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.