Evily: Slow-Runner and Dog-Rescuer Extraordinaire

It turns out I'm a multi-talented runner. Not only can I run very slowly for long periods of time, I can also provide useful services while I run, such as dog-rescuing.

Case in point, today I was running my progressive-build 6 mile run (outside, for a change, since the weather was decent), and as I was going along, minding my own business, I saw two teenage girls running frantically toward me. At first, I thought "Oh no, I must be wearing the colors of a rival high school and they're going to beat me up!" Although I was fairly confident I could take them. *flexing biceps* But then I noticed they had a dog on a leash. And then I saw the other dog: the dog NOT on a leash, running away from the girls, with a look on his face that I swear said "HA HA, you'll never catch me!" This was a small dog, a miniature schnauzer or something similar. So I thought "Oh, I can definitely take him." As the crazed little dog approached me, I slowed down and got ready to pounce. He slowed down too. I looked at him. He looked at me. I said to him "Do ya feel lucky, punk? Do ya?" And before he could respond either negatively or affirmatively, I grabbed him and picked him up. The teenage girls caught up to us and I said "This belong to either of you?" and handed the dog over. They were very thankful. I continued on my merry way.

The rest of my run was fairly uneventful. The temperature was nice outside, but it was windy. I really don't like wind. When you're a slow runner like me, a good stiff wind can actually cause you to move backwards. The wind was coming out of the north, and unfortunately for me, the return portion of my route was mostly, you guessed it, northbound. So that meant I was fighting a headwind during the part of my run that was supposed to be faster. (Remember that the progressive run is supposed to get progressively faster each mile.) Despite this, I still managed to run a true progressive run, with each mile faster than the one before it. It was overall not as fast as progressive runs I have done on the indoor track, but that's because the track doesn't have (1) hills, (2) wind, (3) dogs that need to be rescued or (4) traffic to dodge. All things considered, it was a good run today. Check it out here:


Or view it interactively here.

Now, if anyone has any suggestions for my run on Wednesday, I'm all ears. Speedwork? Hill work? Both? None? What do YOU all think I should do? Without FAST to provide me guidance for a couple of weeks, I feel kind of lost...

Peace. Love. Train.