Four in a Row

There will not be a five in a row post this week. Four is plenty. I didn't sleep well last night so today I didn't try to push a long run without breaks. Instead, I went 5 miles with intervals of one, two, and three-quarters of running. Certainly warm, about 84 degrees when I got home. At least I went out early enough to find shade along several sections. Not much else to report about today. Glad I've been able to get out so much this week. Next week is supposed to be quite hot still, with temperatures in the mid-90s. Summer just won't let go.

Three in a Row

I have fewer meetings this week and I'm trying to take advantage to get out and exercise each day. Today was the third day in a row. I went 3 miles, running 2.25 of it without stopping. My endurance is getting better, especially in light of the fact it's still summer here in north Texas. The temp was already up to the high 80s by the time I got out with humidity to match. Regardless, I'm enjoying the consistency. I'm also front-loading this week since I'm smoking a brisket on Saturday and if I have the chance to run, it'll be a short one. At this point looks like I'll have a window tomorrow to get a few more miles.

Reconsideration

Today was warm by ten a.m. with plenty of humidity, as usual. I still went 4 miles in my usual interval configuration, with two one-mile and a final three-quarter mile segments for a total of 2.75 miles of running. Once again, the running is feeling good and since I'm keeping it slow, it's achievable.

After yesterday's post I reconsidered the Garmin purchase. I think my Apple Watch's charge would last long enough to track a marathon and I have time to do some testing before running a theoretical race. No need to panic-buy and spend $150 on something I might not even need. So, I canceled the order. I think my bigger question will be music. My iPod is twenty years old and does the job on short runs. I can even get in three runs or so before it dies, which to be fair, ain't bad for such an old piece of tech. I'm sure it won't last four+ hours, though, and I'll need something else. No, I'm not carrying my iPhone for 26.2 miles. The less weight, the better, which is why I like the old iPod. Again, I have time to figure this out. More to come...

A Monday Outing

I had the chance to run this morning, once again before it grew hot, so I took it. I went 3 miles and ran 2.25 of it straight. In other words, I only walked at the start and end. It seemed like a short run, which it was. Felt good and I should be able to get another one in tomorrow.

I'm thinking more seriously about doing a marathon in February. I pulled out the old plan and worked backward from the race date to see when I'd have to get serious. That would be in early December, which gives me plenty of time to build the base. I also started thinking about a GPS to train with and use during the race. My Apple Watch is good but I'm not sure it'd last like I need it to. I've never run a marathon with it. I also realized the last one I ran was in 2017, almost nine years ago. I pulled out my old Garmin and it is dead, dead, dead. Into the trash it went. Lots of miles with it but no use to hang onto it when it doesn't work. I ordered a new Garmin and will have to figure out if I want to keep it or if the Apple Watch will do what I need. I don't know yet. It certainly sounds like I'm making plans to run a race, doesn't it? 

Shady Five

Got out early enough this morning to catch shade along a good portion of the route as the sun rose. I ran through the neighborhood to the north, kind of the alternate route, because once you get to the other side you're running alongside a line of trees on the east edge of the path. As you might know, the sun rises in the east. The weather cooled last evening as a line of storms came through and we received a very, very small dose of sprinkles. This morning I started off with temp in the upper 70s, which sounds nice, but the humidity was super-high. I went 5 miles total, with 3.75 of that running - intervals of one mile, two miles, and three-quarters. Felt like a little bit of a slog, especially the last interval, but I stuck it out. We're still looking at thermometer readings hovering around the century mark for the next week. Pretty crazy for mid-September.

Constant

Today marked a nice milestone, literally. I was able to get out earlier than expected due to a rescheduled meeting so I took advantage of the "lower" temperature (low 80s) and ran without stopping. I walked the first quarter-mile, then ran 3.25, ending with a half-mile walk. For those of you without a calculator, I went 4 miles total. This is one of the few times I've run this far since starting off the year with injury and surgeries, as well as enduring a long run of scorching weather. I decided to go for it once I stepped outside and realized the thermometer worked in my favor. I have to say I never felt out of sorts and it went well. The heat continues for at least another week and we'll see if the chance to run without walking comes up again.

New Standard

Today I went 4 miles, which is starting to feel like the new standard. That's a good sign since I can build on that and hopefully get back to how life used to be when six was the usual outing with longer runs on the weekends. Once again, I managed to run between meetings before the temperature rocketed to the century mark. Overall, it was a good run. That thought that this is becoming the normal hit me a few times. I think it matters to extend the length of the run on Saturdays so these weekday runs don't seem like such a big deal.

Labor Day Walk

Went this morning on a walk with The Wife. Only about 80 degrees but plenty humid. We walked 1.75 miles through the neighborhood and got our sweat on. New homes are going up in the neighborhood to the north of ours and we walked through that area. Interesting how many models of the houses look so similar, although I'll come right out and say I'm jealous of the three-car garage on one of them. It was a nice start to a day off. Up next? Coffee and a cigar, along with some writing/editing of my latest book.  

Mostly Good

I didn't sleep well last night, what with waking up a couple of times in the early morning hours. I rolled out of bed a little after 7:30 and made it out the door around eight o'clock. The first part of the run was good, with a mile interval followed by a two-miler, but the last one ended up being only a quarter-mile since I ran out of gas. I walked the last mile home for a total of 5 miles. We're still in the summer weather pattern and look to be doing so another week, at least. The humidity is the killer, at least for my running. I found plenty of shade this morning. It's not shady everywhere, but it's certainly humid.

Cooler and Humider

Let's be clear - when I say it was cooler today, that's relative. It was still 90 degrees and the humidity ratcheted up to make it feel like 100. My original plan was to go five today, but the moisture in the air made me dial it back. I went 4 miles and pondered walking the last one, but I stuck it out to get my running total up to 2.75 miles, with the usual one-mile intervals followed by a quarter. Not gonna lie, today felt like more of a slog, probably because of the humidity. My iPod charge also died, which I found out after I stepped out the door, so that threw me off as well. Oh well, they can't all be great runs.

Wet Blanket

This morning was definitely different than my last run. When I walked outside, I felt the oppressive weight of humidity like a wet blanket. I resolved right away to run and not let it keep me from having a good outing. At least in that regard, I was successful. A crew on Lake Forest made me detour across the street early on since they were trimming trees and making an awful mess. Still, I got in 4 miles with a total of 2.75 in the running column. I kept it slow and easy and that worked. Since then, I've been working on hydrating and enjoying some air conditioning. That seems to be the cure for a wet blanket.

75

This morning I rose early enough to be out the door by 7:30. At that point it was 75 degrees. I don't think I've run in a temperature that low for several months. It was delightful. Even though I didn't sleep well last night, the run went quite well. I went 5 miles and ran 3.75 of that. I almost chose to run three miles straight in the middle of that but decided I wasn't trying to impress anybody. Plus, my heart was about 140 bpm and I wanted to keep it around that range rather than pushing it higher with a longer interval. It really was a lovely run and I'm glad I did it early enough to get some relatively cooler cooperation.

Only 90

This morning I went out a little after 9:30 a.m. and the thermometer hadn't even hit 90 degrees yet. Plenty humid and sunny, though, which still necessitated walking. Because I had extra time due to a meeting cancellation, I went the extra mile - literally. 4 miles total with 2.75 in running mode. My back felt a little tight when I started out (I don't know why) and a bit better at the end. Overall, I took it slow and easy and enjoyed shade wherever I found it. It's nice to be able to run in spite of the heat.

On another note, I went to a book club meeting on Tuesday, a first for me. The book was Haruki Murakami's running and writing memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. I figured if I was ever going to a book club this would be the time since both topics are in my wheelhouse. Anyway, there were about twenty people there and let's just say they weren't fans of the book. It came out almost two decades ago and several people questioned the motivation for the author to run, saying it seemed he only worried about hitting certain times. To be fair, one person mentioned it was before personal computers masquerading as phones became ubiquitous and all we had were magazines and local running clubs. Fair point. Seemed everybody at the time was obsessed with qualifying for Boston but running has become more social since then. The book club folks also said it read like a running blog with just the facts. Wow, they'd really hate this blog, wouldn't they? I found the memoir interesting because both writing and running are mostly solitary acts and for the author, they didn't bleed into each other. That's quite different from my experience, where I've solved plot hangups in my books many times while out for a run. Some people, particularly one of the young ladies, vehemently disliked the book and the author, particularly his maleness and some of his observations about the "scenery" while running in Boston. I didn't find it over the top, but what do I know? Anyway, an interesting experience that I thought I'd share.

Monday Funday

I wanted to get out today since I have lots of meetings tomorrow morning and can't run when it's cooler. We're still in the 105-108 degree temperature range here in North Texas. This morning was overcast just enough with high clouds to offer a little relief before the thermometer skyrocketed. I left the house about 9 a.m. and did my 3 miles, with two of that in running mode. Felt good that the temp was "only" in the mid to upper 80s. Last night the youngest daughter and I talked about running a marathon next year and we might do the Cowtown in Fort Worth at the end of February. That means I'd have to get my butt in gear by the end of next month and actually work out a plan, which I haven't done in almost a decade. At least the training would be in cooler weather. No decision yet. Just pondering the possibility.

Yet Another

It's another day with temperatures expected to exceed the century mark - 105 degrees, as a matter of fact. Supposedly we only hit 98 yesterday, the first time we fell under 100 in over a week. Anyway, I headed out the door at 7:45 a.m. when it was only 84 degrees. I went 4 miles with 2.75 of that in running fashion. Not the greatest of runs today, and not the worst. I persisted, though, and glad to get in three instances of running in one week, especially in this heat wave. Not sure that'll happen in the coming week, but I'll do my best.

Uncool Runnings

Got out again this morning before the heat kicked in, and did the same running intervals as a couple of days ago. Also listened to a work meeting that kept me nice and distracted. I slept horribly last night and worried today's run might not go well, but strangely enough the lack of sleep didn't seem to have an impact on my exercise. I went another 3 miles and saw one other person running and another walking. Otherwise, seems most people are staying inside where it's cool.

Against the Odds

I slipped out this morning between meetings and got in my run/walk before the temperature skyrocketed. Today's high is 105 degrees and I felt lucky to beat the odds and be out there when it was only 92. I went 3 miles and ran two of those, as the usual pattern has been lately. I listened to a work call and I think because it was different than music or a podcast it made the outing go faster. I felt good upon my return and grateful I had the chance to actually run during this heatwave.

Spontaneous Outing

I decided on the spur of the moment to take a walk after lunch. That spontaneous outing could've also ended in spontaneous combustion, and while that might have made for a cool video off someone's Ring camera, would not have been good for me. I walked 2.25 miles, a good extra outing on a day I don't normally get much exercise. Plus, I avoided school start and end times and honestly ran into only one other person crazy enough to be out in the heat. Tomorrow might also end up as a walk since I doubt I'll get out in time to run.

More Four

Another 4-miler today and as advertised, yes, I got out early enough to run. 2.75 miles of the total, in fact. It was tough in the sunlight and humidity and the breeze from the south felt good when I was fortunate enough to get a wisp. I coveted the shade and took every opportunity to remove my hat and let my head cool in the shadows. I finished right about nine o'clock and now it's time to sit on the back patio and drink some coffee.

Early Enough

I had a gap between meetings this morning so I got out early enough to run. Plus, there was a little breeze from the west that helped things. I went 3 miles total and ran two of them. It felt good to be able to run after all the walking. Not that walking's bad. I just want to run and get in some miles a little (marginally) quicker. I followed up the run with mowing the yard, again before the temperature hit the century mark again. This sets me up for another run on Saturday morning. I'm enjoying the hot weather even though it puts a dent in my running efforts. Still better than living in a place with real winters.