Days 17/18/19

OK, so no run on Day 17 (Friday). Today (The 4th of July) I got in a cool 5.5 miles pushing the double-wide and both kids on the American Tobacco Trail. I got to run with J for the first time in a while. It was, as always, immensely better than running alone (and I LOVE to run alone!).

The rest of the 4th was good, if not exhausting. 5 hours at the pool with the kids. G got the nerve to do all three play areas (bouncy slide, bouncing cage, obstacle course) and is finally jumping into the pool, but just barely. D is a maniac and just walks off the deck, assuming we'll catch him. He also just face-plants into the water when we hold him. Comes up laughing. The force is strong in this one, for sure!

Today I just didn't get out for a run. I could have, just didn't. Had other things that took precedence. So that puts me minus 1 on the days/runs tally. I'll need to find some time for a few doubles this week to get back even (preferably ahead)! May try a moderately hilly 9.5 run tomorrow morning (Umstead state park) and see how fast I can go. I'm tentatively scheduled to do the run leg on a half-Ironman triathlon relay in late September. The distance is no problem, but the cycling leg guy, and I'm fairly certain the swim leg guy also, are...shall we say, much closer to elite status than I am. I want to do well, so will be working on my mid-distance speed in addition to training for the hills and distance of Mountain Masochist (and possibly Hellgate...)

18 runs/19 days