In the middle of today's run, that old Dr. Pepper tune popped into my head. "I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?" Again, something I haven't thought about in a few years, and it just appears in my thoughts like somebody whacked the Big Button of Random Stuff a good one. And THEN...no more than fifteen minutes later, as I'm listening to Dawn & Drew podcast, Dawn starts singing the Pepper song! Serious coincidenting here.
I did a new route today, the one I described in last night's entry, though I didn't complete it by running home, but rather headed to C-town. I needed groceries. So the route turned out to be just a shade over 4 miles - a good solid run.
In fact, it was a great run! The day was perfect and I felt like I could take it easy, at a nice leisurely pace. I stretched out for a good long while before the run and hadn't had too much pain yesterday anyway. I was dreading the return of the mysterious foot/shin/leg pain and hoping this run didn't turn out to suck like Tuesday's. I was pleased that my legs never went into those terrible pains and didn't tighten up - that they performed more predictably, with a little fatigue protest in the first mile or two and then getting used to the run.
I took the pace fairly steadily, even though I took the music with me today (which tends to make me vary my pace too much). I did have a few slow spots, but I ran strong the whole way; I really needed to feel that again. I took only two breaks: one to show my face at the Harley dealership and check on my bike (a personal visit has more impact than a phone call, right?) - and the second break partway up the Prospect Park hill for a few paces. I could have toughed through it, but I wanted to get a good drink from my water bottle without choking - and since I had settled into a two-in; two-out breathing pattern, choking was a real possiblity.
The breathing was odd enough. I can rarely sustain the 2-2 pattern without brining on a coughing fit. But for some reason, the coughing mostly stayed away today and I ran 1/3 of the route breathing 2-2, instead of my usual 2-3 pattern. Being able to breathe more means being able to work more - maybe that's why I was able to run more steadily today.
Anyway, wound up the run on the long downhill from the Park and that, as always, felt great. I took the opportunity to stretch my stride a little and for the last 3/4 mile, I really felt like a runner again with loose muscles, controlled strides and foot placement, good posture, and no clunky, heavy feeling in my body. I really hope April 29 feels like that.
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