Pick-Me-Up

Three days off: just enough or too much? It's hard to say. My body was well rested after that killer 5k Saturday. I say "killer" because I kicked it with my time and it was chilly and windy, but the course was not tough -- straight and flat. 

A little clarification on my standing in the results is in order. I found online that I was considered 412th out of 1,253 runners. Now, in my defense of 411th, I was tied with Devin Ruark a woman from Moline. But hey, she was in the 30-34 age division, so she had at least a 10-year age advantage on me, and I had a 4-second edge on split time. So how is it she was ranked ahead of me? I'd say it was a case of "ladies first," but that's not consistent elsewhere. I was robbed. :)

The down side to three days off was that I was literally kind of down yesterday. I think I need that pick-me-up. Got it today and I'm better for it. I was saddened, however, on this beautiful day at the sight I beheld as I rounded the northwest corner of Churchill Junior High after cutting through the school property from Academy Street to Maple Avenue. A lone bike stood in the main bike rack in front of the cafeteria windows. The southern rack was empty.

I've seen the parade of cars dropping off and picking up kids at that school and others on a daily basis and it's an affront to my green sensibilities. What is wrong with kids and parents these days? I see some kids walking, which is great, but a bike is the way to go, baby. Think about it. Many parents may be (irrationally) concerned about abduction, and I suppose on foot that could be a possible, though extremely unlikely, threat. But on a bike, there's little fear of someone snatching you up for nefarious purposes -- just pedal your ass off.

OK, the soapbox is teetering under the weight of my ranting. Better step down before I fall off. But, before the usual naysayers out there chime in about the dangers of Galesburg motor traffic, I must say the streets are pretty darned safe here. The alert cyclist who makes an effort to be seen and follows at least most of the road rules should not fear for his or her safety here.

All in all it was an otherwise uneventful run. Only one neat item on the pavement and barely a handful of cans. 

Today's Stats
Temp: 45 degrees F
Distance: 4.5 miles
Treasure: 1 cardboard milk shake guy; 1 plastic Buick emblem (plain); 10 cans.

iPod Playlist (shuffle)
Say Goodbye to Hollywood - Billy Joel
My Heart Doth Beg You'll Not Forget - Broceliande
Norwegian Wood - The Beatles
If I Fell (Cover) - Evan Rachel Wood
Future Shock - Curtis Mayfield
Devil in Her Heart - The Beatles
Hard Habit to Break - Chicago
Gives You Hell - The All-American Rejects
Sick of You - Lou Reed
Seven Bridges Road - The Eagles
Why Don't We Get Drunk - Jimmy Buffett
I'm Looking Through You (Cover) - The Wallflowers
A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles

Note: I reloaded the iPod before the race Saturday. Two favorite playlists formed the foundation, then I let autofill do the rest.