Rainy Five Miles

Our good friend Anne told us she was hosting a San Diego Track Club run at Lake Miramar today, so we decided to go join the run over there instead of running with our usual running club. We did balk a little at the 6:30am starting time. And let me tell you, when that alarm went off at 5:30am today, nobody budged, LOL! However, ten minutes later, we knew we had to get out of bed if we were to make the run, so we begrudgingly did. When we opened our garage door, it was still a little dark outside. And then we got a surprise on our way to Lake Miramar: RAIN! Todd said, "If it's going to rain steadily, I'm not doing it." Raining in August in San Diego is a really rare thing, so we're not used to it. Good thing it wasn't raining hard, or we really would have bailed. When we got to the parking lot, we were still waiting for the rain to stop. We stepped out of the car, and suddenly Anne was waving at us. Doh! We HAD to run now that she saw us! The run actually turned out to be rather easy, because it wasn't hot. We've run at Lake Miramar many many times, so the loop was very familiar to us. Here we are starting out. I actually didn't take that many photos during this run, because let's face it, it was dreary and rainy. I concentrated my efforts at chi running again, using my core muscles to propel my legs and arms, and relaxing my shoulders. It did not feel quite as effortless as last week, but I was still faster than my usual pace, and it did feel like I was making less effort. My fastest mile was a 10:12 mile for mile 3. I averaged a 10:27 min/mile pace for the five mile run, which is really good for me. I'm a true convert to this chi running now! I have Anne to thank, for introducing me to this concept. Here's Todd's stats. He was, as usual, a lot faster than me. However, he did feel discomfort in his right knee still, so he's not fully recovered from his nagging injury yet, despite the two months of physical therapy. :( Here we are, after the run. Talk about keeping it real! Sweaty faces with little dead bugs on them. Gross! Anne was the best run host ever! Not only did she set up the water station, but she also brought frozen fruits as post-run goodies. I had never eaten frozen grapes before, and let me tell you, I'm in love! I love the texture and the sweetness combined. What a great after-run treat! Todd took a picture of me and Anne before we left. To read more about the run today and see a better photo of me and Todd, go to Anne's post here. The rest of today... lunch at Bongiornos: Napped. Watched football. Had dinner at Santana's: It is AWESOME to have Todd home again!