That last one was free

I dedicate today's 4th mile to Cassie.  I think I passed you out there today at mile 2.5.  If you were wearing a Gallery Furniture shirt and pulling hard to the left, then "hi" from the fat slow guy without a shirt who passed you at the 2.5 mile marker.  But that's not why I'm dedicating the 4th mile to you.

 

Tonight's run:

3 miles.

Splits:  Don't know.  I was at mile 1.25 before I realized I hadn't looked at the stopwatch yet.  Next thing I know, it's mile 2.5 and I still haven't looked at the stopwatch. 

If anybody's lost a zone, I think I found it.

Total time:  28:30.44.  Pretty kickass, if I do say so myself.  In fact, while semi-intoxicated at a bar a few weeks back I decided to change my name to Doctor Kickass.  I'll have to tell that story sometime.

 

But here's where the story gets good.

 

Yesterday my body tried to talk my brain into running a couple extra miles.  Today my brain decided to get one up on my body.

 

I tell myself somewhere before the 2 3/4 marker but after the 2 1/2 marker that if I stay in control and "keep it in my shorts" then I can run an extra lap.  A few steps later I begin to hear footsteps behind me like someone trying to pass me, and instinctively I kick it into the next gear.  I glance over my shoulder and the guy was 30 or 40 feet behind me, the sound I heard was a trick of the acoustics from the trees.  Well, I was already in half-sprint mode, so when the 2 3/4 marker came by, I decided it would be 3 miles and that's all.  I pass the entry driveway for the clubhouse and kick it into final sprint mode, hit the 3 mile marker and stop.

 

As I'm catching my breath, my body says "come on, run some more".  My brain--generally the smarter of the two arguing parties--surprisingly says "fine, you want more, lets go".  Shocked, I take off for some more running...  but I do it for free.  I don't start the stop watch, I just run for the sake of running.  I hear that guy's footsteps behind me around the 1/4 mile marker and take off again.  I look back and the guy is forever behind me when I reach the 1/2 mile marker, so I decide to turn back.  Apparently nobody informed him that we were racing.

 

On the way back I get passed by this chick (Blue top, black shorts.  If you're reading this please remember the rules next time).  I hang with her for a few strides, then she pulls away around the 2 3/4 mile marker.  I realize that there is .1 miles from the clockwise 3 mile marker to the 0 mile marker, then another .1 miles for me to finish.  I decide that I'll catch the chick who passed me and turn on the "after burner".  Once again nobody hipped her to the fact that we were racing and she pulled the plug on my chase .1 miles before it was done.

 

Regardless, I still don't go out there because I want to run, but the last mile was free and I did have a little fun trying to chase down people who clearly didn't realize they were involved in a race.  So, Cassie, since you're holding out hope that I'll actually enjoy running and that last mile was the closest I've come so far, I dedicate it to you.