~5.2 miles @ ~8.7 min/mi

A soccer game is in progress at the UM Ludwig Field — no running laps on Kehoe Track tonight! On the opposite side of campus the parking lot near Route 1 is not quite full. At 7pm it's already dark, but clouds reflect enough city lights to show the dashed stripe down the middle of Paint Branch Trail most of the time. Darkness wins under the trees. Shoes are Nike Free slippers, better on a cushioned surface. North it is on a warm and humid evening, from just before PBT milepost 1.5, cruising briskly past empty dog-park and silent football field. Slow down in the gloomy tunnel under University Blvd. Tiptoe through puddles or dodge around them. Swerve to miss the small handful of cyclists and walkers out this late. At the Cherry Hill Rd crosswalk first turn around, then dither, check the GPS distance estimate, go back, wait a moment, and finally dart across the street when there's a gap in the traffic. Proceed to trail's end, circle the marker, and zip back. Mile splits 9:02 + 8:34 + 9:12 + 8:24 + 8:08 from the Garmin; similar stats from the Runkeeper app. Sit on a brick wall when finished, pant, drip sweat, and through the plastic bag around the iPhone tweet the result.

^z - 2012-10-15