I let the leaders get away from me about half way through the run, but finishing 7.5 miles on hills at an 8:48 pace ain't all that bad! Running with a group definitely does my pace some good.

Lately I find that my biggest issue with running is not the hills, motivation, injuries, or any of the usual complaints you hear from runners... my issue seems to be with the breathing part. A few months ago the heat, pollen and smog ganged up on my sinuses, making them expand and block passage of air through my nose. Now that the weather is cooling down, my sinuses are releasing everything they've been accumulating all summer long. A constant nasal drip during an hour-long run is more than annoying.

It's gotta be a sign of true love that MOB and I can easily move from the topic of home-improvements to snot-rockets without missing a beat. While demonstrating the proper form, he says a good blow will solve the problem but I just can't bring myself to let it all spray... especially now that I'm running with a group. Before I resort to that, I'm going to try my own solution which is to invest in a few handkerchiefs to take along with me.