Hitting the trail, picking off fools

Since I have to start increasing my base mileage in anticipation of marathon training starting pretty soon I thought I'd take my first 6+ mile run in weeks easy. And there's no place easier to run than the good 'ol NCR trail. Since the trail is reasonably flat, and since my marathon is also reasonably flat, I expect to spend many a mile slogging back and forth, to and fro, hinder and yon there. Thankfully I don't have to worry much about hill training, and shorter weekday runs around the 'hood should suffice for that.

Anyway, I ran 6.52 miles and had the good fortune of feeling good enough throughout to pass everyone who had the misfortune of being in front of me. I must have passed at least 5 or 6 runners. Granted, most of them are probably well into training for whatever they're doing this fall (there were about as many hydration belts being worn today as I've seen on the trail) and I was just chillin bopping around all hydration belt-less, but still. I call that a running win!

I got there pretty early, at about 7:00am or so, and it was about 59 degrees at the start. I thought the combination of that and the NCR trail looking a lot more like this:



than this:



right now would work in my favor because the trees were blocking the sun and it was shaded most of the run. But one thing I didn't really think about was how even though the overhead cover provides protection from the sun it also traps the humidity closer to the ground, so I ran where it was shaded but steamy.

Still, it was a good run and I feel pretty good about being able to knock out an 8 miler as my first long run of marathon training on August 9.

Also, when I was taking a stroll to cool down at the end of run who comes zipping past me on a bike going in the other direction? None other than 1973 A.L. Rookie of the Year and Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame member Al Bumbry, who looks terrific. He was in the parking lot at the same time I was getting his stuff together to leave, and I wanted to say hi, but some other guy was there trying to suck up to him by offering him tickets to any University of MD vs. Virginia Tech games in any sport or something (Al's son played at Va. Tech before being drafted to play baseball by the Orioles this year). I don't think my bringing up that time I saw him at a little league clinic in like 1981 would be as exciting to him so I left it alone.

So, a pretty Sunday morning run. Let's hope they all are from here until December 7.