43' 58"

43' 58", the 5.2 miles to Rudee Inlet and back. I've actually had one quicker, back in April, but I am happy with the progress. I think wearing the heavier Champion G9's and the Nike Frees will ensure that my leg and foot strength builds to where I can hit 42 something by the end of the summer. Today, had a good pace to the inlet, drafted off a skater for a while ;-) She pretty much pulled me to a great first half, 21 and change!! Less juice on the way back, but it'll come. I've been a lot faster, and I know what it feels like. Muscle memory. That's a good thing.

Saw Cross Country Gal today, and that always makes me smile. Way, way too young to date, but always a nice smile [and, she kicks my a$$ - I want to be that fast!]. Haven't bumped into Valerie in a while, very encouraging person [well, let's count attributes: blonde, good figure, positive personality, runs, drinks coffee. Negative: uh, I only see her when I bump into her while running?]. Now, this in no way means I am giving up on Ricki - after the Yanks win today, I am going over for fish n chips [the crabmeat in drawn butter yesterday messed me up a bit to where I did not feel like going out to see fireworks!!] Running. I am not obnoxious. Indeed, I smile at people and wave to other runners. I do my best to avoid confrontations, too [running into people, I mean]. I try to anticipate what could happen and avoid it in advance. However, I will only stop if the situation becomes dire [like yesterday, I almost ran over a gal on a bike who was not looking and slowly circling from right to left, while her friend went right. Only thing I could do was to stop. She said "Sorry" but I know there is no commitment to do better, and that is sad. Skidding to a stop risks injury, and I'll do it because I know I could injure someone by running over them [once, back in Michigan, in soccer league, Jill Baker wound up and kicked me in the back of the calf, and she remarked "Wow! I didn't know you were so solid!" It was a funny moment, and still makes me smile.] Once, here, bicyclists spread apart, so I had to go between. Then, one came back in. To avoid her, I had to go airborne, sideways. Made it, but it should not be that difficult. It's almost as the couch potatoes are trying to subject everyone to their pathetic lives. I choose athleticism, and I will not be dragged down by the nonobservant or the careless.

Kids and dogs. I am reasonably affable, and I like children to a certain degree, dogs as well. Not when I am running. Kids don't look, but dart hither and yon. Dogs connected to their owners by a leash are thus a long object capable of tripping the unobservant runner. Dogs not on a leash are generally inquisitive. I do not go to the boardwalk to play with other people's dogs [or their children, for that matter!]. Do you know that horses are allowed on the beach itself? In some ways being athletic here is akin to playing in traffic. People are by nature roadhogs. I try not to startle people, but I'm a taxpayer too, and I have an equal right to the sidewalk. Bikes: vehicles. They belong on the street, not on the sidewalk. I wish Virginia Beach was proactive enough to put in bike paths, but they are not. People going in the same direction as me [but slower] walk in the center of the sidewalk. Transpose this to driving: it would be down the middle of the road! People like to walk beside their friends. This does not take precedence. Two people on the sidewalk, side by side, does not give them the right of way to force me off the sidewalk. I generally do so to be polite, rather than shoulder someone. Sure wish people were polite. This is supposed to be The South, but I think many did not read that memo. On the boardwalk, six people wide takes up most of the boardwalk. No common sense.....