Pre-Pre running

As I sit in Bellingham, Washington, I think about how great the runs I've had on this trip.

-- 41 minutes, probably 4.2 miles, in Sheridan, Wyoming. I went out and back on a county highway, with nothing but cows, pickup trucks and ranches surrounding me. It was flat, a good surface, and it went well.

-- 42 minutes, probably 4.5 miles, on this beautiful intercity trail in Bellingham. It runs along the bay, and it is simply beautiful. I love this area, near the old Fairhaven community. I ran one two-mile stretch in about 17:58 and felt very good.

-- 30 minutes, about 3 miles, from the hotel to my daughter's house in downtown Bellingham. I kind of slogged through it yesterday morning, but it was good to get out.

-- Today I went 45 minutes on the trail, and it felt like I was actually a competitive runner. It was drizzly, 55 degrees, I wore my North Face jacket and shorts. That is my kind of weather on my kind of running surface -- gravel trail, at times over a wooden bridge and concrete bridge. If the mile posts were accurate, on the first half of the run I ran a mile in 8:14, and on the second half, 7:36. I simply felt strong and light and loose and quick.

I will rest tomorrow, as we visit Vancouver, then on Wednesday, we will get to Eugene, where I will run on Pre's trail.