Humid Memorial Day

I ran at about 7:30ish this morning and it was, in a word, humid. I ran 6 miles, with a walking spell every mile starting at the halfway point, and up the big hill. There was a 5k starting from the high school, but it didn't start until 8:30. I encountered the pack on my way back, and one woman and her couple of friends shouted at me, "Dude, you're running the wrong way!" I smiled. I don't think a 10k or half-marathon would have gone over too well on a day like this.

Back from Vegas

Las Vegas sucks. Too many people, and no good places to run. Plus too much work. So I missed running on Tuesday. The plan was to get up at 7:30 and run by 8 since the first meeting wasn't until 11 or so. Instead I woke up at 7:30 and within sixty seconds got a text that we had a meeting at 8 that I hadn't been invited to until that moment. Great.

Back in Texas I slept late today (due to working all day Sunday) and ran in the heat. It was okay since I decided beforehand to walk every mile. It always starts out the same - hey, this first mile isn't so bad, I can probably run most of it. Today I ran at mile one and every mile marker thereafter, as well as up the big hill. That was a good decision. At times I questioned the 6-mile goal but in the end I made it. And Texas does not suck.

A Lovely Slog

As is usually the case at this time of year it was incredibly humid. I ran 7 miles and broke quite the humid sweat by the first half-mile. Plenty of people out on a nice Saturday morning that started with decent temperatures, sun, and a little bit of a breeze. Headed out of town later today for a business trip and taking my running gear with me. Hoping to get in at least one run while away from home.

In Summer Mode

Today's run was later in the morning than normal, which meant the humidity was down (barely). It was also in the 80s, and I decided that it would be best to walk every mile. I started at mile 2 and carried it on every subsequent mile through the end of the 6 miles, with a walk up the big hill as well. It was a nice sunny day and an enjoyable run. Started a new Hardcore History podcast episode that should last me through a few more runs since it's 4-1/2 hours long.

Cooler but Still Humid

Since I have a work call tonight at 10 p.m. I thought it would be best to get out earlier in the day for a run. The temperature was around 70 degrees but the humidity was still sky-high. I ran the 6 miles at a good slow pace and went the whole way without walking, due to the wind out of the southeast that kept me somewhat cooled off the last mile.

Slow and Humid

I was the slow part of the title of this post, and the humid piece was taken care of by Mother Nature. Fortunately it was cloudy most of the run when I got out this morning a few minutes after eight. I went 7 miles, and seriously thought about walking a couple of times. But then I realized my pace was so incredibly slow that walking wouldn't have made much of a difference. I was bathed in sweat before the first mile marker due to the exceptional humidity. Plus the temperature was about 80 degrees. I made it all the way to the big hill before I finally caved and walked. Not a great run today, but a necessary one to start acclimating to the humidity and heat again.

Warming Up

I had a horrible allergy attack on Monday and by Tuesday was just starting to recover. I decided it would be prudent to skip a run that day and let the healing continue, which turned out to be a wise choice since I had my best night of sleep in weeks - weeks, I tell you - and felt much better Wednesday. So today I feel almost back to normal, and ran my usual 6 miles. Well, with a couple of walks at miles 4 & 5 and up the big hill, but that's because it's getting much warmer in a short span of time. I felt good, but not stupid enough to keep running when I could feel the heat getting to me. Temperature was in the upper 80s, and this is just part of getting used to it again and being smart enough to keep from pushing myself too far.

Unfettered

Today was a really nice spring day in Texas, and I got out this morning to run my 6 miles. I thought there would be more people out, but I only saw about four other runners and a couple of people walking. I went without any devices, either iPod or GPS, and it was a great day for it. The wind was calm and I enjoyed listening to the sounds all around. I'm thinking it's going to be nice to be home for a couple of weeks after a lot of traveling in April.

The Elusive Friday Run

Didn't get a good chance to run yesterday due to general busyness, so my second run this week came on a Friday. Looking back over the years, I would guess Friday is the day of the week I've run on the least, followed by Wednesday, Sunday, and finally Monday. Of course Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are the most frequent. Mondays come into play more when I'm training for a race and running four days a week.

I'm still in Wamego and heading home tomorrow. I drove over to KC today for lunch with friends, and made it back in time to finish up the work day and still get in 5 miles before heading to my sister's for a cookout. All in all a good day and a good week, but I will say that I'm ready to head for home. Seems like I've been gone a lot lately, which I have.

A Run in Oz

Wamego is home to several Wizard of Oz tourist destinations, including a museum, an actual yellow brick road, a house with a witch's legs sticking out from underneath, and of course a winery. Today it also hosted a stiff breeze from the south. It was my first run since the race, and I intentionally took it easy and ended up at 4.14 miles.

After race day (a Saturday) it took until Tuesday for my right calf to stop aching. I was going to run at some point last week in Austin but decided it was best to let my legs recover. A wise choice since today I felt pretty good in spite of a little rust.

Cracking 2

It's been a few years since I was in a race that wasn't extremely humid or just insane terrain (I'm looking at you, Bataan Memorial Death March), but today proved to be a good day. Up until the time I woke up this morning it looked like rain could wash out this race, but fortunately the race organizers didn't trust the weathermen. The line of storms passed north, and by the first mile I knew it wasn't as humid as some other races I've been in recently. So I decided to keep a pace in the low 9's and then see where it could take me from the halfway point.

When I hit 6 miles, not quite halfway, I figured I could try and get this one in under two hours. Actually, around mile 4 I had a downhill that I gave in to gravity, but sure, we'll go with a few miles further on for the purposes of this story. I had tried to keep the 2:00 pace group within sight but lost them several times. I probably ran a little too fast through miles 7-10, but that's what saved me in the end.

At mile 11 I passed the ladies carrying the flag for the 2:00 group, talked with them for a few hundred yards, and then continued. At mile 12 I heard footsteps behind me and a guy came up beside me and asked how it was going. I said I think we'll make it, plus we beat the rain. I had a few calf twinges around mile 8 and then more frequently as we went on, but the worst was a new sidewalk right before the mile 13 marker. It wound from the path I usually run up the hill to the middle school track, and every step felt like my calves were painful lead weights. When it finally leveled out the pain subsided and I made the 3/4 of the way around the middle school track to the finish in 1:58:09. That was good for 69th place out of 272.

When I looked at the results 7 of the top 10 were female, and so was the overall winner. That is incredibly cool. I was just outside the top 25%, but at this age and not training to run fast I'll take it. In fact, I wish I'd done more speed work. I finished fourth in my age group by less than a minute from the person in front of me. Oh well, I ran my race and I'm happy. That's what it's all about.

Final Tune-Up

A short 3-miler this morning in Austin just to stretch out a little bit. The wind was chilly to start off  but warmed up a little by the end. The weather forecast for Saturday is rain but later in the morning, hopefully after I'm done. It's also supposed to pretty cool and breezy, so maybe this morning was a preview.

This site also says this is my 1,400th post on this blog. To my loyal reader (I assume that's probably just me since I don't think my Mom even knows this site exists) I say wow, that's a lot of running.

Short in Austin

In Austin this week for meetings, and I don't really like the location of the hotel we're staying at when it comes to running. I ran with the FVRP and we did 3.3 miles, which was good for me to stretch out here during race week. Part of the run was along a frontage road, but we stumbled into a campus with a nice wooded path. It wasn't horrible but I still prefer staying downtown where the running and scenery is better.

Cold and Windy

In a big reverse from Thursday, at least in the temperature department but not the wind, today was very cool with temperature in the 40s. I ran 7 miles in my last long run before next Saturday's race. The wind out of the north was ridiculous and almost snatched away my stocking cap a few times.

We're headed to the Old 97's County Fair in downtown Dallas this afternoon. I'm thinking I will probably take my heavy coat since it's bound to be downright cold once the sun goes down.

Warm and Windy

Temperature was in the upper 70s today, and very windy. I ran hills and felt good, and the wind helped keep me cooled to an appropriate level. I went at lunch, which was also nice since I didn't have to try and crowd 6 miles into my schedule. Looking forward to a shorter long run on Saturday (an oxymoron) and then a race in a little over a week. Here's hoping for good weather.

Closer to Spring

This morning was still cool, but sunny and starting to get that Springtime feel in the air. My morning meetings didn't start right away, which was a nice change. I thought about running hills, but with the temperature in the upper 40s it seemed like a good time to do some speed work. That's a relative term, btw. So I ran my regular route and at the 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 marks I ran a half-mile tempo. My GPS screwed up early on and marked me at a mile a couple hundred yards and a minute early, but by the time I got back to the neighborhood it marked me at 6 miles correctly. I had to rely on landmarks to get in the correct, or close to it, intervals. My times showed under 9 minutes/mile, which seems awfully optimistic. Regardless, it was good to run a little faster on the off chance that the 21st shows up with good weather where I can shoot for a faster time.

Not Spring Yet

Yesterday a big storm front came through, and then this morning the temperature was down near freezing. When I ran a little after lunch it was about 40 degrees and breezy. Normally it would be Spring, or close enough to it where we wouldn't have such a cold day. I wore long pants and t-shirt, as well as a stocking cap and mittens. I went 11 miles and the cold weather actually made it a good run. I doubt that the race in two weeks will be such good running weather.

Back Home

Yesterday was a nice day to run once I got back home. I ran 6 miles in the late afternoon, enjoying some German language lessons along the way. I wouldn't say it was a great run, but it was good enough on a day after I'd eaten too much Rudy's for dinner. You'd think by now I'd be smart enough to know I shouldn't eat that much on a night before a planned morning run. You'd be wrong.

Austin Storm

On Tuesday I drove up to a park in north Austin (where I was this week for work) and set out on a run. A bank of ominous clouds scuttled in from the north, and about a mile out I decided I should head back to the car in case the heavens cracked open. By the time I got back to my rental car and looked at the radar map on my phone it appeared the storm had passed by enough for me to be safe. I got no rain or lightning but plenty of wind, which was my undoing.

On the way back to the car the trough among the hills was filled with dust and pollen, mostly pollen, lifted into the air by the wind. I spent the next four miles wheezing and trying to breathe. Somehow I made it on a windy path through a neighborhood, apartment homes, and then back around by the parking lot; through a sports complex where people were playing softball, baseball, soccer, and skateboarding; and then I finally made it to my 6-mile mark.

It was a pretty severe allergy attack and several times I felt like stopping, but I decided long ago that if I waited until I felt great and let allergies have their way with me then I'd never run.

Training Run

I went out early, especially early for a non-summer Saturday, but it's Daughter #2's birthday and I wanted to run before taking her out to breakfast. It was cool when I started and mild when I finished my 10 miles. Overall it was pretty good, steady and just below a 10-minute pace. I had a mild strain in my back a few days ago and so I wore my compression t-shirt under a regular technical. It worked out just fine. Since I signed up for a half-marathon earlier in the week this means I'm three weeks out from that race. It'll be a nice Spring goal and then I can enter summer with thoughts of doing a full toward the end of the year.

Sunny Again

The morning started out foggy but by mid-afternoon the sun was out and it was beautiful outside. I started out the door and down the block for my normal route, but as I turned the corner I decided to run hills. This time went better than last and I felt good the whole way. The nice breeze helped, as did the 70-degree temperature. It was 6 miles of good running.

Pre-Rain Run

The chance of rain tomorrow is 100% with a possibility of flash flooding. Which means probably it will be cloudy and a few sprinkles here and there. Or exactly like they say. Whatever. Anyway, I decided to go ahead and run today so that I'm not trying to fit in an outing between storms. Oh yeah, I also did my cross-training punching bag routine this morning as scheduled. Which made my legs feel a little bit dead on my 6-mile run.

I persevered, and even though the temperature was 83 degrees the wind helped cool me off some, and I only walked up the big hill on Lake Forest, against the wind. It seemed like the smart thing to do. Meanwhile, I should have a couple of days off due to storms.

Respite

Today was the one non-windy day in the forecast for at least the next week. I originally thought about going 11 miles or so, but yesterday afternoon decided a 9-miler was plenty. And yes, it was. The temperature was in the upper 70s, which took quite a bit out of me for a run as I work to acclimate to the higher degrees. At mile 7 I was a little overheated and walked for about 90 seconds. After that I was good, and overall the run was enjoyable.

The electricity went off this morning about 7:30, and I thought I was going to end up without coffee. Fortunately it came back on shortly after 9 and I got my caffeine jolt before running. Kind of funny for a guy who used to despise even the smell of coffee. Hey, people can change.

Windy on the Hills

Today was a crap day with 9 out of 10 work hours on the phone. I was ready to go for a run way before the last call. It was sunny and nice, in the 70s, but also very windy from the south. Running against it was quite a slog, and in fact most of it in any direction felt that way. When I got to the first mile mark I thought it was one of the longest miles I've ever run.

Anyway, I went for the hills today, which may or may not have been a good decision. I got in my 6 miles in spite of all the work, and for that I am grateful. I remind myself that even a crazy busy day today is still better than my last job. And I'm grateful for that, too.

Windy Afternoon

Tuesday's run in the early afternoon was nice and sunny but a little bit chilly. I got out between conference calls and when I returned found I'd missed one that somehow ended up not being on my calendar. User error. Nevertheless, my 6-mile run was good and pretty quick, and also included two and a half German lessons. Making progress, at least with numbers and some other basics.

Back on the Trail

Today warmed up nicely. We started the day at The Celt for a St. Patrick's Day breakfast, and I finally made it out for my run about 1:30 p.m. I went 8 miles, and the temperature warmed up into the high 70s with lots of sun. Not a lot of wind, just enough breeze to cool me off enough to enjoy it. I'm back in town this week with hopefully no breaks in my normal running schedule. We can only hope.

Interlude

Wednesday was my one day in town during the week, sandwiched between a NM road trip for fun and a work trip to Austin. I was able to get out and run late in the afternoon and get in my 6 miles. It was good and a nice day.

I was unable to get out during in NM due to an early day up in the mountains on Saturday to wait for the best bbq on the planet at Mad Jack's, sleeping too late on Sunday after the time change, and rain on Monday morning. It was a long time to go without running but it was a fun trip.

Carving Out Time

Today was a 10-hour day at work, and I was trying to sandwich in a run between my last call and having to take The Boy to one of his activities. My last call went 45 minutes over. Fortunately I'd already dressed and was ready to go, but it almost went too long. I guess I could have shortened my run but that wasn't my first choice. I was able to get in my 6-miler at a fairly brisk pace. The moderate temperature helped and I got home just as the sun was about to call it a day. Glad I was able to go since it was very nice and refreshing to run after a long day of phone call after phone call after phone call - you get the idea.

Cold Bones

Today I felt like I never really got warm, probably because yesterday it got up to 75 degrees and The Wife turned on the a/c. It was late morning before it registered with me that the heat wasn't on. By the time I ran in late afternoon I was still not very warm but at least the temperature had risen enough outside to offset the harsh bite of the wind. It was extremely windy from the northwest. I ran my 6 miles and listened to my German lessons. Overall it wasn't too bad of a run, wind and all. I wore shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt, so can't complain too much.

Looking Forward

Yesterday I was really looking forward to today's run. Sometimes that happens. I feel some anticipation, maybe a little mix of cabin fever, and expectation. And it did not disappoint.

I ran 10 miles on a very nice, sunny day. Temperature was around 60 degrees, and humidity was pretty low. I think my pace ended up in the low 9's. Several people out today walking dogs, and plenty of bicycles.

I think people walk along paths like they drive their cars. One couple I passed three times. The guy was on the right with a metal cane-like deal, and the female on the left, a couple of steps ahead. The problem was that they both occupied the sides of the path. The first time I said, "On your left," and she flinched and moved to the right. The next couple of times I figured they weren't smart enough to get the picture so I ran right through the middle of them. I missed a fourth time by about 30 seconds of completing a loop before they arrived. It's annoying when people are oblivious to those around them. I wouldn't be surprised if I've encountered them on one of the local roads, puttering along, not using their turn signals, and unaware that they are unaware.

Another Good One in Austin

Today's run in downtown Austin was a 6-miler that went pretty well. It was windier than the other day, but the sun was out and it was a good day for a run. Lots of people out with dogs getting some exercise. There was no rush since my flight home was later in the morning, but it also meant I didn't get breakfast until almost lunch time. Somehow I survived.

Soupy in Austin

Tuesday morning's run in Austin was a little soupy. Some mist and low clouds, but at least the temperature was nice. I went 5 miles because the FVRP was a few minutes late meeting me in the hotel lobby. At least this time there was some light out when we started and I didn't need my light. The run was followed up by a nice omelette. That's always good motivation.

Watery Week

I don't mind running in rain, but when it rains for six days straight and the temperature hovers above freezing? Well, not gonna happen.

I slept late this morning because a thunderstorm rolled through and I had no motivation to get up any earlier. However, the line moved through just about noon and miracle of miracles, the sun actually came out. Even though I missed two runs this week I was still able to run 8 miles with no problems. Well, no problems other than navigating the sections of the path covered by water. Even so, it was nice to get out and enjoy a nice afternoon after numerous gray, gloomy, wet days.

A Good Long Run

Today started out rainy and gray, but by the time afternoon rolled around it wasn't too bad. I went 10 miles and listened to a lot of German on my iPod. Overall it was a pretty easy run, averaging around 9:30/mile. I thought this would be a good one before my next birthday, a nice round number.

I forgot to mention that on my Thursday run the GPS was totally whacked. It was cloudy and a high wind, which seems to distort the GPS sensitivity. I knew I was in trouble when the second mile took only 8:30 and I was still nowhere near where I knew the mile marker to be. Today I thought I might run into some trouble, even though it was nowhere near as windy. The alert for mile 3 was way beyond where it normally is. Even so, it seemed to average out in the end since I was within about 50 feet of the end point when I got the finish. Plus I wasn't going to sweat a few extra yards overall.

Wind and Hills

It was warm, gray Thursday. Twice as warm as my Tuesday run, as a matter of fact. A lot of wind, but that's a challenge, not a deterrent. I went out for a hill run. Why not?

The wind was out of the south and the first mile was tough. A half-mile in I thought my calves were cramping and this might be a bad day. I continued, figuring at that point I could walk back if needed. The next couple weren't horrible, but even so I felt like I wasn't in sync. I thought about walking up the hills somewhere between mile 4 and 5 but I was distracted by my iPod and switching between albums. Before I knew it I was up the last hill and on my way to finishing my 6-mile run.

80 degrees, hills, and 6 miles in February. Memorable.

Cold and Runny

The Wife said I looked cold when I was out running today because I wore a long-sleeved shirt, a stocking cap, and shorts. It was in the low 40s but I never felt cold. In fact I ran my 6 miles feeling pretty well, trying to hurry back for a phone call. To which I ended up being five minutes late. Guess the cold wasn't enough motivation to run any faster than I did.

Back to the Cold

It was colder this week in Dallas than it was in San Francisco. That was certainly true today where the temperature was 32 degrees with a lovely cold wind out of the north. The first mile was a pain, but once I turned it got much better. I ran 8 miles in total, and by the time I turned around for the return I was warmed up just fine. Miles 5-7 were against the wind and there were a few moments where I did not enjoy myself. But the last mile was fine and the wind at my back helped. This was one of those days where living in KC for so many years paid off in a wardrobe that helped me stay warm.

Third in SF

I was looking to see what I posted this week while in San Francisco and it took me a few seconds to realize the days were off. My Tuesday post was actually for Monday and the one that showed up on Wednesday was likewise off a day. Looks like the time zone difference came into play since I ran Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. This is for the latter, even though it looks like a double post if you try to put it into the context of the other runs.

The Thursday run of 4 miles was a little tougher, mainly due to the amount of food and drink on Wednesday evening. Still, made it through without any major problems. The temperature was noticeably cooler since when I stepped out the hotel doorway I could see my breath. But my luggage packing skills worked in my favor since I hadn't put in a third short-sleeved shirt and ended up having to wear a longer sleeved shirt. Three good runs in SF this week.

Another Four in CA

It was another 4 miles in San Francisco this morning. Still dark, a little cool but manageable. No breakfast afterward, though. In fact, I came back to my hotel room and worked longer than I expected with a phone call to a sales rep in Canada and then one of my team members. On my Lyft ride to the office my stomach kept rumbling and I was wishing I'd eaten breakfast earlier. I ended up eating 4.5 hours after I woke which was not necessarily a recipe for success.

This week I'm on track to get my usual 12 miles in three runs instead of two. That's okay because I think the FVRP is getting a kick start out of this.

Bay Run

Got out (very) early this morning on the Bay south of the San Francisco airport. I ran over to the hotel where the FVRP was staying and we ran three miles together, then went in for an omelette. After that I jogged back to my hotel for a total of 4 miles. It was cool but also humid, and not a bad morning for a quick run. Today would have been better if I hadn't worked for 14 hours, but what can I say? Sometimes you just have long days of starting early and working late.

Refreshing Long Run

This doesn't happen very often, but I felt like doing a long long run today. I'd been trying to find a half to do relatively soon but didn't have much luck. When I woke up this morning I was thinking about today's run and was actually kind of excited about doing a longer run. Even though it was pretty cold and windy I still went 11 miles. I layered up and about halfway through took off my stocking cap, but other than that it was good that I'd put on long pants and shirt. The wind makes it tougher, but in reality the temperature actually makes it a good running day. Not as many people out as normal, but that's fine with me either way. I started listening to an English history podcast and made it through almost the first five episodes. Good stuff so far.

The Windy Hills of Texas

I went the hill route today for my 6-miler, and it was quite breezy from the north. Overall the run was a good one, but I'm still suffering from allergy congestion. I felt like I was running with a little more breath than last week, but even so it wasn't full capacity. My pace ended up being 9:15/mile, so I guess I can't complain too much.

Windy and Running with Daughter #3

I was going to do a hill run today, but right before I went upstairs to change Daughter #3 told me she was going to run. I asked where and she said toward the path where I usually run. Spending time with her trumps a hill run any day of the week. We went the first mile together and then she turned around and headed home while I did the rest of my 6 miles. It was nice to run with one of the kids.

The wind was out of the southeast, which made for a fun run out and not as bad on the back except for the last mile. Fortunately the day had warmed up enough to compensate for the wind. More breezy days expected this week but that's what happens in Texas this time of year.

Learning Deutsch on the Run

I went 9 miles on a cool Saturday morning, and listened to almost 90 minutes of German. I've been learning over the past few months, with some of it a refresher from high school, since I'm heading to Europe in about four months. It's a good way to pass the time on a run. The run went well and there were plenty of people out on a cool breezy day.

After I got home I pressure washed part of the garage floor as well as the front porch. It looks way better. Plus I carried some bins up to the attic and then put dishes away. By the time dinner rolled around I was pretty tired. Can't complain, though, since no one would listen. In English or Deutsch.

Lovely Afternoon

The temperature this afternoon was about 60 degrees, sunny, and a nice breeze from the southeast. I went to the pub for lunch but showed restraint since I knew I had to run. Fortunately I did *not* taste fish and chips and Guinness during the run. I went my usual 6 miles at a pretty good pace, and picked it up at the end. I've been suffering a little from the Texas crud which pops up every year around this time. Not sure if it's cedar or what, but the allergies constrict my breathing to some degree. Regardless, I ran through it and enjoyed the lovely day.

Early and Cold

A schedule packed full of work calls today so I got up early and ran. At least the sun is starting to come up earlier and heading out a few minutes after 7 a.m. isn't total darkness any more. I passed all the high school runners heading back to school just north of McKinney Boyd and then saw barely anyone else the rest of the way. I ran 6 miles, once again with abbreviated warm-up and cooldown walks. The temperature said 41 degrees when I left but I don't think it was that warm. The past 3-4 days had been very windy and I'm glad that died down to almost nothing today. That would have made the run a lot different.

Nice Warmth, Strong Wind

Two days after running in near-freezing temperatures it was back up to 65 degrees today. That included a very strong wind out of the south, so much so that I walked up the big hill on Lake Forest rather than trying to run it. I went 7 miles and it felt like more because of being battered by the wind. I also probably ran too fast since my pace was in the low 9's again, with one of the miles coming in at 8:46. When I saw that on my GPS I said no way since I felt like I wasn't running that fast. Nevertheless it was a good run.

Texas Freeze

Back home in Texas and the weather is chilly. At least the sun was out and we broke above the freezing mark. I ran the usual 6-mile route, although I shortened my warm-up and cool-down walks so I could use the end of the block as the marker and avoid a little time in the breeze. The cold really helped my pace, though, and I finished at 9:04/mile. Definitely not the norm for me around here unless it gets this cold.

Saturday in Vegas

Made the annual trek to Las Vegas for our Sales Kickoff this past weekend. My intentions always outweigh the results. I ran Saturday and got in my 6 miles in 65 degree weather. It was a little bit of a slog but that was probably because of the altitude. It was good to get it in before all the meetings started.

I put my clothes out Sunday night for an early morning Monday run, but took awhile to get to sleep and woke up once at 2:30, all no doubt because of a cup of afternoon coffee. I reset my alarm during the trip to the bathroom. After that there was no real chance to run so all I got was the one on Saturday. Missed a run early in the week but was still glad to get one done.

Windy January

The wind picked up over the last couple of days and made today's outing a little more interesting. I probably overdressed but it was still cool enough to layer up. I could have gone with a little less but it worked out okay. I ran the usual 6-mile route, listened to some German lessons along the way, and made it a decent pace in spite of the wind. I'd have to go back through my posts to see the last time I ran on a Wednesday. Also when was the last time I did a long run on Friday, like I'm planning for this week?

M-W-F

I modified the usual running schedule this week because of a trip out of town on Saturday. That means today was the first run of the new week, a 6-miler in a nice cool breeze. It was still warm enough to wear shorts and a t, and I kept up a low 9's pace although it seemed like somewhat of a strain at times. I dialed it back once or twice but the needle on my pace stayed pretty constant. Overall a decent run even though I didn't feel the best.

A Nice Saturday

Went 8 miles on a sunny Saturday. There was a breeze out of the south that was okay, especially since the temperature was in the 50s. I actually sweated on today's run, a seeming oddity during the winter. I've been listening to German lessons on some of these runs, and today I listened to almost three modules. Plenty of people around today and I tried to tone down the parts where I was repeating the phrases out loud.

I got a couple of new technical t-shirts for Christmas and today I wore the second, the first one used on my previous run on Wednesday. It's nice to have some new gear, including socks, and I also ordered a new pair of shoes which should be here tomorrow. The ones I'm using right now have plenty of mileage from my marathon training. I found a good deal online and ordered them on my phone from the plane after we landed in Dallas on Thursday evening. Gotta love some of the conveniences of living in the 21st century.

First Run of 2018

Traveled yesterday, my normal running day, and so my first run of the year was in San Francisco this morning. I got up early and hit the Bay Side Trail well before dawn. I wish I'd brought my light since there were a few sections that were pretty dark. Fortunately I'd run it before and knew it well enough to not stumble and fall off the path. Unfortunately I ran out of path just south of the airport. By the time I got back to the hotel it was right at 5 miles, which I considered good enough.

The temperature was about 50 degrees and almost cool when I started off but when I warmed up it was fine. A good start to  the year. I'd like to run again in the morning but it's raining and it's supposed to continue into tomorrow. Guess this will be a week with less mileage.

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?