I'm a pretty casual runner. I like to go about twice a week, usually on the weekends. I aim for 3.11 and by the final .11 I've had quite enough, thank you. Today I wanted to up the distance enough to break my previous record which I realize was still hanging there from last July. My friend Val (a serious runner) and I were in New York and I joined her on a morning run across the Williamsburg bridge and back.

It was 4.43 miles and 90 degrees out and I had to stop a lot. At one point I urged Val to go on without me. "I'll meet you...on the other side," I wheezed. When I made it to the Brooklyn side I was drenched with sweat and I'm pretty sure I took my shirt off and employed it as a sweat rag.

It came easier to me today, and outside of being bored trying to run around enough to clock the mileage, I felt great. 4.6 miles is the new record, and I shaved over 2 minutes off my pace over last year. I'll take it.