Notice anything different?

I logged on as Leah today to put up a proxy post and what did I find? Google was forcing me to switch our blog over! Finally! So, switch we did and now I can post as me (Jason) on the fancy new Google blogger. Thanks Google, you're the best (and please be nice to us when you assume control of the planet).

Yesterday we worked from home so as to try to shed the exhaustion that had been plaguing us early in the week. It was great. We were able to sleep in until 8 and didn't have to either ride or walk 6 extra miles. It was definitely a welcome rest. But, since we didn't make contact with a car at any point yesterday, it made having to go to the Jewel more problematic.

You see, we wanted to make a specific meal for tonight's dinner guests (we do love to entertain) and that required specific ingredients not found at our small product market. That meant that we needed to go to the Jewel which is about one and a half miles away. Should we walk there? Or ride our bike? Nay, we had a better solution. We ran the errand. Literally.

Since we had a four mile run on the docket anyway, we decided to just run the 4 miles and end up at the Jewel. Then, after shopping, we only had to walk home from the Jewel which isn't so bad. It was all very exciting. I love multitasking (like, for example, I'm clipping my toenails as I type this).

As far as the run went, it seemed a little harder than it should have been. I mean, we were rested so it should have been easier, not harder, right? For the first mile we were trying to figure out why we were breathing harder. Maybe it was that we didn't walk so much? Maybe we are just hitting a down point in the early training? Maybe we suck? And then as the first mile clicked over, we discovered the real reason: maybe it's because we started off at an 8:42 pace? Yeah, that's probably it. It seems that we were well rested indeed as our legs didn't think they were travelling that fast. After that first mile:

mile 2 - 8:42
mile 3 - 8:43
mile 4 - 8:12

That last one was pretty surprising as, although I was breathing a bit harder (and got a bit of a stitch), the leg turnover didn't feel any faster. Pretty nifty, I think.

So, a fast run from us and - more surprisingly - a fast start. We generally get off to a 9+ minute/mile start at the fastest. Whatever...works for me.

Today we take our day of rest (we biked into work today) and tomorrow we only have a 2 miler, so we're going to be getting plenty of rest before the big 7 miler on Sunday. Also, Cubs at Cardinals today.

Go Cubs!