i ran yesterday for the first time in probably six months. i think the last time i ran was the SB Triathlon and i can't even remember when that was, but i know it felt like summer.
i strapped on the HRM, donned my trusted running shoes with those wacky elastic laces, stepped out the door into what might have been the best running weather possible. not cold, not warm, somewhere in between. it was about 6pm on the first hot day of the year and it just started cooling off. i trotted down the hill towards the high school. instead of stopping at the red light, i turned up Monterey, towards the hotels. as soon as there were no cars, i jay-ran and then cut back towards my initial destination. When i arrived at the high school, i decided to run to the back, through The Perfect Neighborhood. I found myself crawling through a hole in the fence onto school property when my watch said i was about 6 minutes into my run. a perfect time to stop and stretch out, now that i had warmed up.
i started back up within a minute or so and went straight uphill to the "S L" on the hill overlooking the high school. i discovered that running on loose, bumpy soil wasn't the easiest with elastic laces. running along the side of the hill, i practically rolled my shoes around my feet several times. i reached the "S L" quickly and took a breather (uphill running is pretty tough even if it isn't your first time back out). the view was incredible. i could see most of downtown SLO, the mountains, almost to the ocean. i could even see my house from there.
i took a longer way home, through the school, around the track once (in 1:35, pathetic), and back onto the street. i did an even out-and-back, with a good 5 minutes of walking at the end to cool down. a good re-entry into training, i think.