What a Beautiful Day

Sunday, June 28, 2009:

These are the days that we cherish in Minnesota. Cool 63 degrees with a brisk, dry, refreshing west wind. Jim and I went for a 6.9-mile run/walk in a nearby park, enjoying every minute of it. The grass trail is hilly, but the benefit is some excellent panoramic views of the park itself, and indeed even nearby towns. Wildflowers are in full bloom, especially the zany thistles that pop up their magenta heads in all directions. What a day.

I set the pace, because Jim is much faster, and I found myself to be a bit worn out. Three marathons plus a tempo run yesterday must have taken their toll. 6.9 miles in 1:14:00 is a pace of only 10:43, and four minutes slower than I did this route a couple of times in May. I think I’ll take a nap.

Saturday, June 27:

St Croix Valley Runners, 5.5 miles in 50:37, pace 9:12. Better than I expected. We tried a new route which doesn’t run on any major roads or cross any, but today was a very poor one to show it off. About halfway through we were caught in a drenching downpour which took away some of the beauty of the route. Furthermore, I was "leading" the group and looking at a map which was WRONG, and therefore took a wrong turn which added about a half mile to the usual 5-mile distance. Tsk. Better luck next time.



Breakfast: Organic oatmeal, organic strawberries, organic nectarine, blueberries, mango, organic walnuts, organic nonfat milk, Dove dark chocolate.