Hot Hot Hot!

Don't get all excited now...I promise that Santa didn't bring me any plastic surgery for Christmas...but MAN!  was today a good day. 

I went out for my long run this morning after compulsively hitting the refresh button on weather.com until it said that it was somewhat reasonable outside.  Okay, I actually left 5 degrees earlier than my original target temp, but I was quite excited about going for a run.  While I usually do my mid-week training runs in the evening, my long runs are almost always first thing in the morning.  The waiting was killing me today, but I don't have the right gear to run outside at much below freezing.  27 was close enough for this morning. 

I ran a route that I sometimes have trouble with--for some reasons I have had more "bad runs" on that route than any other.  I don't know if it's because I psych myself out with the bad juju of the past, or if it's because it is on a slight uphill and I have a tendency to start out way too fast.  The fast start/positive  split thing is a problem I have, so I figured that a relatively low mileage long run was as good a time to work on it as any.  Today was certainly a good day!  Negative splits in the first and  last half (though my slowest mile was in the middle?) AND I beat my own personal 10k time!

Then later I went shopping with my dear partner (AMA).  He was looking for shoes, but alas, the New Balance Store didn't have the shoes he wanted and the idiot in the store suggested that he try an old-man pair in lieu of the ones he wanted.  You know the ones I am talking about--all white, all leather uppers?  Yeah, not really a winner.  The good news was that I was able to verify his size so I can order the ones that he wants online.  While he will never be a runner, he does need some shoes that aren't so threadbare they have holes and the plastic heal insert is exposed.

After a less than successful trip to the shoe store, we went to the Go Lite store, because it always makes me happy to browse all of the pretties.  Rather unexpectedly, AMA announced that I needed a hat to wear running.  Evidently the rolled up balaclava I rocked this morning was an unacceptable substitute for a hat.  So...as an early Christmas present, I now have my own super-spiffy running hat!  I hope my running can live up to such a wondrous marvel of wicking technology!