Last Run of 2024

Today was a bit breezy to usher out the last day of the year, but not too bad for running. A little chilly from the north, but running south was okay. I ran 4 miles for the final outing of 2024 and it was a good one. Looking back, this year I had the second-most outing of the last five years, so not too bad. Other than a few nagging sore spots, I close it out feeling good and glad to still be running. I keep saying I should set some goals, like a race or two, but haven't felt motivated enough to actually do it. Maybe that'll change in 2025, although it already looks like it's going to be a busy year. Never say never, though. If you're reading this, thanks for following along. It's not the most exciting of running blogs, but certainly charts the day-in and day-out of trying to stay fit. See you on the other side.

Rainy Holidays

It rained on Tuesday. It rained on Thursday. And it rained on Saturday. All three of those were my normal running days. Sure, I could have run on the other days, but Monday I worked and we celebrated Christmas that nigh, Wednesday was Christmas itself, and Friday was...Friday. This morning the weather seems to be clearing and we're seeing a touch of blue sky for the first time in days. I ran 3 miles to get back into the routine, which should kickstart me for the week. It felt a little humid, but not too bad. Certainly not like the summer. It felt good overall and hopefully the rain holds off for a bit.

1+1

Not my greatest outing. I ran 1 mile and walked another. That was it. I felt really tight in the hammies and glutes. My suspicion is that it's because of eating poorly, too many sweets in the runup to the holidays, and therefore causing some inflammation. I don't know. I had higher hopes for a longer run today. It's cold and breezy, but at least the sun is shining. I need to rein in some of the recent gluttony and get a head start on eating and drinking better before the year is out. We'll see how it goes in the coming days.

Wonderful

Wow, what a nice day. 60ish degrees and barely a breeze, sunshine all around. Perfect for a 4-mile run. I considered running more but that seemed to be the right distance for today. Unlike my last run, this was a good one from the start. I was pumped to get out there and couldn't wait for my last work call to be done. The holidays are almost upon us and I needed a good outing. Looking forward to more over the next few weeks to close out a decent year in the running department.

Good Grief

Today's run was a roller coaster of emotions. I almost didn't go out, but decided I really needed to. I walked the first .15 miles like I normally do and started my jog. About 200 yards in I thought about turning around. I decided to keep going. I made it another two-tenths of a mile and thought the same. At the half-mile mark I thought it was going to be a short run. But the more I ran the better I felt. I've said it before, but the more you jar your body and get the internal glands moving, the good starts happening. The urge to turn around and just sit on the patio was strong. By the first mile I felt better. At that point I thought it best to just keep going and it paid off. I ran 4 miles and at the end of it all the effort paid off. Not the best run I've ever had but glad I toughed it out, no matter how many sentences I end with a preposition. It was a mild day in North Texas and would've been a waste if I'd stopped earlier. I've said it before, but the berst runs are those I didn't want to take. This was one of them.

I'm Back

After going stir crazy for ten days or so of not running, I'm back. I did a few ankle weight exercises this past week to hopefully strengthen my hamstring and it seemed to work. Today I ran 4 miles and the tenderness mostly has gone away, just a faint ghost of it still. It rained overnight and the temperature today turned out to be very mild in the mid-60s with the sun shining. The breeze from the north didn't even feel cold, just nice and refreshing. Glad to be back in running mode again and hoping to keep it going with my regular routine.

Chill Run

The thermometer said 52 degrees, but the breeze from the north said not so fast, let's make it feel like about ten degrees cooler. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it still felt pretty chilly. I went 4 miles and would call it an overall successful run. My right hamstring still feels tender and I've started thinking about giving it a few extra days off. That might be in the cards anyway with rain in the forecast for Saturday. So, maybe I need to take the opportunity to let it heal from whatever's ailing it. I hate to do it, though, since the cool weather is made for running and I want to keep setting a faster pace through the winter months. Oh well, missing one run won't be the end of the world.

Let's Run on Monday

I decided that today was really nice out and tomorrow I have an appointment, so I switched my running to today. Good choice. Temperature was about 62 degrees, sun shining, and a very light breeze. I ran 4 miles, which overall went pretty well. I wore the new shoes again and that was fine. I've still been feeling like my right hip is overcompensating for something on the left side. Tough to pin down. All I can do at this point is to be mindful of trying to stay balanced and keep from hurting myself. As always, glad I went for a run and feeling like I accomplished something worthwhile.