A quickening pace

I was happy to run 10K at Bally today in 58:50, breaking an hour for that distance for only the second time ever. I first did it last week, on January 13, in 58:46.

Dexter-Ann Arbor Run

The Dexter-Ann Arbor Run is a big annual event in our area, taking place the first Sunday in June. In 2007, as shown here, I ran the 5K portion of it on June 1. In 2008, I moved up to my first post-accident 10K. Now, on June 7, 2009, I'm planning to do the half-marathon (which begins in Dexter and ends in Ann Arbor, giving the event its name). It'll surely be a test ... easily the longest run I've done since doing the Twin Cities Marathon in both 1984 and 1992 (in about 3:32:45 each time). But it's a challenge to which I look forward.

Winter running

I am so glad to be able to run indoors at Bally this winter! We are getting pounded with an extremely severe and heavy winter - lots of snow and intense cold. I drove there this morning before 7 AM, through several inches of new snow (but no traffic) and ran 10K (6.2 miles) in just over an hour.

First Saturday of the new year

I ran 10 miles at Bally this morning ... the farthest I have run since Dec. 1 ... and it felt really good. As incentive, I rewarded myself with a soak in the jacuzzi afterwards, reading the John Grisham book I'm now working on (The Firm). I was especially pleased to run 10-minute miles, finishing in 1:40:03, and to be able to keep going, after having terminated several runs early in recent weeks.

New Year's Day

I was so pleased to see a sign at Bally this week that they would be open at 8 AM today, so I looked forward to getting 2009 off to an ambitious start, as I had planned to do 10 miles. But, though I waited outside their door in my car from 7:50 till 8:15, it remained resolutely locked and dark. (I'm thinking whoever was scheduled to open must have partied too hard last night.) So I made my way home and did a cautious 2.2 miles outdoors on a nippy morning (17 degrees), slowly and cautiously, telling myself safety was much more important than either speed or distance, and at least I was doing something.