Getting in Ten the Hard Way

This run was a bit nuts. I slept in this morning (see yesterday's entry) and set off to run from USP's rec center at around 5, meaning to go ten miles.

I get down to the South Street Bridge and this realization comes over me that I never locked my locker at USP. I rarely get these "I left the coffee pot on" feelings, and this one was strong enough that I went with it and turned around. For a mile and a half back I ran in suspense - did I, didn't I, and was my stuff still there. I got back and sure enough the locker was closed and the lock was unlocked. Stuff was untouched.

So now what? I got the bright idea to go on the hamster wheel and watch the World Cup match Switzerland v Ukraine on the omnipresent tv sets. Should have done this from the outset, I thought, for when I got on the overtime was just ending and the shootout phase was beginning. I was rooting for Switzerland, as my dad's family is Swiss, but alas their run came to an end.

When teams lose in the World Cup its so sudden and so final. You look around to see if there is anything that can be done, any way there could be another chance and then the realization hits you in the gut that your team is going home. Happened with the US, and now Switzerland. This leaves all my hopes with Germany now.

The only victory today (the Phils also lost their fifth straight this afternoon after coming back from a 6-0 deficit) came over the treadmill. I ran a little over 1.75 miles and went to peg it to 10 and then the treadmill seized up (almost lurching me over its front) with a message that "sensors are inoperative" after which the LCD display went dead. I took some solace in that I for once outlasted a treadmill.

So the first three miles (outdoors) went in 23:06, the second 1.75 went by at an undetermined time, and I was determined to get the run over with after Switz lost, so the last 5.25 went by (after switching treadmills) in 33:22. Got in my 10.