Accelerate

Today I was supposed to run 20 miles as my final long run before I begin the three-week taper before my marathon on May 4. But since I had strained my left hamstring last Sunday, I'd been taking it easy this week. I skipped my Tuesday run, skipped hockey and finally ran a slow 5 on the treadmill Friday, feeling pretty good. Heading out today (another raw 45-degree day), I was hoping to run somewhere between 10 and 13 depending on how I felt. Alas, the hammy tightness returned around mile 4 so I decided to turn around at 5, finishing with 10 miles; I felt okay except on hills, but obviously this thing isn't gone yet. My massage had to be rescheduled to tomorrow, so we'll see what the therapist recommends. At least I've gotten all my big miles done and can afford to rest a little. It was tough to stay inside on Tuesday and Thursday when the weather was so nice out. I'll continue to play it safe and hope the hammy doesn't bother me on race day. I feel like I can run 26.2 on this, but I hope I don't have to.

Keep stretching:

• I've been digging the early first-round action of the NHL playoffs. There's just nothing else like it: the desperation, the intensity, the excitement. Since once again, my stupid team didn't make the playoffs, I don't have a particular rooting interest. As a result, I'm not as stressed but just as interested. I am rooting for Pittsburgh to beat Ottawa and for the Bruins to knock off Montreal (although the latter seems highly improbable). Still, how do you not get fired up watching Alex Ovechkin steal the puck and score this game-winner in game 1 of the Capitals-Flyers series? Unless you're a Flyers fan, of course (sorry, OJ).

• I haven't had a chance to really check out Hulu, the new NBC-Fox video site, but it looks pretty awesome. They've got entire episodes of new and old TV shows as well as movies and other stuff. But before you dismiss it as a YouTube knockoff, consider that the viewing quality is about a zillion times better than good ol' YT.