While it's not technically summer yet, 81 degrees and sunny counts in my book. This will be my first summer in a new city, so I'm gearing up to enjoy all the fun things Seattle has to offer. Today I ran from Madison Park out to Seward Park in the early evening, then met the family for a picnic. It's 6.5 miles, the longest run I've had in a while, certainly since the 5 mile race a week or so ago. I did this run way back before I moved to Seattle, years ago when I was training for another race with my brother. It's gorgeous on a nice day, views across Lake Washington, tons of little parks, people biking, boating, jogging, walking, splashing in the water, Mt. Ranier out in the distance. Today I was running solo, and I've discovered I'm a better runner when I run with my bro -- braver with the pace, more tolerant of the pain, and I swear calmer -- my heart rate is lower. Go figure. I told someone today that I was feeling like the Little Red Hen -- lots of "Then I'll do it myself." So it was a good reminder, running along the water by myself and thinking two would be better than one, that maybe the hen is not the best role model for me.