Leading the Blind

Had an interesting experience this morning- the Free Press is having a series on the marathon that bears it's name, go figure, and they featured a blind runner that my boss knows.

So my boss calls me up and asks if I'd like to come along to the filming and pretend to be a guide. It isn't that hard, really, and I wouldn't actually have to do much of anything- or so she said.

So I went, and got to try my hand at something new. Essentially beyond a tether and four commands, there isn't all that much too it. If you're going to gradually turn right, for instance, you say "soft right" More abrupt turns would be "hard right". And if you're not going to turn at all, I said "straight".

Takes some doing, though. Constant communication is pretty important, and so you have to be going at a speed which is conversational. If you're leading someone faster than you, that can be problematic.

Still, it was a good experience. I'm glad I went. But I do wish I had gotten a bit more of a chance to sleep in...

Oh, and...

I know that I had posted about doing all sorts of miles this week. Beyond things falling through on certain runs, injuries screwing up other runs, and just being too lethargic to get the hell out of bed in time, I think I might've logged 30 miles this week, including some walks and the pub run. Weak. :P

Not really ready for the cold

Been chilled recently. 50s and 100% humidity can do that... still, with the rain it's been tough for me to get out and run, without a race to train for.

I've got the lazies. Kind of a not good thing for a coach to have. And I don't think I've had a summer yet. I never do, until I feel all the chill that was frozen into my bones (and there was a lot this winter) has been baked out. A couple of 80 or 90 degree runs don't do it. Need hot temps for about a week before I really start to complain.

Believe me, I'm much happier running in the cold. But I don't appreciate it enough, till I've had my fill of the heat. And this summer just hasn't provided yet. I don't know that I hope it does, but I've hoped for more stupid things...

Well.... that sucked

I think my shin hates asphalt and loathes concrete. One terrible run today makes me think about chopping the damn thing off and going with one of those spoon shaped lower leg things.

Damnit to all hell, and points further south.

Food

Maybe 2500 calories, and I ran maybe 6-7 miles. Though I'm not really sure how much alcohol I drank....

It may not be a news flash to anyone but me, but I gotta say that pub runs are fun! :)

Food

I've begun to keep track of food intake; it might work out, or it might just kind of fall by the way side like it has in the past. Sometimes after reaching a goal, somtimes because I'm just kind of lazy.

Anyway, ball park figure of total calories consumed yesterday: 3300. Since I didn't run, I probably burned ~2500. Uh-oh. :P

Lethergic

A cost to the hill work from yesterday is a deep sense of ennui today. Meaning the vague feeling of wanting to do 17 miles today (I was off work- that's how I would have the time) came out to a total of zero miles run.

This isn't a bad thing, though. I want to stay in the 40-50 miles this week. With everything that I have scheduled, if I had run 17 today I'd finish just shy of 70. Which wouldn't be so good, even when they're easy miles.

Hill Training!

Went running through Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills yesterday. It's one of the few places around that seems to organically incorporate nature and human presence. Not try to dominate, which was pretty nice.

Has some nice hills, too. :)