Bad weather = Good running!

I like running in bad weather. I don't like when I think about it the night before. I don't like it immediately when I wake up, look outside, assess the conditions and get dressed. I don't really like it when I ride the elevator down and step outside. I still don't like it when I take those first few steps and get moving. Yet at some point during that first mile, I really enjoy being out there. The cool rainy morning I ran in today was a perfect example. My first thought as I headed toward Parcul National was its the whole "challenge" thing that gets me going....naaa that's not it. When I arrived at Parcul National I realized what it was. There was nobody running at the track when I got there...Nobody - that's it! There's something very appealing to me about running alone. Now don't get me wrong, I like people - most of the time. I love team sports too. I play team sports and follow team sports with a passion. I also enjoy running with my buddies back home. But ahhhhh, running alone. Just you, nature, the elements, and of course God - there's something very appealing about that. Perhaps living in a crowded city like Bucharest for over 9 months has lead me to appreciate these times alone.

Today's run - Don't drink the water?

Anyway, before I get too philosophical for this goofy blog, my run today was excellent and a perfect ending to the week. I hit 13.45 miles with a time of 2 hrs 10 min. I ran to Parcul National for a few laps around a very wet track and then heading to my favorite spot in Parcul Titan to crank out .95 mile laps on the good quality pavement there. It was pretty wet and a light rain fell from time to time, but overall I felt great. My nutrition seemed to work well too. I had two banana nut muffins and coffee about 1/2 hour before going out and I took a pack of sports beans with me. I took the beans two-at-a-time between miles 5-7 and used the drinking fountains at the park for water. The sports beans require some water to go with them. The reason is that a straight mixture of sugar and electrolytes can give you some uh....issues of the gastronomic variety that you don't want during a run. That left me to take my chances with the Parcul Titan water fountains. Just so you know, it's now nighttime and I feel fine. Whew!

I had a nice burst of energy from mile 9 thru mile 12. I'm not sure if it was the mythical "runners high" or a sports beans sugar rush.

It's Taper Time!

So I guess I'm ready to go for the Half-Marathon. I'm confident now that I've actually run the distance and I actually ran for over 2 hrs without tiring significantly. I expect to finish the race in less than 2 hrs but it's nice to know I have aerobic capability to spare. This week will be all easy running, probably every other day until the weekend.

Travel plans are set, get on board!

We're taking a train to Timişoara on Saturday. The race is Sunday and we will take the night train (with sleeper car) back Sunday night after spending the day sightseeing the city. The train is 8 hrs each way, but the drive would not save much time. Romania does not have an interstate system and you have to slow down for every small town along the way.

When "cars" like these can be found on "highways", it's a safe bet it will be slow going:

Also, they radar aggressively in these small towns and if you read our family blog, you know how hard it would be for me to pay any tickets at these towns. Dana and Maria are both looking forward to the train trip. I'm looking forward to not having to drive back with tired legs also.