A Good Run to Start the Weekend

Yes, it’s Saturday Running Commentary. I’m not getting to it just after the run, but I don’t despair of thinking of things to say. It is good to be back in the running game. My only regret is that I’ve been running three times this week and I’m still not skinny yet. Once again, our instant gratification society has done me dirt. But that’s half-baked philosophy suitable for Lame Post Friday. Today I’m going to write about my run.

We got up at 5:30, representing a half-hour of sleeping in for me. Let’s hear it for Saturday. I had a cup of coffee then thought it would be a good idea to get out running before I got hungry. After all, if I ate I would have to wait for it to digest. Plenty of time to talk myself out of it.

It was 51 degrees out, according to our thermostat, a good temperature for a run. I laid out a sweatshirt, in case I wanted it for my cool down walk. Off I went. Ah, not too cold at all. My hands might not even get numb.

I turned right onto German Street, since I had most recently gone left. I decided no hills. I need to conserve my energies for some things I’m hoping to do later. Then I saw a dog almost two blocks ahead of me. He was a jumpy boy. Normally it would take me a long time to catch up to a pedestrian that far ahead of me, but you know how dogs like to stop and sniff. I like to stop and pet a dog when I run, but it’s best if you are going in opposite directions. Then you’re out of the dog’s range before you drive him nuts.

So I turned up Main Street, going towards a hill. It’s a challenging hill, but there are two places you can turn off it. I could just go up the first third (the turning off places are not spaced at thirds, but I like to think of them that way). Part of the street is closed to traffic, because the road is kind of collapsed. The last time I was there, a pedestrian could get by. I would try it.

Up the hill. Oof, I am not yet used to hills again. I remembered a drill sergeant’s advice: just look at your feet and shuffle up that hill. There was a mound of dirt blocking the closed part of the road, but a small space seemed clearly left for pedestrians. I went in the space, skirting the collapsed part of the road. I have to say, it didn’t really look like a good place to be. I might not run that way again, which is too bad, because there are not that many hills in Herkimer.

Down the hill I went, on Steuben Street. I saw a lady setting up for today’s Village Wide Garage Sales.

“Here’s a place I can come check out later,” I said.

“Don’t miss it,” she said. I probably will miss it, but from what I’ve seen there are plenty of people out looking for sales.

I managed to make my 24 minutes, which is the time I got to last Sunday. I felt pretty terrific when Tabby and I set off on our cool down walk. I didn’t need the sweatshirt. My layer of sweat felt healthy, as if I had sweated out the bad stuff. Bring on the rest of the weekend!