Addicted

I guess you can say I'm becoming addicted to running and exercise in general. I do have an addictive behavior, it is good that it is being used for something productive this time. Today was an easy 3 miles in the new shoes this morning. That wasn't enough though, as I biked about 10 miles in the dark after work.

The run went fairly well. I just ran the Schuykill Banks loop. I warmed up with some strides, high knees and kick butts. I bought a pair of Asics Gel GT 2140. I forgot how good it feels to have a new pair of shoes. I felt like I could fly. I actually had to hold back a lot. I didn't realize just how dead my old pair was.

My IT band continued to act up on the hills. It never got too bad, but the last uphill near the 676 overpass became really tough. I had to slow down quite dramatically. I guess my shoes weren't only problem when it comes to the IT band.

I ran in my new Under Armour ColdGear Compression Hoodie. It worked out very nicely with shorts and gloves. The temperature was in the low to mid 30s, but it wasn't windy at all. It was quite nice for that temperature.

I spend a few minutes in the shoe department at work. I didn't sell much, but I had a nice talk with a gentleman about trail running, barefoot running, ultramarathing and so on. I'll definitely be most helpful in the long run when working in the shoe department. I will be able to relate well to runners, once I know more about our shoe products. I've been doing a lot of studying up lately.

They cut me early from work again. That is kind of frustrating right now, but at the same time, my legs are thankful. I took advantage of the situation though. I went out for a bike ride. Since it's dark and I don't have a working light, I wore a bright yellow running shirt over my jacket. I wore my Under Armour tights and my Hoodie underneath my jacket. It was perfect attire for the ride. The hood kept my ears warm.

Riding in the dark was interesting. Luckily, there aren't too many people out. The Schuykill loop is also fairly well lit. I should rephrase that. Kelly Drive is well lit, West River Drive isn't. That became a real problem too because there are a lot of bumpy stretches of pavement where tree roots stick up. I could see quite a few of them thanks to the street lights, but I hit a couple of them hard too.

Tomorrow will be another fairly easy run. This time I'm looking at 4 miles. I work again tomorrow too. On Thursday, I'm hoping to head back to the hills of Forbidden Drive. I might actually ride my bike afterwards too. I don't work until 4 PM on that day.

3 miles - 24:31 (8:10 pace)