With much shame, I come to you now and admit that this was my first run since the marathon on November 4th. So much for taking just one month off!

And how I enjoyed that month. Drinking and eating and yukking it up, waiting for my PF to heal (it hasn't). And worse than that, I've gotten fat and unfit.

So I woke up on Christmas morn anew. It was a solo Christmas for me. Normally I glom on to an unsuspecting american family and play the 'but I'm all alone' card. This year, I just felt like chillin' at Castle Noodle. Anyway, I woke up and thought "that's it, no more. It's time to run again."

It was an absolutely beautiful winters day. Sunshine and crispness. I'm not entirely sure how I ran all winter last year, but I need to get back into it.

Heading across the Manhattan Bridge, I realized that this is never going to be a winter Central Park doddle. The wind off the water makes you cry. Not a gentle wind either. The kind that slices at you and taunts you all the way. "You sure you wanna do this? You could be at home right now," it says. And it's right, but I'm already out so screw that. When you're out in it, you're out in it and then only way to get out of it is to finish what you started.

It was a shitty run. I suppose I should just come right out and say it. My left foot, which is the one that threw in the towel during the marathon, is really not a happy camper. I'm not sure what I can do at this point. I haven't run for a long time, and still it aches like a whinny little bitch.

The first couple of minutes were a stark reminder of how breathing in really frigid air takes some getting used to. But once you do, it's fine. I started out without gloves, but fortunately had the good sense to bring them with me. I put them on about 1/4 of the way up the start of the Manhattan Bridge. Best part of the run was through Chinatown. Felt really good. Brooklyn Bridge caned me like a principal.

Have never been so glad to get home. I've got some serious work to do. It took me so long to get to a certain level of fitness, yet no time at all to lose it. Makes me angry.

Oh, and the Nike+ freaked out the whole way. Turned itself off about 15 times during the run, and when I got home it said I'd only run .15 of a mile. What a jerk. I don't know if it's the sensor or the ipod.