Two photos and some running

I passed 2000 miles for the year by running 23 on Christmas Eve. Here's a photo from mile 20. There's two types of willow pictured; the one that's not a weeping willow is one of my favorite things (lord... am I channeling Oprah?); in winter, on sunny days with the sun angle just right, they light up like torches. The photo doesn't quite capture it, but I think it's stunningly beautiful - which I guess confirms my midwestern city-boyness.

I finally perfected my sponge toffee and had to post proof:

The week in running

Monday: 3 miles, extremely slow - a bad day all around.
Tuesday: 6 in 55.
Wednesday: 14 in 2:41 with 28 times up the Indian Mounds hill.
Thursday: 6 in 55. Felt great.
Friday: 4 in 38. Tired.
Saturday: 23 in 4:18. Much slower and more tiring than expected. Right heel was aching, especially after the run. Still, it was unusually warm and I had to take advantage of the weather.
Sunday (Xmas): 5 in 52. Tired. Apparently, I'm less accustomed to long runs than I thought. We'll have to see how quickly my body relearns how to run slow for hours.