Roads are Different

(Insert Obligatory Willie.)



Today, I ran 8 miles on the roads. (7.75 to be exact.) Not sure why, but I decided it would be a good idea. As you can see from the chart on right -----> I've done very little road running this year. This was the longest road run I've done since...well, let me check...since Mt. Washington on June 22. But that doesn't really count...let me check again...holy crap! The last road run of this length was this exact run...on March 20! Holy Schnikies!!!

Needless to say, it showed. I felt...well, odd. I didn't feel bad, but I sure felt different. Total lack of smoothness. By the end, my hip flexors were unhappy. Going into the run, my right hamstring was already cranky. It started tight and never really got any better. I focused on keeping my gait uniform, but it was tough. My leg felt short, and I felt like I was chopping my stride. In the end, though, I think it turned out OK.

Oh, and on the roads, you could potentially get hit by a car. I didn't get hit, which is nice, but one vehicle sure got close. After it happened, I began thinking about the thousands of miles I've logged on the roads since I started running in high school. I've never been hit, and I don't plan on getting nicked anytime soon. Of course, that reminiscing got me to thinking about one summer, when I was in absolutely killer, ripped, totally jacked shaped: the summer of '95. (Seriously, I was awesome.) Unfortunately, summer of '95 sounds a lot like the "Summer of '69." So, the second half of the run was all Bryan Adams.



CRAP. Stupid Canadians.

Ended the run in 1:05:15, which averages out to 8:25 per mile. Not bad for feeling mediocre and taking it easy. So, I'll take it. Now, off to the foam roller.