Two For the Road

I almost always run alone. I can pretty much count the times I've run with someone else over the past couple years on one hand. While I actually enjoy running alone, I've often wished I could find someone who runs at my pace for occasional company. Because when you're running 35+ miles per week, it does tend to get a little boring.

When I was in Chicago, I got to run with my friend Tony. Both the new setting and having a running partner made it one of the best runs I've had lately. It also made me run a little faster. Then this morning, I met up with a BTer from my July TdF team for a chilly, early morning run. He was in town on business and the best thing to do when meeting up with other BTers is get together for a swim, bike or run. We had both been out the night before and we knew it was going to be cold so expectations were low. But it motivated me to get up and out the door by 7 a.m., something I rarely do on my own.

It was 40 degrees but felt like 34 according to weather.com. The chill was largely due to the wind sweeping off the Hudson River. With my lungs still a bit congested, it was difficult to breathe at times. Regardless, I was able to keep up a pretty decent pace even if it was impossible to stay warm. It was nice to have someone to chat with to make the miles go by. Triathletes tend to get along instantly since we have so much common ground to start from.

We finished just before 8 and stopped at the first place possible for coffee. I wasn't sure if I wanted to drink it or pour it on my hands. It must have taken me 3 hours to warm up. I'm going to need to get used to this as I've got a long winter of training ahead. I can't use the cold as a reason to stay inside. I've got early season races and Ironman training to think about. Soon, that will be all I think about.

Running
Distance - 4.76
Time - 39:59