Oh Rats!

A lovely way to start a Monday. I was walking out of Safeway with my latte this morning and saw a crow eating his breakfast: flattened gooey rat ala asphalt. You could just tell the bird was saving the long skinny tail for dessert. A mental picture I'm sure I'll carry with me all day. Eww.

I had a great run yesterday, again at my favorite long-run spot, Alameda Creek Trail. This week the weather actually cooperated with my plans. When I heard rain in the middle of the night I was worried but it stopped before we started running. It was warmer, partly overcast, humid and not as windy as last week. I met up with a few of my buds and when all was said and done, managed 17 miles. I ran at least 6 of those alone and I think that helped. Damn I'm slow! My breathing was fine, as long as I stayed at over a 13 minute mile. Cripes, that's gotta change.

It was just about a year ago, at the Austin Marathon, that asthma really reared it's ugly head. I've spent the last year trying to figure out why, and getting slower and slower when I run. I'm hoping this year the trend will reverse and I'll start breathing better and getting faster. Uh, yeah. Hope's a great thing, huh? Nevertheless, I see a bunch of 6+ hour marathons in my future. That I run, not walk. Seems funny to be wishing for the good ol' days when I ran sub-12 minute miles. Ooooh, speedy girl!