5K Race: Santa Monica/Venice Christmas Run (AA)

VENICE -- So we ran the boardwalk and had a good time. It felt better -- considerably better in most ways -- than the Turkey Trot. But the time seemed to be the same.

I wasn't as concerned with the heel this time, knowing I likely had the strength in it to not snap in a late race push. But the time turned out pretty much the same...though neither was particularly well run, so it's not a real surprise you can't trust the time.

23:40ish...finished 162 out of 1062. Enjoyable. Plus, there's photos to post. One features me running by a hippie den -- which Venice is filled with. The other shows me dusting some little dish. She'll think twice before testing her fitness against me. Weird how the race looks empty from these shots. Seemed like I was in traffic the whole time.

5K Race (AA)

LONG BEACH -- Just for the record...I ran this baby. The LB Turkey Trot. The first run in something like a month. Foot was hurting, but stretched it.

I've realized that the foot actually feels better after a little workout. So I dove it. At one point it seemed that this might be my last run. But in the end, it felt better than it has in a while. I don't know what's wrong, but I think a slow and steady return to form is the best medicine in 2007.

Finished after turning off the gas for a bit to make sure my Achilles didn't snap...23:40.

SHUTDOWN (H)

SANTA MONICA -- It's been three weeks. I'm shutting down the running to try and get this together. My achilles or something near there is tweaked. I hate this.

MICHIGAN: 4 Mile Run (AA)

PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- Took a run with Sheri out in the drizzle, wind and brisk fall air. It was refreshing as any run, taking a nice easy pace on a little loop course. Just the thing after four days off. Rehab seems to be working. I'm hoping just another week or so of this bullcrap and then get back on some good 20-30 mile weeks.

The fall is absolutely amazing. I now must agree with all the Angelinos who wax sentimental about "the seasons." Indeed, with a bite in the air, vivid autumn colors on every other tree and leaves blowing around as you round the corner there's a deeply calm feeling created that is hard to dismiss. It's fundamental to those from here, a simple acknowledgement of the pleasure a human being can take in our ability to weather change and adapt to our surroundings. Trouble is coming with the winter. The environment will become hostile, impossible to survive in. But from the safety of a modest jacket or hooded sweatshirt, we retain warmth and keep going. It's the kind of easy example that your brain relates to grand concepts like success, durability or even immortality.

But beyond all this. Better than the sweatshirt, the colors, football, October baseball or any other nicety of this season in Michigan is the cinnamon and sugar doughnut with a cup of hot cider served by a silver-haired old bitty in a wood plank shack stocked with shelves of pumpkin butter, Halloween-themed nylon flags and apples of every size and variety. And that smell of a smoky wood-fueled stove rocks.

Off to eat some pizza Paul and Sheri whipped up and then enjoy Game 2 of the Magical Season WS. Let's go, Tigs!

5K Speedwork Treadmill (A) **163**

TRIFIT, Calif. -- Still working on rehabing the heel. Given that I'll be missing the 5K this weekend as I'll be in Motown, there's no point in risking it. Being conservative.

Still, pushed it a bit given the short distance (and I think running slower actually causes more jarring on the foot) and sped up and slowed down. Slowest was 7:30, fastest was 6:10ish. Slowed and recovered and sped up. About 3.75 or so total, but only the 5K counts.

Nice also was the guy next one over. Felt compelled to smash him, felt bad about it, then overheard a "I was chasing skirt all weekend in Vegas" between him and his pal. Running.

So...it's a shorty from the treadmill:

5K: 22:04

7 Mile Run (H) ***164***

SANTA MONICA -- I don't remember much of what just happened and would prefer it stay that way. Horrible from nearly start to finish. Big time stitch formed early and caused this weird reaction in my mind, making my brain think I was whipped when I was not.

No solution. Just dove in and swam. Got through it. Even did a few little speed deals. It's over. Moving on...

5 Miles Treadmill (A+) **165**

TRIFIT, Calif. -- Pretty amazing.

At about 5:15p or so, I was convinced I wouldn't be running today. Heel is sore and not appearing to heal up. So another day on the shelf was what Dr. Hudson had ordered.

But at 6p, I started the fastest 5K, 4 and 5 miles of my life.

From the treadmill:

5K: 22:54 (7:23)
4M: 29:24 (7:27)
5M: 36:51 (7:22)

How in the world I pulled nearly 2 mins off my Run Hit Remix time, I don't know. Especially given the heel and other pain-related nonsense. So run fast and the heel feels fine. It's mostly in my head.

Thank goodness the idea of sitting around the office for two hours was enough to get my tush over to the gym.

6 Mile Treadmill (A)

TRIFIT, Calif. -- Right heel has kept me down for a couple days, so put it out on the treadmill for a few to rehab a bit. Expected to do 10 miles as the Tigs were on the tube against the Yanks in Game 3 or the ALDS, but only put 6 in because the tweak stopped in the heel and started travelling up the Achilles. Thought I'd do a bike and watch the game, but the girls in the bike room switched the TV to one of those concerts they show on DirecTV.

Oh man.

5 Miles Trail (A) --164--

LOS FELIZ -- After some 30 months of living here, I finally got up and just ran to the park. Lotsa hills, lotsa trails. Lots more to explore. Kind of glad I saved it.

Very challenging trails on this course today. Hard to tell the distance but should be over 5m according to Google map thingy. Legs are really shot. Hope that pays off in the coming weeks.

4 Mile Run (BA) --165.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Just a little recovery run on the same path of the speedwork yesterday. Legs are trashed, completely trashed. It's a good feeling though because these are the days I would normally rest them on principle.

Heel was tweaked, but loosens as legs warm up. Other pain drowned it out.

4 Miles Speed (A) --167--

LOS FELIZ -- Did the Blvd loop but in a sort of Fartlek style. Really got a pretty good workout. My right heel is tweaked, but legs are really, really strong. There's speed for days in there. The nice thing about this workout is that you see how deep your reserves are...and more often than not, they're deeper than you'd expect.

I don't enjoy these types of workouts all that much, but the benefits are obvious. And in the end, these are probably the most important and beneficial workouts that I do. So I'll be keeping it up. Build that speed, build that endurance. Good times.

DALLAS -- 7 Mile Run (A)

DALLAS -- Between the $54 oatmeal breakfast and a day of Super Duty truck...uh...duty, I missed the morning run. The sun comes up late here...like around 7:15ish. Not enough time to get a good one in before eating.

So waiting until evening and it was good. Downed a bag of jerky before the run (dumb though tasty) and just flew. There's a path in downtown Dallas known as the Katy Trail or some such. It goes by Jerry Jonessss house, I hear. If you put the owner of the Lions' house on a public trail, we'd have a different owner by now. (Saw the Cowboys' five Lombardi trophies, too. Impressive. And Toby Keith...guy is freakin' huge.)

Anywho, the run was fantastic. Dallas has more blond, cheerleader types than any other city I've ever been to. More botox than LA, I reckon. Way more. But, to their credit, they all run. I picked off about 50 iPodded chicks with "Rush Phi Chi Box" or whatever shirts. Can't read Greek letters. Can't read period.

So I'm flying. Just flying along. I'm really not used to passing people for two reasons...1: I'm not fast enough. 2: I don't run any well trod paths, so it rarely comes up.

But today, I just killed it. I put the old hips out at first and just bashed out the first three. Some doofus tub tried to shut me out (ala Schmidt's post). He takes from his friend saying, "Late." Oh man. The reason he ended his conversation was the passing of one of the 50 pom pom gals that I was coming up on quick. So he turns to his boy and smiles and says, "Late." Then he procedes to run his thighs off trying to be the first to pass this girl and stay ahead. But you just know when people can hang and when they can't. I thought I'd at least get five minutes of a good pace out of this jobber, hang right on his tail and break him (just like I've seen on TV!) but then he fades out after seriously 30 seconds. I couldn't even laugh. He just puffed off into the review, likely to be passed by the young lady he had just worked so hard to impress. Best.

So the trail finishes up back down by American Airlines arena and I lucked my way back to the hotel and dinner. Nice. Not really a great running town, but that's a pretty good -- if boring -- trail. No water 'round these parts, so they just run in a straight flat line to nowhere in particular. But at least they made it. No serious stops. Mostly just wide open. And lotsa people use it. Love that.

Go Texas. Yessir.

7 Mile Run (AA+) **164.25**

SANTA MONICA -- This should have been an outstanding, but I don't want to hand those things out like candy. So many good runs.

It was weird going out today after a solid race effort...an effort that has grown on me since. I was so smitten with the race itself I didn't really appreciate how well I did. There was never any doubt during this one. If anything, it ended sooner than I thought it would. The miles seemed to fly by. Unlike last year, I wasn't holding back more than a few seconds per mile, though, which led to a good time. Finished top 6 percent overall, top 11 percent in my age group. 486 out of 7,000+. 94th in age group...and most impressively, to me, only beaten by 84 of 3,500 women. Considering the talent out there among the females at this race...that is nothing to sneeze at.

Anywho, the run today was good from the start. Legs were all bent up, but kept pushing when I could. Really started flying on the downhill and by the time I got to Santa Monica Blvd. I was pretty well trashed. But then I went to the hips-forward style and somehow just started cruising. It was like someone else was running. So I'll try to explore that style a bit more in the coming days. Should have been an outstanding...but don't want to hand those out. Gotta preserve them.

5 Mile Race (O) **Run Hit Remix**

LOS ANGELES -- Perfect day. Great run (38:38, 7:44 pace). Saw Vanilla Ice, Young MC, Digital Underground and De La Soul. Got into the VIP tent and had some fantastic oatmeal.

De La brings out Black Sheep. So awesome. Dres good enough to get a picture with me, despite the sweat. Great stuff, great event, great freakin' day.

10 Mile Run (AA) **164**

SANTA MONICA -- Went with a tricked out little long-loop, using San Vincente more than usual and completely looping the Brentwood CC. Good stuff.

Really kept the hop up from the start, but the reason this was above average was the little charge I got running past the mansions...my legs were bent coming out of the hill, but the only thing that emerged was a good feeling. A feeling like, "I know this and all will be well." And that's like 3 miles in. Pretty good. Haven't had the emptiness emerge for way over a month. Great stuff.

Nice to get a double-digit effort in there. We've got the Nike Run Hit Remix on Sunday morning, so we'll see how good a fiver I can pull off.

3 Miles (A) --161.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Just wanted a quick jog to work out the tightness from yesterday. Toyed with the Los Feliz bully route and did a 5K or so. Hard to say how fast it was or any of that. Got the sweat going and felt some effort in the legs, so that worked out...

7 Mile Run (A+) **165.5**

TRIFIT, Calif. -- From the treadmill...

5K: 24:50
5M: 39:22
10K: 48:37
7M: 54:37

This lesson is emerging: give the legs some time to warm up and then feel free to speed up. The first 3.1 is light and breezy these days, but in days gone by I would have started pushing early at this stage. My time on the treadmill is proving that you can indeed run negative splits...and feel better at the end than if running equals.

Pretty good stuff. Nice break in the normal routine to get a time.

4 Mile Run -- (A) --165.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Forged a new path around the hood, doing the Sunset path but turning around at Marshall High and rockin' back across Hillhurst on Franklin past Vermont and then back up the hill through the residentials. Up and down like usual and it's 4 miles.

I've completely had it with the usual routes. I can't run them anymore. Apparently 200 loops is too many. Fortunatly, I haven't even explored Griffith Park yet, so there should be plenty of good stuff up there to discover.

I wonder if this burnout will happen with the Santa Monica route. For some reason it's never bothered me here at work. But at home, I just need to mix it up a bit.

The Four Run Epic -- 18 Miles -- (O)

MONTEREY, Calif. -- Holy crap.

Building on the runs of last year, I managed to get out four times from 6 pm on Monday to 8 am on Wednesday.

2 Miles (PM)-- Up the hill and around town.
7 Miles (AM) -- Down through Cannery Row et al.
5 Miles (PM)-- Over toward Pebble Beach...stunning, maybe longer than 5.
4 Miles (AM)-- Up the hill and over to the Row and back down the shore.

I can't put a fine enough point on how much I enjoy running here. There's a path in every direction. There's incredible scenery...among the best in the world, I'd wager. There's clean, damp air. There's fog, parks, ships, history and lots of other bikers/runners who give a nod. If I lived here, I would run twice a day more often than not.

7 Miles (A) **166.5**

SANTA MONICA -- Given the sheer amount of food I ate at about 11:30ish today...

• Two burgers in one!
• Spicy sausage
• Hunka Mexican beef
• Buncha Mexican chicken
• Refrieds
• Some rice
• Two choc chip cookies
• Choc. sugary thing
• other choc. sugary thing

...this run was a borderline miracle. Hated to do it, but the Edmunds' company picnic, this year at Santa Monica beach, is nothing to be trifled with. You bring your A game. So good. And the run felt pretty good actually...after two miles or so.

Dropped 1/3rd of a dime at New Balance in a shopping spree that will be echoing in my mind for years to come. Another pair of 825s (9-2E) to rotate in, shirt, running jacket (best!), two shorts, five pairs of socks. So great. Broke in the news shoes today and a pair of shorts. Good stuff. Like it. Won't deny it anymore...NB is my brand, no doubt. Never let me down.

Going up to driving school in Monterrey on Monday and expecting some cherry runs, like those busted off last year. It's among the most beautiful coasts in the nation, if not world, and is just great, great running. Our hotel, The Borgs, is a dump but is right on the water, just south of town. Actually ran twice a day last time we were there despite all the boozin'. No boozin' this time...maybe three runs a day.

Radtacular.

9 Mile Run (A+) **162.25**

SANTA MONICA -- It's nice when you go in dreading a run and come out with two more miles than you planned.

At some point out there, I decided to just bag it and jam two more trips on Carlyle in, effectively making 9 the long and 7 the normal. It wasn't the easiest run in the world, but it wasn't a brain buster either. Feel pretty good all in all, though didn't have much to eat today...and that could have gotten ugly.

No pain in the grunnies today, so that's nice. Who knows. I think I actually pinched my siatic nerve. Ouch.

Also, thanks to Schmidts little calculator (a bit different from the google map calculator before) my Santa Monica runs are coming out 1/4 mile shorter than thought. Not sure why, but just for good measure I tacked on a little 1/4 mile or so jaunt at Carlyle and Euclid. Tahdah.

Need to get some new shoes and rotate them in. Also need to get more of these good running socks and compression shorts. Make sure number is visible on front of jersey and side of shorts.

4 Miles (AA) --163.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Nice little run up the hills. I'm really down on the LF Blvd loop for some reason. I just hate doing it. It's boring after 200 reps, I guess.

So I ran up the hills and it was pretty good. Very fast.

I don't really even remember many details, other than the speed, because when I was stretching I fell over. While playing tennis yesterday, something in my groin kind of pulled or sprained. I thought I had a hernia at first, but didn't have to stop, so figured I just pulled a tendon or ligament in the pelvic girdle. Anywho, it felt a bit tender here and there, but nothing big...until my last stretch.

I was bent over touching the ground and noticed my feet were apart. So I went to shift them together while still bent over and felt like I'd gotten stabbed right in the crotch. So awkwardly fell over, legs bent everywhere in a heap. I'm worried I won't be able to move, but get up. Get up the stairs to the door. Still worried, but it's just like reverb pain. Get inside and start losing it. Hearing goes, start seeing flashes...crash on the couch, short of breath. Lie down flat and breathe deep. Dog is staring at me. Slowly regain senses.

It's weird. I can't really figure what does it. There's a little pain when shifting weight from a standstill from right to left or left to right. But it seems more acute when bent over.

I suppose I just went into shock after the powerful pain blast and the normal after-run shortness of breathe and oxygen was too much to bear so my brain just started shutting things down thinking I'd just been mauled or shot or something. Anyway, it seems better now...and there wasn't a hint of pain during the run...so might just be something I can get through by being careful not to anger this thing until it heals. Glad it happened at home. I'm not sure I could have made it far if that had happened out on the path somewhere.

Speed Work (A+) --163--

LOS FELIZ -- Got out and sprinted up Ambrose with recovery on the return. Starting to think moving the speed work terrain every time would be a good idea. Keep it from getting really dull.

There's lots of lessons to learn from this kind of training. It reminds me of football or track, where you're running sprints and you know you have an unbelievable number left to do. But if you just get through the one you're doing, and then get through the next one...before you know it, you're within reach. I even did an extra, so I either did 11 or 12. Probably 11. A car that seemed to park right in the middle of the street threw me off.

Football of the college variety started today. Blew off a chance to be on CBS's early show from NYC on Tuesday morn...that would have really ruined the weekend. There was a chance to be on the Today show via satellite last week, but I was up buying a salad and didn't get the call. The sun is shining these days.

5 Mile Run (A) --161.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Quick and happy run at what I would call the new recovery pace.

Huge apartment fire at one of those huge condo buildings on Los Feliz Bully. Something in the neighborhood of 10 fire trucks on the scene. Probably 40-50 vehicles total. I've never seen a police presence like that. Impressive.

Tacked on an extra mile to the normal Los Feliz Blvd loop getting this to 5.5 or similar. Watching Hoover v. Tulsa Union on FSN right now. I think I like elite high school football better than pro. It's better than D-II college or I-AA, no doubt. You can really see the difference the great players make on the field. And the offensive and defensive schemes are much more transparent and interesting to dissect.

Tigs whoop the Angels. Yehaw. Saw some guy with a Che shirt. Audible laugh considered.

7 Mile Run (O)

SANTA MONICA -- I've been holding off, but what the hell...here it is. I slapped an outstanding on a run.

This run was really incredible. I was running hard the whole way and thinking very clearly. Not a lot of looking around...not a lot of daydreaming or even pushing...just focus. One foot in front of the other with eyes usually straight down the road.

I was flying for at least 80 percent of this one. And that's saying something. I don't think I've ever run quite so fast for that long. This is probably the equivelent of that 10K on the treadmill, except a bit longer and for real. Very impressive.

Those good vibes carried over as Craigers Monroe cranked a 9th Inning dinger to squash the Yanks. How about that?

From the moment I took my shoes off, I knew something like that would fit right in this evening. A little dash of the good stuff is floating around.

5 Mile Run (A+) *166.5*

SANTA MONICA -- Ran the loop backwards for a little change of pace. It might be harder that way because of the huge hill on the would-be back stretch, which gets pretty much all the uphill in one fell swoop with the gentle downhill on the would-be front.

Hard to tell because it seemed like I really hammered this one out with a fast start and a good push throughout. The only thing keeping it from being a truly epic time/effort was the number of lights I seemed to hit. Not sure how running it backwards would have me hit more lights, but I did.

This was a smidge above average because of the speed, but not above average because it didn't feel above average. It felt strong, but not "challenging" if that makes sense or "inspirational. This scoring system is a bit weird, but it makes sense in my head. So either accept it or grab a piece and slide off.

Thinking about some cartoon strips. I was thinking of the "Boilerroom" movie and how the guys worked for "J.T. Marlin" or something like that. "J. Marlin". Whatever. My guy is "E.F. Tuna". He's a fish who works as an investment consultant. High powered and all that. They trade stuff like seaweed futures, underwater sunken pirate ship replicas, flake food annuities.

This idea could really blow up in my face...in $20s.

4 Mile Run (A-) --162.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Every decision made since the 7 on Wednesday has been the wrong one. We'll just leave it at that.

Friday was scratched for the Angels/Yankees tix and I kept putting this one off...much to my detriment. But by the grace of God, I was able to haul myself out of a rather sad funk and get out for a quick loop.

This was the first bad run that wouldn't look bad by the watch time...actually it was pretty quick. I was deep in the low 8s for a good part of it and scurrying up and down every hill along the way. But it just felt bad. My mental performance was pathetic. But I earned that so you just have to live with it.

The only thing keeping this from being below average was a surprising jolt of positive boost up Commonwealth to the finish. That last half mile was the hardest on the body, but the best in the mind. Good stuff. Very good, actually. Finished very strong and very solid. Good thing.

Diet. Foundation. Focus. They all freakin' count, you dope.

7 Mile Run (A) *166.25*

SANTA MONICA -- That's an "A" for adventure. An average adventure.

I set off without much ambition today, easing up on the pace knowing this would be a toughie if I pushed too hard after Monday's rally. After getting around to Carlyle, it was time to step it up a tad and the next mile was pretty quick. I'd say 9s, then mid 8s to low 8s.

I'm forgetting where, but somewhere on this jaunt -- pretty near the end -- that voice of despair arose. But the trick that has worked this time around is by applying a dose of extra effort. That voice is actually a bit of boredom. I've figured this out before, but it never really took. You can run your way out of it every time...at least thus far.

I was pretty tired. But I haven't eaten much today in the wake of that Cold Stone assault from last night, which was actually a needed blast of sugars. In a way, it got my body running smoothly again.

Anyway, this run was the first that seemed like my body was satisfied with where it was. I'm not satisfied, but my mind is a bit. It knows it can get through these runs and it wants to do it with the least amount of pain. But that doesn't get you anywhere. I'm getting there. Bit by bit.

Running.

My shoes have been real champs since I bought them in Chicago. But there was some kind of filth on them today that made me think they're getting pretty beat up already. Had them since April, I guess. That's a pretty long time. But I haven't run a whole lot since then. Maybe a 100 or 200. I'd guess closer to 100.

5 Mile Run (AA) *166.5*

SANTA MONICA -- I'm having way too many good runs lately.

This one was great. Quick the whole way. Ran hard and finished strong. Lotsa pain but didn't hurt as much as dogging it sometimes does, if that makes sense. Good stuff.

I'd write more, but I just blogged for this stupid "long-term vehicle blog" at work and have been fighting with it. I hate that thing. It never works right.

**Speed Work** (A)

LOS FELIZ -- Started doing what I've never been good at...speed work. But I'm guessing that I hate it because I'm bad at it. So working on it is probably very important to becoming a better distance runner.

Just kind of ran little tenths maybe from two streets down up the hill, trotting back, sprinting, trotting back...10 reps. Amazing how much you can sweat in a workout that takes half the time of a real run.

Rad.

5 Mile Run (A) *167*

SANTA MONICA -- This was the definition of an average run. Set out to do a "recovery" run and did just that. Rarely pushed, recovered very quickly after stopping. Fairly mindless.

The cool thing about the last few days has been responding to a column that I wrote for the DetNews about ethanol vehicles. There's fewer topics that can piss off the State of Michigan, I guess. I had no idea so many people had high hopes for this garbage to save us from the evil Arabs and their evil oil. Pretty funny really. Unfortunately, it takes more energy to produce ethanol than it provides when burned, there isn't enough farmland on Earth to produce enough ethanol to fuel our vehicles and finally...there are hardly any places you can buy the stuff outside the Midwest. Ta-daa.

In fact, the response of GM and Ford and their honks has made me even madder about the whole thing. It's a complete scam. I thought it was just a bad idea, but turns out it's more likely the darker scenerio I brushed off... a massive dupe to get government CAFE credits for the Big Three. Great stuff. Good work everyone. Meanwhile, Toyota does virtually nothing for the environment with their modest hybrid program and consumers think it's one of the greenest companies on Earth. But who's the bad guy...some dork who wrote a column daring criticize ethanol because it's not available and thus useless. It's like the State of Michigan has Stockholm Syndrome for the Big Three.

If GM and Ford make it out of the next few years alive, it will be proof that they are indeed invincible. They have done virtually everything in their power to go out of business, yet still they rise. Sometimes I get a little angry at them and their pathetic "feel sorry for us" attitude. Poor us! We pissed away 90 percent marketshare! Poor us! Toyota stole our Big Three monopoly while we lazied away the 70s and 80s. Poor us! Who could have seen the SUV boom coming to an end? How could you pick on us?? How could you? You obviously hate America.

Grow the fuck up.

6 Mile Run (A+) *166.5*

SANTA MONICA -- Went back to the treadmill after blowing yesterday off. Lotsa travel...not a good excuse, but whatever.

Thought I should get some times together and see what I'm doing. Ran 8:30s without any trouble and put together a 25:30 5K and then picked it up to notch a 49:25 10K, which I think is my best 10K ever...on treadmill or no.

So that's nice. Not much on my mind other than my Spanish CD. Tango hungry. Tango ciad? Look at the colors of my life.

Seattle: 6-7 Mile Run (AA+)

(From some Starbucks)

SEATTLE – Now this was a run. The kind that just gets better as you think back on it.

Went from Occidental and Jackson in downtown (near the sports complex) up 1st past all the tourism, then up Pine, I believe, up some serious hills, across the 5 and up more and more hills, past some domed church and over by the cathedral. I think this is the place where grunge got going. It was hard to tell. Great, great hills though.

Went down about 150 feet, I'd guess…maybe more…and got back down to sea level. Ran back down to the start and around all the sports stuff. Around Qwest and Safeco…even got back where I shouldn't have been by just nodding to security folks. Rad.

This is the kind of running that keeps me coming back for more. There is no better way to explore a city. You get such a feeling of direction and place by running around. Much more than driving. Street level.

Starbucks rocks. I won't tolerate trashing of it anymore. This place is more welcoming than any of the places I swear by…let me use the bathroom anywhere without buying anything as a runner, accept sweaty money, let you sit here for hours doing nothing, cooling off. I've done it in every city I've been to…Starbucks is a home away from home when you have nothing but $10, a change of clothes and a gym bag. Love it.

This city is interesting. I'm sure we could have fun here. Haven't quite gotten a read on the people or the place, but getting there. Woodsy roots, that's for sure.

Seattle: 3 Mile Run (BA-)

SEATTLE -- Been out since a week ago with the usual sore throat become ear becomes sinus becomes cough thing. Would have knocked it out much sooner, but had to put in a difficult week -- not the least of which being the 20 hour drive up here.

We've been here since Wednesday, but didn't get out to run until today. Wanted to make sure the hack was gone. It's not quite, but it's far enough that it should stay away.

The City of Seattle offers some choice running and I dove in to the Green Lake circuit today. It ended up being a 3.5 mile course around a mid-sized lake smack-dab in the middle of the city. At times, you can see the Needle from the course, but the only real view is the lake. The course features two rings...the inner asphault loop which is crowded with walkers and bikes and runners (2.8 miles) and the outer dirt-ring which is much less traveled thanks to the proximity to the water (3.2 miles). I parked the car with the Buckster in it and that added on a bit more than a quarter mile. Maybe more.

Anyway, it's a great city that offers such prime running trails and keeps them tended. The city even has a page on it's City Hall site where you can search out running routes. Rad.

Half-way through, I heard the cheer "Lions!" go up and looked over to see Becky celebrating a win with her team. Chatted for a bit and went back to the run, not feeling nearly as well as I should for such a shorty.

Originally planning two loops, I cut it short at one when I returned to the car to check my Blackberry for any problems with the news push. Not sure what it was, but this one didn't feel right -- and a bad run on a new course in a new city on a beautiful setting is about the rarest of the rare. If you aren't having a good time on these runs, something isn't right.

So I called it a day. But there should be some good stuff to run tomorrow.

7 Mile Run (A)

SANTA MONICA -- Probably won't write much, though I could. Wrote a ton on a book review for Rocket Fever.

Did the little things today and it paid off. Blew through the longest run on the latest ramp-up without any major difficulties. Funny how you feel fine, but then do something like put your key in a locker...turn it...turn it...turn it...check the number...then realize this is the locker you used on Wednesday. Your stuff is in a locker on the other side of the room. Maybe I am a bit fatigued. It took me about two or three seconds to conjure the word "exponential" on the run...not that I really understand why I needed that word around mile 6.

Good stuff. Going to see Talladega Nights with Sivert and Gaines tonight. We'll see.

5 Mile Run (A)

SANTA MONICA -- Now that's something.

After four runs of the old loop, a normal one finally happened on the fifth. It was over before it really began. One of those where you're thinking more about other stuff the whole time -- not focusing on pushing at all. Just get out there, trot it out and shower off.

The key I'm trying -- and there will be many such efforts to unlock new running capacity in the coming months -- is to look for a challenge in every run. Don't ever think, "This is a normal run." There's always something standing in the way. Heat. Boredom. Soreness. Feet. Rain. Bad day. Good day. Cold. Sick. Hungry. Busy. Whatever. The point today was, "This is an average run. Try to get through it without unnecessary anguish." and "This is the first run with only a day's rest." And with this, I'm hoping to get every planned run in. Nothing missed. No runs on days when it's not planned. No misses/make-ups when it is planned.

And it happened. Simple run. I wouldn't say I pushed it hard up, but did OK. And I certainly was going pretty strong back down. Whatever happened, something clicked and this one just flew past. Everything seemed so simple. Average in every way.

Looking for other little things beyond the "push when the twinge hits". Simple stuff like not dropping my head when I'm done. Or swinging my arms more when speeding up. It's a bunch of little stuff.

Didn't get to write after the last one. But my thoughts were pretty much centered around "Fiasco" and what an incredible book it is. It's kind of worn off by now. Cognitive dissonance. It's impossible to keep your mind in that horrible place without actually being there. And I'd imagine it's hard to even when you are there. It certainly created a new understanding of what's going on over there and how the arguments we're having in the U.S. aren't the right ones. The nation's newspapers and TV have done a horrible job keeping us in the know as to what is actually happening -- for various and somewhat understandable reasons. But in the end, we are not putting our resources toward winning this thing. And if our armed forces weren't so incredibly talented, we'd be down 10,000 people and have vacated Iraq, leaving it in turmoil. Tom Ricks, the author, is speaking in Santa Monica tomorrow evening. I'm going to be there.

Today the sun was out, the sky was clear and nearly every Angelino you met said, "Great weather out" which is really saying something for someone in LA to say. Had lunch. Read some news. Read some blogs. Laughed with coworkers about garbage. Ran. Planned to hit a Saturn/Hurley Pre-XGames party. Rumsfeld, Cheney, Bremer, Sanchez and Abu Ghraib don't fit into this reality at all. So I'll just water it down as the days pass and focus on planning out my life.

Phil Hendrie also said something interesting today. He said, referring to Mel Gibson and his Passion flick, "I'm always amazed at this deal with people saying the Jews killed Jesus. The Jews killed Jesus. Sure they killed him, but Christians have been killing him every day since."

5 Mile Run (AA+)

SANTA MONICA -- No report.

5 Mile Run (Above Average)

SANTA MONICA -- The strong legs are starting to come back a bit...didn't feel any leg weakness the entire course.

Better yet, turned what was an average run into an above average at the downhill by kicking it up a bit and quite frankly dashing down the last two miles. Very strong. And fulfilling. Literally the moment the thought "This is an average run" popped into my head, the whole thing sped up.

Saw an old man who could barely walk taking his dog out by the golf course. His dog, one of those really done up ones, lanky, elegant and with a more expensive hygiene regiment than myself was almost walking him. She/he patiently took a step or two every second or so, waiting for the old crumbly to catch up. The man was with it, though. He even said, "Hello there." Love that.

The one thought that occurred after this run was how I'm still in this stage where wearing a sweaty shirt is important. I tend to pick colors that will show off the sheer deluge of perspiration by mile three showing all what a stud I am. It's funny that that stage comes back, because when you do 10 miles or more, all that stuff is ridiculous. You really stop caring what anyone thinks -- eat isht jackball, I'm running 18 miles here -- gimme a wicking shirt pronto, the uglier the better. And when you pass a sweaty hero you just think -- that's a nice fiver you put it, now do it three more times and meet me and your wife at the bar. (That's not the case. I'd be by myself. Gaines might come too.)

Easy, breezy. Beautiful. Cover Girl.

5 Mile Run (Above Average)

SANTA MONICA -- There's something unique about the runs you have when you first get back into it after a long hiatus. I've been off realistically since the battle of Las Vegas ended in December, with only a few runs here and there...probably nothing over 4 miles.

I've had my best 5K ever in that span, but I wasn't in great shape and I don't really care about 5Ks. It's a nice little jog, but there's something about the sheer distance and time that 10+ miles takes. Even 5.3 or whatever this route is. If you've run for the better part of an hour, you've run. And the day is different because of it and likely the next day, too.

Anyway, the point is I'm back in the saddle, joined the gym in the building and everything. But running that 5 mile route is hilarious...because

A) I haven't run that version of the loop in dammmm near a year.
B) I'm not in any kind of condition that I used to be when I was running these streets.

So it's like you're waddling around the old neighborhood or something, remembering it being so easy. But now it's hard. The nice thing is, it makes it fresh again. You learn the little things again, you duck the weeds here, you duck the shrubs there, you see the golfers at Brentwood CC again, you see the mansions again, you remember the bad lights and the timing for the good ones, you see the runners on San Vincente again. It's new, but known. And you're in no shape to be there.

But that makes completing the old loop sweet again. And it makes you appreciate how much solid work you put in before even if you didn't achieve your dream goal in either marathon you were training for.