Gas Shortage Insanity

Hurricane Harvey pounded Houston for the past week or so. We got word today while in Austin that people were lining up for gas in the Dallas area due to shortages. On the way back we found that the craziness started on the south side of the city, and there were huge lines at all the stations in our part of town. Apparently most of the gas supplied to Dallas comes from Houston, hence the panic over the shortage. Fortunately we don't drive that much and I don't anticipate major problems.

I returned the rental car, which turned into a fiasco of its own, and was able to run from the drop-off point home. It ended up being 5.25 miles instead of my usual distance, but that's okay since it was in the upper 80s and I went over a little on my Austin run the other day. I ran the whole way, including the big hill, to make up for the shorter distance. At least that's the way it worked in my mind.

Another Austin Run

The water levels are up in Austin, but not to the flooding point. I ran this morning up Congress to the state capitol building, and then along the north side of Towne Lake, Lady Bird Lake, the Colorado River, whatever you want to call it. Because I followed the path around to the south side of the water instead of turning around my run ended up being 6.27 miles. It was a really nice morning, though, and great for running. In the last few miles I kept getting passed by the same two girls, three times in total. Kind of funny but it underlines how people train differently and shouldn't care too much about the people around them. I always figure you should do what you need to do in order to get in the workout you want.

Cloudy and Nice

The remnants of Hurricane Harvey stayed mostly to the south, with a few bands coming through after lunch, but this morning it was just cloud and in the low 70s. I ran 8 miles, the first long run of my training plan. Overall it went pretty well, and I was able to run the whole way. I figure I'll start doing run/walk on runs over 10 miles. Here at the end of August it was nice to have a long run in decent temperatures. Plus a new Hardcore History is out, and clocking in at six hours it should last me for several runs.

Hills and Clouds

While thinking about running a marathon in November and putting together my training plan, I believe I'm going to do the run/walk method in order to try avoid the calf cramps that I had so bad last time I tried to run a road race. The Bataan race certainly counts, but it wasn't one where I was trying to hit a certain time goal. So I discovered how to to program my Garmin for run/walk cadences, and tried it out on today's 6-miler, which was a hill run. Worked like a charm - 9 minutes running, and 1 minute walking. I'll be trying it on longer runs now that I know it works as advertised. I might also fiddle with the times, but I'm starting with that for now and will adjust as needed.

Beyond that it was a good run. Ran the hills on Stonebridge, and walked at the appropriate times. Except for the last one, but I walked a bit up the big hill on Virginia and then skipped the last time the GPS beeped at me. I can be flexible when the opportunity arises.

I'm Stupid

I read somewhere, probably Runner's World, that running in hotter weather causes your body to produce more plasma. Or something like that. If that's the case I should have plasma past the fill line. Today's run was in the low 90s and lots of sunlight. Midday was the only time I had free to run, so I went for it. Maybe not the smartest move, but I did plenty of walking when necessary. I got in my 6 miles and sweat out plenty of...well, it wasn't plasma. Running at midday in August in Texas is probably pretty stupid. But I've figured out how to manage it and it beats the alternative of not running.

A Sunday Run

Yesterday ended up being a smoking day, and I decided to postpone my weekend run for a day. That was a good move since Saturday ended up being too busy. This morning started out a little overcast and in the last half of my 7 miles the sun was out more than not. I ran a route with shade from the tree lines as much as I could.

The other thing notable about running on Sunday was that people seemed less friendly. About the first five people/couples I encountered going the other way did not respond at all to my waves or 'Good Morning' greetings. I saw one couple twice and they greeted me both times. They made up for the lack of friendliness from all the other grumps on the trail today. Maybe all the nice people were at church.

Still More Clouds

My plan this morning was to get up early, walk the dogs, and then run. While it was still dark a line of storms moved through, and kept going. I reset my alarm and got up soon after the storm ended. That allowed me to get the dogs out but not a run before I had to start working. The good thing is that I had a break later in the morning so I could get in my 6 miles. The temperature was 79 degrees when I finished but I would say it was nowhere near that. The humidity from the storms made it feel more like 90 degrees, but I still did the whole run without walking.

I'm thinking about the Fort Worth marathon in December. I need to put together the plan, but I think the potential is good. There's also a race in Dallas the week before, but it's about forty bucks more expensive. Plus I ran that one before, maybe even twice, when it was the White Rock Marathon. I don't mind driving across North Texas on a Sunday morning to a race. Plus I'm considering the run-walk method to see if I can avoid the dreaded calf cramps. More to come on this line of thought.

Overcast in Texas

My first couple of calls this morning were cancelled and I was able to run under cloudy skies and before it got too hot. I ran my usual 6 mile route without walking. The sidewalk in the park which had been torn up a few weeks ago was all good. The overall pace was about 10 minutes/mile, not bad with temperatures in the mid-80s and a lot of humidity. I'm already feeling better with my eating and exercise. Let's keep it going.

An Afternoon Run in Wamego

Despite my best efforts to not run I still managed to get one in this afternoon. Thursday was just way too busy with work and family stuff and I missed a day. This morning I decided to sleep in since I've been getting up relatively early most of this vacation. I also knew that wouldn't leave me time to run in the morning since we were meeting folks for coffee and then lunch. Fortunately I had time between lunch and our next get-together and got in my 6 miles. I really needed it since the food consumption this week has been on the high side. I ran around the park here twice, then up and down the east-west streets, then over to the high school and around the field four times, over to and around the bigger park with the trail around the baseball fields, and then finally ending around the corner from my parents' house. The weather was actually quite nice, periodically overcast and temperature in the low 80s, and manageable humidity.

Tomorrow it's back to Texas and my regular schedule. I figure I've probably put back on a few pounds but still nowhere near where I started the year. A few weeks eating well and getting in all my runs and workouts should put me back where I want to be.

Desert Trails

I went further into the canyon this morning, continuing where the path ended and picking my way up a dry riverbed for a few hundred yards. Ultimately I decided I wasn't going to get in any running that way and went back to the path. It was a nice sunny morning, once again not too hot and certainly not humid. It was an enjoyable 6 miles, still with the feel of altitude on the uphills. It's been a fun few days in New Mexico. Wish I could stay longer.

Clear Desert Morning

I'm in my hometown for a few days and went out for an early morning run. The sun was just over the mountaintops but not too hot yet. The wind was almost nonexistent, which meant the view across the basin was clear and crisp. I ran 6 miles with a lot of variety.

The initial stretch was on the road for about 1.8 miles, and then up the path by a large drainage culvert. I took that as far as I could and then turned around. About halfway back I branched off over the ditch and into the foothills. I followed a washed out road into a canyon, which was partly shaded from the  rising sun. When the path came to a sharp downhill I turned back and got back to the road with less than a mile to go for my goal, so I retraced part of the road route to finish. I felt the higher elevation a few times, especially on the uphills, but all in all a good run. I needed it with all the Mexican food I've been eating.

West to the Hills

Since the path is closed down on my path by the greenbelt on my regular route I decided to run hills instead. The temperature was 77 degrees when I set out, a little humid, but not too bad. I had a good run, no walking, even up the big hills. Not the fastest 6 miles ever, but I felt good and pretty strong. Trying to lose a few pounds I've gained back in the past month with all the traveling. More travel ahead so I'll just have to eat less I suppose.

A Knee and An Early Run

On the ride home from the airport last Thursday evening my left knee started to feel weird. It was an inflamed, stiff sort of feel that I've had before. I attribute it to wearing different shoes, in this case cowboy boots, for the better part of two weeks. That alters my stride, causing weird things to happen. In light of that and several days of the same feeling along with ice and elevation, I decided to not run over the weekend. I probably could have on Sunday but felt it was better to not press the issue.

This morning it felt great, and even though I got up early and wished I'd waited until later in the day, I still put it together and went running. The normal path was closed two-tenths of a mile because of construction in the park, but I made up the difference by running backward when I got to Hardin and retracing my path. The temperature was 76 degrees when I started, a far cry from the normal for this time of year. It was a pretty good, if slow, 6 miles. And at the end my knee felt just fine with no complaints as of this evening.