Fall

Yesterday was an odd running day. The temperature was below freezing, with a nice little wind out of the north. The kids needed to run in order to be ready for the Turkey Trot this week, but they weren't ready to go when I was. I took off and ran 6 miles and then stopped by the house to pick them up. We started running right away due to the cold and made the turn south. The Boy was crowding us a little bit so I told him to back off. I told them the story of how their cousin did that to his mom (my sister) and caused her to fall and she ended up needing knee surgery. As I was telling the story my youngest tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and fell. She hurt her leg and knee a little bit, but she was done running for the day. We walked her back to the house, and The Boy and I finished up the rest of the 2 miles they were supposed to do. I went 8 miles total, a little disjointed to be sure. On Thursday I skipped the run since it was downright nasty outside and I didn't want to run on the treadmill. yet this winter. Not a good reason, really, but I think it's too early to start on the treadmill and get cabin fever.

Dark

It's getting dark early again, which is not my favorite time of the year. I took The Boy and the youngest daughter out with me for 1.5 miles, and it wasn't too bad starting off. The sun was still out and even though it was a bit breezy the temperature was still good enough for the kids to wear short sleeves. After dropping them off I ran the rest of my 6-miler. I kept a pretty good pace, mostly below 9 minutes/mile, at least when I checked. My overall time was under 10 minutes/mile, which means I must have been running at a pretty good pace by myself since the run with The Kids was more of the 12 minute pace variety. Regardless, I felt good even though I'm not a fan of early darkness. But what can you do? Another month or so and the days will start the cycle of getting longer again.

Oops, Forgot a Title for This One

Yesterday's Saturday run was definitely a windy one. The first 1.6 miles were with The Boy, who had a tough time and we had to walk twice because he was having pains in his side. Once I delivered him back to the house I went out to finish the remainder of an 8-miler. The wind didn't really bother me too much, although I got tired of it. It was coming out of the SSW at a steady pace of 18-20 mph or so, with gusts up to 40 mph. I kept it loose and relaxed, and walked up the hill by the golf course since there was no sense in killing myself running against the wind. I was certainly windblown by the time I arrived home and it was nice to spend the rest of the day out of the wind.

Complainers

I ran the first 1.1 of my 6 miles today with a couple of little complainers. They're young and made it clear they weren't happy to be running in the lead-up to the Turkey Trot in a couple of weeks. I made it clear I wasn't interested in hearing about their aches and pains and that complaining is not what our family does. They made it without walking, even ascending a hill to get back to the house, and they made it without any ill effects. The training will increase over the coming fourteen days, and there will be joy in our house. They may complain, but I know it's better for them than sitting in front of a computer or TV screen.

Mid-Afternoon

The weather here has turned markedly colder. Last night it got down to 16 degrees, a quick plummet to well below freezing. Today the high was 36 degrees, and since I had the day off I waited until it warmed up that far before running. The breeze was very slight and therefore it wasn't too bad. I don't usually run that time in the mid-afternoon, but the wait was worth it. I ran the usual 6 miles and kept it pretty free and easy. My overall pace was 9:12, which surprised me somewhat since I didn't think I was going that fast. One of the kids said something when I got home about running so early, but when I pointed out I was running when the sun was up they understood.

Disappointment

I had high hopes for today's run. I planned to run 9 miles and keep improving my fitness even though I don't have a race planned anytime soon. It was a beautiful morning with lots of sunshine and mild temperatures.

Instead, I had trouble sleeping and woke up about 5:30 a.m. I know from past experience that a bad night's sleep means a sub-par run, and that pattern held again. About 9:30 I went out for my run and struggled to make it 6 miles. The congestion I've had in my sinuses and throat the past few days didn't help, and I felt foggy brained the whole time. I was listening to a history podcast and there were a few times where I had trouble following the story. I probably should have listened to music instead. Even though it wasn't a good run I still did something. I hope by next weekend all this will be behind me and I can have that good run I planned.

Clear

Today the sky was totally clear, a marked difference from Tuesday when I ran in the rain. I wore pants and a long-sleeved technical t-shirt, which seemed not quite enough as I walked down the street. A little bit into the run it was fine, though. Overall I ran the 6 miles at a comfortable 9:20 pace. I was going to say that it was quite unremarkable, and then thought about how remarkable that is. No knee pain, no foot pain, nothing out of the ordinary. It was a just a plain ol' run, no frills and no bumps in the road. Considering some of the minor aches and pains of the past few years it actually feels good knowing that I went on a run and it was...regular.

Rain

Before I left work it looked like there would be a nice long break between storms. Actually, I didn't plan on running because I felt kind of crummy and thought maybe today would be a better day for weights than being outdoors. The temperature was about 60 degrees, though, and I talked myself into a run. A few drops fell on me as I walked to the end of the street and I thought about turning back but it wasn't bad enough to do so. I modified my route and ran by the golf course. On my way back it started sprinkling and then picked up into a full-on rain about 3/4 of a mile away from home.  By the time I got to the neighborhood I was soaked and feeling good. I ended up going 4.25 miles and I'm glad I did. It seemed like the rain gave me extra energy and made me feel a lot better than when I started. When I got back to the house The Boy was walking a friend home and he asked if I had a good run in the rain. I yelled and gave him a high-five. Yes, I did have a good run in the rain.

Breezy Autumn

Today the temperature was definitely autumnal, and the accompanying breeze made the day even more so. I ran 7 miles total at a 9:13 pace. The breeze came out of the west/northwest, making certain parts of the run nice and cool while the opposite was true when running with the wind. For the first time I dug out my stocking cap to combat the cooler temperature. Overall it was a good run. I originally planned to go a full 8 miles but adjusted when I decided I was not enjoying the coolness very much and besides, I'm not training for anything at the moment. Next week I should be able to get in all three of my planned runs and I might shoot for 9 miles next Saturday, depending on the weather of course.

Spooky Run

Actually it wasn't a spooky run because I ran while the sun was still up. I didn't run Tuesday, which was due mainly to laziness abetted by a little rain. When I put out the trash that night it was about 60 degrees and somewhat foggy. I was very tempted to go for a run even though it was 9 o'clock, but I went to bed instead. Oh, well. Today was about ten degrees cooler but the rain was gone and the sun was shining. I did the standard 6-mile run at a 9:20 pace. Now that the World Series is over I can concentrate more on staying fit than on eating and drinking poorly. It's time to get fit before the holidays hit. I didn't even intend to rhyme that, but it works.

A Little Extra

It was another gorgeous Autumn day, with the sun shining, cooler temperatures, and a nice breeze. I kicked in a little extra effort today and made it to 8 miles. Overall it was an easy run and I kept the pace a little slower and constant, finishing at about 9:20/mile. When I left the house it was 46 degrees, and by the time I returned it was about 54. Not a bad warm up. I wore knit mittens and took them off after the first three miles. Again, not a whole lot of people out today. I saw one woman twice, and two guys. That was it. Guess I can still attribute that to the KC Marathon last weekend. Or else there are a lot of fair-weather runners around here, which I don't believe.

Tally

The tally today was 5.7 miles, but I ran the fastest overall pace I've run in a long time, I think. I started out toward the back of the neighborhood, and other than along the front of the neighborhood I took a route I don't normally run. When I was dressing for today's outing I thought it might not go well since I felt a little run down, but it turned out to be a great run. It was hard to tell which direction the wind was blowing since it seemed to change with my location. At one point it felt like it was coming out of the northwest, but by the time I neared home it was out of the northeast. Oh well. My pace was under 9 minutes/mile, helped by several generous downhill portions. I extended the run to the bottom of Killer Hill and could have run another .15 miles and turned around to get to an even number, but what's the point? I felt good and had a good run in 50 degree temps. I'll take that as a win and look forward to Saturday's run.

Finding the Sun

The past several months, aka Summer, I've spent most of my runs in search of shade, looking for the brief respite it provided from the heat. Today was the opposite. The temperature was right around 50 degrees and a very stiff breeze blew from the northwest, making it feel very cool and close to cold. The whole 6 miles I tried to stay in the sunlight, growing annoyed when clouds intervened. I wore shorts and a T, which worked for most of the run once I warmed up. It's supposed to get even colder this week and I broke down and turned on the heater tonight. In fact I just checked and the low tonight is supposed to be 32 - freezing. I guess warm weather really is gone and Winter is on the way. Yuck.

Kansas City Marathon

Today was the Kansas City Marathon. I did not run it this year, nor did I run the half. I did run 6 miles on my usual neighborhood route after most of the half runners were probably done down at the race course, and about the time the people who run my pace would have been crossing the finish line. It was a beautiful day for it. The temperatures were below 40 degrees at the start of the race and only into the mid-40s when the sun came out. My run, personally speaking, went well and I just kind of coasted along listening to music, enjoying the sunshine, and grateful that my baseball team is going to the World Series again this year. My pace ended up about 9:12/mile, and considering I wasn't trying to run fast that seems like a pretty good time.

Change Up

I decided to change things up today and run a different route than normal. So instead of a left turn at the end of the street I took a right and ran through the neighborhood, over an unfinished dirt road that's in the process of being paved, and through another community to a main east-west street. For the most part of the 6 miles I ran roads I don't normally navigate, but at some point I crossed into the familiar for a little bit. My overall pace was 9:12, which again wasn't bad. The cooler temperatures are certainly helping. I like this weather and I'm just trying to enjoy it before real-life cold snaps hit us.

Windy and Cooler

Yesterday was a holiday and today was my normal bi-weekly day off. I spent the weekend at the Irish Festival in Weston, and running just didn't fit into the schedule. I was expecting an easy recovery run today, but the lower temperatures played into my hands. Or feet. Or whatever. My pace for the 6-miler ended up at 9:02/mile. I have to say I wasn't trying to run that fast, going with whatever felt right, but it ended up being pretty fast. Relatively speaking, of course. The breeze was quite stiff out of the northwest. The sun was shining the whole way and since I ran in the early afternoon I didn't see any other runners out and about, big surprise. It was a pretty good run although I probably could have done better or maybe even faster if not for the indulgences over the weekend. I'm not Irish but I can act like one.

Anniversary Run

Today is the 21st anniversary of marrying my bride, and she was nice enough to allow me enough time to run. When I got home she was out in back in her hammock, and she said it was such a nice day that it would be a waste if I didn't get to run. And so I did, a nice easy 6 miler. My average pace ended up being 9:20/mile even though it felt slower. And I tried to keep it that way since the temperature was about 80 degrees. I knew I needed to run since we were going out for dinner and that would be a nice big calorie bomb. Happy to get a run in today, but even happier to be married to a woman I not only love but also like.

Faster Than I Should Have

I was pumped for today's run since it was so gorgeous outside and I needed to relieve some work stress. Once again I went out faster than I should have, but similarly I went with what felt right. The temperature was 73 degrees, sunny, and slightly breezy. Right at the end of the work day I developed a horrible stiffness in my neck on the left side, and the run did a lot to alleviate that pain. Even though it wasn't my explicit goal setting out, I ended up beating the time for my last 6-mile run by about six seconds. I probably wouldn't have except when I passed by the neighborhood a woman ran out and then crossed the street to run in front of me. Since I don't want to be the weirdo who runs behind a female runner for several miles, I passed her within a quarter mile and kept going at about the same pace except for the big hills. When I reached my turnaround point and headed toward home she was nowhere in sight, but that didn't affect my pace. By the end it was kind of pushing it to stay at that pace, but overall it felt good. Even though I like summers the best climate for running are the seasons on either side.

Fall is Here

This morning the temperature was 54 degrees at run time. I set off too quick, although it ended up not being a problem. I repeatedly tried to throttle down but ended up going with a pace that felt good. At the end of my 6-mile run my overall pace was 9:07/minute. Not bad for the first real run under autumn weather. It was cloudy when I started since a front passed through last night, but the sun came out and helped keep me warm from the slight breeze. I felt really good afterward and especially in taking advantage of cooler temps.

I didn't run Thursday due to a playoff game that turned out to be worth it. The weather that day was pretty nice as well but the timing just wasn't right.

Old Socks

I didn't run this weekend. We were busy, but mainly I was just lazy. It rained Saturday morning and I could have run, and I should have. I was exhausted from work and it would have done me good to run, but I opted out. Bad Randy.

Today was a different story. I felt good and was glad to get out on a nice day. It was 86 degrees, kind of warm, but I forgot my Garmin and just went with whatever pace felt good. Several times I slowed myself down. A little over a mile from the end I switched sides of the road and ended up about twenty yards in front of a guy I hadn't seen until I crossed over. It was probably good for me since it felt almost race-like to stay in front of him. I actually noticed my posture improved and I didn't worry so much about my gait.

I did have an episode with the socks I wore. I should have left them at home, in the trash, but I tried to get one more run out of them, and that was a mistake. The sock on my right foot had a hole on my right instep, up toward the front, and I felt it developing into a hot spot about 2.5 miles into the 6-miler. At 4 miles I stopped and pulled off my right shoe, trying to adjust but it didn't really help. I have two small blisters and it kind of hurts a little still. Moral of the story: just throw away the old socks.