Worst Run Ever

Today I had the worst running injury ever - I broke my collarbone. Which also counts as the stupidest running injury and one I never thought I'd experience when I considered the usual suspects. I went out for a run on a nice, cool morning. About a half-mile in, just gliding along and listening to music, I tripped on a sidewalk seam, one I've run over hundreds of times. It wasn't even unlevel like some of the other uneven sidewalk panels I know to avoid. Usually when I trip I can go into a roll and come out relatively unscathed. I was at the edge of the sidewalk and grass of a church and attempted the same thing, except this time the back of my right shoulder impacted the concrete. Hard. I knew then that my run was over. I walked the half-mile toward home and ran into The Wife leaving the neighborhood and gave her the rundown. When I took off my shirt that was the most painful part, and in the shower I noted the bump and pain on the front side. I may not be the smartest person, but I know when I should go to the doctor. They take x-rays and confirmed a clean break, sending me to an orthopedist who said it's basically immobilizing the arm and time to heal.

What does this all mean? No running for at least the next month, and maybe a little longer. No Turkey Trot. I'll be taking walks to try and maintain some semblance of fitness, but I'll miss running. More to come as the days and weeks progress.

Eat the Banana, Hold the Cramps

A couple of hours before my run this afternoon I ate a banana. You might recall that the last couple of times I've tried the westerly route that I suffered from calf cramps and those outings did not go as planned. Also, as I've mentioned previously, I need to vary my route so that my body doesn't get physically and mentally mapped to a standard run. We got quite a bit of rain the last few nights and I wasn't sure how today would go, but it stayed cloudy with no more rain. Temperature was in the low 70s with a slight breeze out of the north. Felt good. Sure enough, when I started running I felt the slightest bit of tightness in my calf muscles but it seems the banana did its trick. Overall, the run went much better than I expected. I went 4 miles and change, taking a walk past the usual turnaround and then running all the way up the hill on Ridge before walking the steep hill on Virginia. I have to say I kind of surprised myself with that hill run, but it turned out well. Finished feeling strong and happy that I conquered the dreaded calf cramps.

Frustration

Today's run reminded me a bit of the runs I used to do after the workday when I lived in Kansas City. An hour or so to get the bile of the day out of my system. It was one of those rare days in my current job where I felt the same. I actually wanted to run longer, but the weather was faithless. It appeared mild, but the temperature clocked in at 82 degrees. Halfway through the run the sun came out. Fortunately, I know this pattern and walked at each mile marker even though it seemed silly early on. At mile 2.5 I walked a bit because my heart rate seemed too high, but after that 1/5th of a mile it turned out better. Also, early on my calf muscles felt tight. Even after my last attempt and post, I ran the same route, which is probably not what I should be doing. I should eat more bananas. I ran 4 miles and overall it was a decent run. Not great, not bad. Rain is coming in tonight through Saturday, which means I might not get in a run this weekend. We'll see how it goes.

Mixed Bag

I took the westerly route again today and once more, it did not go according to plan. I'm starting to think my body has become too used to the routine of the easterly route - a slight uphill, a big downhill, level for a long way, big uphill, and slight downhill to end. On the one I tried today, I walked past the incline at the start and ran along a gentle rise. For some reason my calf muscles were extra tight and so I walked after a half-mile. The walk relaxed my muscles a bit, and so I ran-walked the rest of the way for 2.25 miles total. I ran a .5, .33, .2, and .25, just past a mile-and-a-quarter total. Since I have that theory about the route and how it's affecting me, I need to put some thought into more variety. I don't want to get into something like a Turkey Trot next month and have problems because it's different from my normal route.

A Glorious 57

It was 57 degrees this morning with low humidity, even after a somewhat rainy yesterday. I put off the normal Saturday run until today because of the chance of rain. It paid off with a lovely morning, perfect for running 6 miles without the usual breaks. Sunny with a light breeze made for a really good run. Also, I keep forgetting to mention this, I started taking creatine this past week. I've read some things about how it's not just good for physical activity but also helps mentally. So, I'm giving it a try. Honestly I don't really care that much about how it might improve my running since that's not my focus these days. It's more about the brain part. Anyway, I mention it so that if I talk about it in the future, here's where it started.

Still in the 80s

When I say "still in the 80s," I don't mean the 1980s. Although it was a fantastic decade, I'm talking about the temperature. Today's high was only 83, but we're still in the same pattern we've been in for the past couple of weeks. Or longer. This morning when I let the dogs out, it was only 60 degrees. Felt nice and if I didn't have an early work call, I could've enjoyed a run then. Instead, I had to wait until the end of the day. At least it was mostly cloudy, with the sun only occasionally poking through. Even so, I still ran at the mile markers. All in all, a good run. I got passed by the same guy twice and once coming back my way from a turn. Oh, well. I wasn't in it for speed today. Maybe as the weather cools in the next few weeks.

Another Morning

This morning was another nice one. 70 degrees and sunny with a slight breeze from the south, kind of like a lot of mornings recently. I was able to get out between meetings and ran 4 miles, the first half without stopping and then walks at the turn and third milepost. Saw several squirrels, busy with getting ready for colder weather, it appears. A few people, but not a ton given the time of day. Not much else beyond that to report. Oh, I did run a bit quicker the last quarter-mile, but that's about as exciting as it got. I like non-exciting runs.

Lovely Morning

62 degrees when I set for this morning's run. Nice and almost too nice. The rising sun was blinding as I headed east, but can't complain since it was such a good morning for a run. It's amazing what a lower temperature will do. My pace was about a minute or more faster than more recent runs, not that I was consciously trying to go faster. I also didn't have to walk at the mile markers. I went 5 miles and had a really good run. Plenty of people out on such a clear blue morning. I think there was a 5k going on over by Towne Lake, but I didn't get far enough to run into any racers. I also think walking on Thursday helped me have fresher legs, an opportunity I didn't waste. I got home and had breakfast, coffee, and a morning cigar while I worked on a new book. The chapter I wrote went better than I expected, a nice little creative surge. This afternoon is the Red River Shootout and I plan to watch at the cigar shop. Boomer Sooner!

A Good Walk

I decided to go west this time, which is the hill route. Given that I've suffered from calf cramps a couple of times recently upon setting out upon said route, I walked up the initial hill and a farther than I usually would. However, once I got to the corner where I'd planned to run, the walking felt so nice that I put it off for a bit. And then a bit more. The run quickly turned into a nice walk. I didn't really plan it that way, but I think it was the right thing to do. The sun was out, the temperature above 80 degrees, not a lot of shade, and this was my third outing in five days. I settled in and enjoyed a 2.25 mile stroll. What a nice day.

More of the Same

The vestiges of summer remain here in north Texas. Temperature hovering around 90 degrees, high humidity, and plentiful sunshine. Which are all reasons to get out earlier in the day when possible, like today. I could tell the moment I stepped outside that it was muggy and going to be pretty much the routine of the last several weeks. On Saturday afternoon I worked on a stopped-up sink and then ran on Sunday, which combination caused some hip and glute soreness. Felt better today and it wasn't debilitating. I did the usual walk at every mile marker and that helped me get through it all for the 4-miler. Looks like the same weather pattern is holding for the foreseeable future. I'm okay with that. It's better than temps in the 40s and cold wind from the north. Way better.

Proud Dad

Yesterday I didn't run. Instead, I went to a half-marathon and watched two of my daughters run their first 13.1 miler. I was very proud of them for taking on the challenge and both completing it in style. They ran the Oktoberfest race in Irving with several thousand of their closest friends. It was a little odd for me to be standing outside the corrals as they counted down the time to start. You could feel the excitement and it was not the usual race day experience for me. But then again, I got to enjoy it all without having to run for a couple of hours.

This morning I decided to run before eating breakfast, mainly because the temperature was so nice. It was 66 degrees when I let out the dogs, but 83% humidity. Still, I ran 4 miles with the usual walks at miles two and three. I normally wouldn't do that with the temperature so low, but that humidity gets you. I thought about going an extra mile since yesterday would've been my normal longer run, but I don't have an extra recovery day with my next run being on Tuesday. That's okay. I'm going for consistency right now, not distance.

Bad Back and a Snake

I almost didn't run today. My lower back felt strained yesterday and it woke me several times during the night. I popped some ibuprofen before breakfast and it felt a bit better, propelling me out the door at mid-morning. Plus, I thought it wouldn't hurt to bounce and twist a little during a run to loosen things up. Surprisingly, my back didn't hurt even a bit during the run. Not once. I wanted to go while the temperature was about 70 degrees, which rose closer to the upper 70s by the end. I ran 4 miles and only walked at the three-mile mark, which I count as a win, especially with the whole back aching thing. Also, I saw a snake cross the path in front of me past the 1.5-mile mark. I halted to watch it for a few seconds as it slithered into the grass. It looked mostly black with some gradations, about 18-24 inches. Not a small guy, but not huge either. For the record, I'm not a fan of snakes, but we left each other alone to go our separate ways and I'm fine with that.

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.