Early but Hot

I needed to get out early for today's run since Daughter #1 was having her graduation party in the afternoon. Plus I knew it would be warm later in the day, which provided a little extra motivation. I made it out by 8 o'clock and lo and behold I didn't beat the heat. I only walked once during the 6 miles, up the big hill by the golf course. When I got home I checked the temperature and it was 78 degrees with a heat index of 83. That seems about right since it was humid and I was sweating quite a bit. I was determined to make it with only the one walk and that's the way it worked out. My plan from Tuesday for a 4-5-6 week panned out. This week I'll be in Boston and I plan on running three times while I'm there. The weather there should be cooler and I'm looking forward to some nice runs along the Charles River.

Where'd the Clouds Go?

Came home from work and the sky was totally overcast. I changed, laid on my back on the bedroom floor, almost fell asleep, and went outside to a totally sunny day. And a hotter one than when I got home, too. I wanted to go 5 miles and that's what I did. I walked after every mile and up the big hills, which worked out just fine.

I took a Benadryl for allergies at work about 1 o'clock this afternoon and it leveled me the rest of the afternoon. That's probably why I came close to napping before the run. I was a little surprised at the effect this time since I was feeling pretty energetic before then. Guess that's the price you pay for trying to keep allergies at bay (gratuitous rhyme).

Post-Allergies

Well that was the worst allergy attack I've had in a while. Last Tuesday night after my run was pretty bad, and I hardly slept at all that night. Probably less than two hours. On Wednesday I lasted at work until after a conference call in the morning and then I came home and slept about four hours. I was still in bad shape Thursday and Friday, which was great because my brother flew into town and we went over to Manhattan for Dad's 70th birthday party. On Friday night I was going to go see my aunt and uncle but chose not to because their house is full of cats (ten!). It turned out to be a good judgment call. Saturday I felt better, and Sunday even more, until yesterday and today where I'm almost back to normal. My sinuses and ear tubes are still filled somewhat with phlegm (the nicer term for snot), but even that is fading away.

Today was therefore my first run in a week. It was 80 degrees and sunny for my late-morning outing, and it feels like summer is almost here. I ran a mile and walked a minute (or two) from the start, especially after being off like I was for a week. Also, I purposefully kept the mileage down and only went 4 miles. My plan this week is to go 4-5-6 on my three runs so that when I'm in Boston next week I can go six every time. I can only hope that the worst of the allergies is over.

Allergy Run

Today I felt the effects of allergies all day long, and it certainly showed up in how my run went. Plus it was 87 degrees and sunny, something I'm not used to yet this early in the year. I ran and walked 6 miles, definitely with a lot of walking, especially up hills. I thought I was smart because I found a route through the park near here that offers shade. What I didn't anticipate was the humidity from all the vegetation in that area. Unfortunately that might not be as good a choice this summer as I'd hoped. My overall average was still less than 11 minutes/mile, even with all that walking. I wonder how much better my running would be if I didn't suffer from allergies.

A Tale of Two Runs

Really there's not much to tell about these two runs. I was out of town again this week, this time in Philadelphia, and didn't even take my running gear since I knew I wouldn't have time. Went to watch the Phillies on Tuesday night and the wind made it really cold. Maybe I should have run.

I should have run on Thursday after work but still felt like I was recovering from the trip. So I ran on Friday morning since I had the day off, one of my usual 6-milers. I took it nice and easy and the day was cool but not horribly so.

Today I ran another 6 miles, same route and same result. It was a little warmer but still pleasant. I avoided all the neighborhood garage salers and came away unscathed. I left the GPS at home for both runs since I didn't want to push it when running two days in a row.

Boston Run and then this

Spent the week in Boston for a training class. The Virtual Running Partner also showed up and we went for a run along the Charles River on Monday. He hadn't run more than 4 miles since our half-marathon, and for this one we ended up going 5. Our route was stymied by a bridge inaccessible from the running path. We walked a few times as we figured out where we were going and ended our run along Beacon Street on the way back to the hotel. The rest of the week we spent going to baseball games, eating fried food, and taking in more than the two recommended drinks each day.

Which led to today's run. In the annals of my runs, this one would go down as 'crappy'. I left the house feeling just fine. Two miles into it I was in trouble. I'm sometimes amazed at how quickly the human body can acclimatize itself to different zones, which is what mine did this week in Boston when the days were about 60 degrees and the evenings about 10 degrees cooler. The temperature today was 80 degrees when I was out running. That combined with a three-and-a-half hour plane ride and the bad eating and drinking on my trip made for a run where I walked six times. Certainly not one of my finest hours. Or in this case, 1:06:30. On my return trip to Boston next month I think I'll take care of myself a little better.

Thought About 8, Went 7

I considered going longer today but decided against it since I missed two runs last week. I felt pretty good for most of the 7 miles, but I can tell I need to do some speedwork. That'll probably be on the agenda for the week after next since I'll be on a business trip this week.

Another Cool One

I really didn't want to go on a run this afternoon. The ground is still damp from all the rain, the wind was blowing from the northwest, and it was cloudy. Basically the same weather as Tuesday. For some reason I just had that intense feeling of wanting to lie around and skip the run, but I went for it anyway - because I need to. I ran my 6 miles, yelled at a guy who made a right turn out of his neighborhood and almost hit me, and listened to the new Old 97's album 1 1/2 times. In the end I felt pretty darn good and now I'm glad I endured the elements to get it done. It sets me up for another nice run on Saturday when hopefully the weather has improved.