Soupy

I might have used the title for this post before - I mean, after all, I've been posting here for something like 20 years. Maybe a few years' shy. Anyway, it still describes the humidity outside perfectly. When I left it was 87 degrees with heat index of 97. Humidity was about 75%. I did the run/walk thing, with an extra walk thrown in at the halfway point for the 5-mile total. I'd just reached the turnaround point and in the park, shielded by trees and the spare breeze at my back. I immediately felt like I should take it easy and not push too hard, so I walked for a couple of minutes. That seemed to do the trick and I did the rest of the run according to plan. This was a tough day for a run, but I did it.

A Bit Earlier

Today was light on calls for work, so I made the snap decision to run before lunch. Turned out to be a good one, as the temperature was 89 degrees with heat index of 98. In case that's not clear, the heat index was below 100 degrees. Yesterday it was 111 at about 4:30 p.m. Anyway, I did the usual run/walk for 4 miles with better results than the last outing. Meaning I didn't walk as much, especially the last mile. It was nice to get out when the opportunity presented itself. Can't count on that every time, but I'll take it when it arises.

Sweaty Steps

Today summer started hitting on all cylinders. I went 4 miles, a lot of the last mile in walking mode. The temperature hit 96 degrees but the heat index was 107. Yeah, humid. I'm still getting acclimated to the horrendous heat so I told myself to walk as needed. And yes, I needed it. When you're 50-something years old you have to slow down and listen to what your body's telling you. I'm sure there are plenty of people my age who push it and really exert themselves, but I'm not one of them. I want to live to run another day. Not that working out hard would necessarily kill me in this heat, but it sure would increase the odds. Now it's time to relax and cool off.

5 of 5

Today I made my plan, even though I had a few excuses not to do so. I planned 5 miles, and that's what I did. This in spite of sleeping horribly last night, getting up at 5 a.m. to take The Wife to the airport, and high humidity. I thought about taking a nap before running, but decided I might as well just get it done. I think that was the right choice. Temperature was 88 degrees and heat index of 96, which tells you a little bit about how humid it was. Lots of people out walking, running, and biking today. Now that I think about it, I don't remember anyone out walking a dog like I usually see. It was mostly just people. Glad I could be one of them.

4 of 5

My original plan was to go 5 miles today, but I ended up with 4. That was due to the humidity and my walking plan. See, I figured 4 miles with the built-in walks would take me about an hour. I was correct. And an hour out in that soup was plenty. As I've said many times before, I'm not out training for anything right now and no need to go one extra mile just to say I did it. I still felt okay by the end of the run and that means I didn't overdo it. Don't get me wrong, my legs were tired and I could tell I'd exercised. Just not to the point of dropping from exhaustion.

Routine

I'd say today felt like a routine run. I kind of lost myself in the music and the familiarity of the path, the significant points along the way, and the weather. Fortunately, clouds rolled through from time to time, blunting the heat of the sun a bit. The temperature only got up to 92 degrees but the breeze was probably in the mid-teens of miles per hour. I went 4 miles and walked a minute for each mile run (two minutes at the end of two miles, three at the end of three). That seemed to work feel and is definitely part of the summer running routine.

Saturday in Texas

A normal Saturday morning here in Texas, with temperature around 80 degrees and a nice dose of humidity to go with it. Today's plan was to go 5 miles and that's exactly what I did. It included a bit of walking at each mile marker, and as usual given the humidity it seemed wise. Plenty of people out today and it's good to see people getting some exercise. The stream levels have returned to normal after the dose of rain we've received this spring. The accompaniment today was the Old 97's new album, American Primitive. Great stuff as usual from my favorite band. My only problem with the album is that it's too short, clocking in at about 42 minutes. That's okay, though. I have all their music on my iPod so I just keep rocking.

Break

I had a break in my work calendar again today and used the opportunity to get out before the day grew too hot. I ran 4 miles again, with walk breaks at each mile. Hey, it might've been "only" 82 degrees but the sun and humidity combined to make it necessary for a break. Careful readers will remember that when it hits 80 degrees in Texas then I throw in walking breaks. I'm not trying to win any speed contests or conjure a heat stroke. The breeze helped somewhat and I feel that overall it was a nice outing.

Revolution

Who would've thought that standing out in the sun for two days at the Texas Music Revolution would wear me out? After Friday and Saturday, both in the 90s and humid, and feeling like a wrung-out sweat sock, running just wasn't in the plans for Sunday. Fortunately, this week my calendar has less meetings and I got out for an early afternoon run. I went 4 miles with a little less walking. Today's temperature is on only 82 degrees and cloudy. It was a nice run and I felt good overall. I put new heel inserts in my shoes but I might go back to the old ones. We all know from past experience how little it takes to change one's stride and mess with the mechanics further up the chain.

Higher Temp, Less Soup

Even though it was a couple of degrees warmer today than on Tuesday, the running conditions were actually better. That would be because the humidity registered lower, therefore making the heat index lower. I went 4 miles total, with walks of 2-3 minutes at each mile marker. Yes, the summertime protocol is now in full swing. Whatever the case, it was good to get out and sweat a little. There's going to be a lot of that going on as summer revs up.

Summertime Walking

Temperature got above 90 degrees today, which means it's time to build in walks every mile or so. I went 3.5 miles total and walked probably a half-mile of it, maybe a little more. The heat index was 103 due to all the humidity from the rain the last several days. I felt pretty good, other than the fatigue toward the end. But that was good, especially after the last couple of weeks. Looking forward to a summer of running. And walking.

More Kansas

Another run today in Kansas, this time in Wamego. I went at noon with a temperature around 80 degrees and lots of sunshine. Plus a little humidity. I went around the athletic complex three times for a total of 2.5 miles. Not a great distance, but after eating and drinking a lot the past several days, it was plenty. We're here to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday, and celebrate we did. Time to run a little bit and burn off some of the extra calories.