Mildness

It's been a nice week in Texas. Today's high was in the mid-60s, with some high clouds rolling in this afternoon. I see rain in the forecast for the weekend, but for now it's good. I did some leg exercises yesterday, and today felt good with both knees. I went 4 miles, trying to ratchet the mileage up slowly. Plus I really needed to get out and exercise after the relative gluttony of the past several days. I didn't gorge on tamales yesterday - but I could have. I think they're some of the best we've ever made.

Knee Skip

Skipped the Saturday run since I had some pain on the outside of my right knee Friday and Saturday. I went out today since it felt better but stayed at 3 miles. It felt okay but not 100% during the first mile, and my left knee also felt weak. I think I'm at that point where I need to get back to the leg strengthening exercises. I iced the right one afterward as a preventative measure and as of this evening it's not barking at me.

We did our Christmas celebration today since Daughter #2 has to work tomorrow. Got a new pair of running shorts, socks, and two short-sleeve shirts. Most of my running shirts are dark. These are white and lime-green which will help keep me cooler, or at least as much as possible here in Texas when summer rolls around again. Also got a new pair of sunglasses, and they are feather-light, fit nicely, and worked great on a sunny Christmas Eve.

Account Blow-Up

Went out this afternoon to pound the pavement after a work call on an account that was blowing up. It was about 50 degrees or slightly above, but chilly with a south wind. I went my 6 miles and the quickest pace was about 9:30/mile. Felt pretty good, and it was nice to get the run in before coming back to a full inbox and more conference calls.

December Chill

The cold has definitely seeped its way south and into Texas. We've been below freezing the past couple of nights and this one will be no different. It was in the upper 40s when I ran this afternoon, and at least the sun was out. I ran my 6 miles, and stayed to the eastern path on the way back so I could catch a little more sunlight. A little bit of a breeze from the north kept it nice and chilly for this December run.

Kidnapped

My run yesterday was sabotaged. My daughter and friends kidnapped me, under the pretext of going to brunch, and we ended up in New Braunfels instead at a Todd Snider concert. Plus some barbecue in Lockhart beforehand. What a day! By the time we got back this afternoon at 3:30 or so I was thinking I wouldn't get in a run. Instead, I decided that it was a nice enough day and with all the food I've eaten recently, including breakfast at Denny's at 12:30 a.m. after the concert, I needed it. So I ran 6 miles and it was actually a good run. Probably due to the carb loading from the midnight pancakes.

Brisk

I could have and should have run on Tuesday. We had an evening outing for work, and it was rainy and cool in the morning. I skipped it, though, and probably shouldn't have. At least our water was back on so I could have showered afterward.

Today was sunny but brisk with a somewhat stiff south wind. I went 6 miles. Felt kind of off my game yesterday and today, but this run helped me feel better. Likely I need more sunlight, as well as the exercise. Especially as the holidays draw closer.

Aw Yeah

Back to 6 miles today. That's my long run for the week, which seems a little sad since that has been my normal distance on any day of the week. After all the ups and downs of the past year I'm just glad to be running. If this is my long run for this point in time then that's okay.

Getting Out

Flew back from Austin this morning and got out for another 5-miler this afternoon. Saw about a half-dozen people on bikes, including a couple on a tandem. The only downside is that we have a water leak and had to shut off the water this morning. The plumber won't be here until tomorrow, which means I have to take a sponge bath. But I wasn't going to let that stop me from exercising.

Monday's Run

I ran on Monday afternoon since I was going to be out of town for a couple of days. It was a nice 5-miler. The hip pain I'd experienced on Sunday was non-existent. Nice to be back in the rhythm of running more than once a week.