A Good Half Run

This morning was my first time to run since last Tuesday's horrible run in Austin. I got up early, hoping to beat the sunshine. I did. But I didn't beat the humidity. Apparently it followed me north. I ran 2.5 miles with mostly no issues, but at the turn I walked and then three more times in the last half. Not one of my better runs, but man, that humidity just kills me. One thing I've learned over the years is to not push it if I don't need to, and today I didn't. Once again it was like being out in a sauna. With rain forecast for the next several days I have no idea when the humidity will decrease. At some point I guess the heat will take over and the rain will move away, but for now it's going to be tough going. Glad I'm not training for a race.

Even Humider

I ran Tuesday in Austin and that might be the humidest weather I've ever run in. About five steps into the run downtown I was ready to turn around. I made it through 4 miles, with plenty of walking and lots of sweating. Humidity usually kicks my butt, and this time was no different. Austin is one of my favorite places to run, but wow, that was brutal.

I was so worn out when I got back on Wednesday that when my alarm went off on Thursday morning I decided I needed the extra 1.5 hours of sleep as opposed to a run. I think it was a good choice.

Extra Humidity

I should have taken a towel with me on today's run. I was wiping sweat off my face and head from the beginning. We've had humidity the past few weeks, but this is by far the worst. I know right away I would be walking some, and I did so at mile 2 and 3, and then every half mile from that point. I kept my pace slow and easy. I wanted to go 7 miles but quickly downgraded to 6 miles once I realized the humidity level. It wasn't the best of runs, but at least I sweated a lot.

Probably the Last Afternoon Run for a While

I knew it would be raining this morning so I slept in til the usual 7:30 with a couple of taps on the snooze button. The rain moved off to the east and even though it remained cloudy I figured there was a chance to run in the afternoon. I went out at 3:30 and ran my 6 miles through the lovely humidity. Once again I ran without a break, including the big hill. This could be the start of a nice trend. Anyway, I was glad to run while the temperature was in the low 60s. I think the weather pattern is about to change and it will probably be a long time before I can run in the afternoon again.

Almost Raining

I got up early to run this morning, and it wasn't until I made it downstairs that I realized it was raining. Fortunately it wasn't too bad, and the weather map showed it was moving away. Even though I was strongly tempted to go back to bed for an hour, I went ahead and ran and I'm glad I did. Of course it was humid, but once again I ran the whole 6 miles without stopping. With my timing I missed the rush around the school, which was nice. I only saw three other people out on the path, two regulars and some other gal. Usually I see about four or five times as many people, but I guess they gave into that temptation and stayed in bed.

Saturday Six

Slept in on Saturday morning and then took the dogs for a walk before my run. I could tell it was a little humid, but not as bad as in weeks past. I did 6 miles and ran the whole way, even though a couple of times I felt like walking. Even ran up the big hill on Lake Forest. It's nice to be back home and running the usual paths.

Oakland Runs

Apparently one of the major pastimes in Oakland is graffiti. We're staying downtown and ran over to Lake Merritt, where we ran once around the lake and back. Plenty of nice building art along the way. Both Monday and today it was a 4.7 mile run, and not bad. Got up early both days, although in Central Time it wasn't as early as local. Lots of people out running and walking, great weather, and a little exercise. It was a good start to the day both times.

Sweaty Run

I went 8 miles today, the first five of which was good. The last three, not so much. It was very humid today, and I could tell early on I was sweating nicely. By the time I turned around at the midpoint I knew I would probably have to do some walking. The other problem was that on the return part of the route the breeze was at my back, which didn't help in cooling me off. By the time I was in the last mile and heading south into the breeze it felt really nice. All in all I probably walked over half a mile combined, but I figured that was fine since I live to run another day.

Another Nice Day

This morning was much like Tuesday, just a few degrees warmer, and humidity was low again. It was a nice 6-miler. Very few people out, which was somewhat surprising. I ran up the big hill again. I guess it's a little easier when the temperature cooperates. I'm enjoying these mild days while I can.

Tuesday Morning Run

Got up at 6:30 this morning and out the door by 6:45 for a 6-mile run. The temperature was in the 40s and nice and cool, still with a little humidity. It was a good time. My pace kept picking up and I finished at 59:30, which isn't too bad for as little running I've done lately. The sun is also coming up earlier and I'm going to have to start getting up earlier soon.

Family 5k

Saturday morning was great for a run - overcast, cool temperature, and hardly any wind. We all ran the Run Baby Run 2016 5k, and had a good time. I ran with The Wife and she did a great job walking even less than the week before. The kids ran on their own, and Daughter #3 actually got second place in her age group. We left before the awards, unfortunately, but she was still proud when she found out about it the next day at church. Speaking of which, we had a large contingent from Genesis, and they even announced it before the race.

It was a very well-organized event, with several tents for exhibitors, and some good snacks afterward, including a donut for yours truly. Several groups of kids were out with signs along the trail, which was pretty cool. The signs read like a 'best of' from other races I've been in. For me it wasn't the most strenuous of outings but it was good to have fun with the family. Looks like something we can do again next year.

Cool but Still Humid

This morning's run was almost too cool at the start, just as the sun was rising. A couple of miles into it the temperature leveled out in the 60s and the humidity rate stayed high. The coolness helped but I still sweated a lot because of the moisture in the air. 'Tis the rainy season and we pay for it with high humidity. I ran the whole 6 miles except for the big hill on the way back.

We picked up our packets last night for Saturday's 5k. At this point I think I'll run it for fun. I haven't had the opportunity as I wanted to for speed work. This Tuesday was The Boy's birthday, and between taking him out for breakfast and making dinner I just didn't have the time for a run. That leads me to the conclusion that I'll take it easy on Saturday instead of trying to run fast and causing myself an injury. I wouldn't do well in the humidity anyway. Maybe I can find another 5k in the near future where I can get in some better training.

Lunch Run

Today I did a little speed work and more walking than I intended. When I first woke up it looked rainy outside, but once I put in my contacts and walked downstairs it appeared I was mistaken. Even so, I waited until lunch time to run, by which time it was sunny and approaching the warmer range. I ran a two-mile warmup and then a mile at 8:50 pace. Then a walk. Then finished out the next mile and picked it up for another half-mile. Then a walk. Then a slower run. And another walk. Then more runing. And another walk up the hill. And finally a slow run to close it out.

Not my best outing, but I concentrated on the speed part of the 6 miles. Walking was necessary. Still unsure how the 5k will pan out in nine days, but at least I got in the work.

Is It Humid Out Here or Is It Just Me?

Went out this morning for my run since there was a possibility of rain later in the day, and as I expected it was plenty humid. I ran my 6 miles, and it went way better than Saturday's run. Miles 2-4 included a pickup, although I walked briefly at the turnaround. My pace got down to the 9:00 range, and a few times a little under that. For the most part it hovered between 9:15-9:35, though. I'm trying to get a little speedwork in before the 5k, but I'm also thinking the conditions might be this humid then, too. If that's the case my hopes for a fast race will go right out the window.

4 from 6

I set out this morning with the intent of running 6 miles nice and easy. From the start I felt out of whack, and in less than half a mile felt the humidity. By the time I reached the 1-mile mark I'd decided 4 miles would be enough. I walked at that point and a couple more times. I was right - 4 miles was definitely enough.

Lost in California

I spent the week in the Bay Area, which was not too bad. The food was good, and the weather mild but pleasant. I stayed in Redwood City, south of SF and north of Palo Alto. I went out for a 6-miler on Tuesday after work, which unfortunately turned into 8.5 miles.

Since I have the Garmin now to track my run I left my phone at the hotel. All was good along the first three miles, and I made the turn feeling strong. My pace was also excellent, around the 9:15 mark or so. As I headed south and then back to the west along my return route I came upon a sort of traffic jam: a guy running ahead of me who I'd been chasing for a quarter-mile or so, a couple walking a dog, and a lady who just kind of wandered. This was the point where I was supposed to bear right, but instead I got caught up in the mix and didn't pay attention to the street signs. By the time I recognized several blocks later that I was on the wrong street, I made another bad move. I turned left instead of right, thinking I'd stayed right at the previous miscue and my return route was still to the left. It wasn't.

I realized as I encountered some steep hills that I was way off track. This is the point where having my phone would have come in handy. I made some turns, did some walking, and after about 15 minutes or so finally found a street where I could see the bay. Now I knew which way to go. I made it back to the hotel as darkness was falling.

I also quickly decided this was going to be my long run for the week. And my only run while away from home. I still finished pretty strong but knew I didn't need to push it with another run. I enjoyed the scenery, but next time I think I'll take my phone.

7 on Saturday

I didn't know there was supposed to be any rain today, but indeed, I was sprinkled on a couple of times. Rather than an actual distance goal I planned to go my regular route plus a side trip up to the middle school where our 5k starts in a few weeks as well as going beyond the dog park to the circle turnaround. All of that added up to almost 7 miles, which I actually achieved in my cooldown walk. 

My new(ish) Garmin informed me I set personal records for both the 5k and 10k, neither of which were very impressive. I'm hoping to do quite a bit better in the 5k race on April 30th. I'm shooting for 8-minute miles, which might get me close to placing in my age group. The next several weeks will see an emphasis on speed work.

A Fall in Spring

This morning I got out early(ish) for my 6-miler run. It was a great morning, temperature in the low 50s with sunshine. Everything was going well until...the fall.

I was almost 2.5 miles in when one shoe caught in the shoelace loop of the other, and down I went. Fortunately I know how to fall, and I rolled and came back up pretty quickly. All I suffered was a scrape on my right knee and a left shoulder that's a little sore where I impacted, but other than that it could have been worse.

Naturally there was a lady walking toward me, and as I recovered and ran past her she asked if I was okay. I told her thank you and yes, and that I've done this several times before by catching my shoe in a loop. On the return route I saw her again and she wished me a nice day, while she stared at my shoes, no doubt to see how bad they were laced.

Just another day in the ongoing embarrassment I bring upon myself.

Back in the Game

Opening Day was yesterday with the follow-up today (and should be a national holiday, I believe), and I'm also back in the game running-wise. I got new shoes last week and hoped to get out earlier in the day, but work kept interfering. I finally made it out the door about 4:30 p.m. when the temperature was 80 degrees. A little warm for running, clear skies and sunshine, but not as bad as it'll be in a few months. I ran 5 miles and sweated a lot.

I was thinking about running a half in early May and an attempt at a PR, but I just don't have the time to train properly for it. On Saturday I thought a 5k or 10k would be a good idea, and I would have the chance to train for running a 5k fast. On Sunday at church a new friend gave me a card about a 5k/10k that will take place on my regular running trails on April 30th. Talk about perfect timing. I registered for it, and the whole family was interested as well, so they're going to be running with me. Looks to be fun before it gets really hot.

Bataan Memorial Death March

It's a few days after the race, and I'm back in Texas after spending a week in New Mexico. It was so much fun to be back in NM to enjoy the scenery, food, and friends, and not necessarily in that order. I was able to spend time with people I hadn't seen in over a decade. It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to reconnect with old friends, almost as if we hadn't been apart for more than a week.

We started out the visit with a 4-mile run on Thursday, kind of an altitude test/acclimitazation. It was interesting because this run was at 4300 feet above sea level, as opposed to the 700 foot plane we experience in Texas. After running on the south end of Scenic Drive we found a trail that snaked into the foothills to give us some off-road exposure. It wasn't the best of easy runs, but it helped.

On Saturday we headed for the Missile Range, not knowing what to expect. We planned on spending the night in a tent if there was room. When we arrived on the access road, the line was at least fifty cars deep. We spend some time in that line until the left lane started filling up with cars moving past us a lot quicker. I finally got tired of waiting, figuring that maybe I should have moved into the other line earlier. That didn't work out as planned. That lane was for people who'd already been through the initial screening, so we had to turn around and get back in the other line. All in all it took us two hours to get into the facility.

I was surprised by the number of people camping. I thought there might be a couple dozen tents and a few RVs, but instead a few thousand people were spread out all over the south end of the base. We staked our claim to a piece of ground and drove over to pick up our packets. That was uneventful other than the line, but it moved quickly. Once back at the tent we unloaded and sat around until dinner. The pasta dinner was also uneventful, and then we went back to the truck and enjoyed some down time with music and an early bedtime.

During the night the wind picked up and at times it seemed someone was standing outside, grabbing the tent, and shaking it as hard as they could. We woke up about 4:30 a.m. and started the process of getting ready. Fortunately the wind died down to a breeze.

We made the starting area by 6:15 and stood around in the cold. I brought trash bags as a shield from the wind, but they didn't do much for insulation. The opening ceremony was touching, including the reading of the names of the Bataan survivors who had passed since last year's march. The three attending survivors were introduced by roll call, and the American and Filipino generals welcomed us. A chaplain offered a great prayer, and then a medical Blackhawk performed a flyover. After the survivors moved to the starting line we exited the corrals. As we approached the start a race official told us we could shake hands with the survivors but to be careful and not squeeze their hands too hard because they're fragile. I shook hands with all of them and told them what an honor it was for me. I meant it. Then the march itself began.

The first couple of miles were crowded and went pretty quick, with a stop at mile 2 to use a relatively uncrowded restroom. We also walked at the subsequent two-mile intervals, as planned, and then began the journey toward the great uphill. After we crossed under the highway before mile 9 a lady in front of us fell. She was walking and her shoe caught on a crack and she went down pretty hard. I would guess her to be over 60 years old, but we helped her up and she insisted on continuing. Her knees and elbows were a little bloodied, and it must have all turned out right because she passed us in the last couple of miles of the race.

After mile 9 the big uphill began and we started our odyssey of walking quite a bit. The route took us around Mineral Hill, a mountain just barely detached from the Organ Mountain chain. The back side took us up and down through the ridges, and we finally arrived back on the pavement uphill of mile 19. It was downhill for a while until we reached the infamous Sand Pit. This stretch of ankle-deep sand went on seemingly forever. By the time we exited that area and ran a little more we were almost too tired to run any more. We walked most of the last two miles along the perimeter wall, with a final run to finish in fine form.

Once again I got to shake the survivors' hands since they were also at the finish. I read a book a couple of weeks ago on the Bataan Death March and I honestly don't know how anyone survived it or the hard labor that followed. We had drinks and food every two miles, but those men marched all day without water, food, or rest, and then slept where they stopped. All with the constant threat of being bayoneted or beheaded. What remarkable men.

To conclude the race we received a surprisingly decent meal and drinks. After eating we headed back to Alamogordo. As we drove by the course we could see several thousand people still walking. This was the toughest course I've ever run, but was easily the most rewarding experience of any marathon. Even though I don't plan on doing it again (once was enough) I'd recommend this race to every runner or walker. The only complaint I had was getting through the gate, but that was a minor irritant. Everything else was first class. I've been wanting to do this march for several years and glad I finally got the chance. Now it's time to rest for a few weeks and then decide what's next.