Whoa ... remix

We'd decided to run today instead of tomorrow. Woke up with a bit of a sore throat. Temp outside was about 15 degrees. Put on a warmer coat and moved to glove liners and mittens instead of just gloves. Wasn't expecting much out of the run.

But again, it defied explanation. There's a slight hill about mile 2 that I always try to push and one of the guys always (ok, usually) joins me. Today, it was Mark. Then it's up the Assisi Heights hill and Bruce joined me on that one. Then around Elton Hills Dr. to the Rec Center. Today, I just took off. It felt great. Even running sub-7:00s, in the dark. I kept hoping I wouldn't catch a toe on something, crash to the pavement and break some bones. I didn't. ;-) Going south on Broadway (slight downhill) I glanced at my GPS and it said 5:51 pace. I'd NEVER seen that on my GPS before. EVER. I appear to be peaking for ... nothing. Lisa told me I should go find a December marathon somewhere and go qualify for Boston. I wish! :-)

Lisa and Mark headed back to the Y and I continued on with Bruce part way up Viola Road and then turned off and headed toward Mayo H.S. then back to the Y with a loop around Soldier's Field. 10.07 miles. (BTW: Thanks for bearing with me while I indulge myself. This kind of run doesn't happen very often. Pretty much never, actually. It sure does wonders for my psyche, though.)

Driving to S.A. for gas and then up to Great Harvest for bread, I only hit one red light. Things were going my way. I'll take it for what it is, a good day, and leave it at that.

Dad and Ada and Matt all arrive later in the day. I'm excited to see them all. Dinner tonight: beef and barley soup, salad and bread (dad's a big fan of Great Harvest bread ... but what's not to like?). Yum. It's definitely soup weather.

Here's my salad recipe:

Autumn Apple, Pear and Cheddar Salad with Pecans

1 cup apple juice
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
5 oz. bag mixed salad greens
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1 medium apple, cored and cut into 18 wedges
1 medium pear, cored and cut into 18 wedges
1/4 cup (1 oz) finely shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp. chopped pecans, toasted

Place apple juice in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to about 3 Tbsp (about 10 minutes). Combine reduced apple juice, vinegar, oil, s/p, stirring with a whisk.

Combine greens and fruit in a large bowl. Drizzle with apple juice mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts.

Thought for the day: "A smile is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and an antidote for trouble."

Smile! And have a wonderful day!