Recovery Week Number Three

I logged twenty miles this past week on three runs. This morning's long run was eight miles, the longest since Marathon Sunday. Hitting twenty or more was significant, because that tells me that my body and mind are now fully recovered. Even after all the aches went away, I felt low on energy for many, many days after the race, so it is good to be able to actually go out and actually have something to give out there. I ran with my iPod loaded with NPR podcasts of "Car Talk" and "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me" and the eight miles just seemed to float by almost unnoticed. Perhaps I should forget about music and just load up my MP3 players with comedy stuff from now on?

I'm a member of a virtual running team named "Sole Train" in the Miles and Miles game on the Runner's World online forums. In response to a challenge from another team, I've drafted a Sole Train logo. I did a bit of fooling around with Microsoft Visio and Publisher this week and came up with a design that centers around a steam whistle. To me a steam whistle is a simple, yet a boisterous and energetic symbol. Instead of a pull chain, there's a shoelace dangling from the valve lever. Adorning the bell chamber of the whistle is an icon made of two eighth notes and a bass clef, although maybe you can make something else out if you have an imagination like mine.

I've emailed the design to the other team members and will be interested to find out what they think. Next up -- a mascot? Maybe an cartoon-like locomotive, with just a little more of an aggresive streak than Thomas the Tank Engine?