Training Log; 5 miles

Hooray! Today I actually made it outside to run during real daylight (not impending sunset) and it was fairly comfortable (a moderate 50*, compared to the chilly 28* it had been when I awoke). 5 miles (8K), 39:38. Not the best, not the worst. If I can run 26 8-min miles, I'll be just under 3:30 for a marathon!

• Time--39:38.22
  
• Mile 1--7:54.82
• Mile 2--7:51.60
• Mile 3--8:03.56
• Mile 4--8:01.10
• Mile 5--7:47.14
• Average HR: 49. I remembered why I hadn't worn my HR monitor in a few weeks!
  

I think the next thing I need to work on is running not just a good average but consistent mile times. At least according to the Run Less, Run Faster book, I shouldn't have a 16-second spread between the fastest mile and the slowest mile. However, I don't remember where it is so I'll have to look into how much of a difference there should realistically be (hills and wind are a few determining factors); I'm thinking it's somewhere around 5 seconds.

Then I went and swam a 500. I now know why Will tells me I have to do the scap pullup. That's the one that works my swimming muscles! I could definitely feel yesterday's workout during today's swim.

After that I wondered if I could have any more car trouble. So far in the last year:

1. November: Got new tires for the pickup truck.
   
2. January: The clutch in my truck went out. Got that fixed, bought a different (way newer--1995 vs. 2004) car, sold the truck.
3. Summer 1: Let my battery die while at work; needed a jump. Dumb mistake.
   
4. Summer 2 (same week): Locked my keys in my car. Even dumber mistake. Fortunately the windows were down and a coworker and I reached in with a hanger to grab the keys.
5. Summer 3: While driving to my sister's in New York (maybe 5 hours into the drive in the middle of the night), the car started honking at me and the lights start flashing. This stopped after maybe 30 seconds. I called my dad, and he said not to worry, it did that for him a few times, too. OK.
   
6. Friday: Got a flat tire that needed completely replaced. Could have been my fault; that tire's pressure wasn't where it should have been, and it's possible that played into the damage. My company's president changed my flat and put the donut on, then took me to the tire place in the morning and back again in the afternoon. I'm very grateful!
7. Sunday: Had a weird electrical problem. The check engine light, alarm light, seat belt light, and interior lights were on and wouldn't go off; all other lights and gauges (speedometer and fuel gauge included) were off. Uncle John to the rescue! I (hopefully properly grounded, because there was still electricity being supplied to the dashboard) unplugged the positive battery cable (it made a weird noise and emitted a puff of smoke). When he got home, we plugged the cable back in (by this time, the car had been sitting at least 3 hours) and I started the car. Score! Everything was back to normal! I have no idea what caused the problem; he suggested an electrical short, which sounds good to me. Fortunately the reset was all it took, and hopefully it won't do that again or I'll be worried. I was looking on some PT Cruiser forums, and others' cars would randomly not start or randomly die in the middle of the road. I am grateful my car hasn't caught that bug!

I hate when I need people to help me with things, but I am so thankful to have Uncle John as a resource when my dad is so far away. I can't wait to see my parents in 3.5 weeks!