Sitting Ducks

Squads of Metro personnel fanned out on train station platforms across metro Washington, D.C. this morning after news of London's transportation systems bombings reached this side of the pond.

I counted at least five unarmed Metro employees in fluorescent safety vests standing on my side of the platform at the Gallery Place/Chinatown stop, and five more on the other side. I alighted at the Bethesda metro station, where two armed officers and several unarmed Metro employees were keeping an eye on things.

I called E., who is still on the road, as his sister and brother-in-law have a house in London, and he has several close friends who live there as well. A woman standing in line behind me this morning at the Dunkin' Donuts (I allow myself one doughnut a week) was desperately trying to reach her friends in London. But all of land and cell phone lines were tied up.

Writing My Will: That's on my to-do list. I don't want to be macabre, but after the 9/11 terrorist attacks here in D.C. and nearby New York - as well as last year's fatal subway bombings in Madrid - it's not out of the question that our subway system will get bombed at some point. Metro management agrees. There are already detailed signs on the trains on what to do in case of a terrorist attack.

Running Update: No, I never did run 10 miles, as planned, on Tuesday. Slacker! (boxing myself about the head and ears) I was short on time, so I did an interval workout, interspersing 8-minute and 9:15-minute miles. On the fifth mile, I ran the first half in 4:10 and the second at 4:45. As you can see, I was dragging at the end.

Last night, I ran 4 miles at a steady, 8:40 pace in the 82 degree-heat and 100 percent humidity. I was drenched with sweat by mile 2. I guess that's one way to lose weight. Then I did a half-hour of upper-body weights and crunches. My arms and back are pleasantly sore today.