Revelry

I certainly intended to get out for some exercise while we had a bunch of family in town for a big wedding, but somehow it just never happened. After all the revelry and some people leaving this morning, I desperately needed a walk/run. A big thunderstorm rolled through yesterday about dinner time, leaving us to bask in the humidity today. I went 3 miles and ran only one out of that, but today was more about just moving than any serious effort. Still have stuff going on next weekend and early next week, but let's see if I can make the exercise happen.

Just a Walk

Due to scheduling this week, I decided today was the day to get out for some exercise. My knees felt...puffy? Not sure of the right word, but maybe it was because of the running two days ago. Or because I'm old. Or maybe both.

So, I walked. I walked 3 miles. It was a nice, semi-brisk walk. Beyond giving my knees a chance to recover, I think it was also good to be out in warmer weather without sweating up too much of a storm. It's the part of the year where I need to acclimate again to the heat and I'm well on my way. If I can run tomorrow, I will, but if not then at least I'm not going too long without exercise.

More Run than Walk

Today has to be the longest continuous run I've done in I-don't-know-how-long. I mean, I could go back and look at previous posts but that would take effort. Instead, I'll just say I ran 3.7 miles out of 5 total, with a run in the middle of 3.2 miles. Today was great here in Texas for a run like that. A little humid but nice breeze out of the north to make it palatable, and temperature only 70 degrees. In fact, when I first woke up it was almost too cool to sit on the patio and drink coffee. After a few errands it was time to run, and so I did. It feels nice to have that accomplishment in the bag and primes me nicely for the upcoming hot weather.

Failed Flying

Tuesday I was supposed to travel to Toronto for work. Short story: I got the whole experience of boarding and deboarding without ever leaving the airport. Delays kept accumulating so I finally ended up canceling the trip. The downside was I was worn out from the experience plus all the work I did when I got home so I skipped running that day.

Today was different, with sunshine, a nice southerly breeze, temperature in the mid-80s, and no aborted plane flights. It was humid, as usual, so I went 4 miles and ran 2.25 of that in four intervals. Not bad and keeps me feeling good about continuing to get back and stay in shape.

5k Out of 5 Miles

All that rain we were supposed to get over the last three days? Not a drop. Definitely par for the course.

Today was humid, though, with temperature in the low 80s. I went 5 miles total and ran 3.1 of that, or 5k. I did intervals of .5, .75, .67, .75, and .5. Actually, I guess that adds up to 3.17, a little more than 5k. The running parts felt just fine, even though I felt my left hip was a little sore for some reason when I started. I tried to concentrate on propelling myself with both legs equally, making sure I wasn't favoring one over the other. A little bit of extra focus in that area seemed to help. Now it's time to mow the lawn.

Some Humidity in the Area

We had a little rain yesterday. Not as much as forecast, but enough to put some water in the creek and up the humidity some. It was noticeable today and I took a walk at the halfway point of my 4-mile run, which means my total running distance was 1.8 miles with the rest walking. I think it was a wise choice and I made up for the extra walk by adding some speed to the last tenth of a mile or so. Remember, speed is relative and I ain't as fast as I used to be. Not that I was ever that fast, but still.

Two for the Show

Ran two of the 4 miles today, in the usual interval pattern. I have to say I feel pretty good about it since the temperature was 84 degrees and a little humid, which I'm still getting used to. At least there was a nice breeze to cool me down in certain parts, and of course, some shade. We have intermittent rain in the forecast starting tomorrow through Monday, but if the weathermen keep up their usual success rate we won't get much of anything. Which means I'll be able to run as scheduled.

Back from the Great White North

Spent the last week in Minnesota, where it was still not spring. I took running clothes, but apparently not enough cold/cool-weather gear. The temperature was mostly in the 50s with nighttime lows in the 30s, and plenty of wind to refrigerate things even more. Needless to say, running did not occur.

Yesterday I changed brakes on Daughter #2's car, a process that took more than twice as long because some idiot engineer decided the long screws securing the bracket needed Allen wrench heads instead of hex bolts. And recessed them inside a short collar. What a crapfest. Plus, the temperature skyrocketed to the low 90s, quite the change after the week in colder climes. I say all this to say I got plenty of activity yesterday, which impacted my outing today.

The older I get, the more those types of activities leave me sore. Today I kept the outing to 3 miles to stretch out after ten days or so of no exercise followed by the brake-changing debacle. Also it was the first time running with higher temperatures (in the 80s) so easing back in seemed appropriate. I did run half of that in half-mile increments and the wind was a nice relief. I plan on walking the next few days to continue stretching out the sore muscles.