My Weed Is Gone

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Being the creature of habit that I am, my run routes vary little day-to-day.  Typically, the first 2.25 miles are the same.  After that, I can turn right for a 4-miler, go straight and make subsequent right turns at other points for 5, 6, 7, or 8-mile loops, or not turn for 10 to 20-mile out and backs.  I love it!

As I’ve shared before, and for as long as I can remember, at mile 1.8 I pass a barley-like foxtail weed that has grown in a crack on the side of the road.  It started out as a small plant; but, along with the others near it, has steadily grown to about waist height.  That weed has become part of my run…my day:

✓ Wake up
✓ Bathroom
✓ Gear up
✓ Stretch while Garmin locates GPS
✓ GO!
✓ At mile 1.8, do ritualistic, glance/touch of weed
_ …

Anyway, I was on my run this morning, nearing the mile-1.8, weed-glancing, check-that-off-the-list spot and BOOM:

it’s gone

My weed is gone!  All nearby weeds were gone!

Apparently, the city removed weeds from that section of road yesterday after 2+ years of their being an integral part of my morning run!  How dare they!

So, alas, I find myself looking for an alternative, ritualistic, glance/touch object now…

Training Journal – 6/12/13:

• Current plan: San Francisco Marathon – 2nd Half Training Plan
• Today’s session: 5-mile easy run
• Comments: I did 5.13 at a 10:04 min/mi pace using a 4:1 run-walk ratio. Knee status: meh…  At 4.75 miles, it was bugging me so I switched to a 2m:30sec ratio for the final stretch.
  I’ve been experimenting with KT Tape the last two days.  Actually, only this morning, since the stuff didn’t stick for my run yesterday.  We’ll see if that provides any help/relief.  I really do hope the knee returns to its old self at some point…soon.