Last Run of 2017

It seemed fitting to run 10 miles for the last run of the year of my tenth marathon. So that's what I dd.

The temperature definitely helped. It was about 40 degrees, which as I've said before is actually pretty good running weather. Plus I did three German lessons on my iPod. One way or another I'm gong to be ready for the trip next summer.

Cold and Hills

The temperature climbed up to 39 degrees today. Funny to think about how relative these things are. When I lived in KC a temperature like this would have been a warm day compared to single digits and negative wind chills like they're experiencing now. In Texas it's just cold and I layered up for today's 6-mile hill run.

Once again the cold actually helped out as I attacked the hills. It was nice to go a different route for a change. Another good run to help close out the year.

Cold but Good

Temperature this afternoon reached a high of 37 degrees. I went out earlier to get a battery for the van and it was misty, windy, and cold. At least the mist and wind settled down an hour or so later, and even though I considered taking the day off there really wasn't any reason to do so. After all, I've run in worse and I also have cold-weather gear still. I re-started my German lessons on this one since there was basically nobody else out today. I went my usual 6-mile route and it was a good outing. When there's no wind that's actually a bearable temperature if you're dressed right.

Christmas Eve Eve Run

I waited until the afternoon and a nicer temperature than the freezing weather of the morning. It was upper 40s, maybe even 50 degrees, when I ran my 8 miles. It turned out to be great weather for running. My pace stayed in the low 9's and I enjoyed the cloudless sky and lots of sun. A few people were out, but not many, mostly people walking their dogs. I saw several runners multiple times as I circled the park south of Virginia twice. The breeze was out of the north but even with the coolness I was able to break a little bit of a sweat. Hard to believe there are only a few more running opportunities left this year.

Winter Solstice Run

I missed Tuesday's run due to a quick trip to Austin and back the next day. Today I was off work and went running about 10 a.m. before the temperature went up all the way to 72 degrees. It was a nice easy 6-mile run with an overall pace in the low 9's. Guess I'll find out one of these days when I sync my GPS. I'm enjoying these runs in cooler weather.

Saturday Outing

Yesterday was a smoking day but before I put the pork on the smoker I went for a 9-miler. The morning started out pretty cool, probably in the low 40s, and I wore a hat and gloves. By the time I got to mile six I was heating up as the sun came out and warmed things up. That's why we dress in layers, kids. After the run and on my cooldown walk in the neighborhood I saw The Wife out with the dogs. She'd just left the house and I smiled because she was way overdressed. She gave me her scarf and gloves as well as the sweaters the dogs were wearing. They were probably happy to give those up. If dogs could look embarrassed at being dressed up like that was the expression they wore.

Winter Sun

Another nice Texas winter day, although it's not officially winter yet, yesterday. I ran the usual 6-mile route. Even though I wasn't quite as speedy as Tuesday it was still a good run overall. Not much else to say about it other than I enjoyed getting out on a nice sunny day with cool temperatures.

Loving Texas

This is one of those December days where I love living in Texas. The temp was cool, around 50, with a north wind that made it feel about 5 degrees cooler. But the sun was out and overall it was good. My pace was fairly quick, at least for me, in the low 9's with an overall pace of 9:16/minute for the 6 miles. Even fewer people out today than Saturday, which is not unusual. Felt good and enjoyed the nice day.

A Good Day to Run

On this fine Saturday I waited until almost noon to run since it was much colder at dawn. The strategy paid off. The sun was out, the temperature was up to 52 degrees, and the even the northwest wind didn't slow me down. All things considered it was a good day for a long run of 8 miles. That might be pushing it after several off days in the past three or four weeks, but the conditions were right and I could have gone more. Not a whole lot of people out, which was odd at midday on a nice Saturday, but that's their loss, not mine.

A Cold One

This morning I think I had every right to stay in bed and skip running: up until almost midnight working, temperature was 34 degrees, wind out of the northeast, etc. But it's been a week since I ran because I was out of town over the weekend with the guys, so I forced myself out. Plus it's not like I don't have the gear for running in the cold after living in KC for so many years. I'm glad I hit the pavement. I went my normal 6 miles and it wasn't actually too bad. I've run in worse. My knee felt better after I ran, although this evening it's a little sore. I've done some ankle weight exercises the past few days, and my right hamstring was also barking. That imbalance was apparently causing some problems. Whatever the case, I want to finish the year strong.

What a Day

It was beautiful today, in the low 60s and sunny with just enough breeze to make it feel a little cooler. I went my usual 6 miles today, actually the first time I've run that route in a number of weeks. It felt good, and even though my left knee feels a little sore I think that means it's time to get a new pair of shoes heading into the new year. A very enjoyable day today.

More Texas Autumn

It's almost the end of November and the temperature today was in the mid 70s with sunshine. I love Texas. I was going to get up early and run but decided to wait until later, and I'm glad I did. 5 miles and felt good.

Renewed Running

I've spent the last 13 days not running, and also trying to not eat too much over the Thanksgiving holiday. I was successful on both points, and actually started this morning a couple of pounds lighter than on race day. Today was a nice autumn Texas day and (grumble grumble) would have been perfect for a race. I took them as they come, though, and enjoyed my 4-mile recovery run. It was nice to get back into the swing of running. I thought there would be more people out, at least walking, but not so much. Also, my GPS didn't chime at the mile markers, which means I messed it up somehow after the race when I changed a few settings. I'll look at that before my next time out.

As far as recovery from the race goes, it was a little odd. The day after, a Monday, wasn't too bad, but I clearly sat too long at the desk working. On that Tuesday I had stiff and cramping calves all day, and even some into Wednesday. Later in the week it dissipated, but clearly I should have gone out for a walk on that first day. Lesson learned for next time.

Fort Worth Marathon

It was a humid day, and the one or two people who ever read this blog will know this is not a good thing for me. I was sweating within the first mile, and there were a few sprinkles in the first four miles that did nothing to help assuage the humidity. I followed the run/walk 9/1 pattern, which felt weird at first when I walked before the first mile marker, but which I think helped me in the long run, no pun intended.

My overall time was 4:37, not great and definitely in the middle of the pack. For the first 20 miles or so I was following a 10-minute/mile pace, but fell off in the last six miles. Maybe because my iPod died at mile 20 in the middle of a Lyle Lovett song, darn it. I actually made it to mile 24 before the calf cramps took over, and I believe it would have happened a lot earlier if I hadn't done the run/walk routine. I walked the last two miles, and once I hit the mile marker at 26 I tried to run the last bit but quickly experienced the worst cramp of the day in my left calf. At that point it was enough to hobble to the finish line and get my medal, which is cool because it doubles as a belt buckle. Gotta love Texas.

I'd love to try this method again on a drier day. Humidity was 93% at start time, and went down to about 86% or so during the race. Post-race I feel pretty good other than the mild flare-ups of some cramps. Strangely enough, I'm usually not very hungry after a race and had just a few bites of waffles and fried chicken. This race had food trucks instead of the tables where everyone pigs out and leaves nothing, so I appreciated that. I didn't feel like a beer at that point, also strange for anyone who knows me. We stayed at a downtown hotel and I was able to go back and take a nice long, hot shower due to a built-in late checkout time, and I'm grateful for that. Then on the way home we got nice greasy burgers at Five Guys, and I felt much better.

The route was a very nice, flat course along the Clear Fork of the Trinity River. Not much help along the way in regards to people pointing the directions out, but really there wasn't much of that needed. The water stops were fantastic and the people all so friendly. Other than the humidity there's nothing I can complain about. I'd run this race again, hoping for less humidity next time. I'm glad it's over and that tonight I can go to bed early and spend a few days recuperating.

Bay Run

This morning was the final tempo run before Sunday's race. I'm still in SF and ran south out of downtown along the Bay Trail. In all it was 5 miles, taking me beyond AT&T Park and back. The temperature was 51 degrees, very nice for the three miles of tempo at a sub-8 pace.

All that's left now is an easy run on Thursday and the trip home so I can relax a little before hitting the trail for 26.2 on Sunday.

Tapering

An easy 4-miler in San Francisco this morning. I took my hand light with me but never needed it due to the time change this past weekend. Once I got past all the stop lights in downtown and ran along the bay toward the ballpark it was a nice run. Plenty of people out and a nice view of the sun coming up over the water.

Not Really a Racer

I blundered into a half-marathon today but decided to just roll with it. It looked like the same one I ran earlier this year, identical course, and it actually felt almost the same weather-wise: moist. I'm not sure I could have run a full on a day like this. Here's hoping next Sunday will be cooler and drier.

I ran over to the church, around the parking lot, and then through the neighborhood a bit before stopping at the house to take a drink a gel pack. Then it was off to the normal route, where I saw the signs and refreshment tables long before I saw runners. I adjusted my route a little once the runners came my way. I ran the sidewalk up past the dog park on my way back, and around the pond twice. I also backtracked .12 miles after I broke away from the race route and ran that section twice so I could end with a total of 12 miles.

I probably overdid it afterward. Went to the store and got some supplies to stain the fence, and then proceeded to stain three sections. I decided to stop after that, which now seems wise. A trip to SF this week and then a couple of rest days before the race. The taper is almost complete.

Abbreviated Intervals

This was the day for one of my favorite runs, the 2x800 sprint intervals. I woke up this morning in Austin with a little congestion, and when I got home late morning I thought a good run would help clear it up somewhat. The bad news was that the temperature was much warmer today. I ran the first interval at about a 6:30 pace, but a little over a mile later I started the second one feeling the effects of the sun. I ran 400 meters and decided that was plenty. I walked a couple of times over the rest of the outing but still got in my 6 miles. A little disappointing, and all I've wanted to do since then was to go to bed. Just a little longer...

Tempo in Austin

This morning's 6-miler included four miles of tempo running, which as usual got progressively faster. Clouds hovered overhead and the reflection of the city lights provided some much-needed illumination. My final mile was at an 8:30 pace, which felt good. Lots of people along the downtown trails, as usual here in Austin. The cold front came through at the right time for this visit.

Recovering in Austin

My Monday run was 4 miles in downtown Austin, one of my favorite places to run, especially when it's nice and cool like it was at 6:15 a.m. I've learned my lesson from past outings before dawn and brought my light with me. There were several spots along the path where it pitch black, and the hand light (formerly a head lamp) served me well.

Redemption

Finally, a nice cool Saturday morning. In fact, it was literally freezing. From last week in shorts and t-shirt to today in long pants and several shirts, mittens, and stocking cap. It was refreshing and I kept a decent pace, about 10 minutes/mile over the 15 miles. I even planned my route so that I ended at the right distance and ran the last 5.5 miles downhill and flat, except for the big hill at the end.

I also experienced a measure of redemption since I made the right turn at the same juncture of indecision from last week - which was actually a left turn. The other thing that I did right was take a couple of my bottles out of the freezer last night so they could thaw since I knew they wouldn't do so as much during the run. The other two bottles were still about a third frozen when I finished, but I had plenty along the way and it wasn't an issue.

You know you've done some long runs and your training is working when 15 miles doesn't seem so bad.

Another Austin Run

This morning I ran my 6 miles, starting out in the dark again, in the form of Yasso 800s. The plan called for five of them and since I had to run fast to beat a light and cross the last major street on the way back, I went ahead and did an extra one. The temperature was cool enough again to allow for the faster pace. This time I made it all the way around to The Domain. No complaints - it was a good run.

Nice Discovery

Yesterday (Tuesday) morning I set very early here in Austin for a tempo run. The temperature was really nice. I wasn't sure where all I was going to get in my 6 miles since I knew the park at the quarry wouldn't be open. I ended up going through the business park to the east and came out on the frontage road, which then looped me under the Mopac Expressway and along the west side of The Domain. It turned out to be a nice discovery since I thought I was going to end up running up and down the same street multiple times. It's certainly not as nice as staying downtown but at least it worked out okay.

Stupid Wrong Turn

My estimate of the distance for today's long run using USATF was a little off, but I thought that was probably okay. By the time I got to the fifteenth mile I figured I would end up over my goal by about a mile or a little more, but what could I do? I guess the thought in my mind was distracting because about that time I made a wrong turn. I'd mapped a route that would give me a flat approach back to the neighborhood, for the most part, which was lacking my last few Saturday runs. I was in a neighborhood that I'm not real familiar with, and when I got to a point where I was supposed to make a left turn it didn't look correct - probably because it was uphill and I was expecting a continued descent to a park - and I took a right instead. By the time I realized I was not going where I wanted I was already committed. The route dumped back onto Eldorado, which ended up being okay. I think I came up a half-mile, or maybe even a little more, shorter than if I'd taken my originally planned route. I still ended up at 21 miles.

The run/walk method is working so far. The temperature today was warmer than during my morning runs this past week, but I'm okay with that because those days I was able to do speed work. Today the temperature was in the low 70s, but there was constant cloud cover and a nice breeze out of the southeast that helped with the humidity. I still sweat a ton, but no calf cramps and I finished the run without feeling absolutely horrible. My overall pace was right at 10:30/mile, which will put me around 4 1/2 hours for a race. I guess that will depend on the weather on race day. Now it's time to taper.

Visible Breath

Ooh, Visible Breath would be a good band name. Or even a good song title. I'll have to think about that one.

This morning was nice and cool once again, and even on the way back when it had moderately warmed up I could still see my breath. The conditions favored a good tempo run and that's exactly what happened. I started running at the one-mile mark, and the splits at miles 2, 3, 4, and 5 were 9:12, 9:03, 8:54, and 8:35. Not too bad, and I never felt winded or like it was a hard effort at any point during the 6-mile run. Overall pace was 9:22, which involved warm-up and cooldown mile bookends. A good effort, and even though it was early it was still nice to get the run in before the day started.

Some Yasso 800s

I think this was my first time to do Yasso 800s in this round of training, and I picked a good day. Today was one degree lower than yesterday and started at 43 degrees. I wish I'd worn mittens, but I survived okay. The intervals went well and the low temperature really helped. I ran five intervals over the course of my 6 miles.

In other news I finally registered for the race in November. And got a hotel for the night before. All that remains is to finish out the training plan.

Cool Easy Run

Monday morning dawned much cooler than the past few days...weeks...month. It was 44 degrees and so I wore a long sleeved shirt. I ran my 4 miles, and I could tell I definitely needed this easy run to stretch out a little bit. Nothing hurt too bad after Saturday's long run. I only wish the temperature had been this low on Saturday.

Endurance

I knew that with higher humidity and temperature than my other runs this week that it would be a test of endurance today. I was right. I ended up with 18.2 miles for the total, but really the extra two-tenths was to get back to the neighborhood and also because I walked so much in the last mile up some big hills. I'm thinking about reversing the route next weekend since that last stretch is too much at the end of a long run.

Fortunately there were no equipment malfunctions today. If I'd lost a whole bottle of sports drink and half of another I wouldn't have made it.

In other news, guess I should actually register for this race. I almost did it last night but decided there was no rush since I needed to get through today's long run first.

Early Outing

Back home for today's run, where I headed out at 6:30 before the sun rose. I didn't like the lack of a light for my 6-miler, but since most of it is on sidewalk the risk was low. I did four of the miles as a tempo run, getting down into the low 8's by the end. Once again it was a nice low temp, which will not be the case for Saturday's long run. Oh well.

Anniversary Run

The Wife and I went to San Antonio to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, and it was on that day that I also ran. I was going to do my recovery run on Monday, but walking around SeaWorld and Fiesta Texas on successive days was enough of a recovery for me. I mapped out a route for Tuesday, which dawned with temperatures in the mid-50s, on surface streets, but decided when I left the hotel that I would try the River Walk. However, I did it with a twist. Instead of going through the restaurant and tourist section, which would have been mostly deserted by my 10 a.m. start time, I decided to head north. I was surprised.

The route along the San Antonio River went much farther that way than I expected, and the only surface streets I ran on during the 6 miles were when I got to Brackenridge Park. Otherwise it was scenic, well-curated, and much nicer than running the streets. I had to backtrack a couple of times, and on the return route I navigated through the Art Museum grounds, but otherwise it was a very enjoyable run at a good brisk pace.

Equipment Malfunction

About 3.5 miles into today's 16-miler (which turned out to be 16.5 plus some walking) I felt some dripping on my left leg. I thought it was a top on one of the bottles on my belt with a top that wasn't closed all the way. It turned out to be a cracked bottle that was almost empty. Then about a hundred yards after I emptied that one I felt more dripping on my leg, and discovered that the top on another bottle was missing. I turned around and discovered it was actually caught in my shirt However I was down to pretty much 2.5 bottles of sports drink to last the next 12.5 miles.

Fortunately the sky was overcast and I made it. If the sun had come out like it did a couple of weeks ago there is no way I would have lasted. Which was even more fortunate because I took an ill-advised detour into a neighborhood just north of Stacy Road which I though would provide a route through an apartment complex and get me off the main road. No. It added about 2/3 of a mile to my overall run.

It was a tiring run and humid, which is normally my Achilles' heel. The cloud cover helped me make it through. Hopefully next week will also be better as far as equipment goes.

In the Slow Lane

Today's plan was supposed to include Yasso 800s, but once again the temperature was up in the 80s. I decided that getting in the mileage was more important than speed, so I ran my 6 miles. The difference between today and Tuesday was that I didn't walk anywhere except up the big hill. My pace averaged just above 10 minutes/mile, which wasn't too bad. Just looked at the weather for Saturday's long run and humidity will be about 90% in the morning. Should be interesting, to say the least.

Higher Heat, Lower Speed

Yesterday's plan called for some tempo running, but it was one of those days where the humidity was so high it was like running through soup. I decided early on that just running the distance would be a victory, and walking every mile for a minute would also be in order. So I ran 6 miles, with a minute walk at every mile marker, and when I made it to the end my clothes were soaked with sweat. I thought about running up the big hill, but there was a Mustang on the sidewalk in one of those "how did that get there?" positions that doesn't make sense unless you saw the wreck, along with a police SUV and another car in the right lane. So I walked past that. Lots of car pieces on the sidewalk and grass and so the street was my only way to go. Anyway, I got in the mileage and that's what made for a good outing on a not-so-good-running day.

Easy Monday

This morning was a nice 4-miler in mild weather. Pretty nice. Not much more I can add to that.

Testing

Today's 10-miler was sort of a test. The temperature was 63 degrees at the start, a marked difference from last Saturday's run. I used the run/walk timer on my GPS, deciding to run at whatever felt comfortable. I thought a test like this on a "shorter" run on a day that might be more like race day would be a good thing. It turned out pretty well.

The first mile was slow, but as opposed to more recent runs with higher humidity I didn't start sweating until the one-mile mark. Usually it's a half-mile in when that happens. After that my miles, including the one-minute walk, averaged 10 minutes/mile or even 9:45/mile. At the end of it all my average was right at 10 minutes/mile. I never felt like I was going too fast during the intervals. The question will be whether or not this is sustainable over a full 26.2 miles.

Once again there was a race along my normal route. I saw some people at a couple of the turns, including a water station at the turn-around for what looked like a 5k. I never saw any runners, and thought the volunteers were setting up. Either the race already took place and I was coming in at the very end, or it all occurred during my out-and-back. At the water station they gave me a cup of water, where I asked if I was winning. They assured me I was. No idea what race it was, but on my back all traces of it were gone. Maybe it was just an elaborate prank.

Cooldown

This morning the temperature was about 68 degrees, a nice cooldown from Tuesday's run. It climbed a little higher as the day went on, but only by about 10 degrees, which means our days in the 90s are probably over. Plus I wanted to run while it was cooler since I did 4 of my 6 miles at a tempo pace. It started somewhat slow, at about 9:30/minute, and by the end of the fourth mile I was closer to 8 minutes/mile. Typical. Fortunately this weekend is "only" a 10-miler and I get a little bit of a respite before cranking it up over the following three weeks: 16, 18, and 20 before tapering.

Texas Hill Runs

Not sure that I've actually done hill repeats since we moved to Texas. In KC it was pretty simple to figure out where to run these since there was a hill the nephews name Lungdropper Hill where I would run repeats. Here there are a couple of places, but both are along busy streets and not necessarily at good places on the respective route.

Since today is probably the last day - or close to it - in the 90s, I thought I would run a mile and see how it went. If it was not good, I would just try and maintain enough to get in my 6 miles. If a little better than good, I could do repeats right after mile two and then have a cooldown on the way home. The latter is where I ended up.

Without going into too much detail, I ran almost exactly the right distance out - within .01 of a a mile - to where my seven hill repeats up the curve at Hardin ended up where I wanted at the finish. My on-the-fly calculations aside, the repeats went well, I felt pretty strong, and even though I walked once+the big hill on the way back since it was over 90 degrees, it was a good workout.

Recovery Running

I decided I needed to add a little more mileage to my weeks, and so today I ran a 4-miler at lunch. It was a nice recovery run, with a few clouds to blot out the sun and the 90 degree temperature. I ran without music but everything else was normal, including all the sweat. I plan on doing this for the next six weeks or so. It doesn't seem so necessary when my long runs are less than ten miles, but beyond that it's nice to have an easy day with no expectations other than stretching out a little.

Let's Run Far

This was the longest run in a while. I planned my route this time along with some nutrition, and let me just say that it turned out way better than last week where I meandered and hit the wall. Today's 15-miler was a totally different story than 13 miles a week ago. I was going to get up at 6:15 and hit the trial, but I started waking up before 6 and ended up heading out the door shortly after 6:30. That was actually a good thing. It was still dark but that didn't matter for long. I ran a loop around the western portion of McKinney, which I had found on the USATF site. The last leg was supposed to head east on Eldorado and north up Hardin, but by the time I got to Eldorado I had enough mileage to know that I would be way over if I continued. So I ran about a half-mile on Eldorado and turned around to run up Lake Forest. That actually put me at 14.91 at my usual stopping point, and I walked the last .09 to complete the route.

The run/walk seems to be working well, and at this temperature and humidity I like it. Hopefully as the the weather cools off over the next several weeks my intervals will be faster, but at the moment I don't feel like I'm losing a whole lot - about 3 minutes every hour at the most. The only calf cramp I felt was right after mile 14 where I made an awkward move to turn walked for about 15 seconds to let it work out. Other than that it was all good.

Still Hot

Here it is in late September and the high today was 96 degrees. I love Texas! I worked late last night and honestly ate too much food - a bunch of meat from Rudy's in Austin - so that I decided to run after my flight home today. I headed out at 5:30 p.m., at which point the temperature was in the low 90s. Fortunately there was a good breeze from the south and most of the run was in the shade. I also walked a minute at every mile mark as well as up the big hill. The strategy worked and I got in my 6 miles. Felt pretty tired at the start but that worked its way out as I went along. I saw signs for a race on Saturday along the path, which means I'll probably need to plan an alternate route for Saturday's long run.

Quarry Lake

Tuesday morning I got up nice and early in Austin to get in my run. I set out from the hotel about 6:45 and headed north. My plan was to run around Quarry Lake, which I'd never visited, and lap it enough times to get in my mileage. It was still a few minutes from first light when I arrived and found the lake and path surrounded by a fence. Surprise! I tried one of the gates and no luck. I ran around a few buildings and then a path, where I found another gate. This one opened. I'm guessing they must have been on timers and set to unlatch at 7 a.m. Anyway, I was the first one on the path and ended up doing five laps (I think), a couple of which were at a faster pace.

It was a humid morning, and as I ran more people showed up on the path. A few were walking dogs, one guy sat down on a bench and read, and one shirtless older guy (like probably the same age as me) sprinted by me going the opposite way a few times. I saw him walking a lap later, so I guess the humidity got to him, too. I made it back to the hotel at about the 5.7 mile mark and that was close enough to my usual tally so I called it good.

Wandering

I'm interested in seeing how the map looks for today's 13-mile run. I was originally going to run a couple of miles over to the church and back and then my normal route for the rest. Instead I ended up momentarily thinking I would run hills (since I was lazy and skipped my Thursday run), but ended up taking a left instead. I turned right at the YMCA building on Ridge and then around the lake at Adriatica. I headed south on Stonebridge and then west on Coronado. I made it over to Custer and then wound my way back along neighborhood streets and then down to Eldorado, up Lake Forest and then back to Ridge where I eventually hooked back up with my route at the YMCA.

I did make a mistake, though. I left a sports drink and gel in the back of my truck, figuring I'd get those before heading out for the bulk of my run. Instead, my exploring meant I went the whole distance without any mid-run nutrition. By mile 11.5 I was feeling it pretty hard, so I walked a little bit and then ran the last mile. Not my best decision. Next weekend I will plan my route better so that wanderlust doesn't get the best of me.

Some Speed

After the drudgery of just getting out and running all summer long without much variety - it's not a good idea to do speedwork with temperatures in the 90s - today the plan called for fartleks, and that's what I did. I forget how much fun it is to run faster. It really is a feeling that takes me back to being a kid. I ran a mile, then started the 2-4-6-4-2 pattern. The temp today was in the low 80s with a nice breeze from the north, and that helped a lot. Several times during the speed intervals my pace dipped into the 7s, which I wouldn't have thought possible. Nevertheless, I felt loose and strong today and the run was a much-needed release after a couple of totally busy days at work. The intervals worked out perfectly since I was able to cool down in the last mile of the 6 total. Looking forward to the next bout of speedwork!

Glitch at the Start

This morning before I ran I reset the GPS to alert me for run/walk intervals. Then I started out on my run and after two minutes it chirped at me. The screen had some weird display of time and distance, and it had stopped. I ended it without saving, and then restarted. That worked. I have no idea what happened other than it was confused because it hadn't found satellites yet when I started. Anyway, I adjusted my run a little bit but decided it wasn't worth it to do the math and an extra quarter-mile wouldn't kill me. I ended up with 11.25 miles as the grand total.

Early on the temperature was very mild, and I felt like the walk breaks were almost cheating. By the last several miles I was looking forward to them as the day grew warmer. No telling yet if this is the right mix (9 minutes run/1 minute walk) but at least I can experiment over the next several weeks. For today I think it was okay, and probably only added about four minutes overall to the total time. If I can get through a full marathon without calf cramps it will be worth a few extra minutes.

Pounding the Hills

I decided today would be a hill day. Mostly because that's what my schedule said, but also because the temperature wasn't bad and there was a good breeze out of the southeast. Believe it or not, I actually like running uphill against the wind, to a certain extent, because it keeps me cooled off. I ran my 6-mile route over to Stonebridge. I usually don't see many others out running, which is a shame because the path that winds through and behind one of the neighborhoods is actually pretty nice. The thermometer on my return in front of our church said 88 degrees. That's mild enough that I ran the entire way, even up the big hills. Good run.

Dinner Run

Had work calls all day until after 5 o'clock, but that worked out well since the temperature cooled off a little. Along with a nice breeze from the north it made the 6 miles feel pretty easy, especially compared to my last run. It wasn't a fast run, although I could have kicked it up slightly I think. Nevertheless it was probably a better decision to let my body dictate the pace without trying to match a clock.

Full Tank

The title of this post refers to the state of our vehicles. Even as of late yesterday there were still long lines at the gas stations and people waiting for hours. Today we fueled all three of our cars with waits of less than five minutes each. Patience, people.

This morning it seemed like the longer I ran the more humid it became. Or maybe it was the sun rising higher. I went 9 miles. The first six went fine, and then I walked a minute. At mile seven it was a couple of minutes. And at mile eight it was probably three. Plus a walk up the hill. My shirt was drenched, but I made it the whole way. It was one of those runs that wasn't pretty but I still got to the end in one piece. That counts for something, right?

Gas Shortage Insanity

Hurricane Harvey pounded Houston for the past week or so. We got word today while in Austin that people were lining up for gas in the Dallas area due to shortages. On the way back we found that the craziness started on the south side of the city, and there were huge lines at all the stations in our part of town. Apparently most of the gas supplied to Dallas comes from Houston, hence the panic over the shortage. Fortunately we don't drive that much and I don't anticipate major problems.

I returned the rental car, which turned into a fiasco of its own, and was able to run from the drop-off point home. It ended up being 5.25 miles instead of my usual distance, but that's okay since it was in the upper 80s and I went over a little on my Austin run the other day. I ran the whole way, including the big hill, to make up for the shorter distance. At least that's the way it worked in my mind.

Another Austin Run

The water levels are up in Austin, but not to the flooding point. I ran this morning up Congress to the state capitol building, and then along the north side of Towne Lake, Lady Bird Lake, the Colorado River, whatever you want to call it. Because I followed the path around to the south side of the water instead of turning around my run ended up being 6.27 miles. It was a really nice morning, though, and great for running. In the last few miles I kept getting passed by the same two girls, three times in total. Kind of funny but it underlines how people train differently and shouldn't care too much about the people around them. I always figure you should do what you need to do in order to get in the workout you want.

Cloudy and Nice

The remnants of Hurricane Harvey stayed mostly to the south, with a few bands coming through after lunch, but this morning it was just cloud and in the low 70s. I ran 8 miles, the first long run of my training plan. Overall it went pretty well, and I was able to run the whole way. I figure I'll start doing run/walk on runs over 10 miles. Here at the end of August it was nice to have a long run in decent temperatures. Plus a new Hardcore History is out, and clocking in at six hours it should last me for several runs.

Hills and Clouds

While thinking about running a marathon in November and putting together my training plan, I believe I'm going to do the run/walk method in order to try avoid the calf cramps that I had so bad last time I tried to run a road race. The Bataan race certainly counts, but it wasn't one where I was trying to hit a certain time goal. So I discovered how to to program my Garmin for run/walk cadences, and tried it out on today's 6-miler, which was a hill run. Worked like a charm - 9 minutes running, and 1 minute walking. I'll be trying it on longer runs now that I know it works as advertised. I might also fiddle with the times, but I'm starting with that for now and will adjust as needed.

Beyond that it was a good run. Ran the hills on Stonebridge, and walked at the appropriate times. Except for the last one, but I walked a bit up the big hill on Virginia and then skipped the last time the GPS beeped at me. I can be flexible when the opportunity arises.

I'm Stupid

I read somewhere, probably Runner's World, that running in hotter weather causes your body to produce more plasma. Or something like that. If that's the case I should have plasma past the fill line. Today's run was in the low 90s and lots of sunlight. Midday was the only time I had free to run, so I went for it. Maybe not the smartest move, but I did plenty of walking when necessary. I got in my 6 miles and sweat out plenty of...well, it wasn't plasma. Running at midday in August in Texas is probably pretty stupid. But I've figured out how to manage it and it beats the alternative of not running.

A Sunday Run

Yesterday ended up being a smoking day, and I decided to postpone my weekend run for a day. That was a good move since Saturday ended up being too busy. This morning started out a little overcast and in the last half of my 7 miles the sun was out more than not. I ran a route with shade from the tree lines as much as I could.

The other thing notable about running on Sunday was that people seemed less friendly. About the first five people/couples I encountered going the other way did not respond at all to my waves or 'Good Morning' greetings. I saw one couple twice and they greeted me both times. They made up for the lack of friendliness from all the other grumps on the trail today. Maybe all the nice people were at church.

Still More Clouds

My plan this morning was to get up early, walk the dogs, and then run. While it was still dark a line of storms moved through, and kept going. I reset my alarm and got up soon after the storm ended. That allowed me to get the dogs out but not a run before I had to start working. The good thing is that I had a break later in the morning so I could get in my 6 miles. The temperature was 79 degrees when I finished but I would say it was nowhere near that. The humidity from the storms made it feel more like 90 degrees, but I still did the whole run without walking.

I'm thinking about the Fort Worth marathon in December. I need to put together the plan, but I think the potential is good. There's also a race in Dallas the week before, but it's about forty bucks more expensive. Plus I ran that one before, maybe even twice, when it was the White Rock Marathon. I don't mind driving across North Texas on a Sunday morning to a race. Plus I'm considering the run-walk method to see if I can avoid the dreaded calf cramps. More to come on this line of thought.

Overcast in Texas

My first couple of calls this morning were cancelled and I was able to run under cloudy skies and before it got too hot. I ran my usual 6 mile route without walking. The sidewalk in the park which had been torn up a few weeks ago was all good. The overall pace was about 10 minutes/mile, not bad with temperatures in the mid-80s and a lot of humidity. I'm already feeling better with my eating and exercise. Let's keep it going.

An Afternoon Run in Wamego

Despite my best efforts to not run I still managed to get one in this afternoon. Thursday was just way too busy with work and family stuff and I missed a day. This morning I decided to sleep in since I've been getting up relatively early most of this vacation. I also knew that wouldn't leave me time to run in the morning since we were meeting folks for coffee and then lunch. Fortunately I had time between lunch and our next get-together and got in my 6 miles. I really needed it since the food consumption this week has been on the high side. I ran around the park here twice, then up and down the east-west streets, then over to the high school and around the field four times, over to and around the bigger park with the trail around the baseball fields, and then finally ending around the corner from my parents' house. The weather was actually quite nice, periodically overcast and temperature in the low 80s, and manageable humidity.

Tomorrow it's back to Texas and my regular schedule. I figure I've probably put back on a few pounds but still nowhere near where I started the year. A few weeks eating well and getting in all my runs and workouts should put me back where I want to be.

Desert Trails

I went further into the canyon this morning, continuing where the path ended and picking my way up a dry riverbed for a few hundred yards. Ultimately I decided I wasn't going to get in any running that way and went back to the path. It was a nice sunny morning, once again not too hot and certainly not humid. It was an enjoyable 6 miles, still with the feel of altitude on the uphills. It's been a fun few days in New Mexico. Wish I could stay longer.

Clear Desert Morning

I'm in my hometown for a few days and went out for an early morning run. The sun was just over the mountaintops but not too hot yet. The wind was almost nonexistent, which meant the view across the basin was clear and crisp. I ran 6 miles with a lot of variety.

The initial stretch was on the road for about 1.8 miles, and then up the path by a large drainage culvert. I took that as far as I could and then turned around. About halfway back I branched off over the ditch and into the foothills. I followed a washed out road into a canyon, which was partly shaded from the  rising sun. When the path came to a sharp downhill I turned back and got back to the road with less than a mile to go for my goal, so I retraced part of the road route to finish. I felt the higher elevation a few times, especially on the uphills, but all in all a good run. I needed it with all the Mexican food I've been eating.

West to the Hills

Since the path is closed down on my path by the greenbelt on my regular route I decided to run hills instead. The temperature was 77 degrees when I set out, a little humid, but not too bad. I had a good run, no walking, even up the big hills. Not the fastest 6 miles ever, but I felt good and pretty strong. Trying to lose a few pounds I've gained back in the past month with all the traveling. More travel ahead so I'll just have to eat less I suppose.

A Knee and An Early Run

On the ride home from the airport last Thursday evening my left knee started to feel weird. It was an inflamed, stiff sort of feel that I've had before. I attribute it to wearing different shoes, in this case cowboy boots, for the better part of two weeks. That alters my stride, causing weird things to happen. In light of that and several days of the same feeling along with ice and elevation, I decided to not run over the weekend. I probably could have on Sunday but felt it was better to not press the issue.

This morning it felt great, and even though I got up early and wished I'd waited until later in the day, I still put it together and went running. The normal path was closed two-tenths of a mile because of construction in the park, but I made up the difference by running backward when I got to Hardin and retracing my path. The temperature was 76 degrees when I started, a far cry from the normal for this time of year. It was a pretty good, if slow, 6 miles. And at the end my knee felt just fine with no complaints as of this evening.

Another Austin Run at Dawn

Ran once more this morning in downtown Austin. I forgot to start my GPS when I started running but it all came out to about 6 miles, or a little more. Once again it was quite humid, but running before the heat of the day paid off since it got up to over 100 degrees. Finally back home and looking forward to not going anywhere next week.

Early Austin Run

In Austin this week for work and it's hot. Like 100 degrees hot. Got up this morning at 5:30 and hit the trail downtown by 6 a.m. It was muggy but without the sunshine it was not horrible. I ran my 6 miles, missed a few turns and ended up on Barton Street. I turned around before it got crazy uphill. By the time I returned to the hotel my shirt was soaked but it was a good run.

Back to Texas

I woke up early this morning to run before the heat of the day, which is supposed to end up in the upper 90s. It didn't feel horrible when I started but I think it grew more humid as the run went on. I ran 7 miles, with walks every half-mile for the last two. Not my worst run, and not my best.

As I was coming back around the lake at Bonnie Wenk Park, I saw a guy in front of me walking. I passed him and then slowed to walk for a minute. He passed me, and then when I started up again I passed him. The trail took me to the right and he took the shortcut across the grass, where I passed him once more. The same thing happened with the next shortcut, and as I passed him for the fourth time I said, "Didn't I just pass your twin brother?" He laughed and said yes, and we exchanged a few more lines before he started running again. We ran together for about five minutes and I discovered he's been an inconsistent runner and is using an app to help him stay focused. He wants to run a half in the fall but doesn't have one picked out yet. He asked me some questions about my training and I tried to encourage him to keep it up. When we parted he asked my name and I found out his is Raj. That's one of the great parts about running that I don't experience that often - connecting, even briefly, with other people doing the same thing and working through some of the same experiences.

Quick Bay Run

This morning I ran a fast 6 miles. Or at least a fast second half. I ran at 5:30 a.m. local time, which wasn't too bad considering it was 7:30 a.m. home time zone. The first half of the run was mildly slow, but the second half I kicked it up quite a bit. Since I reset my GPS a few months ago this turned out to be my fastest mile (8:00 in the last mile) and fastest 5k (26:04). I owe it all to a lower temperature.

Bay Run

Thunderstorms rolled through Saturday morning, and the rest of the day was packed, and then on Sunday it was well over 100 with the heat index. All that added up to no weekend run. I actually was ready to go late Sunday afternoon before I looked at the weather app on my phone and saw feels like 111 degrees. Run cancelled.

This week I'm in the Bay area in CA, and what a difference. The temperature this morning was in the mid-50s and I went 6 really nice miles. I pumped up the pace later in the run and finished with some low 9's without feeling especially winded or wrung out. I should have brought enough gear to run every day I'm here, but twice will work.

Walking in the Heat

Once again I passed up an opportunity to run early since it was only going to be in the low 90s this afternoon. My strategy of walking early preemptively and every half mile in the second part of the run worked out great. I went 6 miles and survived. Even fifteen minutes after I got home sweat was still streaming down my face and body, but I felt okay. My plan is to run earlier on Saturday, hopefully with less humidity than last weekend. We'll  see.

Early in the Morning

I decided to get up early and run before the high heat of the day. I was out the door by 6:30 a.m. and my plan worked great. Even though it was humid the temperature difference of 20 degrees lower paid off. In fact, this sounds like a Mardi Gras/Bourbon Street reference, but this is the first time in weeks I've kept my shirt on the whole time. Not that I wasn't sweating at the end of 6 miles, but my shirt wasn't absolutely soaked and beginning to chafe certain parts I don't want to be chafed. I also went without iPod, and that was nice, too. A very good run. Not fast, but it didn't need to be.

Total Humidity

Yesterday morning's run was like the half I ran a few months ago. Except with sun. The humidity was off the charts, and the only way it could have been worse is if it was actually raining, and that would have been a relief. I knew early on it was going to be a tough one. I went out with the thought of running either 7 or 9 miles, and settled on 7 when it became apparent even that was going to be a stretch. The last three miles involved a lot of walking, but at least no calf cramps. This is the norm for July running in Texas. Even thought it was tough I still can't complain.

That Was Brutal

I'd hoped to run earlier in the day but my schedule didn't permit it, so I ended up going out about 4 p.m. when the the temperature was in the low 90s and the heat index way over 100 due to the humidity. We had thunderstorms roll through last night and today we paid for it with the heat index. As I told The Wife on my way out the door, if you waited to run in Texas until it was cool, you'd never run. I got in my 6 miles, with plenty of walking along the way, particularly in the last half where I thought it best to walk a little every half mile. The plan on Saturday is to run earlier. It might not mean lower humidity, but lower temperatures sure would help.

Independence Day Run

The thought of running four miles on the 4th of July didn't occur to me until well after I completed my 6 mile run at midday. We took the family to breakfast in downtown McKinney and then hung around for the parade. It was fun, a nice small-town feel to it in the downtown square, and breakfast was excellent as well. The sun was shining brightly by noon, which is about when I started my run. I walked a minute at every mile marker. Not sure I needed to do so, but it helped at the end when I ran all the way up the big hill on Lake Forest. Now to relax and do very little for the rest of the day in order to properly celebrate our nation's independence.

Great Eight

Thunderstorms rolled through overnight and into this morning, and I didn't think I'd be able to get in a run today. However, there was a break in the storm on the radar, and I decided to go for it. I wanted to run 8 miles, and fortunately that's exactly what I did. When I got to the end of the first mile with a pace around 10:30, I knew I was in for a good run. I kept the pace that slow because even though it wasn't overly warm, it was definitely humid. Saw more people out than I thought, particularly dog walkers. Got passed by a guy who wasn't running terribly fast, but I refrained from speeding up and decided that I didn't care if was passed or not. The Garmin tells me this is my longest run since resetting the thing, which means some of my runs like the half-marathon are history. At least they show up in my online tracking even though they're no longer on the device.

Another Morning Run

My schedule allowed me to run again in the morning hours today. It was good because the sky was overcast and the temperature hadn't spiked up yet. As I'm writing this in the afternoon the sun is out and the temperature is about 10 degrees higher. The humidity was fairly high but not horrible. I ran my 6 miles and about mile 3.5 felt a little like my heart rate was up and not everything was working in sync. I kept it slow and walked for a minute at mile 5, and then once again up the big hill. I also had coffee this morning, so maybe the caffeine had an effect. One other thing I noticed is that since I've been back from vacation and not wearing the "recovery" flip-flops my knee has stopped aching and hurting at odd times. I'll just stick with my usual method of natural recovery.

Running or Swimming

The humidity made yesterday's run feel like swimming through moist air. I ran after a morning meeting and made my 6 miles down the usual path. I actually felt pretty good for most of the run, and because of the humidity walked at miles 3, 4, and 5, and most of the way up the big hill. No complaints, though, and glad to be able to get out and sweat a lot.

An Unexpected Run

I woke up this morning to thunderstorms. The forecast called for them to end sometime mid-afternoon, at which point I'd already be sitting in a movie theater with The Wife. I ate breakfast and lunch as normal, fully expecting to run tomorrow morning before church. I even took a shower, which I don't normally do if I'm expecting to run later in the day. No use taking two in one day.

The clouds remained but the rain dried up around noon, and I realized I had time to run. The temperature was in the low 70s, which also was an incentive. The humidity was about normal for this time of year and right after a storm, but it was manageable. I decided to go for it.

I ran 7 miles, which my Garmin said was my longest run since the reboot. The only time I walked was when I removed my soaked shirt right after mile 5. Other than that it was a nice steady pace that fit the humidity. Not a lot of people out today, but I didn't expect many. For the first time since vacation I took along the iPod and listened to some Old 97's, my favorite live band and constant running companion for the past 10+ years. At the end it was all sweat and an end to the week after being gone, and even though I contemplated extending the run another mile it wasn't worth any risk just to get to the 20-mile mark for the week. Maybe next week. We'll see how the weather goes.

Hills and Humidity

I was able to get out this morning after my first couple of calls and run while it was cloudy. I decided to take my 6 miles over the hills in the Stonebridge area. The temperature was 75 degrees, and my timing was pretty good. The only time I walked was coming up on Ridge on the return before I started running up hill. My heart rate was pretty high at that point and I walked a minute before continuing. Fortunately the wind was out of the east and as I turned onto Virginia Parkway I kept running up the even bigger hill there. All in all a run that I feel good about.

Run With Your Butt

Spent all of last week on vacation and missed four runs, but it was one of those good-to-get-away-from-it deals. And probably good for recovery, too. I thought about running Sunday, my first day back, but decided to extend the vacation with one more day of inactivity. Good choice. Plus it was Father's Day.

Today I had an early call, and then my 8:30 stood me up, and I decided to get out before the day heated up. It was only 75 degrees at that point, but high humidity. I figured that was better than 91 degrees with high humidity. It was actually a good first run after the trip. I ran my 6 miles with a short walk break at miles 4 and 5, but no break going up the big hill. Also, I went without iPod, just enjoying the nice day. At times it was a struggle to maintain posture, being out of practice and all, but I kept telling myself to "run with your butt." That helped me engage the glutes and improve posture. It's not the best mantra in the world, but at least for today it worked.

More Heatness

Today's 6-miler was pretty non-eventful. I did see more rabbits than people, and at one point I wondered if I'd wandered far off course into Disney World. The temperature was in the mid-80s and sunny. I did my walk every mile routine again, and once again it worked. I'm probably still to the point of running in the mornings soon, but this week I've had early meetings every day. It's still a good de-stresser to run after work, but this is Texas. Sometimes you just have to adapt a little.

Weird Knee Sounds

This morning I walked upstairs and as I walked off the last stair a loud, kind of gross, sound came from my left knee. It hurt momentarily, but when I took a couple of steps I realized it felt the best it's felt in a couple of weeks. Not that it's been hurting that much, but occasionally I get a twinge or notice it feels a little tender, rarely when I'm running. Anyway, on today's 6-mile run it felt fine. The temperature was about 90 degrees, and I walked progressively longer at each mile marker, including a longer walk up the big hill. I had a long work day and then had to chase down a cartridge for the upstairs shower at a plumbing supply company, which meant I got out later than usual. It didn't matter a whole lot temperature-wise, but I think I was the beneficiary of a little more shade than if I'd run earlier.

Weird Day

Today was quite an odd day, kind of schizophrenic. The Wife and I went to a movie last night and this morning I slept 'til 9, then took The Boy to his first full day of work at a local grocery store. After that I started working on a leaky shower, which went pretty well until I turned on the water to the house, and long story short, we determined it probably had a slow leak over the past few years and the work I did made it worse, resulting in the fact that we now have no water in the house. I came up with an idea on my 7-mile run to funnel the drip out to the tub, but the leak actually turned out to be worse. The good news is that I got my shower in, albeit very quickly.

A lot of rain over the last couple of days, and I was wondering if I would get in a run today. I did, and it was very humid. I did my walking for a minute at every mile marker, and kept that up throughout the run. I don't usually take off my shirt during a run, but hey, I've lost some weight and gotten a little bit of a tan, so it's not as gross as it used to be. That was only for the last couple of miles, so for the few people who saw - it could have been worse.

Different Scenery

The FVRP wanted to run together today, and I thought a change of scenery would be nice. We ran a route I've run before in his neighborhood, but it's been well over a year. I ran 6 miles and he did two less since he's getting back into shape. For the first day of June in Texas it actually wasn't too bad. Cloud cover and humid, but overall it went okay. We walked at every mile, which has been my method lately. I felt good at the end, and running a different route to change things up is usually a good choice.

Slow Hot Run

I kept it slow today, and took walk breaks every mile. Once again my strategy paid off and I actually had a good run. I thought about getting out early, but when I looked at the forecast the humidity was about 97% as the sun rose. Even though it was hotter, at least the humidity was at a tolerable level. Plus I think my tolerance has built up a little bit, or at least enough to get me through 6 miles.

Calling It a Run Would Be Generous

This was both heat and humidity, which as we saw a couple of weeks ago on race day was a bad combination. I ran 6 miles today, and calling it a run would be generous. I walked at mile 2, 3, 4, 5, and up the big hill all the way around the corner to the finish. Given that the humidity level was at 87% when I started that's probably not so bad a record. I weighed before I left and then again when I returned, and the net loss was 3 1/2 lbs. I'm not a scientist but that does seem like a lot of sweat. No worries, though, since dinner and a few snacks made up for the loss, for better or for worse.

The Heat is On

Today the temperature rose up to 90 degrees, a nice 20 degree difference from Tuesday. I pace accordingly, and walked at every mile as I've learned to do. The 6 miles went just fine with those adaptations, and I reviewed my first German lesson and listened to the second. It's still a review of the basics I learned back in high school, but it's good stuff since it will pave the way to learning much more that I've forgotten. Once again, hardly anybody was out in the heat. I saw one other runner, a woman riding a bike, and about three people walking. Looks like we're on the verge of summertime in Texas.

Fast Hill Run

Even though it was overcast today and a little rainy, it was actually a good day for running with a mild temperature. So good, in fact, that I decided to run my hill route. The start was a little slow, and the route out against the wind. I felt pretty strong and ran a really good second half. My overall pace was 9:30, which is pretty fast for hills. And my fifth mile, which was the big uphill part of the route, was at 9:04. Not bad for this middle-aged runner. I enjoyed the run and the rain held off long enough so I could get in the whole 6 miles. I don't think I saw any other runners out this afternoon, just a couple of people walking. Their loss.

Foregoing German

My usual wake-up time is 7 a.m. This morning I awoke at 5:30, 6, and a little before 7. Therefore it seemed prudent to just get up and run. The weather forecast last night said 100%, and if you count a small shower that left some drops on the cars, including the new one we bought yesterday, then they were right. Otherwise not so much. When I went out this morning at 7:30, it was cloudy and windy, and also a little bit cooler than it has been the last week. 

I ran 8 miles and thought about walking a little at the 6-mile mark, but that never translated into practice. I decided to put the iPod on shuffle rather than listening to Deutsch again since there were a lot more people out today. Even thought it was quite moist today I still had a good run. 

Learning German Again

Today was hot, humid, and windy. Not the best running conditions, but I walked every mile whether or not I needed to and survived. At the end of the first mile I didn't feel like a walk was necessary, but I've been at this long enough to recognize what was coming later. Toward the end of the 6 miles I walked up the big hill, and then took it easy the last quarter-mile. My strategy paid off.

The Garmin is working again. I don't know exactly what I did to get it working after doing some online research. I cleaned off the contacts, but that didn't do the trick. Then I tried a hard reset but as I was doing so my phone rang and distracted me, so I don't think it ever actually reset. The funny thing is that after that I turned it off, put it on the charger, and away it went. Let's hope it keeps working so I don't have to go through that again.

Today I added something new to my listening repertoire besides music or podcasts - language lessons. Since I'm headed to Europe next year I checked out some materials from the library. I reckoned that it's been 33 years since I last took a German class, but the first lesson came easy and brought to mind words I'd learned way back then. Fortunately very few other people were out so that I could repeat the lessons out loud. Ich verstehe ein bisschen Deutsch. Don't remember if the spelling is right on that, and there's nowhere to go but up from here.

Clouds Make a Difference

Fortunately the pain in my foot is dissipating. I discovered Sunday that the pain seems to be more of a deep bruise than something like plantar, and centered around the ball of the foot. I suppose I hurt it wearing boots all day at a conference and then walking around on an aircraft carrier all evening. Unfortunately I never had the chance to change clothes into something more suitable.

Today was hot, humid, and cloudy. That last one made all the difference. The temperature was 81 degrees, but the lack of sun shining brightly on me along with a nice south breeze kept me cool enough to run all 6 miles excepting the big hill. My GPS died before mile 4, and then when I got home the cradle is not charging it. Not cool. I'm going to have to do some research on that.

Back in Town

I spent the whole week in Oakland and Redwood City, from pretty much sunup to way past sundown, and therefore I did not run at all. I'm back in town and was craving a run. This morning I slept late, ate breakfast, and then went running. It was a good 6 miles, warm and humid with a couple of walking intervals. The bottom of my left foot has been hurting the past two days up near the toes, and it felt good to get out and stretch. Not sure if this is something like plantar faciitis or just that I walked a heck of a lot this week in shoes I normally don't wear for extended times. At least my left knee felt okay.

Hills on Saturday

I ran "only" 6 miles today, which is a Saturday and normally the day for a long run. I knew there was a 5k/10k going on at my normal route, and I therefore decided to do hills today. My left knee felt great except for one turn coming down a hill and rounding a corner where I jammed it too hard. I had to stop and walk a few steps, but once I started up again it was fine. The only times I really noticed anything else possibly amiss was on downhills, but even then it wasn't too bad.

Looks like we just had bad luck for last week's racing weather. The Saturdays on either side were perfect and would have been a lot better than all the humidity. Oh well, luck of the draw. I certainly enjoyed getting out today when it was in the low 50s. And who knew you could actually run hills on a weekend?

Cooler and Faster

If only today had been race day. The temperature was in the 70s, and there was a stiff wind out of the north that kept it from being overly humid. My first fifty steps were kind of iffy and I almost stopped and turned around because of my left knee. Once I got into rhythm, though, it was fine and didn't bother me the rest of the run. I continued to work on posture, which was a little tougher since I ran the usual 6 miles, but I think it helped. We'll see how it feels tomorrow. Since I'm on a business trip next week I'm considering skipping a few runs, but I might go ahead and take my running gear just in case I need to get out and enjoy some mild weather.

Discovery

Today was hot, in the upper 80s, and I decided post-race to run 4 miles instead of the usual 6. As I started out my left knee was bugging me again, but about half a mile in I made a discovery. I felt like I was leaning forward a little too much, almost hunching, and pulled my shoulders back. Instantly that shot my hips forward and engaged my glutes more, with the immediate effect of my knee responding without pain. Eureka!

Knee pain in my past has almost always been related to shoes, but this time I think it's because of my punching bag workouts. The technique, at least as I've seen it on TV and movies, is to bow forward and keep your head down. Great for boxing, not so much for running. During today's run I had to constantly pay attention since the default was to let my shoulders move forward and throwing my body out of alignment. The more I ran straight up over my feet the better my knee felt. I also ran in a new pair of shoes today to break them in, but I can say without reservation that the change in posture is what made the real difference.

Humid Half

Today's race was definitely like a training run, speed-wise. A bad training run.

The humidity was about 90%, and I knew it was going to be trouble from the start. I kept the pace at close to 10 minutes, and resisted the urge to start fast as others passed me. Right before mile 8 I got my first calf twinge, and walked briefly to the water station. Over the next 5 miles I had to stop and walk so many times I couldn't count, usually for only about twenty seconds or so, the longest being a couple of minutes. The race was set up well and the only complaint I had was the humidity.

A couple of memorable moments during the 13.1 miles:

• About mile 11 I was about to pass a couple walking the route, and the lady's hat flew off. I was in a perfect spot to field it, and it's nice to know all that grounder practice in baseball and softball paid off.
• About five minutes later the lady at the water station offered me, "Water or crystal meth." She was horrified and said she meant Crystal Light. I laughed and told her they were the best refreshment stop ever.
• The Family and The Former Virtual Running Partner were out to cheer me on, which really helped during the second half. Seeing the FVRP at several points in the last few miles broke up the frequent calf cramps.
• The finishers' medal was huge.

Good Day, Race Day Ahead

I'm running a half on Saturday and considered trimming the mileage today, but since I'm considering the race a training run I went with the usual 6 miles. The weather also factored into the decision since it was in the low 70s, windy out of the south, and otherwise a nice day. I did walk up the big hill on Lake Forest as a concession to the race, and I'll also skip the punching bag workout in the morning.

My left knee is tender and a couple of times this evening, particularly when walking up stairs, I felt a twinge of pain. It doesn't hurt when I run, and it's not painful the rest of the time. I think it'll be fine during the race, if the thunderstorms stay away, and as I said I'm planning on running it at a normal pace and not trying to get a PR. Next week I'm switching to a newer pair of running shoes and we'll see if that makes a difference.

The Wife and I went by the local running store tonight so I could grab a couple of gels for the race and somehow I ended up walking out with a pair of flip-flops as well. I'm not big on the post between my big toe and the next one to the right - or left - but these are form-fitting and felt pretty nice. Subjecting people to a view of my toes might be a crime against humanity, but at least I'll be comfortable.

Worn Out

Today's 6-miler wore me out more than I first suspected. It's kind of like my recent run where I walked up the big hill and felt worse than I realized. The temperature was about 84 degrees today, and I thought I managed it pretty well. I even walked in mile 5 and then again up the big hill. When I got home I went and sat in the back yard to let the wind cool me down, and then felt blah for a couple of hours. Now about three hours afterward I'm starting to recover, but that's mainly because I've done a whole lot of nothing since then. Some of it is probably due to getting used to the warmer temp and humidity again, a yearly ramp-up. And the rest is likely due to age, but I don't want to talk about that right now.

Outlook for Saturday's half-marathon is iffy at the moment. High chance of thunderstorms, and high humidity. Will be monitoring over the next couple of days, knowing that the people who predict the weather are often wrong. Seriously, worse than baseball batting averages type of wrong when you're several days out with the prediction.

Today Would Have Been a Great Race Day

Chances are that next Saturday won't be anywhere near as ideal as it was this morning for my 8-miler. Another hailstorm blew through last night from the north, and today was much cooler with a strong north wind. I started by running to 7-Eleven to drop off a movie and then heading out on the normal path. Due to the coolness (I'm guessing) not as many people were out until I drew close to the pond and dog park, where a guy was photographing a group of high school girls. They were attired in shorts and cowboy boots - gotta love Texas.

I started off a little slow but picked up the pace by run's end, and probably could have finished a half in less than two hours if today had been the race. The wind kept me cool even though I could feel a little bit of the humidity. We'll see how next Saturday goes.

Another Warm One

Today was even warmer than Tuesday, about 84 degrees this afternoon. The humidity was a little lower but still present, especially when running along the green belt by the creek. Plenty of sweat, but I once again held back the pace and completed a good run. When I first started out I felt like it was going to be a bad one, but fortunately that wasn't the case for this 6 miles. I did walk up the big hill, which turned out to be a good idea. I didn't realize how much I was struggling until I started walking.

Intermittent clouds also seemed to mess with my GPS since the turnaround point was further around the pond than it's ever been before. Guess the science isn't perfect.

Sweaty, Betty

I ran my 6 miles today with a temperature outside of about 80 degrees. And lots of humidity. I sweated a lot, but got it in and even without stopping. Including up the big hill. I considered it but wasn't feeling that fatigued since I kept the pace nice and slow for the whole run. A nice breeze out of the south helped as well. I considered doing some hills but decided to just run the regular route, and it paid off with a nice run.

Long and Humid

This was the 11-miler in prep for the half-marathon in a few weeks, and wow was it humid. I kept it pretty slow and easy. About mile 8.5 and again at 9.5 I walked a few minutes to avoid overheating. I think I'm also still not 100% from the stomach bug a few days ago. I even took off my shirt toward the end to cool down, and of course I walked up the big hill. Not the greatest or most reassuring of training runs, but I also expect the weather on race day to be similar. I don't think I'll be going for a PR.

After Issues

Yesterday I had, shall say we say, some stomach issues, which persisted halfway through today. All day, though, I planned on running, and shuffled my conference calls so I had a window of opportunity this afternoon. At a couple of points I thought about not running, but decided to go for it with the caveat that I might turn around if things felt dicey.

It was warm, about 80 degrees, and very humid. Quickly I decided to cap the run at 4 miles, which I think was a good decision. I walked a short distance in the third mile, and then up the big hill. I felt sweaty but never clammy, which was good. My plan is to run 11 on Saturday in prep for the half marathon, for which I'm now registered. When I considered not running today I felt it might give me fresh legs for the long run, but I wanted to get out and sweat a little.

Faster, Please

Today was a mild day, temperature about 72 degrees when I set out this afternoon, so I decided to put in some speed work. I ran 1.25 miles, and from there a half-mile faster followed by a quarter slower, and then the last 1.25 miles at a cooldown pace. The intervals weren't terribly fast, mainly because although it was cooler outside it was also a lot more humid. It was very soggy speedwork, but very good. I thought about doing one more but decided to not push my luck. I'm feeling pretty good about my conditioning. Time to register for the half-marathon. I don't expect to run it at full speed and it would be a miracle to run it under two hours, but it's a good goal to have.

Good Saturday Run

It was a 9-miler today, and went pretty well. I kept the pace close to the 10-minute mark, and that worked just fine. I was listening to a history podcast that kept my attention and before I knew it I was already a third of the way through the run. The sun was shining and a nice strong wind kept me from heating up too much, although I did walk up the big hill since it was against the wind. All in all not bad for a Saturday, and it keeps me on pace to run a half in three weeks.

Cool Morning Run

I had meetings in the office this afternoon and knew it would only work to run if I did so early in the day. I got up early enough to head out while the temperature was 50 degrees or maybe even a little less. You'd think that would make for a fast run, but it ended up with an overall pace of 9:40 or so for the 6 miles. It was nice to run in cool weather and without a stiff breeze for a change. Also ran up the big hill and felt good overall.

Warming Up

Today the mercury climbed up to 82 degrees or so, and there was a strong wind out of the south. My run still went pretty well, and I ran 5 2/3 miles before walking uphill against the wind in front of the school. For a 6-mile run in the heat it went pretty well. I kept the pace slow enough to the point where I considered walking in the last half and realized I could keep going. That's a nice change from some of my more stupid runs.

Saturday Outing

Heading to St. Louis for Opening Day, and figured I should get in my run early. It was a nice, mild morning, with temperature in the 50s and shining sun. The fun part was that it was also humid, but not horribly so as will happen in another month or so. I ran 7 miles at a nice pace, finishing once again under 10 minutes/mile. I have a feeling these will become more rare the closer we get to summer.

Hills Again

Once more I thought this would be a good day to run hills. Maybe a mistake. I realized after 4 pm that it was late, and hurried to get out. Wind was blowing out of the NW, which was fine on the way out but not so much as a few weeks ago when I ran uphill against the wind when it was against me from the S.

In the end it turned out to be all good. I ran 6 miles and never stopped, even though I wanted to on the steep hills. The weight continues to peal off and that seems to be good motivation to persevere. Plus it also seems to help in the running itself. If I was carrying that extra 18 or so pounds I probably would have walked at some point, and maybe more than one. Without it I was able to carry on. Maybe one of these runs I should strap on a belt with extra weight and see how it feels.

Or not.

In the Morning

Rain was in the forecast for later in the morning and overnight, which as of this writing at 6:30 p.m. has not occurred. Still, basing my decision on what the interwebs told me, I ran this morning at about 9 a.m. The temperature was in the upper 50s, and very good for my 6-mile run. The breeze was nice, and I wore long sleeves just to avoid the cool day. Overall my pace was a well under 10 minutes/mile and I considered it a good run. I even ran up the big hill, which as the casual reader will notice, usually happens on cooler days.

A Long One

Meant to post this yesterday but the computer was acting the fool when it came to Internet connections. I ran 10 miles, with a couple of walks toward the end, but all in all a good run on a nice day. I thought it might be a little bit cool outside when I left, but that was not the case, and in fact it warmed up nicely. That gradual warming contributed to the walking in the last couple of miles.

It turned out to be a good thing that I ran so far since we went out for dinner with friends and  I ate too much, in addition to the dessert that we had afterward. It all came out even though since I weighed the same this morning that I did yesterday before the run. I tried to not eat too much, but let's just say that chips and salsa are a dangerous thing.

Blown Away

Made it back from Austin about midday and out for a run by 4:30. The temperature was in the 80 degree range and wind was in the 25-30 mph range, with some stronger gusts. It came out of the southeast and did a decent job of keeping me from overheating, but even so I still walked several times. Especially up the big hill since there was no way I was running uphill against that. Even though it was very warm and windy I still felt like it was a good run. I wasn't able to get out for a run in Austin due to after work commitments and early meetings.

I found a half marathon here in McKinney in late April that I'm hoping will work with my schedule. The funny thing is that it starts out at the end of my long run route near Towne Lake and comes up to Boyd where you turn around for the trip back. This race should look familiar, just in reverse.

Texas Spring

Looks like spring is here for the foreseeable future, which in Texas means it's going to be in the 80s. I got up early (for a Saturday) and ran 9 miles. It was overcast and very humid, but building on my most recent runs I went the whole way without walking. All in all a good week of running, I would say. The pace was right at 10 minutes/mile, which was perfect since humidity and running too fast have often been my downfall. Afterward I shaved off the beard in anticipation of the warmer weather ahead.

Hills

A little before my run this afternoon I decided it would be a hill day. Not only would it vary my normal route, but it's also one of the last days with moderate temperatures before we start living in the 80s next week. I ran out of the neighborhood to Virginia Parkway and west to Ridge, where I headed downhill and met up with the path behind some houses that led to Stonebridge. Good hills all around, with the biggest on the way south on Ridge up to Virginia. Even though the wind blowing out of the south was a pain, at least it cooled me off and I ran all the way up that big hill, plus the one going east on Virginia. Both are longer and steeper than the one in front of the school that I sometimes walk, and running it all gave me a nice bit of satisfaction. It was a good, tough run and one with a sense of accomplishment.

Low Side of Warm

Today the temperature hit about 61 degrees. I started out slow on my 6-mile run, but as happened on Saturday my pace kept increasing. Fortunately this time it wasn't so warm. It was close to being too warm, but just barely cool enough to keep me from overheating and having to walk. In fact, I even ran up the big hill and kicked up the pace at the end in the neighborhood. With warmer weather in the forecast and a business trip next week this might be the end of quicker pacing on these weekday runs. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

Brain Overruled

I ran 8 miles today with the last 1.5 or so a little difficult. That was because my stupid body overruled my brain, which kept trying to slow down my pace. After a couple of outings at a 9-minute-ish pace, my brain was smart enough to know that those runs were at a lower temperature. Today when I started it was about 60 degrees, and rose to about 70 by the time I finished. Walked a couple of times in the 7th mile, and then up the hill before finishing in the neighborhood. Even with those bits of walking I finished under ten minutes/mile. It's nice to be back home but my body needs to listen to my brain.

Less Kansas Wind

Today was much calmer than Tuesday. The temperature was supposed to be hotter as well, but I think it peaked around noon and then cooled to the upper 50s by the time I ran late in the afternoon. I went my 6 miles, winding through the neighborhood and parks, at a pace just a hair under 9 minutes/mile. My last mile was at 8:18, which actually felt good. I tried to keep it loose the whole time and a few times even had to rein it in. That's what running in cooler weather will do for you. I know that won't last, though, as it's already getting warmer back home and summer isn't far behind. I enjoyed running the past few days. My Garmin told me I had my fastest 5k time (since I've had this one), at (I think) 27:01. Not blazing fast, but still not bad for a normal training run.

Kansas Wind

This week I'm in Kansas at my parents' house, and wow, has it been windy. The wind has been constant the past couple of days, 20+ mph with higher gusts, but I decided I was going to run today regardless. And in spite of the wind I had a really good run. There was no way I could plan my route to get in 6 miles beforehand, so I ran the streets north/south and east/west to get in all the distance I wanted. At one point the wind pushed me from behind, giving me a nice boost in pace. When all was said and done I'd finished at a 9:25 pace, which I feel is pretty good for a regular run with a lot of it against the wind. Hopefully it won't be that bad for the next run, but if it is at least I'm prepared.

A Difference of 20 Degrees

Today I ran the same route as a couple of days ago, this time with a difference of 20 degrees in the temperature. It was much cooler and it showed in the results. I ran the 6 miles without stopping (except for one annoying traffic light), even up the hills. One weird thing was that as I ran through the park a drone kept flying back and forth overhead. I figure it probably wasn't directed at me, and even if it was the operator had to be pretty darn bored. At the end I felt good about the run and the pace. A nice outing in Austin.

New Route in Austin

Today I flew in to Austin for a few days of work and late this afternoon ran a mostly new route. The path took me into a big park on the north side of Austin after running along I road I've been on before. Once I got into the park I was a little worried since it was pretty warm, humid, and uphill going back. It wasn't too bad, though, and the path in the park was less uphill than I feared. I did walk a couple of times due to the heat, but overall it was a good run. I'm also trying to eat well even when I'm on the road and stuck with street tacos instead of a big dinner of bbq, steak, or seafood with accompanying big mug of beer. It was tough but it also feels good to not go off the deep end. That'll be tomorrow night.

Good Pace

I waited until after noon for today's run since it was on the cool side this morning. When I checked the temperature at run time was 53 degrees. That turned out to be a fantastic zone for my run. I originally put on a long-sleeved technical t-shirt, but decided at the last minute to switch to short sleeves. That also turned out to be a good move.

I usually run according to what feels comfortable as opposed to shooting for a specific time, at least when I'm not in training for a race. When I hit the first mile I was surprised to see my time in the low 9's, and the second mile was a second faster. Each successive mile went by faster, and by the time I was into the fifth and sixth miles I was under 9. I never felt like the effort was too much, and the temperature and almost non-existent breeze kept me feeling good. At the end of my 7-miler my overall pace was 9:09. Not too bad of a non-race Saturday run for a guy who just turned 50.

Hot and Windy

Hot being a relative term, of course. The temperature was 86 degrees when I hit the sidewalk this afternoon, with a nice wind out of the southwest. The wind was great when it was behind me, but not so good head-on. I was smart (I think) and at mile 2 started walking a minute at each subsequent mile marker. Plus the big hill, of course, since I didn't want to kill myself running uphill against the wind. I got in my 6 miles and in spite of the weather actually felt pretty good about it. Plus I played some of my birthday playlist and the variety was nice after several weeks of history podcasts.

6 at 50

Actually it's 6 miles the day after turning 50. I took the day off work in order to recover from the festivities of the weekend, and ran late morning. It was another nice day, quite breezy, but still runnable. It was warm, though, and I walked at miles 4 and 5 as well as up the big hill. That's probably due also to only one run last week, but now that the birthday weekend is over I'm back on track.

Almost 50

Actually it was over 50 degrees today, but I'm almost to that mark myself. This was another gorgeous day that was begging for me to go running, and I did my 6 miles in pretty good time at a 9:39 pace. Not bad for a guy who's almost to the half-century mark. Not as many people out as I thought there would be, but still a fair amount. One more run planned before my birthday, but with family coming to town that's going to be optional. We'll see.

Bad Run, Good Walk

I had good plans for today. Run 9 miles, smoke a couple of pork shoulders, and chill. The last two came to pass, but the first one not so much. When I exited the house between 9:30 and 10 this morning the temperature was already was already in the mid 70s, sunny, and windy. My heart rate felt elevated early on and I walked a minute at Mile 1 and same at Mile 2. After Mile 4 the walking increased, and by the time all was said and done I probably walked close to a mile out of the 6 total. At least I sweated quite a bit and got the work in, even though I wouldn't consider it a quality workout.

Today's final tally was a high of 87 degrees. On 11 February! I'll take it, even though the run didn't turn out quite so well.

More Sun

It was another nice day, although not as warm as Tuesday - only in the upper 50s. Still, the sun was shining and it was a good early February day. I ran my 6 miles and even conquered the big hill. My right knee felt a little gimpy as I ran back through the neighborhood, but a 30-second walk seemed to solve the problem. Not a lot of people out today, probably due to the breeze, but those of us who were out seemed to enjoy it.

Spring in February

Today was really nice. Upper 70s in the afternoon, sunny, and just a hint of a breeze. It seems weird this early in February, but then again, this is Texas. I ran 6 miles and it went well. I started out feeling a little fatigued, but that faded away as the run progressed. I walked only a little up the big hill.

I had a physical yesterday and everything seems okay, although their scale came in five pounds heavier than our home scale. Oh well. At least my weight is down about ten pounds from its height, and I plan on continuing good habits. Going to the beach in June is somewhat of a motivation, albeit one that probably isn't as primary as it might be if I really cared what people thought about me. I won't be posing for anyone.

A Good Saturday

The weather today is cool and overcast once again, and I wore basically the same outfit as the last run. This weekend run I stretched to 8 miles, and for the most part it went well. A little after the 6-mile mark I walked for about thirty seconds since my left knee felt a bit out of whack. That helped since the rest of the outing went well, other than walking up the big hill against the wind again.

One of my sisters texted me this afternoon about possibly running a marathon with her toward the end of the year. Wait - did I just agree? Guess I just set a goal.

Groundhog Day Run

Seems like I've run this route before. Yesterday it was 80 degrees, today topped out at 46 with a lovely breeze. I donned the long pants and shirt along with mittens and a stocking cap and ran my 6 miles. I've run in worse. Only saw one other runner on the usual route and one couple walking around the pond. I did run up the big hill, though, and took off the cap on my way up to avoid a repeat of the wretching episode a few weeks ago. My pace ended up under 10 minutes and overall I felt good, increasing speed as the run unfolded.

Closing Out the Month

As January comes to a close in Texas, we're sitting at a balmy 74 degrees. It was an outstanding weather day for a run, the only flaw a stiff breeze from the southwest, but even that was helpful in cooling me off. It was a late one last night as we went to a Mavericks game in downtown Dallas, which meant a shorter sleep time. My legs felt a little tired so I tried to keep the pace a little slower during the 6 miles, and mostly succeeded. I walked a minute up the big hill again due to an elevated heart rate, but overall I'd rate this as a fairly average run. Glad I did it and especially glad for the beautiful weather.

Allergy Run

Yep, it's definitely allergies that have me feeling so bad most of the last week. People who don't have allergies are fortunate. When it hits like this it's like having the flu. Your whole body aches, your mind is cloudy, and you have no energy. Still, I forced myself on a run since I refuse to give in. I ran 7 miles, with a short walk at 6 uphill against the wind, and another partway up the big hill when I felt like my heart rate was getting too high. It wasn't a horrible run, but it wasn't the best, either. I'm glad I did it since it keeps me on track with my resolve to exercise more consistently this year. Plus I'm already down about seven pounds in about ten days, mainly due to a better diet and exercise. Don't tell The Wife, though. She might be a little jealous.

Lethargy

Not sure if it's a cold or allergies, probably allergies, but I was feeling pretty lethargic today. Even took a half-hour cat nap this afternoon, which helped somewhat. At least I felt well enough to run 6 miles in 50-degree weather, with a slight breeze from the north. Also, to be a little gross, it was beneficial to be outside to hawk up some loogies and snot rockets to clear out the system a little bit. Now for a hot shower that should also help.

Is this January?

Today the thermometer rose to 76 degrees. I'm loving Texas winters. I ran 6 miles and felt pretty good, even though I was a little worried about my knees at first. On Sunday we went to an indoor ropes course/activity center and played some archery tag, gaga ball, and of course the ropes. My knees felt horrible that evening, probably because of the gaga ball but also because I dropped to my knee at various times on the thinly padded concrete. I iced both knees and felt better in the morning, when I realized I had a bruise on my right knee. Fortunately yesterday was not one of my running days, and I waited until later today to get out, which I think paid off. At first it felt like things could go bad, but surprisingly the rest of the run went okay. And actually the only worries I had toward the end concerned my right ankle, which felt like it was going to buckle a couple of times but held up all right. Is this what it feels like to get old? If so I better keep running.

In a Race

I decided to run the usual route today, and quickly found out it was in use for a race. It looked like there was a 1-mile fun run, a 5k, and a half-marathon. On my way out it looked like most of the 5k field was returning, so I adjusted my aim and went through the neighborhood instead of around the lake. Once I rejoined the regular path and crossed under Hardin the first of the half-marathon runners passed by on their way back. I saw about a dozen or so before I turned, and then I was passed by a few before I deviated from the path again.

The day was cloudy and a little breezy but nice enough to where I ran up the big hill and into the neighborhood to complete my 6 miles. I think it was a little humid because I perspired more than expected, but can't complain too much since it turned out to be a good run.

Post-Vegas Run

I took my workout clothes and shoes to Las Vegas and they never got out of the suitcase. When you're there for work and they keep you busy from eight in the morning until ten at night it's a little difficult to get in a run. Last year at least I got in one, but that was by skipping a session. None of that this time around.

Today I was glad to get back out there, and my goal is to get back to a regular cadence. No more of this missing a run each week. Today the temperature was mild and there was a strong south wind. I ran 5 miles knowing that the wind would be with me on the way back for the most part. I walked up the big hill because I was not going to run uphill against that wind. Other than that walk my pace was in the 9:30s, probably a little too fast but it didn't turn out too bad since I was running on fresh legs.

New Trail

I decided to head west this morning rather than east, and even ran in the morning as opposed to later in the day like I've been doing. I used my maps app to check out the possibility of running some hills, but I didn't want to go all the way to Stonebridge. Too much traffic to dodge during the morning rush. Instead of that I ran to Ridge and took a right. Just up the road there is a path (new to me) running behind a nice neighborhood. It comes out close to Stonebridge, which I ran up about a quarter of a mile before turning back. This morning was quite humid and I pondered walking several times, but I didn't give in until the way back I walked the last half of the big hill going east from Ridge up Virginia Parkway. All told I ran just over 5 miles. It was good to get that in and do a little hill work in the process.

Back to Normal

Today was a 5-miler that was pretty much back to normal. The temperature this afternoon was about 76 degrees and there was no weirdness at the end like on Saturday. It could also be because I walked up the big hill instead of trying to run it. I haven't slept well the past couple of nights and wavered between exercising or not. The deciding factor was the nice day outside. This morning it was really windy and gusty, but that died down by the time I made it out. I ran into one of my church buddies on the running path where he was talking to another guy who I met for the first time. Several families out with their kids - as usual I'm glad I ignored the part of my brain (actually most of it) that wanted to skip it.Stupid brain.

Strange Ending

Today was actually almost perfect weather for running. The temperature was right at freezing, the sun was shining, and the breeze was almost non-existent. Donning long sleeves, mittens, and a stocking cap, I ran about 5.8 miles with no issues. As I ran up the big hill before entering the neighborhood I suddenly felt like I was going to throw up. I coughed and retched a couple of times as I walked and then turned the corner. Three more times I was prepared to vomit in the side yard of the lucky person with the first house in the development. I started feeling overheated and took off my cap, and as soon as I did the feeling vanished. The only thing I can figure is that I was overheated even though I didn't really feel like it. After another half block of walking I finished up the run at 6 miles. The weirdness hasn't returned since then. Strange, but something to remember next time I layer up for a run in the cold.

Managing the Wind

Another cold (33 degrees) day with a nice wind out of the northwest. I went 5.5 miles and felt pretty good. The path by the pond would have been nicely exposed to the wind on the return route, so I decided to manage the wind and run back through the neighborhood. By running that route I went due west through the development with the houses serving as a windblock. The wind chill wasn't horrible. Heck, I've run in worse. And as much as I didn't run during all the heat and humidity this past year I figure I need to run while I can, and do it without stopping at that.

5 in the Wind

New year and time to get back into the routine. Last week I only ran on Tuesday, with an impromptu trip to Austin messing up things toward the end of the week. Today the temperature was supposed to be in the mid-50s, but it never even reached 50 degrees and it got progressively colder as the day went on. It was cold, gray, and windy, but I got in 5 miles. Either fresh legs or the cold prompted to run faster than I wanted. My pace overall was below 9:30, and even though I kept dialing it back I would soon find myself running too fast.

Looking back on 2016 I can say that I got to take part in a race I'd wanted to do for several years, the Bataan Memorial Death March, and it was humbling experience. Beyond that my running record was spotty and never consistent. As I reach a milestone birthday this year my goal is to resume consistent running, with hopefully a half early in the year followed by a full marathon, whether in the spring or fall I don't know yet. Either way I want to stay fit for several more decades, and running is the way I'm going to do it.