more running!

and a bit on the bike, too. I took the PPE out for a spin around the school down the block. It was starting to get late, so I didn't want to get too far away from the house. I just played with the gears, experimenting with how each combination felt. After about 25 minutes of very easy riding, nothing too strenuous, I can't say I understand it any better after that than I did before. I think I just have to go for a ride with an experienced cyclist and have them walk me through it all. Very slowly. In very small words.

Then, I dumped her off at the house, grabbed the Garmin and the iPod and hit the streets for a quick jaunt around the neighborhood. Today is a recovery day, so I just really wanted to get a couple of miles in and get the running streak going again. What I have discovered in the last two months of focusing on the swim is that unless I run for at least half an hour five times a week, I cannot maintain my weight. I'm not even talking about losing weight, I'm talking MAINTAIN. So (as very plainly and sadly evidenced by the photos of me in the black-doesn't-help-hide-Jack swimsuit) I've put on the 5 pounds I lost when I changed jobs back in March. And while it seemed to come off in random places on my body, when it returned, it targeted my gut. Sigh. So, all that to say that I *need* to run. Even on "recovery" days.

So I ran for two miles today. At first I had that wobbly wha' happened? feeling in the legs, but quickly caught my breath and just settled into a nice groove. It helped that today wasn't as beastly hot as yesterday (and the day before, and the day before that), and the humidity is down even with the showers we had this afternoon. Imagine my surprise when I look down at the end of my driveway and see these:

Mile 1: 9:29
Mile 2: 9:17

As our good buddy John McClane is often heard to exclaim: "Yippee-ki-yay!"