Chilly breeze

Having put off my mile workout the day before, Thursday's run was supposed to be 3-4xmile with a 600-meter recovery. Since I want to run 16:33 next time I race a 5k, I figured 5:20 pace was a good target. Unfortunately, compared to Wednesday's balmy terperatures in the mid 50s, Thursday night's temperatures dipped to 32 when I got out to the track at George Mason high school, a convenient half mile from my apartment. I brought the Puma flats the rep gave me in the spring- I didn't much enjoy racing in them, so they are now my workout flats. My first lap was, naturally, way too fast- 76, and I focused on slowing down over the rest of the mile- 5:19. Pretty happy with that. The second mile was still fast at the beginning, but I again managed to calm it down to 5:19. By the third mile I felt like my legs were honest enough -- tired out from the previous two intervals -- that I would start to feel like I would in a race, and my first two laps reflected that- even 80s, but when I checked by 1000 split, I noticed my watch was stopped at 2:40- I must have hit the wrong button at 800. I don't remember consciously doing so, but I started jogging in the outside lanes while I ascertained what happened. Then I realized I was wearing shorts and the wind was starting to pick up, so I changed my shoes, put on my warmup pants and went home.

I stayed up to follow (not even watch or listen, because I have no tv and couldn't find a radio broadcast) the Steelers-Browns game, which actually made me feel better about my workout. It was downright pathetic, losing to what has been the worst in a long line of Browns teams. I don't have much animosity toward the Browns- as my family largely lives in Cleveland and my mom grew up there, and they are largely the object of pity (the team, not my family), but I am sure the loss was devastating to the populace of Pittsburgh and made me glad I don't live there anymore. I have largely divorced myself of deep emotional connections to the Steelers, having found other teams on which to pin my hopes in times of struggle (the Chiefs and Saints in 2003, the Patriots in 2006) and I actually found myself more miserable after the Pats lost to the Giants in 2008 than any other time the Steelers were eliminated. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the Steelers' recent Super Bowl victory, but I am in no funk following the loss to the Browns. I just don't feel as bad for the Browns anymore...