Then I shot over to get some seafood for dinner because the Smiley Brothers (R&D Seafood) are only open for a couple of hours on Monday, well there was a cleaner there so I had to go to a different shop eventhough R&D is better. I got swordfish steaks. When I got home, I dressed for my run and off I went. Well, once I got about 100 yards past Smiley Brothers, I realized that the swordfish was sitting on the counter because I needed to put one of the steaks in the freezer because I won’t even be home for dinner tonight.

What a mess, anyway, I had to turn around and run home. So I had a very fast 1 and 3/4 miles. I don’t think I could have beat the horses in the Belmont, but it would have been close.  It was too bad because I finally felt like I could have put up 4 or 5 miles.

So I decided to try out the Hurricanes, and I have officially made the switch from the Omnis to the Hurricanes. I didn’t like the way the Progrid Hurricane 11 looked, so I went with last year’s model. Unfortunately, the new change to the shoe where it holds your heel in place is not included in this version of the shoe. I am anxiously awaiting the release of the 12 because I’m hoping that it is more aesthetically pleasing and contains the new heel feature. As you can tell from my blog, I like Saucony.

The shirts were on sale. I promise that they are two different styles. They look similar in the picture, but in real life are quite different. One of the shirts is protected with a rating of 50 spf. The other allows significantly more breathing. Oddly enough, if it were real sunny and hot, I would prefer to wear the shirt that didn’t have the sun protection.

Both shirts are very comfortable and fit well. I like the way they look and they feel great. Couldn’t ask more from a sale. Probably need to go grab a couple more pairs of shorts, but I will need shoes quickly because I am only running on one pair at this time. It is an economic depression.

So this week I totaled just over 7 miles of running, but it is good to be able to run again.

I’m running the mile and a half at an 8:15 pace, just trying to keep my legs fresh. They still feel good, and my conditioning doesn’t seem to be problematic. I just can’t seem to breathe properly. Oh well. We are back, and soon I will be better.

It’s amazing the difference between skating and running. You can run a good clip for 50 minutes in the morning, but when you play hockey any thing longer than 50 seconds is just stupid. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it and felt like I could play.

I also ended up playing against a great friend from high school, so now I have a tuesday night hockey game to play with some of those guys too. Pretty sweet night. I’m going to sleep well. No running tomorrow, but a real quick 5k on Saturday morning.

The 3.5 miles that I went out on were quite nice, but not so nice that I would have to run there. I then turned around and ran back in. When I got to 6.2 miles total, I stopped running and walked in. It was a personal best for me at somewhere between 52:30 and 53 minutes. I really tried to focus on my rhythm and setting my pace without the help of the treadmill.

I had walked the dogs before I ran today, and then had the .8 of a mile walk back in to my car when I finished running. Tonight, I am playing in a hockey game. It is probably my first competitive game of hockey in over 10 years. I’m excited, but I’m pretty certain I will get to spend a decent amount of time in the penalty box.

It was real nice weather and the temperature was about 60 degrees. So with the cool air, I set off through the hills and into town. I felt like the first mile was a struggle, but really loosened up for the mile 2 and 3. The fourth mile is the easiest, but mile 5 was tough.

When I hit the home stretch, I knew that I took the proper route and checked back afterwards: 5.04 miles according to mapmyrun.com. It took me 43 minutes and change. I have been using my ipod to keep a rather crude time. This is a good pace for me. Tomorrow, I will slow the pace down and do 10k or 6.2 miles. I plan on running along the Blackstone River. They have a nice bike path that I have never been on. It is supposed to be quite scenic and relatively flat.

On my evening walk with the dogs, I noticed that my hip was quite tight. It was actually painful. A little stretching, massage and a jump in the jacuzzi was what I needed. My feet really enjoy the therapy of the spa jets that are hitting the bottoms in two of the different seats.

It has a unique history. Here is a brief write up from http://www.woonsocket.org/depot.htm:

Originally known as the Hamlet Avenue Bridge, the first bridge at this site was a rickety wooden structure built in 1868. The bridge rested on wooden posts imbedded into rocks at the bottom of the Blackstone River. Thoroughly inadequate for the growing level of traffic entering Depot Square, complaints about this bridge led to calls for the construction of a new, more substantial structure in the early 1890′s.

Construction of the original Court Street Bridge began in 1893. Several buildings on the Main Street had to be moved or demolished to provide access to the bridge from Depot Square. In a novel approach, trusses for this 562 foot bridge were placed below the bridge deck to allow unobstructed of views across the river. When completed in 1895, the new bridge contained 100,000 rivets, 40,000 bolts and weighed 1,850 tons.

The Court Street Bridge was dedicated on June 22, 1895 before a crowd of 15,000. Considering that Woonsocket’s population at the time was 25,000, this was a major community event. The centerpiece was a huge arch that spelled out “City of Woonsocket”. Lights were also strung the length of the bridge. Ceremonies included a parade, band music and speeches by Mayor Aram Pothier and Woonsocket historian Erastus Richardson.

In 1899, the Court Bridge was the starting point for Woonsocket’s first Labor Day Parade. The Industrial Trade Union kept the Labor Day Parade tradition alive through the 1940′s and 1950′s. Recently, the Greater Woonsocket Labor Council and the Museum of Work and Culture have reinstated this 100-year-old Labor Day tradition.

The original Court Street Bridge served as a vital link between Bernon and Depot Square for 104 years until it was demolished with strategically placed explosive charges on January 22, 1999. Its replacement was completed in July of 2000, reestablishing this historic crossing over the Blackstone.

No, I turned for home a street or two early and this cut off just over half a mile. I finished 4.4 in just over 37 minutes. It was a good run for me nonetheless, especially after the relative inactivity of last week.  With the load of having to take my comprehensive exams gone, I feel like I can focus a little more on my running. I want to get my weekly average for the next four weeks to just over 20 miles.

I also have to start preparing my dissertation proposal for review, so I still have plenty going on, but I think that running can take a higher priority. Since I started almost two months ago, I feel a lot better and am much more comfortable. I feel that if I had a 10k to sign up for I could do it tomorrow in under an hour. Now that I am increasing my distance substantially on a weekly basis, I feel that by next month I should be able to get under 54 minutes. This is my first race goal. I will get a sub 54 minute 10k. I would then like to get a 45 minute 10k about 2-3 months after the first one. Then on to a half marathon in the fall.

Also, it is getting to be time for new shoes. Luckily, I will be at the Saucony Outlet store on Saturday this week. Let’s see if we can make that happen.