Eight Miles to the Farmer's Market

Okay, so the title is a little misleading.

On Saturday I ran 8 miles with TNT. It was a stunning morning - cool and sunny and just perfect running weather. We got going shortly after 7AM and headed East on the Constitution Trail. So I got to see some new scenery!

Along the way, I passed two pretty little gardens dedicated to Bloomington's "sister cities." Who knew? One was Asahikawa, Japan so there were some obviously Japanese influences in the garden. And the other was Vladimir, Russia (I know it sounds like I'm making it up, but I swear it's true). Now I suppose every city has some sort of sister city, but I was surprised Bloomington had not only one but two! Slowly I am discovering my home town's little secrets. Maybe there is a tiny bit of culture here after all!

As we neared the halfway point, we passed a pretty little park called Tipton Park. It had a big pond and the Constitution Trail branched off to go around the pond. I made a mental note that Zoe and I would have to get back there.

When I hit the halfway point (Airport Road if you care to know), I checked my watch and was surprised. I was 5 minutes faster than I expected. I figured it was because a guy on the Team (let's call him iPod) was nearly clipping my heels the entire way. I didn't mind it at all - quite the opposite because I felt good and enjoyed the push. At the water stop there, he gulped his cup of water down and took off. I decided I didn't want to lose sight of him . . . and that if the opportunity to pass him came along I was going to take it. So I finished my powerade (I'm training myself to drink sports drinks - blech) and took off behind him.

En route back I saw Coach P drop off from a couple of runners going out and join iPod. He ran a little way with him and then dropped back to join me. I like running with Coach P. Our pace is similar and he likes to chat, which helps up the workout a bit. We enjoyed about 1/2 mile and I kept iPod in sight . . . in fact, I was starting to gain on him. Coach P stopped at a water stop and I chose not to stop (I only like to stop every other water stop) and continued to close the distance with iPod. At the final water stop, I caught up to iPod and we sipped on our drinks. He was breathing pretty hard - harder than I was anyway - and he poured himself a second cup. That was my moment! I threw my cup away and started the last mile or so with iPod in my dust. Okay, saying that just makes me laugh. I not THAT competitive! Regardless, I finished strong and iPod didn't round the corner to our meeting place at least a minute or two after me. He was huffing and puffing and confessed he had been trying to catch me that final mile. That felt pretty good.

That's when I looked at my watch and really couldn't believe it. I shed 10 minutes off my usual time for 8 miles. HUH? NOT POSSIBLE. When Coach P finally came in I asked him if he was SURE the mileage was right. He said he was sure and I was stunned - and thrilled. Now, I don't know if I'll be able to REPEAT that - the weather was great and I had a little "competition." But there is nothing quite like leaving a workout feeling really good!

So I decided to hit the Farmer's Market. For such a small town, this is a decent little market. It's no Eastern Market in DC . . . but it'll do. Aside from lots of growers to choose from, they have art and crafts as well. I knew I needed some spinach, lettuce, and tomatoes. The rest I would figure out as I browsed the stalls.

Sadly, the asparagus was GONE. No surprise really . . . I got there three hours after it had opened. SIGH. One bad thing about my workouts being on Saturday is that I will ALWAYS be late to the Market and on really long run days I will miss it altogether. Bummer. However, I got the LAST dozen of fresh eggs and was thrilled. And I decided to try a local cheese - a cheddar blue.

After I finished my shopping I walked around and checked out the cool artwork and crafts while I enjoyed the live music. Yup, they have that too. And good coffee. If I had a friend here - and I say this a lot, I know - I'd spend more time hanging out at the Market on Saturday mornings.

But for now, a quick trip after an 8 (or 10 or 12) miler will do just fine.