Another Monday

It was about 77 degrees this morning with the usual ration of humidity. I ran 4 miles along the usual route. The school zone seems to have calmed down since the happenings of last week. By the time I headed back, almost 7:30, the traffic was almost all but done. It's funny that I already recognize several people who are regulars along the path, but it's also surprising that there aren't more people out every morning. I suppose that says something about society in general, but let's not go there today. I don't have the stomach for it.

Saturday Outing

I ran 2 miles on Saturday morning with the girls, and then another 4 miles on my own. The first part went fine, even though Daughter #3 had to walk a couple of times due to stomach pains. We tried a new route, taking the street out of the neighborhood and running by the pool, and then west on Virginia Parkway and back. It's funny how you never notice hills when you're driving, but when you're running they become more pronounced and obvious. They weren't bad but did have an effect. At least it was downhill coming back into the neighborhood.

For the second half I ran the usual route on the concrete path. The first part went well, but after the turnaround I had to walk a few times. The humidity and lack of sleep the night before finally got to me. I also walked up the big hill on Lake Forest. Not a great outing, but at least I got back to the 6-mile threshold. This week I'll keep pushing forward.

Distance

Since I no longer have a GPS I mapped out this morning's run last night. I thought I knew about where to turn around, but maybe not so much. When I got to work this morning (yes, I had to go in the office) I mapped it again and found I ran 5.42 miles instead of just 5. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn't really my plan to go 4-5.42-6 this week. I suppose if I cut a run short without too much of an effect, this is probably the same. I felt good the whole way. No harm done, right?

Longer Nights

The nighttime is lasting longer and the sun is raising later as we shuffle toward Autumn. I'm not complaining but I probably need to get some better reflective clothing. I ran 4 miles this morning, and it was another good run. This time I hitched up the iPod and listened to a podcast, with more to come over the next several outings. They're a good distraction. It's a good start to a day where I have to be in the office. Traffic was stupid busy on 121 and on the surface streets. Not looking forward to going back in on Thursday.

Back to School

I ran 3 miles this morning and discovered the insanity that is the school zone in our neighborhood. Not sure if it's because we're at the start of the school year and everyone is learning how things work or if it's like this all year long. Either way, the only effect on me was to run down the sidewalk a little more before crossing the street. The effect on the couple of people I saw stopped for speeding will probably be a little more. I've seen plenty of people speeding through school zones in the past, but come on, right at the beginning of school? Use your brains, people. Personally I don't think it's ever appropriate, but certainly anybody with a little common sense should know the police are going to be all over it when school starts. Oh, well. At least I had a good run and felt like I could have gone a lot more.

Sister and Wamego

My Friday outing was with my sister in Wamego, Kansas, which is the first time I ever remember running with her. She maintained she would be running slow. And we did. The (formerly Virtual) Running Partner was with us as well, and we paced about 11 minutes per mile over 3 miles. That was fine with me. The route took us past the Caterpillar location there and in a loop through a park. It was a nice, cool morning, perfect for running. Later in the day we celebrated my parents' 50th anniversary. I joked that our run meant we could "eat and drink whatever we wanted." Not quite.

Spa Running

When I exited the house this morning the humidity was dense. The sun wasn't up yet and the temperature was down because of clouds, but the moisture in the air was certainly noticeable. I took yesterday off due to travel this week and trying to space out my runs, and that helped me complete the 4 miles without walking, even up the big hill. I encountered high schoolers heading back from their morning cross-country run, and I mused briefly that not only was I running against the tide of kids but also against the tide of youth. That was as philosophical as I dared to venture.

As mentioned last time, I put heel inserts into my new shoes. That seemed to do the trick, although it made the midfoot tighter, especially on the right foot. My big toe on that foot also felt like it was in danger of getting pounded enough for a bruising. Next run is with one of my sisters in Kansas and I'll try the inserts again and see how it goes.

False Start

I ran 3 miles in the new shoes this morning, but it wasn't a good outing. It was a little cooler than it has been lately, but I just felt out of sorts. Within the first half-mile I felt a twinge on the left side of my left quad, and thought for a moment I would have to turn around and go home. It went away but still felt "there" for most of the run. My calves also tightened up big time, and it made me wonder if the problem all along with that issue has been my shoes. They haven't felt that bad the whole time I've been running with the Nimbus, but as soon as I put on the Cumulus they went bad. I'm thinking about using a shoe insert to elevate my heels in these new shoes to see how it goes.

New Route

This morning I went 5 miles and decided to head south on Lake Forest Drive. The nice thing is that the trip back had plenty of downslopes, and really they weren't that bad on the way out. The route is scenic enough, but too many side streets and too many cars. In the future I might stick with the trail since there's only one street to cross. That'll depend on how bad traffic is once school starts, though.

I also took a trip to the local running store at lunch. My most recent set of shoes are too narrow and pinch my feet about mid-foot on the outer edges. Plus I needed some anti-chafing stuff. The guy at the store said he likes 2Toms sport shield, and I figured I'd give it a try. They didn't have any shoes on sale, so I ended up with a new pair of Gel Cumulus in the wider variety. He also brought out a New Balance, which I tried on one foot, but I'm going to stick with what works. The new shoes were $120, and when I got home I checked them on Amazon. They were only three bucks cheaper there. At least I don't feel like I was ripped off.

Tuesday Morning Finisher

I was looking forward to Tuesday's run but it turned out to be kind of a not-so-good run. I ran 4 miles, but that included a little walking at the halfway point and back up the hill toward the neighborhood. I think the problem was that on Monday I ran, exercised, and then washed my truck (in the evening but still the temp was around 100). Those combined to wear me out a little more than normal. On Thursday my plan is to go for five and take a different route. Hoping it goes better.

Monday Morning Starter

Time to start a new week, a hot one if you believe the forecasts, with a run. I was out the door by 6:45 and ran a mostly easy 3 miles. On the way out I saw only one person, a lady with her dog. On the way back probably a half dozen. Some of the people are beginning to look familiar, like the lady with the big sunglasses or the guy with his three Huskies. The morning was nice and humid, as usual. I was glad to get it finished before the heat of the day descended.

Five for Running

This morning, a Saturday, I got up early and went over to the (formerly Virtual) Running Partner's house. We headed out to avoid the heat and weren't entirely successful, but still better than later in the morning. Our route took us 5 miles, the first time since moving that I've run that far. Felt good, and I should be able to continue adding miles. Afterward we went to Central Market in south Plano and enjoyed the Hatch green chile fest that was going on. I bought several green chile items, including bacon, which I'll be trying tomorrow. The rich harvest and month-long celebration might make August my favorite month.

Oops

Ran yesterday and thought about posting several times but never did. So yes, I ran 4 miles. Daughter #2 joined me and did the run-walk-run-walk-run thing. She probably got in 1.5 miles or so. Once again we went early before it heated up. Coming back I barely got ahead of a group of girl campers (or something) who were headed to the pond from up by the elementary school. Don't know if they were going fishing or what but fortunately I didn't have to wade through the crowd.

I've also done my barbell and leg exercises three times this week, so I've got that going for me. Which is nice.

Two in a Row

Ran both yesterday and today, with varying results. Yesterday was with Daughter #3 (#2 backed out because her ankle hurt). I ran 3 miles and she ran probably about half that. We ran to the trail in the neighborhood north of her, she started walking and I kept running, I turned around and so did she, and then I caught up to her where the trail intersected with the neighborhood sidewalk. Then we ran back with a little walk up the big hill. It was fun at the end when she started sprinting for the stopping point and we raced to the line. Looks like she's a little bit of her competitor like her dad.

This morning I ran 4 miles, and it was actually quite pleasant out, relatively speaking. The sky was cloudy and temperature in the low 70s. Lots of people out. On the trail a young shirtless guy went breezing past me, and then he passed me going the opposite way before my turnaround. When I came back out across the bridge he was off the path with hands on his knees, obviously pretty winded. I kept going and on Lake Forest he passed me again. Just a thought, dude - you might be going too fast and need to take it easier, no matter how young you are. In my plodding way I made it to my goal without walking. Just sayin'.

Boys Run

The (formerly Virtual) Running Partner came over early on Saturday and we ran 4 miles. It was a good start to a day that involved smoking three pork butts and three racks of ribs. Plus a game of penny can, which included three rounds in a row of someone draining all three (him twice, me once). It was epic. What a great day of running, food, music, and just general hanging out. As an added bonus one of the local markets got in a shipment of Hatch green chile and yes, I went crazy. They roast them out front of the store and it smelled like home.