco Road, then a fall Marathon will be in order.

My Attacker: Name: Basil Aliases: Squirrel, Buddy
Status: At Large

Tomorrow is my rest day, and I hate to admit it, but I need it.  I got in all of my workouts this week despite some persistent soreness in my achilles/heel area, a migraine the day after Valentines Day, the return of The Walking Dead, and a vicious attack from a house cat while I was doing abs.  I ran 22 miles over four days this week, and got in 5 gym workouts.  I have stepped up my use of the rowing machine and have begun to enjoy it at last.  I am up to 30 min. rowing sessions and the only real issue I have with them is keeping my I-pod from sliding off my are. 







I saw this painted on a wall and snapped this picture as I ran past.



I took my camera with me on my Tuesday morning run, and had a lot of fun taking pictures as I ran.  most were crap, but I did take one that I liked a lot.  I never stop running when I take these and have no real photographic knowledge, but I enjoy taking these pictures while I run from time to time because it makes my look around at the world as I run.  The other day I was watching Forrest Gump on TV while I was in my hotel room trying to get sleepy after the Half Marathon.  The scene where he is talking about all of the places that he had seen in the world came on, and it made me resolve to stop and take in the more of the beauty our big blue world has to offer, which is one reason that I have begun to alter some of my more set running routes since I returned.  Honestly, I don't think that I ever got to know Raleigh until I began to run it.  I still have a very hot and cold relationship with the city, but it is not because it doesn't have a lot to offer visually. 

Saw this quote on a blog and just loved it.

Anyway, following a full week of workouts, I am going to reluctantly take things easy tomorrow, before getting back at it on Saturday.  I am on the verge of hitting a major weight loss goal of mine, but I am not there yet.  I'll have more about it when I reach it, but for now, I think that my eating and workouts are going in the right direction and I am excited to see what the future holds, so this is no time to do something dumb and push myself to the point of injury.  So tomorrow, I begin my rest day serenely and with a high spirit (and I hope that it sis devoid of cat attacks)!

Olive Oil, Gumbo, Wind Chill, and an Umstead 10 Miler

Is it wrong that I hope Lori wasn't wearing a seat belt?

All the signs were pointing to a complete shit-show of a Sunday from the very get go.  Hiroko had to work and odd shift, which meant that driving all the way out to the Tobacco Trail just wasn't going to happen considering, I was planning to do a nice Valentines dinner for her and  watcher the afternoon Capitals-Rangers Game.  If I wanted to get everything done that I need to without stressing myself out or setting fire to the kitchen, I would have to take on the hills of Umstead Park.  This was not an appealing idea.  A 10 mile out and back run along the Ready Creek Trail is just a festival of hills.  And when it is compared to The Tobacco Trail, it becomes rather absurd (grant Ready Creek is not as ridiculously unreasonable as the Turkey Creek Trail, but I avoid that at all cost).  For an idea of the hill profile check out Shelby's post about her 20 miler on the same trail. 

In addition to the decision to run Umstead, I was just all kinds of discombobulated as I was trying to get ready.  I couldn't find my gloves, kept forgetting where I put my keys, and for some unknown reason nearly made myself insane trying to put compression socks on a foot that was already wrapped in KT Tape (this is impossible by the way, and you more likely to breathe under water than have this workout for you).  Also, the morning was one of the coldest we've had around these parts, but I refuse to wear my running tights in the daylight hours until we see snow, so as it turned out, I was one of the four idiots still wearing shorts on a blustery Sunday morning with temperature 30.9, calculated Wind chill of 22.2 and wind Gusts of 17.3 MPH at 10:55am according to the weather station at RDU (can you tell that I am starting to geek out on working in a Climate Office -- tons of fun data).   What does all this mean?  Basically means that was too damn cold to running in shorts and without the gloves that I forgot!  Actually, I only missed the gloves for the first mile and it wasn't that bad.  After a brief period where I thought I might lose a finger to frostbite, I warmed up and was fine. 

When I got to Umstead I noticed that there was some sort of mountain bike race going on that only made me begin to dread the run more.  But, as it turned out, I had a great run.  As I mentioned before, I thought my fingers might fall off for the first mile, but I was running well and warmed up considerably as the run progressed.  The Peanut Butter GU that I was trying for the first time wasn't bad at all, and the hills of Umstead didn't kick my butt nearly as bad I feared the would.  In the end, I ran the 10 miles in Umstead at the same 9:28 pace that I ran 8 miles on the Tobacco Trail last week.  I've no idea why or how this came about because I didn't even look at Old Bob until I had reached 3.8 miles and wanted to check for the mid point.  After a shockingly good run, I returned home watched the Capitals lose yet again!  Then began to prepare dinner.

Hiroko has to work on the 14th, so I made her Valentine dinner Sunday tonight.  Gumbo.  Made a roux for the first time in my life, and apparently I have watch so many cooking shows with Hiroko that I have learned, without being taught, to devein shrimp . . . on both sides.  God.  I feel . . . all domesticated and shit and feel the need to kill something with my bare hands soon to prove that I'm still a man . . . ok that's not going to happen, but I am going to leave the toilet seat up all week dammit!  Anyway, Hiro loved the Gumbo and we had a nice little dinner before watching the return of AMC's The Walking Dead! 

p.s. Olive Oil . . . hahahahahahaha!

Open Letter to the Bus Driver Who Did Not Widow My Wife

Dear Bus Driver Who Did Not Widow My Wife,

Thank you from the bottom of my dumb-ass heart.  I am a F*$&ing idiot.  No excuses.  Had you, dear bus driver, splattered me all along Hillsborough Street this morning, it would have been entirely my fault.  Granted, I was in a designated cross walk, but that was about the only aspect of my Super Dave Osborne-esque temptation of fate that I got right.  Normally, I am much more cautious and would never attempt to cross at an intersection that is clearly obstructed by trees, I would not have attempted to cross against the light, and I would have been wearing a effing blinky light!  What got into me this morning you ask?  A serious case of momentary lapse of reason is all I can figure.  You see, I have a Half Marathon to run, which I understand that I can't run if I am busted all to hell and back because I lost a game chicken with a bus, but you see . . . my Achilles has been sore since Saturday and that is all I was thinking about.  Well . . . not all . . . he is where I really feel like my frikin  nincompoopery maxes out.  And this my kindly bus driver is true! Not 15 minutes before I tested out my sprinting skill and your brakes, I ran past a guy dressed like the Frikin Grim Reaper!  I know that you want to call bull-shit on this, but it is true.  I would not shit a person, whose quick reflexes just saved me from accidentally pruning my own limb from my family tree. 

It was before dawn and misting out.  I was running past Smoker Friendly/Cigar Express gas station (google it if you think I am making it up) and out of the fog comes a guy dressed in head to toe black, wearing long flowing trench with a black hoodie underneath.  His hood was up and his hands are gloved.  When I first saw him walking towards me I thought "You've got to be kidding me.  The Grim Reaper."  But as he got closer I could feel my pace quicken and my heart beat faster.  I couldn't make out his face as I passed, but really . . . . looking him in the eye was the last thing on my mind.  I went past him and shortly got to my turn around point about a half a block down the street.  When I turned around and headed back the way I had come, to my relief, Reaper dude was gone.  Now, I at the time I didn't think that he step off into the ethereal plane or some shit like that.  I thought that he just turned down a side street of crossed over to the other side of the road.  But now, as I write this letter to my kindly Bus Driver, I am forced to wonder just a bit, if the reaper was doing a bit of scouting.  Because, a mile a half later, even though I was looking both was as I began to cross the street, I did not see your ginormous "vehicle of mass transportation/express to the afterlife". Once again, this was entirely my bad and if it make you feel a bit better, I think I peed a little as I stared into your headlights.

Sincerely,

Greg from Locker 29

Trained and Pained: 7 Days till Miami

Home today suffering through the aftermath of a bout of food poisoning.  Yay.  What a wonderful way to go into race week!  I've also got a touch of Achilles soreness as well.  But, I am hopeful that with some rest, stretching, and a good tape job, it will be fine come race day (crossing my fingers as I type). 

Good news is that I am running well at the moment and feel confident that this will be a good race barring injury on the course or unforeseen calamity.  I still had some major doubts and nerves when I took the line for my first half marathon, but this time I am, well to quote Tyler Durden, calm as Hindu cows.



Ok . . . maybe no that calm, but I feel good and have a much greater idea of what to expect from myself.  My only worry is that this will be my first experience with a major destination race.  And, just making it form my home to the starting line might be a bit exhausting. 

As for expectations, I would like to run a sub 2 hour race and feel that I am very capable of hitting that goal.  I would need to run around a 9:10, which I think is a very comfortable pace for me at the moment.  I have worked on getting in better shape for this race and have lost somewhere around 7lbs since October 15th.  I have also gained a some muscle.  These changes are welcome and have added to my confidence.  I have set PR's in both the 8k and 5k since November, so I am hopeful that this run will bring better than expected results. 

I have already signed up for another Half in March as well as a 10 miler in April, so the next step will be to begin thinking about how I want to approach them.  But, I'll wait to make any real plans until I see how this race goes.

The Song that Got Me Out of Bed this Morning! Sing along if you like!

I've been in a funk for the last week and have been struggling to stay motivated. The Miami Half is on short week away, but this week has just been a suck fest!

Wednesday the 18th, I got the bright idea to jump rope for 30 minutes even though I hadn't jump roped for a few weeks. My calf was super tight the next day, but I still forced myself to run my 6 miler. Afterward, I could hardly walk. I took Friday and Saturday off to let it rest up. Sunday I ran my 12 mile long run. Not smart. Monday off again. Tuesday failed to drag my ass out bed in the morning, felt like crap all day, work sucked, and I skipped out on most of my workout. Wednesday was worse! Skipped out on the gym altogether. Hated the world, life, and could muster the energy to do anything but sit in front of the TV and watch Hockey. Thursday morning I pulled a Lazarus and rose from the fucking dead . . . actually the Lazarus comparison isn't right . . .it was more like I had a Lindsay Lohan-esque moment of clarity and fleetingly pulled my shit together enough to run my morning 6 miler yesterday before work. But last night, I was back on the couch eating DiGiorno pizza and watching 4 straight hours of How I met you Mother. The low point came when I found myself reading the character backgrounds on Wikipedia. Honestly not sure how close I came to totally madness, but I am really thankful that I don't keep firearms, hunting gear, or renaissance fair equipment in our apartment!

When I went to bed, I thought that I had been through the worst of it and that the sheer joy of Friday's arrival would be enough to dislodge my sorry ass from the bed . . . but o-fucking-no, when my alarm went off at the ungodly hour of 4:20am, my first reaction was to go into full on Frankenstein Fire! Bad! Must . . . Smash . . . Shit . . . Now . . .  mode and go back to bed. But after nearly destroying my alarm, as I lay there thinking what a waste of a human being I was . . . and a song came to mind. A glorious song of self loathing and hate.  A song so annoying and ill composed that it forced me to get up from my bed and face this effing dread fest of a day.  A song so stupid that it made me hate myself so much that my only options were to drown myself in the toilet bowl or go to the Y and workout.  Some people use power mantras to motivate themselves, but they just don't work for me.  No, I have to go all the way down through the The Rabbit Hole of self revulsion and today this song was what I found and brought back to the world with me!   Enjoy!



Who's the Slackest of the Slack

That's sad for you to be!

S-L-A-C-K-E-R

G-R-E-G!

You, Suck!

You're, A Waste!

You're a Prick!

Your're as unwelcome as can be!

S-L-A-C-K-E-R

G-R-E-G!

Slacker Greg!(slacker greg)Slacker Greg!(slacker greg)

forever let us flip him off! 

(Off! Off! Off!)

Come and sing this stupid song

and join the pity partee!

S-L-A-C-K-E-R

G-R-E-G!

Slacker Greg club!

Slacker Greg club!

we take a nap, we feed our faces

we do not a thing and we go no place

all around the world we're slacking off!

Boo, Slacker!

Boo, Slacker!

Boo, slacker greg club!

You Suck!

Cats and Tapering . . . A Recipe for Maddness!

I got my Bib number and Corral assignment in my e-mail this morning for Miami.  This should make me happy, but I am tapering and hate the world at the moment!

Also,  this little guy . . .

My sweet little boy Basil . . .

has decided to make me Crazy! 

Basil is normally a pretty chatty cat, but since my last long run on Sunday . . . He has not shut up!  He follows me around meowing for a toy

that he looses 3.4 seconds after I find it. 

I love my cat . . . he is awesome . . . But he know that I am tapering and just wants to mess with me! 

Playtime starts 2 minutes after I fall asleep!

And . . . He is right . . .

In my . . .

 . . .Face!

"I am Everywhere"

"I am Everywhere"

"I am Everywhere"

"Greg . . . I am Everywhere."

Also . . .

Basil is Everywhere. . .

Open Letter To the Staggering Drunk Who Wanted to Run with Me This Morning

Dear Staggering Drunk,

I am sorry that I appeared to ignore you this morning.  It was very early, and I wasn't expecting anyone to start up a conversation with me at 5am while I was in the midst of my run.  I failed to realize that you were addressing me until you came staggering out into the street, and repeatedly greeted me by  shouting what I think was "Hey, Brother Man!"   Sorry that you had to repeat yourself over and over and get louder, you must have failed to notice that I was listening to my I-pod.  I hope that didn't spill your drink (or cup of urine?) as you tried to catch up to me.  Unfortunately, your unexpected appearance and the lurching nature of your unorthodox running style initially made think that the zombie apocalypse was upon us.  Please forgive me, I have been watching way too much of AMC's The Walking Dead and Zack Snyder's Classic remake of Dawn of the Dead and must cut back.  However, once I realized that you were capable of some form of speech and were not a "walker", I was suddenly reminded that I needed to get in some speed work.  Since I am not that fluent in 'bum speak' I can only guess that as you staggered into the street and began to follow me that you were offering your services as a training partner, which I sadly had to decline.  While I am certain that you are free of a performance enhance drugs, I am uncertain about about your regimen of performance inhibitors.  Also, I know that as a heal striker, I should not point out the flaws in the way other people run, but I doubt that I could adapt to your weaving-stagger style of running.  I just don't think that I am the right fit for you as a running partner.  You need someone, who will appreciate your many personality quirks, like randomly falling down in the street or bursting into song mid run.  And while I admire your dedication to the run, personally, I will stop if I feel the need to urinate or vomit and know that you will not let these bodily functions hold you back from anything.  I am afraid that I am just not that hardcore and hope that you are able to find a suitable training partner.

Sincerely,

Greg from Locker29

Christmas Truce with Old Man Winter is Over!

I'll take rain.  I am down with snow.  The blazing heat of summer in Raleigh is something that I can deal with for the most part.  But, I always forget just how damn windy it is around here in the winter.  This mornings temp was 28 degrees, which I am normally fine with.  After growing up in WV and attending college in the mountains of Western NC, 28 degrees is nothing more than hoodie weather.  However, when you couple it with 30 MPH wind gusts, it will make you rethink any proclamations you may have made about winter around here are "nothing to worry about".  I still have yet to thaw from my predawn 3 miler this morning, which was made damn near intolerable by the fact that I seem to have lost my gloves this weekend. 

Summer's in Raleigh are by far the worst.  God knows that I hate them with every fiber of my being.  But, I always seem to forget just what a sneaky bastard old man winter can be when here rears his ugly head around these parts.  Honestly, Raleigh's weather has been rather kind since mid August, so I shouldn't complain . . . But, I will!  I know that other people have it worse than I do when it comes to winter, but hey . . . one of the few redeeming qualities of living in the birth place of NASCAR is that the winter's are suppose to next to none existent.  I mean seriously . . . if I have to spend the entire week explaining to people why I did not eat black-eyed peas and collard greens (Yuck!) on New Years Day, I should at least be entitled to a few more days of our winter weather Christmas Truce! 

Oh well . . . I am 5 weeks away from the Miami Half Marathon where the weather is sure to AWESOME, so bring it on Jack Frost!

Wednesday's Words From the Wise

"You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." - Jerry West

Merry Christmas 8 Miler in Pictures.

Merry Christmas Baby.  I gotta go go run 8 miles.  That is how I started my Christmas morning.   Luckily, Hiroko knows me and expected something like this.  She also agreed to join me on my run, which was more than I could have hoped for on this festive day!  We decided to hit the surface roads of downtown Raleigh since there was sure to be very little traffic.