Random Thoughts on a Saturday Afternoon

-- I was walking toward the water fountain this morning at Prospect Park (the one near the Grand Army Plaza entrance, under the trees) when I heard this squishing sound. Looking down, thinking perhaps I'd stepped in something unpleasant, I realized that, no, in fact the combination of sweat and water I dumped upon myself during the preceding 13 mile run had led to the condition known as "squishy foot." As aggravating as it was, when I got home, I discovered that I'd lost only about 1 pound during the run, which meant that for a change, I did a good job staying hydrated.

Folk, it's hot out there. Make sure you're using plenty of sunscreen and are carrying or have access to plenty of water. During the first part of my run today, I was with a group that at one point went over the Brooklyn Bridge, where sadly there was no wind today. You could just feel the group wilting as the humidity started to take hold (and we left at 7 a.m.). If you're doing something long, run smart. Don't try to get that 13 mile run in if you're body is telling you otherwise (and if you're going long, make sure you've got some way of getting those electrolytes - I use Clif Shot Bloks, which have the texture of, well, not something pleasant, but they work well and you should be able to get them at your favorite running store.)

-- What are you capable of, if an Olympic berth is on the line? Can you find some extra gear, something that can add the necessary speed to get across the line in time? Amy Begley did, as seen here in this morning's NYT article (not in the paper). For Begley, it wasn't enough to finish third - she had to finish with a time below 31:45 to meet the qualifying standards. What's just as gratifying as the race results is the crowd at Hayward Field knew exactly what was at stake and knew what she needed to do. Here's another angle.

-- I need to figure out some way to stay up and watch the Trials (yes I know, I could Tivo, but I hate doing that for sporting events - I'm such a news hound that I'll look for the results beforehand.) At least they are on at 8 p.m. tonight. The headline event is the women's 100 meters.

-- Remember, the Cosme 5K is tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. on Coney Island. (Oooh, it's going to be hot.) For those who want more info, the Richmond Rockets provided a link to the application (scroll down a bit).