Inaugural 2009 Run

Today was spent sitting and frantically trying to absorb legal information from 9 to 4:30.
Most of the day was very informative. I was even able to get several of my own pressing legal questions answered. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's seminar on business entity distinctions as I've had many people talk with me about forming LLCs or S-Corps.

Nevertheless, when I attend these CLEs (continuing legal education courses), two things happen. First, I spend all day thinking about the things I am unable to do. Second, I get real "itchy." You know the feeling. It's as if your legs are going to burst if you don't get up and walk or run through the sky-ways.

This morning, I intentionally parked in a lot about 7 blocks from the CLE offices in order to 1) save some money on parking (it costs $22 to park in the City Center lot), and 2) be able to run back to the car after the seminars.

Then, it was over an hour in the car driving home. Sorry, I do not mean to complain. I'm just setting you, the reader, up for why I had to climb on the treadmill this evening. Yes, the first run of 2009 was on the treadmill. 31 minutes, 3.2 miles. 10 min pace for first 15 minutes, then slowly ramped up to 7.5 min pace. It felt so good to stride out.

Well, I've started running 6 days earlier than last year's inaugural run. However, last year's inaugural run was 7 miles up at St. Croix Falls Park with Pete. We started around 7am. The temperature was -8°. I remember running the last miles up on a bluff with a ferocious wind blowing. I wore hat, gloves, pants, two wool shirts, and a outer shell. The water froze in the tube running from my water bladder on my back to my mouth. Pete's water bottles froze. Most of our January and February '08 runs were in the -° temperatures.

Tonight, I wore shorts and a wool t-shirt. The water in my water bottle got warmer as I ran. The basement was a balmy 58°. Definitely a portent of warmer runs in January and February '09.

Oh yes, today was a 3/4 can of Mountain Dew. That's only because the early afternoon seminar on estate planning tools was gaining the upper hand on my attention span.