Quarter marathon...

I almost always enjoy a run after a day or two off. This morning's run was one of those good ones. Everything felt good. The temperature was just right. The wind was calm. The traffic light. Every morning should be like this.

I left the house just before 5:30 and ran less than a block before I knew I needed to retie my left shoe. It was way too loose and would have driven me nuts. I stopped, took care of it and was on my way again in no time.

Early on, as I was running along Howard, I thought about running ten miles. I'm less than twenty from 1200 for the year and ten would have put me within easy striking distance for next Monday's or Tuesday's run. I turned onto Sixth Street still thinking that way as I made my way to Sixth Street Park.

I ran through the park and then turned toward Lemon Park. I tossed around the idea of running under the lights, but opted for a right turn onto Santa Fe instead. Too much of the same thing and I'd get bored. I'll run under the lights again some day soon.

When I hit Main Street, I took the little jog up to Tenth and turned left. Running along Tenth I encountered one of the few cars I  met. There was no one coming from behind, so I ran over to the other side of the street. No sense in a close call on a narrow way.

I ran up to Ridgeway, turned the corner there and took another immediate right onto Illinois. I like Illinois for its long gradual climb.

When I got to Fifth, I turned and ran along the old highway to West River and then did a U-turn onto the new highway. That ribbon of asphalt was my path back into town. I crossed the border ran up to the Kwik Shop, took the little jog over to First and ran to New which I took north over the railroad tracks. A block or two later, my new shoes enjoyed their first foray into the dirt. The second and third blocks on New are washboarded and sandy.

It was back to asphalt the rest of the way when I turned onto Garfield. I ran to Mound and took a northerly route around the disc golf course and the outskirts of town. I heard a train whistle in the distance as I left the park behind and thought there was no way I'd make it back across the tracks before it arrived, but somehow I made it and wasn't delayed.

I finished my run cruising down Maple to Welton and then taking Welton to School and home. My distance tripped over to 6.55 miles just as hit the corner of the yard. (garmin data)