1.) Watch CNN? Nope, because if I hear one more thing about the biggest non-story of the year that's been on non stop for a week and a half, I'm going to commit myself to an insane asylum. That's right, I'm talking about Swine Flu...I mean H1 N1...I mean...oh, who cares?
2.) Watch Sports Center? No, because 9 out of the top 10 plays of the week are people slam-dunking a basketball in the exact same manner. The only reason it's not 10 out of 10 is because some no-name horse won the Derby.
3.) Write in the blog? Yes, you're so smart!
So the big news for the week is that the disc wheel is finally coming. It either shipped today or last Friday so it'll be here soon. Man, I can't wait. It feels like I ordered it so long ago that I've almost forgot about it.
The Pittsburgh Marathon was yesterday. It turned out to be a pretty rainy day, but it was perfect weather for running. I felt a little bad that I wasn't in it. I always feel like I'm wasting an opportunity when I don't do a race that's taking place where I live, but I know it would not have been a very good idea in consideration for triathlon season.
Speaking of the race, my good friend Mappleton ran it in 3:48. I was honestly surprised because I knew how his training was going, but having been a runner for a long time, I think he recognized that he would not be able to get the 3:30 that he wanted so just paced it out as evenly as he could.
I was also a little surprised at the winning time of the race was 2:22. I know I could never run that fast, but it just seems a little on the slow side for a decently-sized marathon. I'm not sure what the prize purse was, so that might have had something to do with it. Also, maybe so many of the big players that can run in the 2:1x range were at Boston like two weeks ago.
Lastly on the Pittsburgh running front, there is a new half marathon in Pittsburgh this October! I'm definitely going for it and really excited about it. The "Spirit of" series is already in a few different cities throughout the states and is gathering steam. The races that are already in existence are incredibly well-run and a lot of fun. I have often criticized Pittsburgh for being a big-profile city and not really having any racing scene to speak of. Within a year, however, there is now a marathon/half marathon in May, a triathlon in July, a huge 10k in September, and now a new half in October. It would be great to see a few more triathlons pop up in the still-under served area, but it's a great foundation on which to build a great racing environment. Who else is tired of traveling across the border into Ohio to do anything?
So how's my running going you ask? Not so bad. I'm trying to pick it up lately, but I still can't seem to bring myself to run more than three times per week. Having said that, my times are looking amazing for some reason. My last four runs have had the following average paces: 6:39, 6:15, 6:30, 6:47. Just for fun, I'll compare those to four similar consecutive runs last August/September: 6:57, 6:47, 6:51, 6:55. Looks good to me.
My left hip is killing me, however. I'm pretty sure it's because I very much need a new pair of trainers. I have well over 500 miles on them and haven't gotten a new pair because I have been stubbornly searching the internet to find the same pair that has been out of production for at least a year and a half or two years. I'll probably just have to suck it up and order something today because now pain is involved in the equation. Injury would be bad.
The swimming has been looking up after being considerably dormant for a lot of the late winter/early spring. I've been comfortably putting in a few hundred meters more every session and feel pretty strong going longer distances. I can't wait for my first open-water swim of the season in a few weeks at Pinchot.
I hope everyone is having a better Monday than me; hopefully one without rain. Thanks for visiting!
P.S. Go Pens!
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