It's runderful to be home

(I couldn't help the title. My apologies.)

The weather gods smiled on me yesterday - so much so that I had the most wonderful long run in the morning with my running buddy, and then, wonder of wonders, the weather held for a lovely mule-drawn sleigh ride in the afternoon. And then today, the weather gods turned vengeful and are in the process of dumping 10 mm of freezing rain all over the roads. I'm home with Chou, sipping coffee, stretching sore legs and thinking about all the people I'd like to be visiting right now. But what can you do - except blog about a kick ass training run.

It felt so good to head out with Jen P. The sun was bright, the snow crunchy, the route flat and, most of all, friendly. We managed at least part of our 10 km on the Trans Canada Trail, a nice trail that doesn't actually connect to the rest of the trail on the west side of town unless you count the highway as the 'trail'. I'm pretty sure someone is taking the translation of "trans-Canada" very loosely. I was totally blown away by the friendliness of morning runners and walkers. It makes me all the more aware that Ottawanians (Ottawaers?) are polite, but not really friendly. I'll work on that when I get home.

We did the entire 10 km with no walk breaks (except for Jen to strip off a layer and slight pauses at a few stop lights) and while it felt good, it was getting mighty tough near the end, at which time Jen decided we should sprint the last 1/8th of a mile for good measure. Apparently she's fastest on an empty stomach? I don't know, but I fell in step behind her mentally noting just how much I didn't have left in the tank. In fairness, she just ran 12 miles last week...oh, wait, that means she should have been sore and crippled. Hmmm. Right.

Either way, it was lovely to run with my buddy again, and as a bonus Mr. P looked after Chou and kept her out of the garbage, where Newt thought she belonged. Next Sunday is 7 miles. I can't wait.

It's so good to be home.