Give Me Three

Skipped Thursday's run due to work and a little bit of foot pain, but got out today for 3 miles. The pain is still there on the underside of my right foot. Not as bad, though. I put inserts into my daily-wear sneakers and that seems to have helped. We'll see how it feels the next few days. My heart rate hit the theoretical maximum at the end of today's run (220 minus age). As I've stated before, I'm pretty that's not exactly correct. Feels like I should have a higher max, especially when I'm in good shape. I'm not out of shape right now, exactly, but I'm also not at the top of my game. The answer? Keep running.

Another Recovery

It's been another ten days since I ran due to the foot pain. BTW, the meat I smoked on the 29th turned out very well to popular acclaim. Anyway, I thought about the foot issue and what had changed. I'm using the same running shoes I've always used and a pair that gave me no problems. What did change was the weather, and with that going back to casual sneakers with no arch support. They're what I've worn for years when getting out and about (non-running, of course), but I don't wear them over the course of winter. Resuming their usage must've caused problems with my feet and so I've discontinued using them for now. I bought a pair of another brand of casual shoe, this with a little more arch and cushioning in the heel. I've only worn them once so far, yesterday, and then today I ran 3 miles. I have a little bit of pain, but not too bad. I'll continue with the new casual shoes and hopefully that makes the difference.

Foot Pain

Yes, it's been eleven days since I ran. After the last outing, the bottom of my right foot between the middle and fourth toes swelled. I don't know why. It was weird, because I'd expect something like that on the ball of my foot, but not in the middle. I iced it and then took it easy for - well, the last eleven days. Today I felt the cabin fever and knew I needed to get in some exercise. Even though I'm smoking a pork butt today, I slipped out for a 3-miler. The run itself was good, but my foot is aching again in the same spot. Must be something with my shoes that apparently popped up unexpectedly, but I don't know what. More to come on that, I think. Now it's time to relax and smoke some meat and jalapeno poppers.

Spring Winds

The spring winds continue today, to the tune of 25 mph with gusts over 40. That made running southward a bit more difficult, but even more than that the temperature of 80 degrees slowed me. I walked a couple of times on the last half but managed to get in 4 miles. It was a nice, easy outing after the race on Saturday. I felt a few calf twinges in the first couple hundred yards but told myself if I couldn't run, at least I could walk. They went away and didn't come back, so running only came into play because of the heat. Yeah, it's going to get hotter, but this is the part of the year where I start to build tolerance. That way when the thermometer hits 100 degrees I can at least go out for a bit where there's shade.

Shamrock 5k 2025

This morning turned out to be nice, a far cry from the gusty day before. It seems a good part of west Texas blew into town yesterday and the sky was filled with dust. We caught a break for the 5k, which started at 9 a.m. Really, it only got a little breezy with the last half-mile or so, which circuited Towne Lake and put us going due east into the wind. Could've been worse. Anyway, I didn't run Thursday due to work issues, and felt like I had fresh legs today. It actually went way better than I would've hoped. The first mile is mostly uphill, kind of a kick in the pants to start a race. I felt good, and jumped ahead at a good 10-minute pace. Most of that was spent dodging around slow people and walkers, who for some reason all think they should be at the front when we start. That's my biggest pet peeve about people in these races. The second mile recovered the previous elevation gain and my pace increased slightly. My time was (unofficially) 29:42, a nice time for a guy of my age who hasn't been running fast at all. I feel good about coming in under the half-hour mark. I looked at my watch a couple of times and it said my heart rate was basically at the max, but I don't think that was right. I definitely felt the effort of the run, but at no point did I feel like I was overdoing it. It makes me think the watch is off in measuring my heart rate, or maybe adrenaline and the little bit of competition offset it. IDK but it was a great run and I'm happy with the results.

Double the Fun

I just realized I forgot to log last Thursday's 4-mile run. Probably because I was able to go earlier in the day than normal and got busy doing other stuff. If I remember right and my fitness app is correct, I ran the whole way and even sprinted at the end. Probably because I knew Saturday would be a rainout.

Today I went 4 miles again, this time in sunshine and a stiff breeze from the south. It was also 80 degrees. I walked at the 3-mile mark since I figured that was a good practice distance for the 5k upcoming this Saturday. My music also went out less than 2.5 miles in, meaning I ran in relative silence for most of the last half. A couple of groups of high school kids out along the path and a few other random strangers enjoying the nice day. Looks like the wind is supposed to pick up again later this week, but hopefully the St. Patrick's Day run will be decent.

Sirens

Woke up just after 5 this morning to thunder and lightning, and then a bunch of wind. Somehow managed to go back to sleep and then was awakened again at 5:45 by tornado sirens. I checked the radar and all seemed well, other than a line of storms going through, and the sirens stopped shortly after. All that to say, I wasn't sure how the weather would turn out today other than windy. However, I apparently hit a good spot late morning with a stiff breeze from the southwest, but not as bad as it's going to get later. I ran 4 miles with about 200 yards of waking in the last mile when my heart rate got a bit higher than I like. I don't know, I don't feel horrible when that happens, but if I'm going by the recommended heart rate, it's over 90% in those instances. Anyway, the walk helped bring it back down and I finished just fine.

Unexpected

I set out for this morning's run with high hopes, but ended up unexpectedly walking most of the last mile. My heart rate was up for the first three miles, and then my right calf felt tight. So, I ended up walking. I went 4 miles total but had expectations of going two more. I could have pushed it, but I also have a lot of yard work to do today and didn't want to make things worse. It was a nice morning, about 70 degrees with sun and a good, stiff breeze. Wish I could have run longer.

Shorts for Real

Today I got wise and wore shorts since it was 70 degrees out and sunny. That proved to be the right choice, although the people who had to endure my winter-induced paleness probably wouldn't agree. I planned on going 5 miles when I set out and really had to make myself not turn at the two-mile mark. I'm glad I went the full distance because I kept telling myself I'm not going to have many nice days like this and it'd be a shame to waste. I think I had the mental game going on because I'd rather sit around and enjoy a nice, cold beverage on the back patio. Another thing I told myself: I needed a run more than I needed a cigar. The cigars will be there tomorrow, but tomorrow might not be a good day for running.

Shorts

What a nice day! I went for a lunchtime run when the temperature hit 60 degrees and I probably should've worn shorts. The long pants seemed a bit much. I ran 4 miles in the sunshine and light southerly breeze. Felt good the whole way and no walking necessary. The cold is behind us and we're into mild temperatures now. I plan to take full advantage of the nice weather.

Consistency

The only consistency I've maintained this month is that I've run every Saturday. Beyond that, not much else. Once again, we had an extremely cold week. Several mornings I woke up to 10-13 degrees Fahrenheit, with wind chill of -5. The afternoon temperatures soared into the low 20s. Needless to say, I didn't want to run in that weather, so I didn't. Today turned out much better, 49 degrees and sunny. I only went 3 miles, kind of a get-back-into-it kind of run. This coming week is supposed to be nicer and hopefully that gets my will to run back into place.

Want

I didn't run Tuesday or Thursday, and let me be clear on why: I didn't want to. The weather was cold, raining or misty, and windy. In other words, nasty. To be fair, I thought about running, but decided both times to stay inside where it's warm. Today kind of looked the same, except the temperature rose above 50 degrees on its way to the upper 60s. In fact, it was still misting just a bit when I walked out the front door. I could've turned around at that point but I'd already taken the trouble to dress and all. I ran 4 miles, not nearly as tough as my tries last week. Maybe it was because of fresh legs, or maybe the fact it wasn't over 80 degrees. Whatever, it turned into a good day. Looks like we're in for freezing weather again by mid-week, so I might move my outings around to accommodate.

What a Week

It wasn't the greatest of weeks in my long running career. An aborted run on Tuesday, a tough one with walking on Thursday, and today one that seemed relatively better but not great. The temperature was once again about 80 degrees, my normal threshold for adding in walk breaks. I did that today at the two-mile mark and again at three. That got me through 4.25 miles. I planned to go longer but realized I should take what I can get. It was nice enough outside but that higher February temp stifled my plans a little. It's supposed to get colder tomorrow and for the next week so maybe that'll help. Glad to get in a run but wish it could've been better. Oh, well. Like I said, sometimes you just have to take what you can get.

Hamburger Revenge

No cramps today, which was nice. However, my tactical mistake at lunch came back to haunt me. I met with the local work team at a burger joint, where I ordered a cheeseburger with bacon and fried egg, plus onion rings on the side. That proved to be a bad decision come run time. I went 4 miles total, running the first three at a painfully slow pace. I decided walking the last mile was the best course of action. In addition to the food, the temperature soared to 82 degrees at run time, further sapping my energy. Hey, I'm just glad I got to be outside and running without calf cramps.

Cramp Again

I wanted to run hills today as part of getting into much better shape, but the calf muscles in both legs cramped. Maybe because the temperature was twenty degrees lower today and felt worse because of the wind. Maybe because the first part of my attempted run was uphill. Maybe because I stood too much today. Maybe because I didn't drink enough water. I don't know. It's highly annoying, but I will try again Thursday. Heck, I might try tomorrow between meetings. We'll see.

Clear Path

Today was nice for a run, almost 60 degrees and sunny. Plus, the path was clear. The spot where I had to turn back Thursday was no longer submerged. Lots of people out enjoying the day, which provided a nice breeze from the south. I went 6 miles and thought about walking a couple of times due to heart rate, but it stayed pretty even and I felt fine so I ran the whole way. Who would've thought I could run three times in one week in late January/early February and wear shorts and t-shirt each outing? Not me, but I'm glad for the opportunity. As usual when the weather's nice, no complaints here.

Foiled

My plan was to run five miles today, but those plans were foiled. We got a couple of inches of rain last night, which flooded the path about two-tenths of a mile into my third. I had to choose between getting my shoes soaking wet and having to run with that issue, or turning back. Guess what I chose. That made my total end up at 4.44 miles for the day. It started out sunny and 63 degrees but clouded up in my last mile or so. Still not bad, and actually pretty nice weather for a run. We're supposed to be in for nice weather this weekend and I'm okay with that.

Gray but Good

Today was overcast but the temperature was in the upper 50s, although it didn't feel that warm. A slight breeze from the south made it feel that much cooler, too. Nevertheless, I figured it was nice enough to get out for a 4-miler. It went well and my heart rate didn't ratchet up like it did a few days ago. A little more self-control in the eating and drinking department probably helped with that issue. I wore shorts and t-shirt, probably a bit optimistic given the relative coolness, but it worked out okay and turned out to be good running weather. I think we're due for a few days of rain before it turns warmer for the weekend.

Too Long

Wow, I didn't realize until now that it's been 18 days since I last ran. Too long. That definitely wasn't in my plans. Between snow, travel for work, having family in town, and a four-day long allergy attack, I suppose I can explain it without trying to make excuses. Today I finally made it back out, where I ran 3 miles. It was a nice run, although my heart rate was a little too high but understandable given my layoff. The temperature was in the low 40s with a good breeze from the south, but at least it was sunny. My iPod had died due to lack of use, so I left it on the charger and ran anyway. I know I keep saying it, but I need to get back in the groove. I have a vested interest in getting back to normal since I'm going to sign up for the Shamrock 5k in March. I'd like to do better than last year.

Brrrrrr

We're experiencing a bout of freezing weather here in Texas, and yes, we're a bunch of big babies when it comes to the cold. I know I didn't move here for that. Today it was 36 degrees and felt like 24 when I ran, which is due to a nice cold 15 mph wind. I went all of 3.5 miles, figuring that was enough. Snow is in the forecast for Thursday, with anywhere from 3 to 10 inches predicted. In other words, they don't know. If it does snow, I won't be running. I did enough of that when we lived in KC. I'm not training for anything right now, so I'll stay inside where it's warm, thank you very much.

First Run of 2025

Normally, the first run of the year would've been on Thursday, but we had a wedding to attend that afternoon. Plus, I worked. That means today ended up being the first run of 2025. I ran 5 miles under overcast skies with a stiff breeze from the southwest. We're due to get a massive cold front over the next couple of days, so I'm glad I got in a run today. Plenty of people out and about on the paths today. I wore long pants and a technical t-shirt, which helped me with the cold breeze when I ran against the wind. Overall, a good start to the year.