I am the Botan-ic Man

Name this tune: Bah-bump-ba-ba-ba-bada-da-bada-bah--da dah da-da-dah da da da-da-dah--bump-bum-bum-ba-bum-ba-bummmmmmmm. (That's just the intro...)

What a GREAT run I had today! Not my long run for the weekend, but nevertheless a great run. I got a lot done today, including settling some details with the homeowner next door (paving the way for a signed contract next week!), test rides on a BMW K1200R and a BMW F650CS, and a solid, uplifting 4-mile run.



The temperature took an un-spring-like turn for the hot today and hit 300 degrees Kelvin. Literally. It was 80F out there. And though I had time after the test rides to do my long ten-miler, I realized that I have not yet acclimated to anything warmer than 50-degree temps and that perhaps putting in my longest run since last October on the hottest day since last October might not be the wisest thing yet. So I chose to turn an errand into a run. I went straight down 4th ave, kind of scouting the condition of the pavement as I went and headed for Ft. Hamilton's commisary.

The run started unhappily, as my calves, IT bands, and shins were pulling the same crap they did Wednesday in the park. But I was having none of it. I concentrated on as steady and continuous run as possible. I paused at 1 mile out to stretch more and got going again. Running through the spray from the fire department washing their truck at 53rd street felt awesome. I didn't realize 'til them how hot I was getting. I kept going and miracle-of-miracles, the pain began to ebb at about 60th street. By the time I hit three miles, I was running steadily, strongly, at about a 9:00/mi pace. As I passed a gym, I spied a RAZR on the ground, stopped, picked it up. Hm...lost cell phone. Well, I dropped it off at the gym, since I figured the owner of the phone was probably in that gym and kept going. After that brief stop, my legs had no pain at all and I was feeling very good. I picked up the pace to about 8:00/mi and pounded on down to the battery park and around to Ft. Hamilton.

I think the guard was surprised to see me running up. He checked my ID and I ran on to the commisary, where I definitely surprised some of the old men sitting outside. The last quarter-mile to the comissary involved the only real hill of the route - 50 yards of 10% grade. Felt good to top that rise without slacking the pace.

So I picked up groceries, included 26 boxes of most-awesome-happy-fun-Chocolate-Fudge-Pudding, and 4 boxes of Botan Rice Candy, which I didn't know they carried before. Obviously, I did not run home.

I used the time on the train ride back to stretch with all the stretches I could think of. My legs feel really good right now, and I'm feeling like tomorrow's 10-miler is going to be a solid training run. My plan is to take it "boring". I'm taking the subway to Prospect Park and use the first loop as a warm-up-slowly loop, then will use the next two loops as 1/2-marathon-pace training. If I feel as good at the end of that run tomorrow as I did at the end of today's, I'll even tack on the 1.7-mile downhill to my house.

Oh, and I was able to wear a tech-t and shorts today! Yes! And now, I must finish my Recoverite and take a shower. Because damn, at 80 degrees, even a 4-miler makes me grainy with salt.