Blame It On the Kid!

5.26 miles on another mild day.  The temperature was about 55 when I went out around 2pm.  It was pretty windy though.  Some days my legs feel like they're made out of lead and the run seems to be never ending.  During those runs, I sometimes have to talk myself out of walking the last half mile or so.  Some days I feel like I'm flying and I could just keep on keeping on all the way to California, or at the very least, home.  Today was a lead day.  I'm going to blame it on the wind, the cup of coffee I knew I shouldn't have had beforehand, and my companion, my 17 month old in her jalopy-of-a- jogger stroller.

(Warning:  Potty Talk)

First, let me address the somewhat regretful coffee.  Last year, 8 out of 10 runs were interrupted with emergency bathroom breaks.  I know every accessible toilet in town.  By accessible, I mean a bathroom where I don't necessarily have to speak with anyone and make my presence and purpose known to others.  If you're running in my town and nature's calling, you can go to the local college.  I'm actually surprised that there isn't better security at the school.  Anyone can just walk into whatever hall it is I'm walking into and...use their bathroom.  It's like Starbucks, but not as nasty (c'mon, we all know that the Starbucks bathrooms are on the same level as that men's room at the dingy gas station you had to resort to because you certainly weren't going to ask at the gun shop next door or the adult video store, all on Route Wrong in the middle of Appalachia).   Other options in town are the train station, which is cleanish, Dunkin' Donuts (but you have to walk past the counter to the restroom), the library, the bagel store (bathroom is in the rear where there is also a convenient entrance/exit), the car repair shop across from the bagel store (this is the cleanest bathroom of them all, but you have to ask the nice guy for the key which isn't so bad since he's referred to as the nice guy), and the rec center.  This year, for whatever reason, I've had no bathroom issues, except for today.  But I didn't make one of my pit stops.  Lead legs.

The jogger stroller is old.  We got it after my first child was born, eleven years ago.  It still "works".  By works, I mean the wheels are attached and when you push it, it goes...a little to the right, but it goes.  A little to the right is kind of a challenge at times, since I'm always running on the left side of the road in the bike lane against traffic.  I try to choose the roads with the wide bike lanes.  Running with a jogger adds at least another 40 lbs. to your workout.  Lead legs.

And then there's the wind.  It is nighttime as I'm typing and I can hear the garbage cans banging into each other from the wind.  Running with the wind is awesome.  Running against the wind sucks.  Lead legs.

No music when I'm with the kids.  Lead legs.

The rest of the week is going to be cold!