Good Running Day

I lucked out today. Temperatures stayed in the mid 80's but when I went out for a run this afternoon it was cloudy, and stayed that way. A thunderstorm passed to the north and then when got home it rained briefly. I ran 6 miles on my usual route. Today I switched things up and listened to a podcast instead of music, which made the run go rather quickly. For a Tuesday in mid-June I certainly can't complain. Plus I worked from home today and headed out the door before I would have made it home from the office. Another reason to not complain.

Temperature Matters

I did not sleep well last night. I blame that on food and drink. So when I woke up at 7 a.m. I was not happy. I also realized it would be a 50/50 shot at having a good run if I got up and went for it. Since at that point I wasn't going back to sleep I decided to run before it got hot and humid outside. For the most part I made it.

I decided early on to run 7 miles, mainly because I had to decide early on. Plus, it was nice and tidy to run 5-6-7 this week, even if the 5 was more like an 8 or 9 in effort. And to tell the truth, I actually felt pretty good through the whole run and never walked. The temperature was in the low 70s and the sun didn't come out and when it did start to shine it was still shrouded by thin clouds. If I'd waited another hour I would have paid. When I got home I mowed and trimmed the lawn, and yeah, that was hotter but not as bad as running.

I also learned that if my iPod is on shuffle and 'Sabotage' or 'Blue on Black' pops up then I am required to turn up the volume as well as to play the song twice. Rules to live by.

Cloudy and Humid

This morning it rained quite a bit, and by the time I left work it had stopped. Clouds covered the sky and the temperature was only about 80 degrees. The humidity was up though because of the rain and so the air was sweating. A breeze came out of the south and helped when running that direction, but not so much in other ways. I kept it slow and made the 6 miles with only one walk, up the hill by the golf course. Not many people out today, which was not a surprise given the different conditions. I thought about cutting it short but again, I didn't really have anything else to do and going the whole distance seemed like the right thing to do.

The Heat Is On

Today was my first day of teleworking, which meant I got out for my evening run a little earlier than usual. I'm not so sure that was a good thing at this time of year because the temperature was about 90 degrees. I planned to run/walk this one as I get acclimatized to the hot weather again, but man, that ended up being more walking than I planned. I also took my water bottle with me, which had sat in the freezer since last fall. It didn't take long for it to thaw. I went 5 miles, and even with the walking it was one of those outings where the effort felt like a lot more mileage than that. Thursday is also supposed to be hot, and it looks like we're in that pattern. It'll be okay once I get more used to it.

Regular + 1

Weird dreams last night, and then I ran later this morning than planned. I ran the route to do 7 miles and seriously considered knocking off at 6. But then I realized I really didn't have anything else planned for today other than some stuff on my list for the house and went for it. I walked a couple of times when I felt like I was heating up too much, but other than that it was a steady slow run. The guys from the youth group TP'd our house last night and I spent an extra half-hour or so cleaning that up before the run, which probably didn't help much. This afternoon I defrosted the freezer, cleaned stuff off the driveway from the youth group guys, and cleaned out the garage floor. By mid-afternoon I was pretty much done. Fortunately the rest of the day was pretty much stress-free and I made it through okay. Tomorrow will be a day of rest.

Keeping it Slow

On yesterday's 6-miler I kept it slow. It was another day where it had rained during the night and most of the morning, and when I went out it was partly sunny and humid. The heat stayed away, though, and that helped some. I was able to run the whole way, except when I had to stop because people in cars don't understand that people in the crosswalk have the right of way. It ended up being a pretty nice day for a run.

One thing I've found out is how good squats are for you. I can tell their effect when I'm out running. On my off running days I usually do at least 30 of them. I've heard before how they help your core and some other muscles that don't necessarily get a workout during a run. And at this point I guess I can say that's true. And now I'm off to do some more as I do strength-building exercises on this Friday.

Much Rain

It seemed iffy for getting a run in today due to the fact it rained yesterday and most of today up until mid-afternoon. But it turned out great since the skies stayed cloudy and the temperature was mild, perfect for a run. Especially a run in almost mid-June. I'm certainly not going to complain. I ran the whole 6 miles, including the hill by the golf course. I left the GPS and iPod at home and just enjoyed a nice easy run.

I also put together the training plan for the Tulsa Run full marathon in November. The plan officially starts in August, so between now and then I'm going to work on getting a good base with some occasional speedwork.

It's All About Timing

I should have run one more time in Boston, but it rained on Thursday and I was too lazy to get out and do it on Friday morning before I left the hotel to catch my plane. Friday morning would have been perfect . What an idiot.

Today I waited until the rain passed through and went for a run. I probably should have waited until tonight when it was  perfect, but how was I to know? It actually wasn't too bad when I ran this afternoon. Mid-70s and clouds passing by, but it was certainly humid. I ran 6 miles and am setting my sights on a fall marathon. Time to do a full again. This week I'll hopefully get my training plan set up.

Slower Boston Run

Second day in a row for a run along the Charles River. The temperature was a little cooler, but not by much, and I took it slower this time. I found it interesting that the crowds along the paths today were a lot sparser than yesterday. I don't know what that means other than the people around consider Monday more of an exercise day than they do Tuesday.

Beyond that it was another beautiful day. Lots of water and green scenery. I felt a little tired after yesterday's run but kept up my pace today and came in about 9:40/mile. That's twenty seconds slower than yesterday but it's okay, because that was the pace that worked today. Tomorrow is an off day and then I'll run one more time in Boston on Thursday. It'd be nice to qualify for the marathon some day, but I doubt that'll happen. My training classmates and I talked about it at lunch today. One of the guys has run the Boston Marathon twice but it was a charity run, not because of his time. Cool for him because he's run it twice. For now I'll just settle for going on a few runs in a pretty part of the country.

Boston Run

In Boston this week for the some training and took the opportunity to go for a run along the Charles River. I ran 6 miles and enjoyed a nice view along the water. It was 83 degrees, a little warm for this part of the country, and probably ran a little fast. Overall I felt pretty good, and the humidity wasn't as bad as KC. Although I ran past a nice thick garden along Beacon Street that overhung the sidewalk and made me realize how humid that little patch was. I hope to go running a few more times this week even though there's a little rain in the forecast.