The Best-Laid Plans...

Okay, so Robert Burns I'm not. But my immediate running plans (which, as recently as yesterday included, um, "cramming as many miles in before I head out west for Christmas") have indeed gone awry, and I've decided to take another unscheduled off day today. The truth is that I've been hurting more than I've let on (either in these posts or, indeed, to myself), and my body has becoming increasingly resistant not only to the analgesic properties of ibuprofen and naproxen but to my own vain attempts at positive thinking. I was hoping just to suck it up and limp (quite literally, unfortunately) into my ten-day holiday respite by running as much as possible right up until my flight leaves next Thursday, but now I'm questioning the benefits of such an approach. I may try to squeeze in one or two more runs, but I'm starting to think that tacking on a few more off days prior to the vacation itself may pay the highest long-term dividends, allowing me to get some serious, well-needed rest and then hit the ground running (so to speak) in the new year.

Since I started this whole thing back on June 25 I've run over 910 total miles (with about 775 of those counting as "unique"), and if you average that out it seems I've been running the equivalent of 5.25 miles per day, every day, including off days. Of course, this isn't all that much to many of my fellow runners, and there are plenty of distance runners and ultramarathoners and others who log a lot more miles than that. But for this 40-year old, creaky, achy, and more-or-less nonathletic body that is apparently plenty, and my muscles and bones and joints have been increasingly vociferous in their demands for a little rest. This time, I might just listen to them.

Like I said, I'll probably get one or two more runs in before next Thursday. But even when I'm not running there are still a few topics I've been meaning to write about and a number of spare photos lying around that I can post. So while I might be taking a short break from the running side of Runs Brooklyn, the blogging side should continue without too many interruptions. As always, stay tuned.

Another recent picture from the vaults:


McKinley & Autumn Avenues, East New York