Only 90

This morning I went out a little after 9:30 a.m. and the thermometer hadn't even hit 90 degrees yet. Plenty humid and sunny, though, which still necessitated walking. Because I had extra time due to a meeting cancellation, I went the extra mile - literally. 4 miles total with 2.75 in running mode. My back felt a little tight when I started out (I don't know why) and a bit better at the end. Overall, I took it slow and easy and enjoyed shade wherever I found it. It's nice to be able to run in spite of the heat.

On another note, I went to a book club meeting on Tuesday, a first for me. The book was Haruki Murakami's running and writing memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. I figured if I was ever going to a book club this would be the time since both topics are in my wheelhouse. Anyway, there were about twenty people there and let's just say they weren't fans of the book. It came out almost two decades ago and several people questioned the motivation for the author to run, saying it seemed he only worried about hitting certain times. To be fair, one person mentioned it was before personal computers masquerading as phones became ubiquitous and all we had were magazines and local running clubs. Fair point. Seemed everybody at the time was obsessed with qualifying for Boston but running has become more social since then. The book club folks also said it read like a running blog with just the facts. Wow, they'd really hate this blog, wouldn't they? I found the memoir interesting because both writing and running are mostly solitary acts and for the author, they didn't bleed into each other. That's quite different from my experience, where I've solved plot hangups in my books many times while out for a run. Some people, particularly one of the young ladies, vehemently disliked the book and the author, particularly his maleness and some of his observations about the "scenery" while running in Boston. I didn't find it over the top, but what do I know? Anyway, an interesting experience that I thought I'd share.

Monday Funday

I wanted to get out today since I have lots of meetings tomorrow morning and can't run when it's cooler. We're still in the 105-108 degree temperature range here in North Texas. This morning was overcast just enough with high clouds to offer a little relief before the thermometer skyrocketed. I left the house about 9 a.m. and did my 3 miles, with two of that in running mode. Felt good that the temp was "only" in the mid to upper 80s. Last night the youngest daughter and I talked about running a marathon next year and we might do the Cowtown in Fort Worth at the end of February. That means I'd have to get my butt in gear by the end of next month and actually work out a plan, which I haven't done in almost a decade. At least the training would be in cooler weather. No decision yet. Just pondering the possibility.

Yet Another

It's another day with temperatures expected to exceed the century mark - 105 degrees, as a matter of fact. Supposedly we only hit 98 yesterday, the first time we fell under 100 in over a week. Anyway, I headed out the door at 7:45 a.m. when it was only 84 degrees. I went 4 miles with 2.75 of that in running fashion. Not the greatest of runs today, and not the worst. I persisted, though, and glad to get in three instances of running in one week, especially in this heat wave. Not sure that'll happen in the coming week, but I'll do my best.

Uncool Runnings

Got out again this morning before the heat kicked in, and did the same running intervals as a couple of days ago. Also listened to a work meeting that kept me nice and distracted. I slept horribly last night and worried today's run might not go well, but strangely enough the lack of sleep didn't seem to have an impact on my exercise. I went another 3 miles and saw one other person running and another walking. Otherwise, seems most people are staying inside where it's cool.

Against the Odds

I slipped out this morning between meetings and got in my run/walk before the temperature skyrocketed. Today's high is 105 degrees and I felt lucky to beat the odds and be out there when it was only 92. I went 3 miles and ran two of those, as the usual pattern has been lately. I listened to a work call and I think because it was different than music or a podcast it made the outing go faster. I felt good upon my return and grateful I had the chance to actually run during this heatwave.

Spontaneous Outing

I decided on the spur of the moment to take a walk after lunch. That spontaneous outing could've also ended in spontaneous combustion, and while that might have made for a cool video off someone's Ring camera, would not have been good for me. I walked 2.25 miles, a good extra outing on a day I don't normally get much exercise. Plus, I avoided school start and end times and honestly ran into only one other person crazy enough to be out in the heat. Tomorrow might also end up as a walk since I doubt I'll get out in time to run.

More Four

Another 4-miler today and as advertised, yes, I got out early enough to run. 2.75 miles of the total, in fact. It was tough in the sunlight and humidity and the breeze from the south felt good when I was fortunate enough to get a wisp. I coveted the shade and took every opportunity to remove my hat and let my head cool in the shadows. I finished right about nine o'clock and now it's time to sit on the back patio and drink some coffee.

Early Enough

I had a gap between meetings this morning so I got out early enough to run. Plus, there was a little breeze from the west that helped things. I went 3 miles total and ran two of them. It felt good to be able to run after all the walking. Not that walking's bad. I just want to run and get in some miles a little (marginally) quicker. I followed up the run with mowing the yard, again before the temperature hit the century mark again. This sets me up for another run on Saturday morning. I'm enjoying the hot weather even though it puts a dent in my running efforts. Still better than living in a place with real winters.

Another Sun Walk

Once again I didn't get outside until mid to late afternoon, about 3:30. Of course, the temperature was near 100 degrees and heat index well over that. I walked the whole way, detouring where needed to find shade along the sidewalks. I went 3 miles, an extra mile over yesterday, which seemed appropriate since today would normally be a running day. Not sure I'll get out tomorrow. There's always Thursday, though.

A Walk in the Sun

I decided I needed to sweat and get some sunlight this afternoon, so I went for a 2-mile walk. As I mentioned previously, we're in the midst of a heat spell, or as we call it in Texas, summer. We hit about 98 degrees today, a few degrees off the predicted mark for the next week-plus. I headed west and enjoyed a nice stroll. School is about to start up around here again, which means I'll need to be aware of the start and stop times for the students in the surrounding neighborhoods. No need to get caught in a bunch of cars and kids walking. We'll see how tomorrow goes. This might be an extended period of walking unless I can get out earlier in the day, like maybe on Saturday. No use trying to run when it's a hundred.

This Sunday

Today I'm back at it after the week off. We're in the throes of 100-degree weather for the foreseeable future and I got out this morning a little after eight. I went 3 miles, with the usual running increments. I kept the pace extremely slow and that worked for me, especially after not running in about ten days. I have a feeling I'm going to have to get out early on days where I can so I can run; otherwise, there'll be walking in the afternoon. Either way, I'm going to do my best to get in sweating mode.

Last Sunday

Been on vacation the past week with no running involved. I did walk about 6 miles last Sunday, though. The Wife and I took a morning walk around a big pond/small lake in the Twin Cities area, and then we walked that afternoon with nephew, niece, and their baby to a playground. I topped it off by walking after dinner to a shop where I could buy a good cigar lighter. Before you say hey, great job, let me counterbalance this day of walking with a couple of days later where I didn't even put on shoes and ended up walking a total of a mile for the whole day. If the fire pit hadn't been thirty yards away from the cabin, I might not have even walked that far.

That's a Walk

Did not get out early today. It was 100 degrees and heat index of 110 when I left the house and I didn't even try to run. I did a 2+ mile walk and found shade where I could. Despite the heat it went fine and I enjoyed the time outdoors. I walked through the neighborhood to the west and believe it or not, actually spotted another guy out walking. Maybe he had meetings all day, too. Not sure I'll get out in the next week due to some vacation time and could be late next wee before I walk or run again. That's okay, it's good once in a while to unplug. After that, though, it'll be time to get back into a routine.

Early Enough

Made it out today in mid-morning before the heat kicked in. It was upper 80s (maybe 92 according to the weather app) and sunny. It felt good to run again for two one-mile spurts out of the 3 miles total. Plenty of sweat, as usual. We're still in that weather pattern and will be into next week, or so they say. Saw a couple of cyclists along the path but not many other people doing their thing during the day. I see plenty of walkers from my front window early in the morning. Those are the smart people.

Hot Walk

We didn't quite hit the century mark today, topping out at 99 degrees with a 107 heat index. I should've gone out earlier when the sky was overcast, but I had things to do this morning downtown. That resulted in a walk this afternoon of 3.15 miles through the neighborhood to the west. I stuck to the side of the road offering the most shade from front-yard trees and managed to return after a lot of sweat. Overall, a nice relaxing walk. I finished writing the draft of my latest book on Thursday and did some formatting work on it today, so I feel pretty good overall. I thought about mowing the lawn, but that sounds like a tomorrow problem. For now, I think it's time to relax.

Run Early

I ran earlier in the day today, at about 10 a.m. Yesterday the temperature hit 104 degrees with heat index of 121. !!!!!!! I have to say it didn't really feel that hot, but what do I know? I like the heat. This morning proved to be a lot cooler than that. In fact, today's high is ten degrees lower than yesterday. It felt so good, with a little southerly breeze, that I ran two out of the 3 miles. Yes, I sweated quite a bit. After the last couple of outings resulting in walks, which isn't a bad thing necessarily, it was nice to jog. And it also feels nice to have that out of the way before it gets into the mid-90s.

Century Mark

This afternoon the temperature hit the 100-degree mark plus four. Wisely, I went out for a walk instead of a run, finding shade wherever I could. I went a little over 2 miles and then, also wisely, mowed the lawn. I figured I might as well get all of my sweating done at once. The weather is supposed to stay in this pattern at least until the latter half of next week, and I'm guessing beyond that. I honestly don't mind the hot days of summer and much prefer them to the frigid winter weather. At least today it wasn't as humid as Sunday morning in the Texas hill country.

Selma Run

We're in Selma, Texas, staying at a vrbo, for my niece's wedding today. Back home on Thursday, rain kept coming through every half-hour or so and I didn't get a window for a run. Today I walked a couple of miles in this neighborhood. It was nice and quiet on a Sunday morning, other than the fire truck and ambulance that showed up at a house next to the neighborhood park. The humidity was off the charts with all the rain in the area the past week. I walked a quarter-mile and then ran a quarter, and my body said, Nope. As soon as I stopped running, my calf muscles piped up and told me that was a good choice. I walked 2 miles total and at least got in a little bit of exercise to make up for the two visits to top-notch bbq joints in the area. We stopped in Lockhart and ate at Terry Black's on the way down, and then dipped into San Antonio for lunch today at Reese Bros. The brisket in both places was melt-in-your-mouth good. I didn't overeat and avoided the meat sweats. I don't know what people do who can't get such world-class smoked meat. Gives me something to shoot for with my own smoking.

Funk

I was kind of in a funk today with way too many work meetings, plus issues with the parents. I needed a run in the worst way and didn't get out until after four o'clock. I did the now-standard 3 miles, with 2 of that in running mode. The temperature was actually a degree below ninety, which is rare this time of year. Plus, it being so late in the day, I found shade along the route as well as a south wind that certainly helped. I've got my iPod on shuffle right now and with over a thousand songs on it, it could take awhile to get all the way through. I probably won't last that long. I mention this because the Van Halen song "Humans Being" came on before the midway point and I listened to it twice. That's going to extend the list. Let's just say it's a very underrated VH song as well as being the last one Sammy wrote with the band. Fantastic guitar. Give it a listen and crank it up.

Standard Run

It's a Saturday. I spent time eating breakfast, drinking coffee, and writing, before going out about 10:30. That allowed some of the humidity to burn off, but not all. The temperature hit 86 degrees by the time I left. I went 4 miles total, with 2.5 of that in running mode. Felt good and sweat a lot. I saw a few people walking but nobody else running. Guess that makes me the crazy one. As usual, my practice of walking and running worked well. Makes me miss the time I lost over the winter where I couldn't run in the cooler weather. It'll happen soon enough, and in the meantime I'll keep up the same routine.

Earlier

I got earlier today than I did on Tuesday. That worked better since the temperature had only risen into the upper 80s instead of closer to 100, which is actually where we ended up this afternoon. Plus I was able to run longer intervals out of the 3 miles. I ran two one-mile intervals instead of three half-mile increments. For those doing the math at home, that means I ran two miles out of three instead of half the total. It actually felt fine the whole way and I had no problem coming home and mowing the grass afterward. That also free me up at the end of the workday to go smoke a couple of cigars in air conditioning instead of on the patio in the heat. Looks like we get a break with some rain this weekend. Any long-time readers know I don't mind the heat, I just adapt.

In the Oven

Today's run was brought to by Hasty-Bake ovens. Just kidding, it was brought to you by summer in Texas. Temperature? 98 degrees. Heat index? 107. We're supposed to hit the century mark in un-indexed heat several times over the next few weeks. I missed running this weekend due to laziness and smoking meat, so today I definitely needed a good sweat. I modified the pattern to walk a quarter-mile, run a half, walk a quarter, run a half, and so on. The overall running was 1.5 miles out of 3, and the last walk (a "cooldown", if you will) consisted of 3/4 mile. That scheme seemed to work just fine and kept me from getting overheated. I found more shade than normal since I ran later in the day. Too many meetings these days don't allow me to get out as much during earlier hours. That's okay, since the humidity is lower and shade more prevalent in late afternoon.

Rare Friday

Today I had the rare Friday outing. Yesterday I didn't break free until late afternoon and by that time I decided to put off the exercise until today, a holiday. The only problem is that yesterday probably would've been better even though it was hotter. This morning the temperature was almost 80 and the humidity percentage wasn't far behind that number. I only went 2 miles, running three-quarters of a mile and walking back from the midpoint. Yes, humidity is my Achille's heel. At least I got to sweat. I'll run tomorrow or Sunday and hopefully the conditions will be a little more favorable. I'm guess they won't, but a guy can dream, can't he?

Why Dogs?

That was my question on today's run: why do we call it the dog days of summer? I like dogs and it's not fair to hang the heat and humidity on them. I ran this morning when the temperature was only 85 degrees. By comparison six hours later, it's 96 degrees with heat index of 103. I went the 3-mile route, walking two of them in mile intervals. I have to say, I actually felt pretty good. I even got distracted with whatever the heck I was thinking about, probably work, and suddenly found myself at the end of the second running portion. This weather appears to be the forecast for the foreseeable future, which is no surprise to anyone who's lived in the southwest. I'll do my best to keep up the frequency of my outings.

Home Run

Back home from Chicago and running my normal route. Today I went 4 miles with temperature around 90 degrees and windy. The wind helped. I ran 2.5 miles of the total and stopped the last interval at the half-mile mark since my heart rate seemed a bit too high with the effort of running against the wind. I also mowed the lawn when I got home since I figured why not, I'm already sweaty and it needed to be done. That way I can truly rest tomorrow without any chores. I need to stain the back fence but today is not that day. Nor will it be tomorrow.

Chicago Run

I spent the week in Chicago this past week for work and got out for a run early Tuesday morning. I intended to go one more time but ended up sleeping an extra hour both days I intended to try. Tuesday was nice when I started out at 6:15 a.m. along the river walk. I ran 3 miles without stopping, all the way to the lake and back. I haven't run in Chicago in several years and glad I was there the week before a heat wave sets in, which is in the forecast for the coming days. Lots of people out even at that early hour and even though I didn't run more than that, I still got in plenty of steps walking around downtown. I don't take my personal laptop on these trips, which is why this recap is delayed. Good to know I can still run at least that far without a break, especially when the weather cooperates.

More Humidity

We got lots of rain yesterday morning, which added to the humidity quite nicely. This morning when I went out it was about 80 degrees and honestly not too bad unless I wasn't in the shade. Then the sunshine and humidity combined to make it quite a challenge. I went 3 miles and ran two of it. I was going to go an additional mile but kids were coming over and I didn't want to miss time with them. The heartrate was up at the end of the second interval, which was interesting because I didn't really notice. Glad I got in the exercise this week. We'll see how next week goes in Chicago.

A Longer Walk

Today I decided the best course of action was to walk. Why? I didn't sleep well last night, had five hours straight of meetings where I stood a lot, and the temperature is 93 degrees with heat index of 104. Does that seem like a weenie move? I did add another mile to the usual route and ended up at 3.17 miles according to my watch. And I did sweat a lot. This route through the neighborhood to the west also include some nice hills. I don't think things would've gone so well if I'd tried to run. Sometimes you have to roll with the situation. Or walk, not roll. I got out and exercised. That's what counts.

Lost the Weekend

I didn't run this past weekend, due to a lot of yard work on Saturday and torrential downpours all day on Sunday. At least I got exercise with the stuff at home, but it would've been nice to get in a run. Sad story: I seeded two sections of our front yard on Saturday and then the rain on Sunday washed a lot of it away. More on that in a moment.

That happened today when I made it outside for a 3-miler at lunch. Sunshine and a LOT of humidity. I persevered, though, and ran two mile-long increments. I had the chance to do a few other things while I was all sweaty, so I mowed and then reseeded one portion of the lawn. Let's hope the rain stays away for a few days and I don't have to do it again.

Walk for Two

This afternoon I decided to walk instead of trying to fit in a run. Several factors played into this. First, the temperature was above 90 degrees and heat index over 100. Second, I stood a lot today because of meetings. That usually translates into cramps when I try to run. And third, I just felt like a walk. I went 2 miles and then mowed the lawn, so I think it was the right decision. A run would've been nice, but a walk was the right choice.

Two Out of Three

I was able to get out this morning before it got hotter and it was still humid and quite warm. I went 3 miles and ran 2 of them, in mile-long increments. As usual, I thought about running that extra quarter-mile walk in the middle, but what's the point? All in all it felt good and I'm glad I did that walk. The summer is starting to heat up. Plus, after all that rain the humidity and the water level in the creek are staying high. It's nice to get out earlier in the day instead of trying to run after a full day's work. It's a good brain break. The weather for the rest of the week looks good. Let's hope the schedule is the same.

Wet Blankets

If Thursday felt like running with a wet blanket on, then today felt like running with two. All that rain they'd forecast to basically cover the weekend has been a no-show so far. I guess the music festival is getting a break this year. I felt kind of crappy yesterday evening, which I think was the past week catching up with me. I slept until after nine this morning and didn't go for a run until about 2:30 p.m. when I was sure the rain would miss. I went 3.5 miles in total, but only 1.6 in running. Why? Because my heart rate was up higher than I wanted, probably because of the aforementioned not feeling good yesterday and the even earlier mention of the humidity. I needed some exercise and a change of scenery from my office, plus a chance to sweat. Glad I got to exercise and glad it turned out to be a nice day.

Thursday - Missed Posting

Not sure how I forgot to post about Thursday's run, but here it is. I had a lot going on that day. Meetings, then a run, then another meeting, then mowed the lawn, then lunch, then a shower, then another meeting, then a trip to the grocery store, then another meeting...get the picture? What can I say about the run in the morning?  Humid. Like running with a wet blanket on. I got in 3 miles and I think I ran two of them. I know, it's only been a couple of days, but did I mention it's been crazy with work and life? Apologies for the tardy post.

Deliberate Walk

I wanted to run today but chose the wiser course of walking. The temperature was about 92 degrees but heat index was 104 because of the humidity. I knew that wouldn't go well if I tried to run. So, I walked for 2.2 miles and still managed to sweat quite nicely. The first part of the walk was mostly in the sun and I could definitely feel the humidity. At least I got out for some badly needed exercise. Let's see how the rest of the week goes, especially the weekend since there's a lot of rain in the forecast. I would be skeptical but there's a music festival downtown and it always seems to rain when that's going on, which means the rain might actually happen.

The Week That Was

Good grief, what a week. Seriously. It was a short week with the holiday on Monday, but I paid for it the rest. I felt drained at the end of every day and even though I should've gone for a run on Thursday I was totally wasted. Also, I'd been standing a lot, being on video meetings. I worked until late afternoon on Friday, as you do, and went to a concert last night. It was nice to get out of the house. This morning I slept until 9:20 am and had no obligations the rest of the day. I went for a 3-mile run and did 1.75 of that in actual running. I thought about going longer but didn't see much benefit in that, especially with the humidity and the fact I did have a few other things I wanted to accomplish, like mowing the lawn. Feeling more like myself here in the evening after sitting in the garage as I defrosted the freezer. Tomorrow should be a day of rest. At least that's the plan.

Good Timing

I went for a lunch run today, which turned out to be good timing since we got dumped on about the time I would've gone out after meetings. The rain came down like crazy for about ten minutes, at least, and now I don't have to run in the after-storm humidity. I enjoyed the earlier outing of 3 miles, 2.25 of which was running without a break. Felt good and enjoyed the quick outing. I don't mind seeing the rain and we can always use it in Texas.

Step Count

I was in Las Vegas this week for work and even though I didn't get in any runs, I certainly ran up the step count on Wednesday and Thursday. I walked over 5.5 miles each day. So I feel like I got in some exercise even though it wasn't strictly exercise.

Today I went out for a run and ended up at about 4.25 miles, with 2.25 of that in running. I walked more than usual because I ran into a friend and walked with him for quite a bit, catching up on things since I hadn't seen him before I broke my collarbone in October. He remarked that he thought I'd moved or something so I told him the saga of my surgeries in about two months' time and the road to being cleared to run again. It was a nice day, although a bit humid due to rain in the early morning hours. Nice and with plenty of sunshine, and at least the spring wind has died down after several weeks of blowing like crazy. Tomorrow is a smoking day with brisket, ribs, sausage, and jalapeno poppers. After exercise this morning followed by mowing the lawn, I feel like I deserve a nice restful Sunday.

How About Some Humidity?

I did the rare Monday run today because of my work schedule this week. I got in 3 miles total with 1.75 of that in running. A little bit of sunshine and a lot of humidity goes a long way in keeping things in check. Add in strong winds once again and it made sense to not go crazy. Felt good to get out and check that box, especially since I had a lot of boxes to check today. Early voting, mowing the lawn, and procuring some supplies for a work trip factored into the mix. I have a window to go running tomorrow so I'm hoping the rain holds off and lets me get out for another.

Hello, Wind

Quite breezy this morning. I didn't get out Thursday due to a day packed with meetings, so I was ready to go today. I went 4 miles, running 2.5 of it. The humidity is up and even though the wind helped a little, I felt better walking in several intervals. My iPod surprised me by being dead and I had to leave it charging. That was okay as I got to think about the book I'm writing without distraction. Nothing earth-shattering, just thoughts about what I want to do in future chapters. Afterward, I spent time eating breakfast, drinking coffee, smoking a cigar on the back patio, and writing. So far, it's been a good day with more to go. And I got in my run, which is always a good thing.

No Stopping

 I went 3 miles total today with 2.25 of that being a run without stopping. Felt good and it was a nice, sunny morning. I topped that off by mowing the lawn. And a lot of work, both stuff to do and meetings. All in all, a busy day. I've also been doing pushups since I got back from vacation and am up to 320 per day this week. I keep building up, just like I'm doing with running, and I'm feeling almost all the way back to normal. No stopping.

Still

This morning was very odd when I walked outside - the air was absolutely still. No breeze at all. Let's just say it's been awhile in Texas since that happened. It's been a blustery spring, as usual. The atmosphere just felt...weird. Regardless, I braved the calm weather and went 4 miles, with 2.75 miles of running total. I thought about trying to run without walking, but the humidity and calmness made it seem like I was running with a wet blanket over my shoulders. I'm not training or trying to prove anything, so I walked between intervals. I had a good outing and got it done first thing on a Saturday, leaving plenty of time for other things, like coffee on the back patio where I'm writing this.

Post-Vacation Run

Got back Tuesday from a week-plus on vacation in west Texas and southeastern New Mexico. I didn't run but certainly got in a lot of walking. We went to Big Bend and hiked some short trails, less than we would've done normally but The Wife broke her foot the night before we left. Hiking in a big boot isn't the easiest in the world but she was game to do as much as she could. We also went to Carlsbad Caverns and did the Big Room circuit. Thankful that there is an elevator that helped us avoid the steep entrance/exit with all its switchbacks.

Today I'm back at it with a nice 3-mile outing in sunshine and mid-60s temperature. I ran two of those miles in 1-mile intervals. Not many folks out on a nice Thursday morning but to be fair, I did go out at an odd time between meetings. Glad to be back at it.

An Odd Mix

I got out today about 11:30 a.m. I probably should've gone earlier, but I had other stuff to work on as well as coffee to drink. The day was mostly cloudy and a little more humid than normal for this time of year. I went 4 miles total in kind of a weird mix of intervals. I walked a quarter-mile, then ran 1.25 miles. I walked another quarter and started another run, but only ended up going .75 miles because I encountered a couple with a dog that looked a little lame and didn't want to run by them on the way back. Therefore, I stopped short of a mile on the alternate path because it gets hilly at that point. Then I walked another quarter before starting up again. That interval ended up at a half-mile because my heart rate got a little high and I walked the last three-quarters of a mile. All told, it was a good run, just not very organized. Oh, well. A run doesn't have to be neat.

Longer

It rained Tuesday, so no running. Today I got out late morning and got in my 3 miles. The good news is that I walked a quarter-mile and then ran 2.25 miles without stopping, my longest interval since starting back up again. I know that's not much for someone who has run marathons in the past, but building up my base is a marathon, not a sprint. Felt great and like a nice accomplishment after the past six months. I could've run more, but let's be honest, I'm not running up the big hill on Lake Forest. Not yet, anyway. Looks like rain has mostly moved out of the forecast for the weekend and hoping to get in a decent outing on Saturday.

Yesterday

Yesterday did not result in a run. Rain all day, breakfast birthday lunch for the kids, surprise birthday party in the afternoon for my sister-in-law, and feeling worn out by the time we got home. Today worked out better. Relaxed in the morning, went to church, spent the afternoon at the cigar shop watching golf, and coming home to go for a 3-mile run/walk. The sun had come out and the weather rose to the low 70s with very little wind. I ran .75-mile and 1-mile intervals. Thought about doing more but I needed to mow the lawn as well. Hoping the rain stays away or at least gives me some gaps this coming week so I can get in my runs.

Missing a Few

Didn't run Saturday or Tuesday and really, my excuses are kind of lame. Saturday I did a lot of stuff around the house, checking a lot of items off my list. It also rained intermittently and I never found a time slot to get out for a run. Then on Tuesday I had meetings until late afternoon and the day was packed. If I'd tried a run I think I would've had the same problem with tight calf muscles like I did last week. In both cases I could've gotten out if I'd really tried. Not my best efforts.

Today I went for a run after lunch. I decided to keep it easy, so I ran two 3/4-mile intervals out of 3 miles total. For those at home doing the math, that means I ran half, but not all at once. No problems today, which was refreshing. It was also in the low 80s and actually felt a bit more like late spring when I stepped outside earlier. Kind of that blanket of humidity and heat. Fortunately not too bad. I sweated a bit but that's a good thing.

The Problem

Today was another aborted run with tight calf muscles. I alluded to it last time this happened and I think I've finally figured out the issue. Previously, I'd hustled out for a run after a half-day of meetings. I have a standing desk, which means I was standing for probably five hours or more. Same today. It seems that standing for such a long time produces calf tightness. Go figure. I'm slow on the uptake sometimes. I went 1.5 miles total with a quarter-mile walk in there before I reined it in.

How to avoid this problem in the future? I can think of a couple of ways. The most obvious is to avoid standing for so long. That's somewhat doable as long as I'm not on camera. If I have to be visible, my camera is at eye level, precluding a sitting position. Still, I should make sure I sit when I can. The other solution is to avoid hustling out the door after so many meetings and so much standing. I like to get stuff done earlier in the day, but it's clear I need some time in between all the standing and all the running. Lesson learned.

Almost Cool

The breeze from the south made the 67-degree temperature seem almost cool this morning. Fortunately, the sun shined and clouds were scattered, making for a most pleasant outing. I did the same as last Tuesday, where I went 3 miles total with .75 and 1-mile intervals. Overall, very good. I felt like my left glute wasn't really activating, especially when I ran up an incline and tried to squeeze my cheeks. At least that's what I hear you're supposed to do in order to utilize those muscles. Anyway, at various times I focused on getting that leg, hip, and glute to cooperate. Felt a little better toward the end but still some work to do, I think. Or maybe it was a one-time thing. Guess we'll find out in a few days. 

More Rain

In the early morning hours and up 'til about noon it rained. Looked like a run wasn't in the cards but lo and behold it cleared up and turned out nice. Sun was out this afternoon and temperature rose to the upper 60s with a stiff breeze from the north. I headed out about 4:30 p.m. and got in 4.5 miles, my longest outing since all the medical junk. I also upped my longest interval to 1.5 miles, bookended by .75-mile intervals for a total running distance of 3 miles. It felt good all the way and that "long" interval wasn't too much. I had a late lunch of crawfish and shrimp. Not sure what that has to do with anything but it was sure was good. Feeling better with every outing and it's a good sign that I'm able to keep building the base.

After the Rain

Idk, I might have used that title before. Regardless, rain moved through the area in the early morning hours. When I went out a little before 10 a.m. the storm had moved off to the east, leaving behind wet pavement and some clouds. Temperature was around 70 degrees and a nice breeze from the south kept it real. I originally thought about going a mile longer but ended up doing another 3 miles with .75-mile and 1-mile increments. I could've gone the extra mile, although that might have been a bit much for a weekday and a longer run coming up on Saturday. Or maybe it would've been fine. Guess we'll never know. Still feeling good on the road to recovery and continuing to build up the base. Before I broke my collarbone I was doing a lot of push-ups every day. I'm now back to doing that as well as running, and slowly increasing the number each day. It's amazing how fast you can lose muscle mass, especially at my age.

One More

One more run in March to make it eleven for the month, the most since I hurt myself at the end of October. Today was very windy, although the temperature felt good. I did 3 miles total with .75-mile and 1-mile intervals. As I've been doing, I kept it slow and easy. I can't put into words how awesome it is to be back on a regular running schedule and building up my base. This feeds into my regular summer routine where I walk periodically in the heat, but maybe I can get in some longer runs before that happens. It's also nice to have to do the laundry from exercising. Never thought I'd miss that, but it's a return to normalcy to have shorts, shirts, and socks, to fold and put away. I'll take it.

According to Plan and More

Yes, today's run did go according to plan. I waited until late morning to run, for two reasons: #1 - My normal path was closed until 9:30 a.m. due to the McKinney Historic Half, which I clearly did not participate in; and #2 - It was cool and windy and I wanted to wait for a little relief. My plan was to run three .75-mile intervals and I did so on the first two but extended the last one to a mile. That gave me 2.5 miles of running out of 4 miles total. My calf muscles felt fine and I'm thinking that tightness on Thursday was a one-off due to too many meetings and trying to rush. No such problems today. We have rain in the forecast so we'll have to see how I can wedge some runs in between the showers.

Rubberbands

Today was a little step back from the progress of the past few weeks. Sunny and very breezy, the temperature was around 80 degrees. The past couple of days have been full of non-stop meetings for work and by the time I got out this afternoon, I had a short window before the high school let out for the day. I felt like I was in a rush and when I started running after a half-mile walk, my calf muscles felt very, very tight. Like stretched rubberbands. It didn't feel right and I stopped to walk again after only a quarter-mile. I decided at that point that today's outing would be only 2 miles. At the midpoint where I turned around, I started running again and felt more relaxed, the aforementioned muscles included. I ran a half-mile and walked the rest of the way home, where I proceeded to mow the lawn. If you're keeping score, that means I ran .75 miles, not really what I hoped for when I started. Still, it was good to get out and sweat a little. Hopefully Saturday's run goes more to plan.

Three in the Morning

Today I dialed it back to an easy 3-mile outing. I ran 1.5 miles in two .75-mile intervals that went well. I got out between meetings and I have to say it's always a good thing to get some outdoor time during the work day. Especially since I had a meeting in the afternoon that ran over a half-hour. With other family commitments after that I might not have been able to run today unless I did so in the morning. Here in Texas the trees are budding, as are the flowers, and the grass is turning green. Overall, we had a mild winter. Which kind of sucks because I would've loved to run during the good weather. Oh well. God must've known I needed a break.

More Than Two

Today was absolutely beautiful here in north Texas. Sunshine, temperature about 70 degrees when I ran about 10 a.m. and a nice little breeze to keep things cool. I added a mile to the total distance to go 4 miles and ran three .75-mile intervals to log 2.25 miles of running. I wasn't sure I should do all that but I felt good and kept it at a snail's pace. On the last interval I figured I was running so slow someone might pull up and hand me a walker. Of course, I'm conscious of the path and making sure I don't fall. Over the years I've fallen at least three and maybe four times, with the last one being the obvious worst. I think that's a pretty good average overall and I'm not really worried about falling, but let's be honest - the thought's there so I make sure to avoid it happening again. The thermometer got up to 90 degrees this afternoon and I'm glad I ran earlier.

Warming Up

After freezing temperatures earlier this week, we are on our way to the 90s by tomorrow and the weekend. I went out this morning when the temp was in the low 60s and enjoyed a nice run, especially since now it's 84 degrees in the afternoon. I went 3 miles and ran the same distance as last time, 1.5 miles, but this time in only two .75-mile intervals. I wasn't sure about combining intervals but I felt good, so what the heck, might as well go for it, right? Saturday I might add another half-mile to the overall distance. We'll see how it goes. As far as health, my shoulder feels fine and so does the place where I used to have an appendix. Hoping to stay healthy and enjoy the nice weather and exercise.

No Shamrock Run in 2026

The local Shamrock 5k was last Saturday and due to the fact I'm still ramping up my running, I missed it this year. I smoked pork, ribs, sausage, and jalapeno poppers instead. That said, it got cold here from Sunday afternoon into Monday morning, dropping from a high of 84 degrees on Sunday afternoon to almost freezing by Monday. This morning was even colder as we hit 31 according to my reading. At least it wasn't as windy this morning as it was yesterday. I went out around 10 a.m. for a run and almost turned around since the temp was in the low 40s and the little bit of breeze made it even colder. I persevered and ended up getting in my 3 miles, this time with 1.5 miles of running (.25, .5, and .75 intervals). I kept the pace slow and as always, am glad I went ahead with the run instead of skipping it. If only there'd been a Guinness waiting for me when I got home.

Saturday with a Little Extra Running

Not a lot of extra running, mind you. Just an extra quarter-mile during the 3-mile run. I guess the real news is that I did two half-mile runs as opposed to all quarter-mile runs. Started off with a half-mile walk, a quarter run, a quarter walk, a half-mile run, a quarter walk, and a final half-mile run before walking the rest of the way home. Doubling the run intervals seemed to work well. I didn't get worn out or heart rate too high. It's good to start extending the runs. The other night my youngest was trying to talk me into doing a marathon next year. I told her I'd entertain the idea as long as it's a flat course. This could be the start of laying the foundation for a lot of training.

Keeping it Up

Went for another walk/run today and did the same routine. 3 miles total with 1 mile of running in quarter-mile intervals. Still feeling good and maybe this weekend I'll extend the running just a bit. Kind of like a long run, but you know - not so long. We had thunderstorms roll through last night and when I woke up at 6 a.m. it was still blowing really hard and sprinkling. By late morning the clouds cleared and the wind died down. Mostly. It was a nice outing, and I must have hit the sweet spot since the wind picked back up here later in the afternoon. Not sure if I'll get out tomorrow but I'll see if I can find some free time.

Another Walk/Run

Today was another nice day and even though it's the second day in a row for an outing, I wanted to get it done since it might rain tomorrow. I did the same routine of walking and running, coming in at 3 miles total with 1 mile of running. The temptation to run a bit more was high, but I kept it in check. No need to push it at this point. Even though it was less than twenty-four hours since yesterday's exercise, I felt good and am once again happy to be back in the game. We'll see how the weather cooperates this week since I want to be back to regular runs.

Walking for Work

After last Saturday's triumphant return to the world of running, I spent the week in Las Vegas for work. Due to being a last-minute addition to the attendee list, my team stayed at the Excalibur. The meetings were at MDM Grand. If you look those up on a map you will think to yourself, hey, that's not too far. And really, it's not. But when you have to walk it four days in a row, the last towing luggage, it can get a little old. If you did look it up or you know the area, just to be clear, the meetings were at the convention center on the east side of the complex. Basically twenty minutes of walking. Hey, I'm not complaining. I got in over 10k steps every day, and far beyond that on several. What I didn't get to do was run.

That was today. A gorgeous, 70 degree and sunny day in early March. I wanted to run yesterday but the weather gods didn't cooperate, sending rain and wind all day. I did the same routine today as I did last week, with 1 mile of running in short quarter-mile intervals and the rest in walking. That seems to work well as I start over with my running career. I'll probably do it a couple more times before extending the running intervals. The goal here is to build a strong foundation, not to see how quickly I can progress to a half-marathon or more. Keep me honest here. I just want to increase bit by bit and return to normal.

First Run

Finally got cleared on Thursday by my orthopedist to start running again and went out today to jog for the first time in four months. Okay, it's two days short of four months, but I'm rounding up. I walked a half-mile to start, then ran four quarter-mile increments between quarter-mile walks, ending with a three-quarter mile walk. In total I ran a mile out of 3 miles. It felt good and easy and after this long I'm treating like starting over. It was a nice sunny day, which helped the good mood. If my Apple Watch can be believed, my heart rate got into the low 150s on a few of the intervals. It was a great start and I'm happy to be running again.

Just a-Walkin'

Thir morning was breezy but nowhere near as bad as yesterday. Went for a walk with The Wife and the caveat that we'd walk slower due to several nights of bad sleep on her part. We totaled 2 miles at a pace about three minutes slower per mile than my regular and that's okay because I like her. The wind died down quite a bit into the afternoon and I worked for most of that off the back patio while smoking a cigar or two. I decided late in the day to go ahead and run the mower over the remaining leaves and mulch them as best I could. The lawn looks better and I'm glad to have that done. Also ran the sprinklers to boot. It's late February but this might be the beginning of Spring. We'll see.

Gusty

Wasn't sure if I'd get out for a walk today but glad I did. This morning I got up and wrote a couple thousand words in a book I'm almost done with, then went to the cigar shop and stayed longer than I'd intended, ending up with a very late lunch. Afterward, I was going to sit outside and read and decided instead to not pass up the opportunity to walk. The temperature is a mild 59 degrees, but the wind out of the north is a steady 20 mph with gusts up to near 30. When I changed into workout clothes I almost went with the short-sleeve t-shirt. I'm glad I ended up with the long sleeves since that wind was quite chilling. I went 3 miles at a brisk pace, getting the heart rate (allegedly) into the mid-140s uphill. Pretty good workout. I didn't see anyone else out until I'd gone almost two miles, a guy on a bike just starting his route. Another couple walking their dogs down the big hill on Lake Forest, and that's it. Apparently not many people wanted to brave the gustiness of the day.

Thursday Walk

I walked a couple of days ago, Thursday, but kept remembering to post about it at odd times until now. Even though I'm a little late, I can say it was a nice 3-mile walk. Our weather is up and down, especially wind-wise, but it was a nice morning and not too breezy. Due to the timing of when I went, I didn't see much of anyone else out other than some guys working on sprinkler maintenance at the entrance to Creekview. I probably should've gone for another walk yesterday but I had other plans, and maybe I'll go this afternoon. Depends on the wind.

Before the Rain

I got in another 3-mile walk today before the rain hits tomorrow, all day. It was overcast today but still nice, especially for mid-February. I saw a few runners hitting the trail, but not a lot of others out and about. That distance takes about fifty minutes and gets my heart rate on the hills in the 130 bpm range, which is pretty good for a bit of exercise. I walked my regular route and as I walk by the spot where I fell in October I look for clues as to why, but the sidewalk isn't giving up its secrets. Oh, well. At some point in the near future I should be running by that section without a thought. I hope.

Sunny Walk

 A nice morning on its way to 72 degrees this afternoon. Went for a walk with The Wife and went 2.25 miles along my westerly route. We had to put down one of our dogs yesterday so the sunshine and general better mood today felt good. We're due for rain this weekend and I'm trying to get in some walking before it hits and we get trapped inside. Hopefully I can get out again tomorrow morning. I'm ready to start running again but still holding off until I get the official clearance. We'll see how I feel next week and if I want to produce my own version of clearance, but don't tell my doctors.

Gray Walk

Cloudy but mild today, with temperatures in the low 70s. A little breezy from the south, but not too bad. I walked 2.25 miles while listening to a work webinar. Once again, it's nice to have the chance the walk both after the recent health issues and the fact that it's still February and the weather could be a lot worse. I've resumed my shoulder exercises and those are going well. I have a PT appointment next Tuesday and want to be in a good spot. The one area where I still seem to lack flexibility is in trying to reach my right hand behind my back and up the spine. To be far, though, I'm not sure my shoulder was that flexible before the accident after years of sawing the bow in orchestra and playing baseball and softball for decades. Anyway, glad to be back at it and getting back into shape when I can start running again.

Another One, Please

Another nice day in north Texas and another chance to walk. Plenty of time this afternoon and nothing on the agenda until later, so I went out and walked 3 miles. It's tempting to run just to test things out, but I'm only two-and-a-half weeks out from appendix surgery. I resisted the temptation. It was nice to get my heart rate into the upper 120s and break a light sweat. After the collarbone and appendix incidents, I'm feeling about 85-90% back to normal. Honestly, I didn't think I'd feel this well so soon after the appendix surgery and just over two weeks out from getting home. Glad that it seems to be on a consistent upswing and hoping to keep it that way. Weather this coming week is supposed to be good.

Walking Without an Appendix

Today was nice, sunny and mild temperatures, especially for February. I took the opportunity to get out for my first walk since the appendectomy. I'd joke about feeling lighter without an appendix, but in reality I really did lose about 12-13 pounds during the whole fiasco. It's amazing how not eating anything for a few days and then broth and soup for another several days will shed the weight. I walked my 2.25-mile route and it felt about as good as it did before the surgery. No issues or complaints. In that regard I'm feeling pretty good and hoping to get out for some more walking. The nurse at the hospital said it was good for me to walk and that's what I'm going to do.

Health Update

It's been a month since my last update, which is when I was still in recovery for my broken collarbone. In a cruel twist, I had an appendectomy on January 21st, which further put my running recovery behind. It's been two weeks since that surgery and I feel pretty good. Better than I thought I would at this point. I was hoping to get clearance to run at my next orthopedic appointment on the 17th, but that got pushed to the 26th since the doctor will be out of town. All of that puts my likely return to running at the end of February or beginning of March. I don't think I'm going to make it for the St. Patrick's Day 5k this year. I can see that by the time I can start running again it'll be four months since the last time and I'll be doing a lot of walking with intermittent bouts of running. It'll take time to build up the base again but I'm ready to go whenever I get the word.

Yesterday Walk

It's another nice week in north Texas, especially for January. Highs this week are in the low 70s and yesterday was perfect for an outing. I went at lunchtime and walked 2.25 miles. All good and nice to get some sunshine. The therapist changed my exercises last week to get to full mobility in my shoulder, but again, no running until next month. That doesn't keep me from walking, though. I think a front is supposed to come through over the weekend and drop the temperatures more to a normal January trend, but we'll see. You know how far I trust the forecasters.

Walking Into the New Year

Started off the new year with a 1.25 mile walk. Not a bad day for winter, with temperature in the low 60s and no wind. Overcast, but still can't complain. I was on track for over a hundred runs last year, so it's a little sad that I didn't make it after the broken collarbone incident in October. I went to PT a couple of days ago and got new exercises to get back full mobility, but strength exercises won't start until after the next appointment in February. Hopefully then I can start to run again and build up for a St. Patrick's Day run in March. I'd hate to miss that since it's been a tradition for the last several years. A 5k would be the upper limit of my running at that point if I can get back out there and train for 3-4 weeks beforehand. I intend to take advantage of the nice weather and keep up the walking in the meantime.

No Running 'til February

I went for a walk yesterday morning, 2.2 miles, and it was so nice I wore shorts and t-shirt. Not bad for late December. It was great to get out and get some sun and exercise. In the afternoon, I had my six-week checkup with my orthopedist. The bone is healing as planned but it will be another six weeks before it's fully healed. I'm cleared to do full-motion physical therapy. The bad news is that I can't run until the next checkup on February 17th. The arm swings when running are too repetitive, so the doctor recommended cycling or an elliptical (without using the arm levers) for cardio in the meantime. Not great news, especially since it's so warm this week and it would be fantastic to be running during the spate of good weather. I'm glad about the collarbone and progress there, sad about the running. This definitely means I'll be starting from scratch when I get to resume.

A Little Longer

Today was cloudy with a stiff breeze out of the south, but I went for a walk anyway. I took the little bit longer route that I tried to take last week and this time nature did not call. The tally was 2.4 miles, not a great deal beyond what I'd been doing. It was nice to get out and about, especially after a few days that were much cooler, with overnight low in the 20s. Not sure of the possibility of getting out the rest of this week, but I hear that next week will be nice and Christmas Day could be 70 degrees. I'm totally okay with that.

Uno Mas

When I woke up this morning, I thought about getting out right away and doing a walk before eating breakfast. I decided against that since I wanted to enjoy a leisurely breakfast with a few cups of coffee. This afternoon, I went out when the temperature was in the upper 50s, but by the time I finished it felt much cooler. Clouds had moved in to stay and propel us toward a high of 43 degrees tomorrow. Still, I had a good walk of 2.25 miles. I planned on going longer, but the need to take care of the earlier coffee and water kicked in. Still, I got in a walk for the fourth day in a row. There will be no walk tomorrow.

Another Walk

Today I took a walk part of my normal running route. I saw one of my friends in the neighborhood and talked with him for a couple of minutes, and then set out along the path where I fell the last time I ran. Back in October, if you're keeping track. As I walked past that spot, I checked to see where I'd tripped and sure enough, it was just a normal crack in the sidewalk. There was one spot where the concrete pads weren't completely level, but I don't think that's where I went down. Anyway, I walked about 2.35 miles total and it was a lovely day. Sunshine, breeze that wasn't too overbearing, and I felt good. I might have mentioned this before, so apologies if I have: I feel like the walking is good for my shoulder since the arm swings, as limited as they are in normal walking, are still useful. Part of my PT involves swinging my arm and I figure that walking and getting that little extra bit of normal use must be beneficial. Hoping to walk again tomorrow and make it four days in a row.

Six Weeks

Today is six weeks since I fell and broke my collarbone. I went for another walk, same 2.25-mile route as yesterday. The wind was out of the south this time, opposite of yesterday, but not really any warmer. Sunshine, though, and that's always welcome this time of year. I'm still wishing I could run but doing my best to avoid doing something stupid. At least I'm getting out a few days this week for moderate exercise. I have a feeling I've put on a few pounds with the lack of activity, but those should come off quickly once I can resume my normal schedule. Whenever that is.

December Walking

Today it was nice enough to walk. The last couple of weeks have been busy and the weather not so good. It was nice to get out and enjoy the sunshine even though it was a blustery day. I walked 2.25 miles and this time without a sling. I'm four weeks out from collarbone surgery and I think the minimal arm swinging during a walk is good for the shoulder. I've been doing my PT faithfully but I think it'll be after the first of the year before I can run again. I thought about trying a few short runs during the walk. Common sense prevailed. No need to risk reinjuring myself while the bone is still mending. I'm looking forward to the day when I can run again. Without falling this time.

Another Walk

Still in walking mode and will be for the foreseeable future. The shoulder is healing just fine, but will still be in the sling for a few more weeks. This is a holiday week and I'm enjoying having extra time to do things like walk. Today was nice and sunny after a rainy, cloudy day yesterday. I walked 2.25 miles again, about forty minutes' worth of exercise. Hoping to do the same again tomorrow.

One-Armed Stroll

I'm a week out from collarbone surgery where the doctor put in a plate and eight screws. Still in a sling, but I've been doing the physical therapy exercises they gave me since last Friday. We have rain in the forecast starting tonight so I decided I should get out and get some sun and exercise. It was a nice morning. I went 2.25 miles and will do my best to walk when possible since it's still going to be several weeks before I can run again. My mother-in-law asked me earlier this week if I'd be able to get back to running with any kind of confidence. I replied that yes, I'm kind of stupid like that. Looking forward to the day when I get to go back out and start building up mileage again. In the meantime, it's all about focusing on healing the fracture and regaining mobility and strength in my right shoulder.

Two Walks

This week I've taken two walks with The Wife. I can't lay about and not get any exercise whatsoever, especially with limited options when one of my wings is out of commission. The weather was fabulous both days, sunny and cool with the coming of autumn. We walked just over 2 miles each time, taking a route through the north side of the neighborhood and into a new one where they're just building the model home. Delightful walks, delightful company. This afternoon I have a check-up with the orthopedist. They're supposed to take new x-rays and include both shoulders. That way they can use my left collarbone for reference on how the right one is healing and if there are issues with it shortening or other stuff. I'm ready to be back to normal, by the way. I hate missing out on regular running when the weather is so nice.

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.

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.

A Normal Run

I went this morning when the temperature was 85 degrees, as opposed to this afternoon and 95 degrees. A nice breeze from the south helped on my 4-mile out and back. Not as much shade in the late morning as I'd hoped, and the lack of clouds didn't help in that regard. Still, it was a good run with walks at the mile markers. Overall, felt good although the heart got a little bit high the last few miles. As I've said before, I'm not sure the reading is entirely accurate since I usually don't feel ill effects. I think the additional bpm in this case are due to the allergies I've been battling since last week. Yesterday I felt very lethargic in the afternoon and evening. Today is a little better and exercise usually helps in that regard. I'd give just about anything to not have allergies. In lieu of a Faustian bargain, the suffering continues.

Slipping Out

I slipped out at lunch today for a run instead of waiting until later afternoon. Why? Because it was 72 degrees this morning and overcast with a breeze. Our high today is only mid-80s, which is nice in and of itself. However, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to get out when it was even nicer. In honor of the nice weather, I ran 4 miles without the usual walk breaks at the mile markers. The sun did come out a bit during the last mile, so it wasn't all rainbows and unicorns. Still, can't complain about a day like this in August in Texas. The breeze was a nice touch, almost autumn-like. Not sure if this weather pattern will stick, but at least for a day it was nice.

Motivators

When I left the house this morning for a 4-miler, the temperature was a lovely 73 degrees. Humid, of course, but I'll take that kind of temp in August any time. It's funny how things go sometimes since today I ran into a couple of guys who shouted out some motivational help. To be clear, that doesn't usually happen. The first was a guy I've seen before who walks a handful of beautiful huskies. "Looking good, finish strong!" he said. I didn't respond that I still had 1.5 miles to go, but thanks for the pick-me-up. The other guy was walking along the sidewalk about a hundred yards from my finish and said, "Keep it up, brother!" It's nice to have fans along the running route lol. Anyway, it was a good run on a nice Saturday morning. Time now for some coffee and relaxation.

Conspiracy

Some weeks I feel like there's a conspiracy to keep me from running. Tuesday, for the second week in a row, we had a big thunderstorm right at the time I would've gone out. Additionally, allergies hit me midday on Tuesday and lasted through yesterday. Today I feel human again, but I'll say this: if you don't have allergies, count yourself lucky. It feels like having the flu without the benefits of losing all the contents of your stomach through both ends. Seriously, it's debilitating and if you've never experienced it, good for you. Anyway, today was a chance to get out in the morning and shake off some the allergy effects. I only went 2 miles and walked most of the second half of that, but I have to say I felt much better afterward. In fact, I got that dopamine rush a little bit and just getting out for even that short of a time improved my mood quite a bit. It's amazing what a little sunlight and exercise can do for a person.

Sometimes You Walk

I did get out early, as planned, before the heat sets in. It was a run of varied success. The first half went well, but in the second half my heart rate kept jumping up into the mid-150s, which I felt was too high for what I wanted to accomplish. What was that? Getting out and running at a slow pace. I got in 4 miles overall, with more walking than I wanted, but sometimes you just have to walk. Seemed like plenty of people out walking, running, and cycling. I took the route through Creekview that provides the most amount of shade, but wow, when I'm on the return route that area that goes around the pond is a section where the breeze kind of dies. That probably didn't help with the heart rate. I'm glad I got out and who knows? Maybe I'll walk tomorrow morning just because I can.

Rain and Stuff

Was preparing to go out Tuesday afternoon and we got an unexpected thunderstorm that lasted an hour and a half, dumping a ton of rain on us. Wednesday's schedule was not good, and yesterday I deferred my usual outing since Honorable Youngest Daughter came over. Today I decided to walk, and I did. 2.25 miles. My main goal was to sweat a little, so mission accomplished. I have a bit of soreness low down on the right side of my ribcage, which kind of feels like when I bruised my ribs a few years ago. It's not as bad as that, but it makes me wonder what I did to cause the little bit of weird feeling. I have no idea. I guess that's one of the interesting things about getting old: you hurt yourself and you don't remember how. Oh, well. My plan is to run tomorrow morning before it gets hot, which is another reason I walked today instead of running.

An Early Four

Today's going to be a hot one. With that in mind, I made it out the door at 7:30 a.m. while the temperature still hovered around 80 degrees. Turned out to be a nice morning for a run and I took the route with the maximum amount of shade. I ran 4 miles, with walk breaks every mile. Not sure I really needed them, but I don't regret taking them. I was talking with a friend yesterday about running and I remarked how slow my pace is during the summer months. It's true. I keep it slow, about eleven minutes or even slower. Once the weather cools down in a month or two, my pace will pick up again. Until then? Just doing what I can to survive the heat while still getting in some exercise.

Three Again

Today was quite warm, in the upper 90s. I managed 3 miles again, with a little extra walking at the mile markers. I wasn't sure how it would when I set out and thought I might end up walking more, but I kept it slow and steady. I only saw a couple of other guys out, which means there are more crazy people than me around here. I also mowed the lawn when I got home, which meant plenty of sweating for a nice Thursday. No rain in the forecast, just heat. Gotta love Texas summers. Not much else to say about the run, other than I was thinking through ideas for a new book. Nothing concrete yet, just bits and pieces. I have a concept, but need a compelling conflict. Maybe I can get more inspiration on my next run.

Good Stuff

Today was a good day to run with a little bit of humidity remaining after the rains came through Sunday and early Monday. The stream I run over (via a bridge - I can't run on water) had one branch with a little water and the other mostly dry. I felt pretty good overall and got in a little sweating along the way. It was a 3-miler today and hope it's the beginning of the path back to higher mileage. Summer can't last forever, after all. We're forecast for temperatures close to the century mark for at least the next ten days. We'll see. Might be a road trip in the near future as well, which plays havoc with my running schedule. I'm trying to prioritize my running days and hope to keep it going.

Travel Week

This past week I had to go to Austin for work. I didn't even take my running stuff since I knew I wouldn't have time to do anything besides work and evening outings with the team. This morning was a chance to get back into the swing of things with a temperature in the mid-70s with the usual addition of humidity. I ran 3 miles, which turned out to be the right distance for the first actual run in over a week. I'm optimistic, as always, that I can get back into the routine. I suppose I dodged a bullet these last few days since the thermometer climbed to the century mark a couple of times. We'll see how it goes, but we are most definitely in the dog days of summer here in Texas.

Just to Sweat

Today I walked 2 miles, no running. My goal was just to get out and sweat a little bit. Yesterday was a smoking day - pork, ribs, sausage, and jalapeno poppers. My goal for this session was to sweat out a little of the food and drink. With a temperature of 94 degrees and heat index of 104, I'd say it ended up being successful. Strangely enough, at four in the afternoon nobody else seemed to be out exercising. Huh. The one guy I saw walking got picked up by someone. Anway, I made my goal, even if it was pretty lame.

Four in the 80s

Ran 4 miles today and temperature had only risen to the low 80s by 8:15 when I headed out the door. It really wasn't too bad, with some shade in spots. I walked a minute per mile at the mile markers, as I do, and that helped. The three-minute walk at mile three was really nice when I turned the corner to head south and the breeze hit me full-on. That felt good. Lots of sweating. Then I came home and trimmed and mowed the lawn. Even more sweating. All good, though, and it felt good to get the running and chores out of the way before it got up to 99 degrees this afternoon. We're in the dog days of July and I'm going to take any chance I can to get out early.

Hell is Coming

The temperatures are on the rise and it looks like hell is on its way to north Texas. Today actually wasn't horrible, topping out at 98 degrees. When I ran this morning it was twelve degrees cooler, which now seems like a wise decision. We're supposed to hit the 100-degree mark next week for several days in a row. I did a nice, relaxed 3-miler today and overall felt good even though I didn't sleep well last night. Took too long to fall asleep and I started waking up off and on a little after five. Not my favorite way to spend a night, but to my surprise, it didn't affect my run as negatively as I expected. Hopefully I can get out again in the morning hours on Thursday. Don't know about Saturday, though, as I'm planning on a smoking day: pork, ribs, and sausage. If I start waking up early again I might hit the path; otherwise, I could push it to Sunday. We'll see how the weekend goes.

Out Early

I got up about seven this morning and quickly headed out for a run. It actually felt pleasant since some high clouds covered the sun for the first mile or so. And only 77 degrees on its way to 95 today. Seemed prudent to run early rather than wasting a few hours and getting caught in higher temperatures and humidity. I ran 4 miles and only walked two minutes at the halfway point. Lots of people out with their dogs today as well as some other runners and cyclists. I ran along the path by the big pond on the way out and then took the route back through the neighborhood for some variety and shade. 90 minutes afterward I've had my breakfast and am sitting on the patio with coffee and a morning cigar. Very relaxing and a feeling of accomplishment to start the day. Plus, I wrote over a thousand words in the book I'm working on. Not a bad way to begin a pleasant Saturday morning.

Long Game

Today was hot and humid. Looks like the typical Texas summer has arrived. 94 degrees with 104 heat index, and the forecast shows we'll get to 100 degrees air temperature next week. I didn't get out today until late afternoon and decided to ease into it. I went 2 miles total, with the first mile running and the second mostly walking with a brief interlude of running. I need to acclimate a little and this was the start. Not that the past few months have been cool, but running in July and August needs to be more thoughtful. Plus, I needed to mow the lawn and no use totally wearing myself out. I could have run more, but I'm playing the long game here.

Returned

Last week was a bust for running due to medical issues with my parents and a crappy work schedule. I'm back from Kansas, though, and ready to run. I got out the door today while the temperature was still in the 80s instead of the high of 94 we're aimed toward. Plenty humid and I ran 3 miles, with a walk at the mile markers as well as a brief stop talking to a friend who routinely walks the same path. Overall I felt good and it was nice to get out the door again. Last night my youngest daughter and her husband came over for dinner and she asked if I wanted to run a half-marathon with her in October. I said no, I don't really want to train that hard this summer. Then overnight I proceeded to dream about running a half on the spur of the moment with her, which included wearing my normal shorts instead of ones made for running, running through a big building with a lot of hallways, and having to skirt a bear in a clearing that acted friendly but also seemed dangerous. Ah, the randomness of dreams. That's as close to a half as I'm going to get for the moment.

Independence Day Running

This is apparently the second year in a row I've run on the Fourth of July. Normally, I wouldn't run on a Friday, but due to my slipped schedule this week it worked out for me to do another 4 miles on the Fourth. I'd say it was humid outside and offer as proof my sunglasses fogging up during the run. I did my usual walk at each mile marker and that was once again the correct choice. Saw several others out running as well as some walkers and cyclists. I merged onto a path behind a guy not going much faster than me and when I did my walk he got ahead. I caught him when he started walking and I upped my pace a little since he started running again right as I passed. No need for the path to be blocked by two middle-aged slow guys running a turtle race. Now it's on to family time, which involves going out for lunch. Not sure what's for dinner but tomorrow definitely involves smoking a brisket.

Slipping a Day

This week I decided to let the running slip by a day. It works out better with my schedule as well as the holiday on Friday. Today I did a morning 3-mile run. Hard to believe we've already made it halfway through the year, but at least I've been running the whole time. I was talking with my dad this morning after he went for a walk and commented how hot it was. I told him that's why I run slow and build in walk breaks. I'm not out to win a race or prove anything on these runs. Maybe a half-marathon (or even a full) again one of these days, but not right now. Currently, it's a maintenance thing. As I've mentioned before, this is how I justify eating steaks and drinking beer. Plus, it's swimsuit season and some of us have to maintain our dad bods.

Running Before Coffee

I got up early enough this fine Saturday morning to run before it gets too hot. That also means running before having any coffee, which is good because now that I'm home I can sit on the patio and enjoy several cups without having to rush. The temperature was in the upper 70s but as usual, the humidity percentage was about the same number. I took the easterly route today, with the variety of going on the north side of the neighborhood around the pond to remain longer in the shade of the trees along the path. This is how today's run went: ran first mile, walked a minute. Ran the second mile, walked to the end of the bridge and back to add another quarter-mile or so to the total. Ran the third mile, walked about three minutes. Ran to the bottom of the big hill, walked up it. Ran the final third of a mile or so and walked the couple of blocks home to cool off. All told, about 4.5 miles, including the walking. Thought about going longer but decided a little over an hour of exercise would be enough without adding an extra half-mile. I'd say overall it's been a good week in the running department. Not outstanding, but pretty good given the heat and humidity.

A Brief History of Time

Just kidding, this is NOT a brief history of time. Sometimes thinking of a title for a post is hard work and you just end up going with whatever pops into your head. Instead, this is a brief history of today's 4-mile run. I took the westerly route, the one with bigger hills. I ran the first half and then walked for a couple of minutes before resuming the third mile, the end of which included walking a quarter mile up a humongous hill before running the last mile without stopping. The first mile of this route is mostly uphill, meaning a gentle incline that keeps you from really ever catching your breath. I went during the late morning when the sun was shining and temperature only about 80 degrees. One thing about going that direction is that there are a lot less people than on my usual route through the park. Go figure. A nice breeze from the southeast helped when I ran that direction. Overall, a good outing and nice chance to get my run in early for the day.

Opportunity

When the opportunity arises, run before it gets hot. That opportunity presented itself today, and so I did. Temperature was mid-80s and about ten degrees higher when adding in heat index, all on its way to a high of 93 today. A breeze from the south felt really good when I hit the straightaway for the last mile and I audibly sighed in contentment. I went 3 miles, trying to keep it somewhat short due to work. I didn't see anyone else walking or running, but I did see several cyclists. Maybe they saw the same opportunity I did. We're definitely in the summer pattern now. No rain in the forecast, lots of sunlight, and a breeze that soon enough will feel like opening an oven. Hey, this is what I signed up for. No complaints here, just heat management.

Smoky Saturday and Running Sunday

Yesterday, Saturday, I should have gone for a run. The sky was overcast and temperature not too bad, although humid as usual. Instead, I smoked a pork shoulder, ribs, sausage, and cheesy corn dip. Yes, it turned out great and the family was happy. It's hard to mess up pork on the smoker. This morning, Sunday, I decided that I really shouldn't pass up another opportunity for some exercise, and so I ran 3 miles. A little more sunshine today and plenty of humidity. The run involved a bit of walking, but not as bad as earlier this week. I kept it at that distance to make sure I didn't end up in the same boat, as well as at a very slow pace to keep the heart rate down. It all worked just fine and I still have the stamina left over to mow the lawn this afternoon. Today's run was a fitting end to a week off work before resuming the normal schedule tomorrow.

More Humidity

Missed Tuesday's run due to a road trip and got out this morning. Oh, the humidity! The first couple of miles went well. Then it devolved into about as much walking as running. There's a section running by the lake in the neighborhood to the north where the air gets kind of dead. That was rough. It reminds me of Happy Rock Park in Gladstone (see how they named it?) where the trail ran around the perimeter of an area in kind of a bowl. I could probably go back a dozen years or so to look at posts about how un-breezy it was in that park. I went 4 miles total today and felt like a wrung-out sponge by the time I got home. Still, I needed to sweat and get in some exercise. We haven't hit 100 degrees yet in north Texas and the forecast looks to be in the mid-90s for the foreseeable future. As usual, I won't let the heat stop me but there will be walking when needed.

Wedding Day

Our youngest is getting married today and what better time to go for a run? After all, the ceremony's not until later. I was going to the store this morning to get some last-minute items, but The Wife beat me to it, freeing me up to get out right away for a run. About 74 degrees when I set out with humidity in the 80% range. I took it nice and slow and enjoyed the breeze, which helped quite a bit with the moisture in the air. I ran 4 miles with a walk break at each mile marker. I thought there'd be more people out, and there were some, but I guess most folks didn't want to be up and about that early on a Saturday. It was a nice morning for a run and now it's a nice morning for coffee. And let's throw in a wedding to make it a day to remember.

Good Intentions and Wet Blankets

My intent today was to run five miles. Did I? Not even close. We've had more rain the last couple of days and that sent the humidity soaring. This morning it was 95% and dropped to 75% this afternoon. I started my run as usual and by the end of the first mile I felt like I could barely breathe. It was like someone had taken a hot, wet blanket and thrown it over my head and body. Not exactly the recipe for a successful run. Rather than push onward, I decided to walk back home. So I went 2 miles but only ran the first half. Not quite the outcome I wanted when I set out, but sometimes life doesn't always cooperate. Anyway, lots of family coming into town starting tonight for the wedding on Saturday and hoping to get in a run that morning before the blessed event. Not that I have to do much other than walk the bride down the aisle. And wear a suit and tie. I think I can handle it.