Better than before

Yes, I'm thinking and hoping that the pain I experienced last week is a thing of the past. I still experience some pain in my left hip but usually only when I make sudden movements when sitting or lying down. Everything else is fine.

The weather is still oppressive, with really high humidity levels. Even morning runs are a wet sweaty mess, with temps in the 70's and dewpoints virtually the same. Yesterday's marathon pace run caused my MP3 to short out b/c it got so wet w/ sweat. Next time I will leave it at home. Can't wait for cooler temps next month. I actually took Tuesday off, the 1st off day I've had in a month. The thunder, lightning and tornado warnings in my county made that decision quite easy. I responded by doubling up yesterday and will run twice today as well. Even with the off day I should get 60-65 miles in this week.

The running club season is winding down, and we finish up on Saturday with a 5K fun run. I will most likely run the course beforehand, b/c we don't have enough adults to give out splits and finish times. I have to remind myself that I'm not competing against these young men and women, but I'm always curious how I stack up against them time-wise. I joke that I still have a year of high school eligibility left (didn't run my senior year when I was an exchange student), but the state federation most likely frowns upon 43 year olds competing...

But the kids did well this summer. Since they graduated only one boy from last year's varsity team (and no girls), I think they have a real shot at winning their conference and maybe even advancing to state. Both teams have 10-12 runners that can challenge for varsity spots, so that ought to keep them on their toes. If they have a successful season, I'd like to think that I played a small part in helping them get ready for it this summer. But they're the ones that have put in the miles, and need to continue to train and run the races, so all the credit goes to them as individuals and as a team. Can't wait to watch them run. Now, if I could light a fire under my daughter... but I'm just going to sit back and watch (and cheer). If my wife thinks I can be loud and obnoxious @ soccer games, wait til' she sees me @ Cross Country meets. Good thing there's not a referee!