Humidity Makes a Difference

Delayed my run today by an hour due to dealing with car troubles, but it worked out okay. I ran my usual 6 mile route today and didn't have to walk even one time. I attribute the good run to low humidity, which strangely enough makes a big difference. I moved at a decent enough pace, although I left the GPS at home and have no idea the actual numeric pace. That's okay, it was just a good day to enjoy a run in nice 84 degree sunny weather - with low humidity.

Baltimore to KC

I flew to Baltimore Sunday and it was a nice, sunny day for running. I stayed at a hotel right by the Inner Harbor, so it was a short hop and skip over to the area. I ran around the harbor on the north side and it soon became apparent the humidity was nice and high. I turned around and retraced my path and ended up a little over 5 miles, with a couple of bouts of walking mixed in. It was fun to run by the various ships docked there, including sailing, Coast Guard, and even a submarine. Across the harbor I saw saw big Navy ships, either under construction or in for repairs. Gigantic. I know it wasn't that big in comparison, but the Coast Guard ship I ran by seemed pretty darn big up close. As a desert rat who now lives in the middle of the country I find that stuff fascinating.

Today I flew home to KC and after some work on one of the vehicles I went out for my regular Tuesday run. Even though it was "only" mid-80s again the humidity was up the scale. I did the walk every mile or so thing and it turned out just fine. I went 5 miles with an eye to do more this coming weekend. I believe the marathon training plan starts next Monday - time to get with the program.

86 and Easy

Today was a fairly nice day, especially for mid-July. The temperature was in the mid-80s and there was a nice breeze from the south. I took my water bottle with me and walked every mile or so. It paid off in what turned out to be a good run. I kept it slow and just enjoyed the day and the podcast I was listening to, which was about WWI. I don't know much about that conflict but this Hardcore History series is really good. It's been a century since the war started and it's high time this guy learned more about it. WWII gets most of the press and the study time in school. What I've learned so far is that this one is where the world changed, and definitely not for the better.

7 on Saturday

Went 7 miles this morning after staying up late last night with The Boy. The girls held a slumber party for a bunch of younger girls last night and so The Boy and I went to BWW and a movie, not getting home until 12:30 a.m. or so. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep so today's run could have been bad, but it went very well due to the nice temperatures. It was a sunny day but mild enough to not be horrible. The only time I walked was up the hill by the golf course on the way back. I probably could have pushed and run it but my left knee has that slightly swollen feeling and I decided to not go crazy. Overall it was a good run and one of the better ones I've had recently.

Another Unseasonal Day

Today there was a little bit of cloud cover and the temperature only got up to 75 degrees. As far as mid-July goes, that is an AWESOME day. I ran a full 6 miles and threw in about 6-7 fartleks. I did walk up the hill by the golf course on the way back because I felt like I was laboring a little bit, but other than that the run was decent enough. I was hoping for a great run, but it was only average. Still, I'm not going to complain about that, especially since it's supposed to return to normal temps next week.

Pleasant Run

I ran 5 miles today on a different route through the neighborhood and north. Mainly I needed to get the address of a house where we like the paint scheme since we're having our house painted in a couple of weeks. Beyond that it was an unnaturally cool day, especially for mid-July. The temperature was in the mid-70s due to a large mass of cold air that descended from the northern latitudes. According to the forecast that won't last, though, since we're due for hotter temps next week. I also threw in about six fartleks to get some speedwork for a change. Each time I ran the distance of about three light poles at an 8:30 or faster pace. I figured I should do it while it's cooler out rather than later when it's scorching hot.

Brought to You by the Letter 'H'

Saturday's run was brought to you by the letter 'H', as in hot and humid. And really it wasn't all that hot, just in the low 80s when I ran in the morning, but the unhindered sunlight made it seem hotter. And the humidity. I had an overdue library book so I ran by the library and dropped it off. Then I switched over to the side of the street with a little bit of shade and also walked up the big hills as I started overheating. At the end I'd tallied 5.25 miles and that was plenty for a 'long' run. This week it's supposed to be cooler outside, which will be a nice change here in mid-July.

Yesterday

Worked from home yesterday and went running after getting off work, which was earlier than usual. I ran 6 miles in the mid-80s temperature. There was a nice breeze during part of it and a few clouds here and there, but I took it easy and it was a good outing. I walked up the hills by the golf course and again near the traffic circle. Pretty sweaty.

Van Run

We needed to pick up the van today from the shop and I volunteered to run there and drive it back. Today was hot and humid, as usual, but not as hot as it could be mid-July. I ran the "back way" to the shop - down Shoal Creek and then across whatever street that is that intersects with Flintlock by Penney's. The distance ended up being 4.25 miles, which was just fine with me on this summer day.

Another Tardy Post

I ran yesterday morning when the forecast was for cooler weather. It was cooler than normal for July, but it was still pretty warm. I opted out of the Thursday run for a Friday morning run because of a couple of factors. One being that it was hot on Thursday afternoon. I considered running later in the evening but that didn't work out. The second reason was knowing I wouldn't be running on Saturday due to the youngest child's birthday party, plus I always take the kids out to breakfast on their day. As I write this it's overcast and cool out, and I should probably go for a run. But I'll just settle for the 6 miles yesterday in my new running shoes and call it good for the week.

Three Times

I've been out three times in the last week and just now getting around to logging them. I guess I'm going for completeness instead of timeliness.

Last Thursday (June 26th) I ran in the morning with the Virtual Running Partner, who was in town for a few days. He went 4 miles and I went 6, and it wasn't too bad at that point in the day. It was humid, though, and I had to walk up the hill by the golf course on the way back because I overheated.

On Saturday (June 28th) we went out again in the morning and really felt the humidity. We ended up going 5 miles with a bit of walking. That one was a tough run and I didn't feel good at any point during the outing. I struggled to tough it out.

Yesterday (July 1st) I ran 6 miles. The day was cooler, only about 80 degrees, but again very humid. I ran slow and walked after each mile. Again, it wasn't a great run but it felt a little better than Saturday. In about a month I'll begin the marathon training plan and I'm hoping to get in a good foundation before then.

Good Running Day

I lucked out today. Temperatures stayed in the mid 80's but when I went out for a run this afternoon it was cloudy, and stayed that way. A thunderstorm passed to the north and then when got home it rained briefly. I ran 6 miles on my usual route. Today I switched things up and listened to a podcast instead of music, which made the run go rather quickly. For a Tuesday in mid-June I certainly can't complain. Plus I worked from home today and headed out the door before I would have made it home from the office. Another reason to not complain.

Temperature Matters

I did not sleep well last night. I blame that on food and drink. So when I woke up at 7 a.m. I was not happy. I also realized it would be a 50/50 shot at having a good run if I got up and went for it. Since at that point I wasn't going back to sleep I decided to run before it got hot and humid outside. For the most part I made it.

I decided early on to run 7 miles, mainly because I had to decide early on. Plus, it was nice and tidy to run 5-6-7 this week, even if the 5 was more like an 8 or 9 in effort. And to tell the truth, I actually felt pretty good through the whole run and never walked. The temperature was in the low 70s and the sun didn't come out and when it did start to shine it was still shrouded by thin clouds. If I'd waited another hour I would have paid. When I got home I mowed and trimmed the lawn, and yeah, that was hotter but not as bad as running.

I also learned that if my iPod is on shuffle and 'Sabotage' or 'Blue on Black' pops up then I am required to turn up the volume as well as to play the song twice. Rules to live by.

Cloudy and Humid

This morning it rained quite a bit, and by the time I left work it had stopped. Clouds covered the sky and the temperature was only about 80 degrees. The humidity was up though because of the rain and so the air was sweating. A breeze came out of the south and helped when running that direction, but not so much in other ways. I kept it slow and made the 6 miles with only one walk, up the hill by the golf course. Not many people out today, which was not a surprise given the different conditions. I thought about cutting it short but again, I didn't really have anything else to do and going the whole distance seemed like the right thing to do.

The Heat Is On

Today was my first day of teleworking, which meant I got out for my evening run a little earlier than usual. I'm not so sure that was a good thing at this time of year because the temperature was about 90 degrees. I planned to run/walk this one as I get acclimatized to the hot weather again, but man, that ended up being more walking than I planned. I also took my water bottle with me, which had sat in the freezer since last fall. It didn't take long for it to thaw. I went 5 miles, and even with the walking it was one of those outings where the effort felt like a lot more mileage than that. Thursday is also supposed to be hot, and it looks like we're in that pattern. It'll be okay once I get more used to it.

Regular + 1

Weird dreams last night, and then I ran later this morning than planned. I ran the route to do 7 miles and seriously considered knocking off at 6. But then I realized I really didn't have anything else planned for today other than some stuff on my list for the house and went for it. I walked a couple of times when I felt like I was heating up too much, but other than that it was a steady slow run. The guys from the youth group TP'd our house last night and I spent an extra half-hour or so cleaning that up before the run, which probably didn't help much. This afternoon I defrosted the freezer, cleaned stuff off the driveway from the youth group guys, and cleaned out the garage floor. By mid-afternoon I was pretty much done. Fortunately the rest of the day was pretty much stress-free and I made it through okay. Tomorrow will be a day of rest.

Keeping it Slow

On yesterday's 6-miler I kept it slow. It was another day where it had rained during the night and most of the morning, and when I went out it was partly sunny and humid. The heat stayed away, though, and that helped some. I was able to run the whole way, except when I had to stop because people in cars don't understand that people in the crosswalk have the right of way. It ended up being a pretty nice day for a run.

One thing I've found out is how good squats are for you. I can tell their effect when I'm out running. On my off running days I usually do at least 30 of them. I've heard before how they help your core and some other muscles that don't necessarily get a workout during a run. And at this point I guess I can say that's true. And now I'm off to do some more as I do strength-building exercises on this Friday.

Much Rain

It seemed iffy for getting a run in today due to the fact it rained yesterday and most of today up until mid-afternoon. But it turned out great since the skies stayed cloudy and the temperature was mild, perfect for a run. Especially a run in almost mid-June. I'm certainly not going to complain. I ran the whole 6 miles, including the hill by the golf course. I left the GPS and iPod at home and just enjoyed a nice easy run.

I also put together the training plan for the Tulsa Run full marathon in November. The plan officially starts in August, so between now and then I'm going to work on getting a good base with some occasional speedwork.

It's All About Timing

I should have run one more time in Boston, but it rained on Thursday and I was too lazy to get out and do it on Friday morning before I left the hotel to catch my plane. Friday morning would have been perfect . What an idiot.

Today I waited until the rain passed through and went for a run. I probably should have waited until tonight when it was  perfect, but how was I to know? It actually wasn't too bad when I ran this afternoon. Mid-70s and clouds passing by, but it was certainly humid. I ran 6 miles and am setting my sights on a fall marathon. Time to do a full again. This week I'll hopefully get my training plan set up.

Slower Boston Run

Second day in a row for a run along the Charles River. The temperature was a little cooler, but not by much, and I took it slower this time. I found it interesting that the crowds along the paths today were a lot sparser than yesterday. I don't know what that means other than the people around consider Monday more of an exercise day than they do Tuesday.

Beyond that it was another beautiful day. Lots of water and green scenery. I felt a little tired after yesterday's run but kept up my pace today and came in about 9:40/mile. That's twenty seconds slower than yesterday but it's okay, because that was the pace that worked today. Tomorrow is an off day and then I'll run one more time in Boston on Thursday. It'd be nice to qualify for the marathon some day, but I doubt that'll happen. My training classmates and I talked about it at lunch today. One of the guys has run the Boston Marathon twice but it was a charity run, not because of his time. Cool for him because he's run it twice. For now I'll just settle for going on a few runs in a pretty part of the country.