March 24th: About Last Night...

Week 2 of the Richter plan got going this morning. I'm looking to exceed last week's beast output and maybe even get to 50 mikes this week, and I'm off to a reasonable start: 5.6 on the belt in 52:51 -- a 9:26 clip.

These were definitely not the easiest miles I've ever logged. First of all, why the hell am I on the belt on March 24th? 21 degrees at 6:00 a.m.? Ridiculous. But the real challenge was short rest. Saturday night, there was a critter on the roof above my bedroom, and I didn't sleep well. Even went outside with a flashlight to try to find it. But that wouldn't have been a big deal had I not had the plans I did on Sunday.

Ira Robbins (left) and Handsome Dick Manitoba (right)

Jackie and I drove into the city on Sunday evening for a very special celebration: the 40th anniversary of Trouser Press magazine. My boss, Ira Robbins, and his best friend Dave Schulps published the first issue of the Bible of Alternative Rock in 1974. Over the next decade, they interviewed and wrote about just about everyone in the rock world. And though Trouser Press never became the kind of household name that Rolling Stone is, it unflinchingly persevered and influenced a generation of musicians and music fans. The number of people who turned out last night to celebrate with Ira is a testament to how much of a mark he and the magazine have left, even three decades after its final issue.

Well, some things in life are more important than marathon training, and this was one of them. So another night of short sleep (and McDonald's at 11 p.m. since we were starving) was just the way it was. And so that meant a sluggish run this morning, but so be it. It's done, and I'm on my way into week 2.

Tomorrow will likely be as far as I can get in an hour. Wednesday is supposed to be my kinda long, but snow is on the way, and the thought of 10+ on the belt is already turning my stomach. We shall see. At this rate, I won't be surprised if it snows during the race.

Total miles since starting the blog: 488.0