I ran with my friend Larry this evening. If I didn’t plan to meet him, I may have just gone to bed. I arrived at home feeling cold and tired and sleep seemed like a much more appealing idea than a run. By the time Larry called to tell me he was ready to go, it was cold, dark and windy outside.

As soon as I got outside I realized I was under dressed for the run. Larry’s pace can best be described as slow and steady which wasn’t fast enough for me to warm up. I didn’t really mind the slower pace, as I figured it would be an exercise in proper pace management for the upcoming JFK 50. I’ll just have to dress warmer for the next one.

We spent the time talking about the Hawaii Ironman and about strategy for the JFK 50. It is getting close and I want to make sure I am fully prepared for it. I think my feet and ankles will hold up, even though they are still a little achy. The discomfit I am feeling has been very minor and will hopefully remain as such throughout the duration of the upcoming NYCM and JFK 50. I know one thing though; it is going to be tough running slow for so long. I wonder if I will be able to contain my pace.

The park was empty this evening and a beautiful crescent moon was showing. The cold and windy fall air made for a very clear sky and everything appear to be sharply in focus. It seemed like a perfect night for a run; it was a wonder that more people weren’t out. I guess not everyone finds it enjoyable to run when it is cold dark and windy.

Blogger was down last night, so I couldn’t post this entry timely. Darn it…

So I’ve been running for the past few days. The pain in my ankle has only been occasionally flaring up causing a bit of a shock when it occurs. I’ve been able to run through it though, so it seems as though I am back on track.

For the last three days I ran at night after I got home. Each time I really just felt like vegging out on my couch and was of half a mind to just forget about it. I was feeling drawn out and exhausted from work and didn’t want to go. However I forced myself to go and I felt much better afterwards. I think it was the reward of that post workout feeling that got me to get out the door.

This evening was an extra special run. My daughter had finished her homework before I arrived home and she wanted to go out with me. It is a great feeling to know that my child thinks that running on a cold and windy fall evening is a fun and interesting thing to do. She is getting very strong on her bike. I had to run hard in order to keep up with her. We talked the entire time about school, friends and stories from times I was training by myself at night and from when I was a kid in school. Here is a picture of us stopping by Grand Army Plaza to memorialize our night out together.