Busy day

And it ain't over yet, but now seems as good a time as any for a quick break.

After getting home from work this morning around 1:30, I got to bed just before two and slept like a wintering bear until 10:30 or so. Upon waking, I headed out for the first of my two runs on the day, covering eight miles on this unseasonably warm February morning in 52:35, while putting in six strides on the paved oval that will one day be the new Auburn High School track. After a quick stretch, breakfast and shower, I got on the horn with Jorge Torres to conduct an upcoming interview for mensracing.com. Without giving too much away, the interview itself went really well and I think people will be very interested to see what Jorge has to say about his training, upcoming races and the like. I should be done editing it by the weekend and hopefully Scott will have it posted early next week sometime. Keep an eye out!

By the time I was done transcribing my conversation with Senor Torres, it was 5:55 and time for me to head out on my second run. The weather was still pleasant this evening and I took a nice lil stroll up to Holy Cross, where I ran a mile on the track before following my tracks back home. The round trip totals about four miles, which was covered in a leisurely 28:15. Upon my return, I stretched out for a bit and did my full 'abs & uppers' routine before splitting a pizza from the Wonder Bar with my ma for dinner. Three slices wasn't enough to refill the 'ol tank so I had some left over chop suey to top things off.

Once I was good and full, I got back on the horn - this time with QU superstar Katie Gwyther - to finish up a Spotlight article for next month's edition of New England Runner. KG is in the midst of a breakout senior season and really is just beginning to tap into her potential. I've gotten to know Katie pretty well through her red-headed accomplice and my good friend, MD, and have enjoyed chronicling her remarkable successes this season. Her enthusiasm for the sport is unparalleled and I really believe that people will enjoy reading her story and seeing what makes this gal tick. This is another one worth reading, trust me (shameless plug, I know).

And this whirlwind of activity brings me to where I am now - back in front of this 13-inch virtual toolbox that allows me to write, rewrite, revise, rework - you name it - words, sentences, phrases, paragraphs and hell, whole articles for that matter. And this was supposed to be my night off from work. Just kidding. No complaints here, this is the fun stuff. I truly consider myself lucky that I can make a small living out of what I enjoy doing anyways - talkin' running with runners - and then sharing those very same experiences through my journalistic endeavors. I hope that my finished products are just as enjoyable for those of you who read them as they are for me when I'm putting them together.

OK, that's gonna wrap things up for today. I'm spent and am gonna take advantage of the opportunity to crash early tonight. Before I go, however, I'll include an abbreviated list of "Today's 10 Random Things About Me", back by popular demand.

Today's 5 Random Things About Me:
1. I never ate eggs when I was younger. I despised them so much, in fact, that if I saw my mom use eggs when she was baking brownies, I refused to eat them. I'm happy to report, however, that I've moved past that stage in my life.
2. My favorite song is "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles - has been since I was 5-years-old, no lie.
3. I'm double-jointed in my left hand. It's kinda disgusting.
4. At last check, I still hold the Auburn High School gym class record for the mile with a 5:07. Considering the current state of their track team, I think it might be safe for a while.
5. I tapped rim on a 10-foot basketball hoop once. Only once.

Quote of the day (lil preview of the aformentioned Torres interview):

Every run has to have a purpose. Until you get that concept down, you’re never going to recover. Just to get that idea into your head is tough for a lot of people.
-Jorge Torres