Bad Run! Bad Run! NO COOKIE FOR YOU!

[caption id="attachment_735" align="alignright" width="213" caption="The cause of my Alcohol-Induced-lllness."][/caption]

So, as you my readers may already know - I was a complete slacker last week and did not run like I should have.  This trend continued on sunday when - due to my alcohol-induced-illness (combined with countless family visits), my long-run did not happen.  However, since i am such a conscientious runner (with an over-active sense of guilt), I felt I should make up my long run last night.  Luckily - we have a the Greater Binghamton Bridge Run Half-Marathon course that was mapped out and certified right in town AND it goes right by my house.  How perfect is that?

So after my wife got home from work, off I went with my trusty water bottle!  I was a little frustrated as my Droid X doesn't seem to have a functional GPS anymore.  I'm not sure if it is a hardware error, or something with a recent update to the Maps/Navigation. 

[caption id="attachment_734" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Map of the Bridge Run Half Marathon Course"][/caption]

  For this run - I was using a pre-mapped course so while I wouldn't have my splits (Frustrating), I would at least know exactly how far I went! 

I took it nice and slow, with no worry about how fast/far I was going.  (This was very easy to do as I didn't have a phone with GPS to give me splits or let me know what my pace was.) 

Maps are awful flat.. The running route was not!

[caption id="attachment_553" align="alignright" width="300" caption="My trusty water bottle, you can see on the back side where the fabric was that I could keep under my hand - while the strap was on top of it. It bounced a bit more than I may have wanted, but did work."][/caption]

A nice short run of ten miles was in the cards for yesterday so I used mapmyrun.com and figured out a route that was 10 miles that would end at my parent's house. ( Yes, even in my mid thirties I am mooching off my parents, although for this day it was simply some water and a ride home!)  I filled up my water bottle and headed out the door.  The last time I ran with my water bottle, the water quite warm shortly into the run.  I thought cool water might be nice while running, so this time around I decided to toss some ice-cubes (Brilliant aren't I?)  Shortly after starting - I had  another brilliant realization - holding a bottle of ice water in your bare hand makes for a cold hand! (Man, I could so be a rocket scientist with cognitive abilities like these!)  I thought of  "I Run Like a Girl's" recent frost-bite experience, so I switched how I was holding the bottle.  I changed it so that the fabric of the bottle was between my hand and the bottle - It wasn't terribly comfortable, but it did avoid frost bite in July.

My big learning moment

Saturday's 9 Mile run.

I have ended up behind on my posting as I was focused on Assassin's Creed II, which I just picked up for the PS3.  (Incidentally, it is much more fun than the first one - just as a side note.)  So today - You are all fortunate enough to get  a double-dose of me!  We have my run report for Saturday, followed by the "Week in REVIEW!!!" So, first - Saturday's run.

I was on-deck for a 9 mile run according to the Training Plan. It was brutally hot, but I found the idea of running on the treadmill for an hour and a half to sound like a punishment for criminals - so I chose to head outside.  I filled up my trusty water bottle - and headed out!

The first obvious statement - is that it was hot.  My trusty water bottle became warm in no time - yet still remained the greatest thing in the world.  The run itself was mildly painful (my Achilles tendon has been bothering me, and being a regular Einstein - I didn't think of using my KT tape until monday morning), but VERY interesting.  I ran by the Binghamton court-house, and saw a bunch of people holding up protest signs - something I did NOT expect to see, especially on a Saturday! (Plus, protesters are usually in front of the federal court house.)  I turned around, pulled out my cell phone and snapped a picture.

[caption id="attachment_554" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="This picture was much more interesting 30 seconds before, when they all had their signs up still and weren't yelling at me!"][/caption]