Tight Schedule

Today was one busy day. It's the birthday for Daughter #2, which means a breakfast out with Daddy. Then we had Easter rehearsal, and while the girls were getting in costume and makeup I squeezed in a 5-mile run. I finished just in time to dry off and make it to the practice. I ran on North Oak Trafficway, up and down, up and down on the rolling hills. By the time I made it back to the church I was d-u-n, done. The temp wasn't too bad but it was definitely a little humid. Still, it feels good to be back on the road, injury-free, and enjoying myself. I thought about running 6 today but realized before I even started that it would be best to keep it to 5. Sometimes I'm a freaking genius.

Back to 4 Miles

I ran 4 miles today, and it's good to be increasing the mileage. The next week or so is incredibly busy, so any more mileage increases will be slight, if at all. Still feeling good and no knee problems at all. The mowers were out on Shoal Creek but the allergies didn't bother me at all, which is another good sign. Wow, if the good signs keep up this way I might have to consider doing something extreme, like planning on a race before fall or something.

A Spring-like Day in Spring

A little rain moved through this morning and cleared out by afternoon. The temperature was mild with just enough of a breeze to cool me off when I was running against it. All in all I can't complain about our Spring so far. I ran a mile with The Wife and then continued on for a total of 3.5 miles. As much as I'm enjoying the weather I can feel the tendrils of my old foe, Allergies, trying to bring me down. After last year I'm wary of how bad it might be, but so far not too bad. I just remember how much stinking pollen there was last year, especially in June around Mother's Day. Maybe this year will be different since the winter months were so mild and the pollen will be more evenly distributed. Making me miserable longer, of course. Really, though, other than some minor sneezing and snot it's a good start. As always I'm not going to let that keep me from running.

Relative Multitudes

Okay, so multitudes is maybe the wrong way to describe the number of people out enjoying this beautiful Spring day, but relatively speaking I'm not too far off the mark. Lots of runners and bikers were out when the kids and I went to the store, and plenty more when I was on my run. On my way back on Shoal Creek right by the golf course I got behind a mom and her son on bikes. They were going up the big hill very slowly and I almost caught them, but they got me on the downhill. And it's not like I was burning up the sidewalk with my awesome speed. Further up the street I started catching up to them again on the long, gentle uphill before the traffic circle. It was funny because the kid was going serpentine on the sidewalk and every so often he'd look back over his shoulder to see where I was and then would start pedaling faster for about five seconds before going back to his winding ways. But hey, it was a nice enough day for a slow bike ride just as much as it was for a slow 4-mile run.

The Sky Came Crashing Down

At about 3 p.m. today, which was a day off work, I sat on the couch and thought to myself that I could take a power nap or I could go for a run. For purposes of this story, let's just say I chose the nap. And remember, actions have consequences.

A little after 4 p.m. I set out on what I planned as a 3.5-mile run. Dark skies to the south made for a scenic, if somewhat threatening, run. I was just shy of hitting my 2-mile mark when it started sprinkling. I thought about going to my turnaround point but decided I should probably just head back to the house, even if it meant cutting my run short. As I ran west the clouds behind me started catching up and the rain slowly increased. By the time I made it back to the neighborhood it was raining - for real. I kept going amid some thunder from the clouds, hoping that we wouldn't start experiencing some cloud-to-ground lightning. I ran (quickly) up the hill I usually walk up as a cooldown, something I normally don't do. By the time I made it to the top the wind had really picked up and sheets of rain were blowing across the road.

So I got a little wet. No big deal. But if I'd gone out when I should have I could have seen the storm from behind a window. Oh, well. I still ended up going 5k in total, and at a little faster pace than I'd planned.

BTW, my new shoes came in yesterday and it's time to start wearing them around and breaking them in. I put them on briefly yesterday and walked a little around the house. I can already tell there's a difference in how the shoes help my feet track through a stride. I'm going to have to integrate these into my running at a slow pace.

Rain Run

When I stepped outside this afternoon the clouds were merely spitting at me. By the time I finished they were shedding water on me like they really wanted to get me wet. Fortunately they never opened the floodgates and I got only mildly wet. It had rained harder earlier in the day as well as yesterday, so I can't complain too much. I ran 3 miles and felt pretty good. My pace was under 10 minutes/mile, so I feel like I'm getting back on track just fine.

Tomorrow my new shoes arrive. My plan is to wear them around for walking before taking them out for a run. The reviews I saw said they seemed stiff until after the first run, and one guy said he got a blister on his ankle but shrugged it off as expected. Sorry, not in my book.

The Road Back

This morning I got to run with one of my nephews, which was a nice treat. We have a host of people at the house this week from The Wife's side of the family, and one of the nephews who came in last night likes to run. He hasn't run for a while but he kept up for 4 miles with pretty much no problem. Must be nice to be young. We walked up one big hill and kept the pace slow, no doubt more for my benefit than his.

I need some new shoes and I'm looking at changing since I had such bad luck with the last pair of Nimbus that I bought. I'd also like to spend a little less than a hundred bucks every time I have to get a new pair. I'm interested in the Gel Blur 33 from Asics, which I can get for a good price on Amazon. The reviews look good so I think I will head over to a local sporting goods chain today and try some on before committing.

Summer Already

Today it was above 80 degrees. Since we didn't have much of a Winter and it almost feels like we're skipping Spring I guess you could call today Summer in March. Crazy, but I'm not complaining. After several days of non-running due to company and extreme laziness, I hit the road again this afternoon. I struggled through 3 miles with somewhat dead legs, but I blame some of that on the humidity. Strange to have humidity already, but once again, I'm not going to complain. I'm finally feeling good again and hope this time I can keep up the momentum. Seems like nothing but fits and starts the past year. I'm ready to move on.

Running and Ford

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous. It's nice to be healthy enough to get out and run on days like that. I didn't have a chance to run while I was in Philadelphia, so Friday I was off work and knew I needed to get out. It worked out great since I had to take my truck to the dealership for a recall notice. I drove my truck down there and then ran home, which turned out to be about 3.25 miles. It was tough since it was up and down the hills of Flintlock, but it was so nice outside that I didn't mind as much.

But wait, there's more! The Wife was out with the other vehicle and the timetable for her return was unclear. Since it kept getting nicer after lunch, I told The Boy we were going to take a walk and get my truck. To his credit, he never lagged or acted tired. Maybe it was the promise of a milkshake plus lots of guy time that kept him going. Whatever it was, we walked back to the dealership and had a good time doing so. I was a little sun-tired by the time we got back and you could see a little bit of red on my forehead from the exposure, but it was worth it.

Running to Flight

I was going to run outside this morning before catching a flight to an eastern metropolis, but the wind was blowing like crazy. I chose to run on the treadmill instead. For some reason it was pretty tough to get going and I ran only 3 miles. I had to stop every five minutes for a brief bout of catching my breath, which is weird for me. I'm hoping it was just the early morning timeframe, which I haven't done in quite a while. Now it's off to one of my favorite places (not) - the airport.

Four Seasons in 48 Hours

Let's just say that Thursday was like Summer, with bright sunshine and a relatively warm temperature. I count it as Summer because I ran in shorts and a t. Then yesterday (Friday), it snowed in the morning and Winter came roaring back into the picture. But by afternoon the snow was gone, the sun was out, and the temperature was 50 degrees, making a nice Spring-like day. Add in this morning with the thermometer hovering around 40 and a strong wind from the northwest driving the wind chill below freezing and we were back to Autumn. It's amazing how the weather varies so much and so quickly. Wow.

I planned on running to Target and back today to get in a 5-miler but I adjusted the route due to the wind. The Wife ran the first half of the route with me and I continued on my merry way to get in the whole distance. Even with the wind blowing so hard I saw a number of people out, getting in their exercise. I guess we're all a little hopeful that the warmer weather will come back and stay.

Is This March?

Wow. Temperature up around 70 degrees today. All I can say is how much I love global warming!

I saw a lot of people out walking as I was on my way home. And once I joined the crowd I saw several more. I probably should have run only 3 miles but I went for a 4-miler just because it was so nice. I kept the pace slow again and today was much better than Tuesday. I think earlier in the week I was still recovering from giving blood on Sunday. Today was much better although my pace was still a glacial 10 minutes/mile. But that's okay. I'm just glad I've been able to get back to running while the weather is nice. Sometimes jealousy is a great motivator.