When I lived in Brooklyn, there was a track nearby that I would run on pretty frequently. I only have a vague memory of that time: I remember fussing with the then new mp3 technology, wedging the iPod Shuffle buds in my ears, listening to Lyric Born, Asylum Street Spankers, and Cake. There was a lot of Old Crow Medicine Show and Split Lip Rayfield too, oldy-timey banjo jamming that in no small part contributed to our decision to eventually move to North Carolina.

The track was mostly utilized by fitness walkers, so I got to be the fastest guy. I had none of my current delusions of grandeur, though. Racing in Central Park, I never bothered to stick around for the award ceremonies. They don’t give awards to the 30th place AG. Still, I would run at a whatever pace, enjoying the music, thoughts drifting from time to time to the notion that maybe this would be better without confined, sweaty feet.

Sometimes I would leave our Greenpoint apartment with shoes on so Iris would think I was just going out for a regular normal person run, then I’d stash the shoes behind the shrubs. I’d run barefoot slowly to the track. So slowly that even Maffetone would tell me to pick it up a bit. I’d do a few laps, scuff a toe in a way that induced more panic than injury, then return home.

When we did eventually move to Cackalacky, I stopped running for a few years. Life stuff. Then, obviously, I started again. Even though there’s a HS track a few miles away, I never went. Yesterday was my second time on the loop in the last three years.

Instead of just running around, I thought I’d try the Yasso 800 thing. My goal was to run 800 meters ten times, with a break in between, times as consistent as possible. I didn’t look at my watch during the run, just went by what felt like a 5k effort each time. Here are the results:

If my perceived effort was accurate, looks like I might have a sub-18 for the PTI 5k! Yasso would also suggest that I have another marathon PR in me.

I think taking a total of three weeks off in April was what I needed.

I’ve been running a lot less than usual, too, only every other day. Running slow still tweaks my ankle. So does, unfortunately, running with Sunny (not the running so much as the cat-chasing). I foresee another hiatus after The Scream Half Marathon in July.

Anyway, that’s that. No big concerns, other than the fact that this post was not funny at all. Weird.