The last of the Plano Runs?

Plano, don't stop being Plano
The Wave
Soul Skatin'


In the closing weeks before the Hartford Half Marathon, I find myself back in the friendly confines of Plano, Texas, the most suburb-y suburb in all of America.  I'm working with a 90% waving and good morning percentage.  The most obscene example?  The wave AND smile from across the street.

As I always do, I slept in on my first day back home and took to the streets to tackle a ten'er.  The first five flew by as the clouds and breeze helped keep the temperature Rhode Island-esque.  I even took a page out of the Knapp playbook and popped the shirt off because of said confines and lack of ridicule on a Wednesday midday.

Then, the sun shined.


Regardless, I have been trying to take a step back in all facets during this week off as I have micromanaged and lived day to day.  As far as the big picture of running, I need to rein in the lofty expectations and really stay happy for the fact I am still able to run fairly consistently and so far, without injury.  If I never break 20 in a 5k, that's fine so long as I run for the next 40+ years (or more). 

I'd like to take a quote, nay a way of life, from the great 1998 Disney Original classic, Brink!


Brink: We skate for fun. We're soul skaters.

I run for fun.  I run to keep myself in shape.  I run to clear my head or just to think about nothing but the next step and the next and the next and the...

And with that pseudo philosophical mumbo jumbo, my goal for this half is to enjoy it, see some friends I haven't seen in a while, and sit around a 1:45.  (sub 1:40, pleeease sub 1:40)