Almost like running blindfolded

I would have made a crappy Boy Scout.  I love the "be prepared" motto, and yet, I never seem to be.  I was supposed to do speed work this morning, the last thing to do before my upcoming easy week (of which I am in desperate need - I feel totally burned out and need a break), but my Garmin crapped out before I even got up to the reservoir.  So I decided to turn it into an easy 3 miler and just kind of wing it.  And I have to say, it was kind of liberating to not have my Garmin or my iPod with me.  I actually had some time to think, and it was kind of nice.  And I say this as a die hard iPod lover.  I might try to do one of my runs a week without the iPod and see how it goes.  But I really don't want to give up the Garmin.  I need some way to at least time how long I'm out and then do the math to find my pace.

Next up in races - the Father's Day 10k down on the North Side.  The course seems a bit different this year, though I could be wrong.  Sounds like it's starting a bit farther down the waterfront from the stadium.  The race raises funds for prostate cancer research and they've thankfully changed the name from "Us, Too", which always bugged the heck out of me - since, you know, men's health issues are so underfunded and underrepresented in the world of research - to "Man Up", which I like a lot more.  It's more positive, more calling you out, and less whiney.  I'm trying not to think too hard about my goal for this race and just hoping to have a good experience, and hoping that my mom and sister will be able to keep the kiddos happy for a while while Haakan and I run.  I've never done a race with someone next to me the whole time, so this should be kind of an interesting experience for both of us.