As the Hustle Breaks into a Run

There's a black cat that's settled in on my block. This morning as I turned onto the sidewalk to run, there he was right in my path. . . Going through Penn campus behind the hospital I ran past an attendant and a cop who were wheeling a gurney covered with a dark green blanket out to a waiting hearse. I crossed myself and kept running.

And proceeded to have one of the best runs of the year. The four river miles went by in 24:55 (sub 6:15); and I hit the Ford Road/Conshohocken Ave intersection in 8:30 on my way to a 17-flat in the stretch out to Chamounix/Belmont Plateau. And this wasn't no bottle it up and go run, this was a run where I had to push, curse, and make myself promises I knew I wouldn't keep to coax out the river miles, and then beg, wheedle, grovel and plead with myself to keep going to the plateau. All the while fiddling with these damn new earbuds I got that are a bit too big for my earholes. But all is forgiven with a run like that. Just where I want to be in June; if I run like this come August however I'll be pissed. 13.5 miles in 95:20.

Crisp sunshine this morning. This is a rarity for a Philadelphia June, folks. Read a random blog entry of mine for last June and you'll see the sweltering humidity we usually get. Listened to Marah "If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry" twice (I'm currently o.d.'ing on this album) and cooled down to Los Super Seven, and now even have some time left before work to get this blog entry in. Can't beat that.

Burn off the morning smog with heat that's blazing from my rush
I'm paying dearly for this flash of light I have become
I can't just hold my breath and stop a pulse I'm not controlling
So I hit the pavement as the hustle breaks into a run

PS - Scott, old boy, where you been lately? Drop a line here and let folks know you're still alive. Or better yet, update that blog.