long run

Didn't manage to get out for a run this weekend -- we mainly spent our time cleaning the house (hooray!), hanging out with the cats, and riding our sweet cruisers around. But I wanted to get some more miles on my shoes so I headed out this morning.

I had plotted out the "usual" 6-mile route -- up to the lookout, down the hill, around and onto the Burke Gilman, out to Golden Gardens, up the trail and stairs, and back. But I felt... I don't know, hesitant?... to run on the trails in the early morning. I hate that I have become nervous about running alone, but there you go.

I should quickly interject that there is no specific reason I would prefer not to run on trails alone -- Seattle is an incredibly safe city. But I just felt a little weird this morning.

But I set out and decided to alter my route a bit.

Out to the lookout, then down down down to the locks, along Market Street, then up the hill to home. I needed to pad the distance a bit, so I did one loop on the strange little track at the elementary school. And, yes, I felt like a dork.

I know that I should welcome the hilly nature of Seattle -- I should celebrate it. I know people who have to drive somewhere in order to run on hills. But sometimes the fact that we live halfway up a long, gradual slope is exhausting. See, I either have to start or end a run with a hill. On short runs, because I'm lazy, I tend to do the hill first. Get it done while my legs are fresh, etc. But today, because I needed to get 6 miles in, I ran up a hill, then down a long hill, then up a hill to home.


Still, I know it's good training. Pity I'm so freakin' lazy!