old shoes

ran a solid 8 miles on this hot afternoon. while i was out, i saw:

1. one of my med school classmates (class of 2004)
2. an EM attendings at university hospital
3. a co-intern who is on the CCU (heart service) finishing a busy call night
4. my neighbor d

here's my route.  it's a variation on my usual circuit through town:

and here's the temperature. i realize that i'm going way slower than i need to be if i want to get a boston qualifying time, but i am usuing the excuse that the temperature creates a significant handicap. last year at the chicago marathon (my favorite race of all time), i ran a 3:12, just one minute off my qualifying time (they give you a one-minute grace period). so close!

seeing so many familiar faces around town is one of the benefits of living in this small community, although it does mean that when i'm out at a bar, i sometimes hear: oh, you're that guy that i always see running around town in the little shorts. believe me, i'm not a huge fan of being "that guy in the skimpy shorts." but come to think of it, i don't mind all that much.

on an entirely diffent subject, i was going to retire my shoes a few weeks ago because they are starting to look pretty worn. hoever, i can't bring myself to do it. it's not that i'm cheap, although i am. but it's more that these shoes fit perfectly. they feel great; even after 13 hours continuously on my feet, i'm in no discomfort. it's not just how they feel, though. i feel a certain emotional attachment to these things. they've protected my feet as i've dropped countless scalpels and all manner of other sharp (and blunt) instruments on them. they have remained impermeable while every type of bodily fluid (most of it amniotic and sanguinous) has been spilt on them. in short, they have kept me comfortable and protected from harm through my [medically] formative years.

i've had these shoes for 8 years now, and after wearing them to work last night, i realized that i'm not ready to give them up. as you can tell from the title of this blog, i love my clogs.

got together with d, s, r, and s tonight for dinner at shiki sushi. maybe soon i'll start reviewing restaurants around town, but right now it's time for bed. i'm on at 7 AM.