Start Time: 6/1/08, 10:30am
Location: Mount Vernon Trail
Distance: 2 miles & 4 miles
Pace: 10:03min/mile & 8:29min/mile
Total Miles For June: 6 miles

It’s been a long time since I’ve run on the Mount Vernon Trail; I gave it a try once and really hated it. Too many bicycles that whipped by without any warning, really narrow sections of the trail, and generally speaking a big headache. But it’d been almost three years, and I figured I should give it another shot, if only for variety’s sake. My plan was to drive over to Roosevelt Island early, while there’s still parking, and head out from there. Unfortunately I was so tired this morning I slept in a couple of extra hours, and I knew it was going to be a humid day. But, it was only 10:30, so despite the lack of shade, I decided to give it a try instead of diverting back over to Rock Creek.

All things said, it wasn’t bad. It’s still got a lot of cyclists who think it’s ok to not warn people they’re about to pass (trust me, I had no headphones on, I would’ve heard a bell or a “passing!” from them), but there were enough that understood how things are done that it wasn’t too bad. (I was a little horrified that I only saw one cyclist actually get off their bike and walk it through the two sections where the signs say as much, because of the path being incredibly narrow at that point. It’s an accident waiting to happen.) It was supposed to be another 5-7 mile run (including the warm up and cool down miles at either end) and I made it as far as the airport (3 miles in) before deciding I was going to turn around while I still could. (There are some parts around there where there’s no shoulder.)

The way I was definitely huffing and puffing a bit, and (so far as I can tell) with no uphill grade as an excuse. Ah well, that’s why I’m doing these, to get better at this. Not to bad, all in all. Perhaps the most important thing was that knowing it would be warm, I threw out my pride and wore a racerback tank top that I’d gotten from Pacers. I felt very silly afterwars when I stopped at Giant to get a drink, but otherwise? Not so bad. So maybe I’ll keep from baking this summer. We’ll see.