13th

I finished September in style with my thirteenth run of the month. I didn't really think it was that big of a deal until I looked back at my blog posts for each month and had to go back to August 2023 to find a month where I ran this many times. I did a dozen runs a couple of months, but mostly single digits. Kind of sad, really. I almost didn't go out today because I felt mostly blah due to allergies, but I didn't want to end September on a bum note. I ran 4 miles and as usual, felt better after the run than before. The temperature was in the mid-80s and sunny, but late enough in the day for me to catch some shade along the route. I'm going to have to keep it going if I want to get to a hundred runs this year. Let's see what I can do about that.

Balloons

It was a lovely Saturday morning for a run. 65 degrees, to be exact. Add in some hot air balloons and the scene was perfect. Two of them descended and landed by the school on Hardin right as I ran by that area. I know, I'm a little too old to be fascinated by that stuff. Or am I? I'm still a kid at heart who thinks it's pretty cool. The folks navigating them to an open area, the view from on high, the way they started to deflate - all very interesting. Oh, and how was the run? Pretty good. I ran 4 miles with a couple of walks. Saw plenty of people out for a walk, run, or some cycling. The high today is only 88 and I plan on enjoying time on the back patio with some nice coffee.

Yesterday Run

I did run yesterday, just later in the afternoon and I didn't get a chance to log it here. Not really much to note about it since I only went 2 miles. The heat and humidity seemed a little much. I ran the first mile and decided to walk back, but along the way thought I should throw in a few sprints. I did ~400m twice and it was kind of fun. Pace increased to a seven-minute mile for a brief period. Adding in the sprints made me feel not so bad about truncating the overall mileage. Hopefully the weekend run goes better.

Another Humid Run

It rained like crazy yesterday morning. Unexpected, for the most part. It seemed like the storm was about to end and then it'd start up again. That means yesterday and today were quite humid. I ran this morning between meetings with temperature at 87 degrees and heat index of 96. As usual, I ran 4 miles and walked at the mile markers, as well as a little extra in the third mile. My legs felt fresher today, probably due to having three days since the last run. We're due for more rain overnight and into tomorrow, but the temperature is also supposed to drop. Even though yesterday was officially the first day of fall, looks like we'll still be in the upper 80s for daily highs for the foreseeable future.

84%

That was the humidity when I set out this morning for my run. I have to say that barely a few hundred yards into it that I might end up walking the whole time, but I kept going and did a good bit of running. The temperature was only 75 degrees, which helped offset the humidity a little. I went 4 miles, with walks at every mile marker and a little extra in the third mile and at the end. My legs have tended to feel stiff and not as springy as usual, and I don't know if that's because of the allergies that seem to have been going on for more than a month now, or if it's for some other reason. Whatever the cause, I'm still racking up miles and sweat, which is the goal. My reward for today? Coffee sounds good.

The Trifecta

Today I hit the trifecta: heat, sun, and humidity. I intended to run a mile longer than I did, but it was a good thing I didn't. I ran at lunchtime and the temp was 91 degrees. Humidity said 40% but I don't know if that's correct. Maybe it felt worse because most of the run was in full sunlight and at times it felt like a sauna with the humidity rising from the pavement. I went 4 miles with walks at the mile markers. I do have to give myself some kudos, though. I really, really felt like walking during the third mile. And after I'd walked up the big hill I really, really wanted to walk the last quarter-mile. In both instances, I ran. I told myself it was because I'd lopped off that extra mile I was going to do and needed to tough it out. My little self-psychological game paid off.

Summer Routine

Today I got out the door with temperature around 80 degrees and humidity hovering in the mid-70% range. I did my summer walking routine at each mile marker, more because of the humidity than the temperature. A nice southerly breeze helped at various points of the 4-mile run. For the most part, it was a good run. Even though I listened to music, I tried several times to focus on my cadence and making sure it was even. At one point I really zoned in, which helped me maintain the steadiness a little longer. Overall, a good run on a nice day. We're still in store for temperatures around 90ish this week and next, although supposedly there are several days along the way with a chance of rain. We'll see.

A Little Longer

I ran a little longer today, 5 miles, and included some walking the last couple of them. I got out early on this fine Saturday morning, with temperatures in the 70s. However, so is the humidity. I've run in worse, but when the humidity is 77%, that makes for a fun time. I ran the first three miles without walking, so that's something. Lots of people out walking and cycling, which is not a surprise on a day like this. I traded back and forth with a guy doing the run/walk thing the last mile and a half. Now it's time for coffee and some relaxation on the back patio.

Run Then Walk

It was an outing that started off with good intentions. I wanted to do a four-miler with hills, you know, something a little different. When I started running, my legs felt strangely unhappy. Not weak, not wobbly, just kind of like I'd already run and wanted to take them out for another spin. The farther I went, the more both calf muscles tightened up, like the E-string on a violin. Barely a quarter-mile in, I started walking. After several hundred yards the tightness seemed to relax a little, and I considered my options. Given the 90-degree heat, I decided to walk for today's exercise. I ended up going a little over 2 miles. I won't say it was super-satisfying, but at least I sweated a little. Somewhat disappointing with the plans I had, but at least I didn't turn around and go back home.

A Lovely Four

What a nice couple of days! This morning it was in the 60s when I ran between work meetings. Sunny, a bit of a breeze from the south, and shade in spots. I ran 4 miles without breaks and without music. I thought I'd charged my iPod, but when I picked it off the charger it had minimal juice. So, I ran au natural. Well, at least regarding music. Anyway, since I could hear my footfalls I worked at several points on keeping them even. I won't say the cadence was off, but a couple of times I felt like it should have been steadier. Maybe it's worth leaving the iPod at home again sometime. It's not fall yet in north Texas, but we're heading that way.

Waiting on the Rain

I didn't run Thursday due to a couple of factors. One, the most important, was that allergies kicked my butt again. I found out yesterday that ragweed is very high right now, along with mold and dust and dander. The trifecta. Also, The Wife and I made a day trip to a local lake where we could sit on a beach and put our feet in the water. This morning I woke up with the intent to run right away, but I had to wait for the rain to move through. It wasn't very heavy, but would have eventually soaked me pretty good. I'm glad I went since it was in the low 60s this morning, almost too cool compared to yesterday with a high in the upper 90s. Since it was so nice, I ran 6 miles without stopping. Well, I did have to walk briefly on the out-and-back where the water floods the sidewalk under Hardin. Better to walk than splash through and slip. It was a good run and I feel much better, thank you, with the rain having washed all the junk out of the air. I'm sure it'll be back.

Four and Mow

I should've run this morning but got caught up in publishing a book. I know, just a normal day, right? This morning was lower 70s and overcast, which would've been nice. Instead, I decided to make breakfast and drink coffee; otherwise, I would've eaten at about 10 a.m. The day warmed up and depending on which readings you trust, it was either 84 degrees or in the lower 90s. Regardless, it was humid after rain the past few days and therefore I ended up walking a good portion of the second half on the 4-mile run. Part of that was the heart rate climbing too high, especially the last mile. When I started walking in the last half-mile, my Apple watch said my rate was 160. As before, take that with a grain of salt. But it didn't get down to 140 until I reached the point where I normally stop running and start walking for a cooldown. At least I got out again today, which was the goal. And then I mowed the lawn after I got home. Definitely just a normal day.

Monday Three

We received the quite the deluge on Saturday and I didn't run. Plus, I was smoking pork and ribs and sausage, all under a canopy to protect the smoker from the rain. It rained yesterday as well, and therefore I pushed the weekend run to today, a holiday. I only went 3 miles since I'm planning on running again tomorrow. It was a bit humid after all that rain, but overall a good run in mid-70s temperature. I did it without walking, as befits a nice day. I thought about sprinting the last bit but decided to save myself for the rest of the week. Strangely, not a ton of people out where everyone had the day off. Not a bad run, though, and it was nice to get out before we got another bout of rain this afternoon.