~5 miles @ ~9 min/mi

Frost whitens the dry brown grass in open meadows as I trot along the paved winding path through the woods near work. The rising sun blinds me on eastbound legs. I scan in vain for living creatures until, just after I cross the one mile stripe on my penultimate lap, five deer materialize by the track. One lifts her back leg to scratch an itchy shoulder, like a cat or rabbit. I try to remember "Relax Into It" on the final loop and go as fast as I can, with descending splits 9:43 ⇒ 8:44 ⇒ 7:47 ⇒ 7:04. As I sag into a recovery walk at the end the herd dances across the trail in front of me and vanishes into the brush. My left heel hurts, as it has since the 2010-12-11 - Magnus Gluteus Maximus 50k. Plantar fasciitis? Bone bruise? Whatever the cause, the ache mostly goes away when I run. My fingers are frozen weak in the locker room and I struggle to button my pants. I refrain from asking one of the other gentlemen to help me.

^z - 2011-01-16