Running Errands: Lunchtime 5k

I hadn't planned to run at lunch today.  Hiro and I were going to go to the nOg Run last night, but I was tired from my run on Sunday and Hiro was wiped out from work we got a kitten this weekend, and  yesterday was his first day home alone, so we ended up staying home.  Tonight I have a meeting after work, so I knew that if I wanted to get in a run it was going to have to be at lunch.  Luckily, I had some work related Errands that I planned on doing after lunch any way, so I thought that it would be great to "run" my errands.  I ran the same 5k course to Hiro's work that I did for my last lunch run.  It is a really hilly course through some busy city streets.  But, this was just the perfect afternoon for a run: 72 degrees, blue sky, and a light breeze.  This was a great run, and just an awesome way to break up the workday.  One funny thing did happen during my run -- some of my co-workers had gone to lunch and were on there way back to the office when they saw me cross the street in front of their car.  After I was well past their car they laid on the horn, and I didn't recognize them, let's just say that I engaged in some non-verbal communication in response to their horn.  After I recognized who it was I felt like the gesture was even more warranted!  Just kidding!

I generally ignore horns and all things yelled from car windows while I run, but if someone lays on the horn or goes out of their way to be a nuisance, they may elicit an occasional response from me.

How about you?  How do you react to people blowing horns, yelling at you, or splashing you while you run?

Any funny stories?  Please share.

Lunch on the Run: 10/27

It was a busy day for me, so I had to fit my run in during my lunch hour becauseI had tickets to the Caps vs. the Canes at the RBC Center, which was a great game for me because my Caps shutout the Home town Canes 3-0!  I had planned on going to the AM Sports Conditioning class at the Y, but I just couldn't get going this morning.  However I wanted to fit a workout or a run in today because on a whim I signed up for my first 10 k . . . and . . . it will be in two weeks!  Next weekend I'll run a 5k then eight days later, I'll do my first 10k.  I think that I am ready for the distance, and I'm not worried about hitting any goal time since it will be my first 10K, a PR is going to happen!  Anyway, this morning Hiro took our car to her work, and I took my bicycle, which gave me the Idea that at lunch I would just run a 5k course to her work, get the car, drive to our apartment, shower, grab a sandwich and head back to work.  After work I could put my bike on the bike rack and pick up Hiro, then we could grab some and drop off the bike on our way to the game. 

Not where or how I spent my lunch

It seems like a bonehead plan it might not be the best idea that I have ever had, but I wanted to try!  So this morning I mapped out my run before I left the house.  Hiro And I only work about 2 miles from one another, so I need to add in some additional twists and turns to make the right distance.  I ended up with a route that was just over 3.2 miles, and had four nice size uphills and two good downhills.  Unfortunately it was unseasonable hot today with highs in the mid eighty's!  The run itself went really well, but I was super sweaty when I got home.  I couldn't stop sweating even after my shower, so I had to wear some transition clothes until I stopped sweating.  The afternoon went by pretty quickly, I thought that the run might make me sleepy but, I was wide awake because I was so frantic to get back to work closed to on time.  Next time I do his it will be a day that Hiro has ridden her bike to work, so I can just run to the apartment.  I lost a lot of time today driving from Hiro's work to out apartment,    Overall, I know that I will do this again, but there is no way that I could do it in the summer because I would melt.

First Lunch Hour Run: 5k 10/13

The Free to Breathe 5k on Nov. 6th in Raleigh is being run right on the campus where I work.  The course goes right past my office, so today just before lunch, I thought to myself "why should I wait till after work to run?"  So, I changed in to my running clothes, which I had in my bag for the gym and went for a run.  I ran the exact course that I will be running on the 6th.  I took along a stop watch that one of my co-workers had for his work, so I even have an accurate time: 28:23:15, which is not bad at all.  This is a hilly course and there was some lunch hour traffic to deal with, but mainly -- I never really opened it up.  I just ran my normal pace the whole way.  I think that this might be a slower course than the last two race that I have run, but I won't know that for sure until I have run it a few more times.  I plan to run it at least two more time before the race, and the lunch time run might happen more often.  Luckily, I live very close to work, so I can go home and shower if needed.  However, what I may end up doing is riding my bicycle to work in the morning, running at lunch, ending at home, showering, then drive back to work and put the bike back on the rack on the way home.  Hmmm . . . sounds like a plan to me!