Pizza Thursday

CMan and I have somehow started having pizza almost every Thursday since we moved. And so as to not break from this newfound tradition, I planned my 8-mile route to end at the pizza shop. I memorized my route and off I went, decked out in my new pink half-zip long sleeve shirt and gloves (it's chilly out there!).

I started off at a very quick clip, finishing the first mile in under 10 minutes. At the end of that mile, my friend Rob, his wife and new baby drove by; we all paused to talk for a minute before cars approached. Turns out Rob and family were driving to one of the nearby trails to run. None of this city route for them ... it's not so safe while running with a baby stroller. I briefly thought about jumping in their car, since trails are much nicer, as is the company -- I dare not go trailrunning by myself once the sun starts rapidly retiring. But then I thought it'd be a real blow to my confidence if I couldn't keep up with both of them while they pushed a stroller. Parted ways.

Second mile was also under 10 minutes. I thought I should slow down; this pace wasn't sustainable. Halfway through the run, I decided to change the route and keep it fairly flat. The original route would've taken me downhill towards the water. I picked a pretty noisy route, all main streets and mostly because the light was disappearing quickly. The cars often overpowered my tunes today -- though not that it mattered since the iPod conked out shortly before Mile 5. So I took my mocha gel and trucked on. Pizza signs along the way kept reminding me of the prize at the end of this run. And the pizza dreams turned into the deep dish pie I imagine I'll have shortly after the last step of the marathon.

My improvised 8-miler route worked out to the final step.

One pepperoni, thick crust, please.