A walk with ten runs and a pizza
Can today’s walk count as training? Well, of course it can, and it does. I chose to walk as my primary transportation today, so even if most «training runs» don’t include a stop for pizza and a nine-inning ball game, well, that just means most people don’t have quite as good a time when they train as I do.
I was invited tonight to see the Giants play the Washington Nationals. Of course, such an opportunity is not to be missed. I never acquired a taste for watching sports on television but there’s not much in the world better than an evening at the ballpark. Since I commonly walk or run out to AT&T Park where the Giants play, I decided to walk down to meet my friend and walk back home.
On the way down the hill, a guy on foot stopped to ask me directions. He was going almost exactly the wrong way but he hadn’t gone far past his destination. Once he got turned around, I continued on towards China Basin.
In another case of strange timing this evening, both on my way to the ballpark and on my way back a train came through just as I crossed the tracks. Not the same instant of courseI did survive to tell the talebut both times the signals started flashing just as I got across the tracks. If I’d been a few seconds later I’d have had to wait for the trains to pass.
Dinner was at Amici’s. They make a brick-oven pizza much like the pizza I grew up with back in New Haven. Those who say that New York City has the best pizza in the world have not made the trip up I‑95 to New Haven. There are some similarities between New York pizza and New Haven pizza, but the brick ovens make all the difference in the world.
The Giants lost, but that never stops it from being a good time at the park. It was not Lincecum’s day. Though he threw some good pitches, he was inconsistent tonight and let the Nationals’ runners steal more bases than I’ve seen stolen in one game. In just one inning Lincecum let runners steal three bases, and those stolen bases led to runs. By the time Lincecum came out in the fifth inning, the Nationals were winning 6 – 0.
The bottom of the fifth inning started out with a homer by Uribe followed immediately by a surprise double by #1 Molina. The morale in the stands improved considerably. Though Molina didn’t make it home, it felt like the tide was turning. 6 – 1 is a big improvement over 6 – 0, and getting a fresh pitcher bred some optimism. The Giants kept giving us reason for hope; the sixth inning sent two triples right past the Nationals’ SF-native center fielder Nyjer Morgan.
Alas, «cause for optimism» did not translate to runs, and the Nationals came away with a 7 – 3 victory over Los Gigantes.
My calves are so tight I’m glad I didn’t try to log more than this three mile walk today. I’m trying to keep moving and at least somewhat active even as I give myself the rest I need to come back from the edge of overtraining. Hopefully tomorrow my calves will feel ready for a somewhat longer go, because the rest of me is champing at the bit. If my calves are still tight maybe I’ll go for a few barefoot laps in the grass and save the return to distance for tomorrow. There’s a 5K race on Sunday I want to run, and I’d like to be fresh for it.