OK, so the plan was to run 4 miles in about 48 minutes, and I fell a little short today. I think I was looking ahead to the walk/jog with Liam and Jack after my run. This is the first time we've done this on a day that they were also going to summer religious education, and I was concerned about getting them started, finished and ready to leave on time. We did it all in time, but it was more exciting than I thought it would be.
Just before I left on my run, I put Romeo outside on his dog run. He was fine as I stretched and warmed up, but just eight seconds after I started running, he barked. So, I stopped, turned around and brought him inside. Then I went back to my starting line.
I left the eight seconds on my watch, and maybe that had something to do with falling short of the two mile turnaround. Oh, well. Ultimately, the important thing is to get a good workout that boosts fitness. A loss of a tenth of a mile here and there will not make a big difference in the long run ... so to speak.
As I turned onto Redwing Drive, I felt slightly guilty because I remembered I had eaten two pieces of chocolate cheesecake last night. I wondered if that indulgence was slowing me down. But as I turned that corner, a lady who was probably in her 60s was walking towards me.
"You're amazing," she said. "You're very dedicated."
"Thank you," I said, suddenly wondering how many other residents on my route have noticed me. Hopefully, they will remember me as The Incredibly Shrinking Man, as I keep losing weight.
But it turned out to be an animal-centered morning. The minor distraction with Romeo was followed by sightings of three cats on my run. When I got back home, I found a new adventure waiting for me.
The boys were not quite ready to run the last mile with me. Jack found a mole in the bathroom. Ninja had lately been bringing these little creatures into our house to kill them, but this one was still alive. Jack was trying to capture it with a Tupperware container with no luck. Those things can move fast. I had him go get a shoe box, and after a few minutes I was able to get him into the shoebox, contained somewhat with the Tupperware.
Those suckers scream and squeak quite loudly when they are scared. I also know they bite. One bit Amy a couple of weeks ago. But this one we were able to get outside and released into the bushes in the front yard. Hopefully, it will be the last we see of him, but we've encountered pieces of dead birds and small animals in the morning before.
So, on my run with Liam -- with Jack running far ahead of us -- we spotted a baby snake in the grass, a cat, and a rabbit. It was all quite the adventure.
Jack finished his mile in 13:05. Liam finished his at 18:03. They both are improving.
I'm starting to think about a head-to-head race with just Jack, just to see how he does against me.
Oh, but the exciting news is I finally got down to a BMI of 34.4.
Take that, chocolate cheesecake!
On Wednesday, I will be trying out a slightly different five-mile route. Instead of straight out and back, I'm going to follow some loops, and according to my car's odometer, it all measures five miles.
No comments:
Post a Comment