Kindred reunion

We have had a drastic change in temperatures the past few days. Last week, it was hitting 80 degrees, and today, it's barely 50. It makes really great running weather! And thankfully, I can take advantage of it again :)

Yesterday, my legs were still feeling sore, but I decided to run anyway. I decided to see if I could do three miles. It was really cold (in the 40's), so I dressed in running tights and a long sleeved shirt. I wore the Eddie Bauer tights and top that I reviewed last year, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the top is actually quite large on me now. It's really comfy, though, and one of my favorite long sleeved running shirts. I wore the Brooks Ghost shoes again, because I felt so good on Monday's run.

When I started running, my legs definitely felt a little stiffer from being sore. I ran at what felt to be a sustainable pace for three miles, guessing that it was around 10:00-10:30/mile (I didn't want to see my pace, so I switched my Garmin to just show distance). After seeing such a great pace on Monday, I didn't want that feeling to be short-lived, so I just didn't worry about my pace.

I made it all three miles without any issues, which made me feel so good! And I was very surprised to see my pace when I got home:

I managed a 9:36 pace for three miles, and I really didn't feel like I was pushing it that hard. It feels so nice to really enjoy running again. When training for a longer distance race, like a half marathon or marathon, I was dreading each run. Now, my only real plan for the moment is to run for fitness (2-3 miles, 3-4 days a week), and I find that I actually look forward to it. I don't have any long runs to worry about, and I like that!

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Last night, Jerry and I went to McGeady's, a local bar, to see Kindred's reunion performance. The summer before my tenth grade year in school, my family moved about 20 minutes away, which meant I had to switch schools. I started tenth grade at my new school, and became friends with a super fun group who referred to themselves as the "Kindred Klan". I learned that Kindred was the name of a band that five of them had formed several years prior.

When I first saw Kindred play a gig, I was very impressed with how good they were! They made an album during our junior year, which I listened to all the time; and I went to their gigs, of course. Everyone thought that one day, they'd be a super famous band ;)

This was Kindred in probably 1998 or 1999

The last time they played together was about 15 years ago, so quite a bit has changed. A couple of the guys live out of state, and we've (obviously) all aged quite a bit since then. It's interesting, because Kindred is actually the reason that Jerry and I are together... Mike, the keyboardist, went to Jerry's school, and they were friends. I was friends with Mike because I hung out with the band a lot. Anyway, one day, Mike had a party at his house, and Jerry and I were both there. We went on a date the very next day, and we've been together ever since! (Mike is the friend that we recently spent some time with in NYC).

Paul (on guitar), is getting married tomorrow, so he's in Michigan for his wedding (he now lives in Denver). Since the guys were all going to be in town for the wedding, someone brought up possibly getting together to play some old Kindred songs. Eric (drummer) asked McGeady's if Kindred could use their upstairs area to play, and promised to bring in a bunch of customers. And the whole idea of a Kindred reunion was formed.

It was SO much fun! I saw a few people that I hadn't seen since high school 15 years ago, so it was fun getting to chat. I actually hadn't even seen Paul in probably 12 years, so it was really good to see him and meet his fiance. Everyone has changed quite a bit, but at the same time, they are the same old friends that I remember.

Adam, who I see pretty often; and Matt, who I haven't seen since 2000!

Once Kindred started playing, it was like they had never had a 15 year break. It all sounded just like I remembered, and I even remembered all the song lyrics.

They played all of their original songs from their album, plus a couple of others. Here is a song that I'm sure you may recognize:

Normally, I feel pretty awkward at social things like this, but with this particular group of friends, I always feel so comfortable--love them! Jerry and I both had a blast, and I certainly hope that it's not the last time we see Kindred play.

Tonight, I have wine club at Renee's house. She does a bonfire for Winers each October, and normally it's great weather. Today, however, is FREEZING and really windy. I hope that the wind dies down before I go over there. I'm going to have to bundle up for this one!