Should Have Switched Runs

Today was a bit different from Tuesday. I felt like I could run for hours on Tuesday, but today I thought I was lucky to get to the 4.25 miles where I ended. I think the difference is a couple of nights of restless sleep. Both of the last two nights I've had trouble getting to sleep and then woke up a few times later on. I've noted before the effect interrupted sleep has on my running, and today was just further proof of that.

After some rain this morning the sun came out and it was gorgeous once again. Even though it wasn't the best run I've ever had it was still pretty darn good. I'm loving it.

Good Run

Today I ran 4 miles and really, really, REALLY thought about going for 6. No, really, I seriously considered it. I ran 2 miles with The Wife and then when she peeled off I continued at a little faster pace. After another mile I felt good and that's when the thoughts of going longer started barraging me. It was tempting. I was running free and easy. But I used my brain instead of my sometimes faulty physical feelings and turned around. It was the right choice, but man...

Tornadoes in DFW today, but here in KC it was overcast and pleasant. Thursday I'm planning on taking the new shoes out for a test drive.

Tight Schedule

Today was one busy day. It's the birthday for Daughter #2, which means a breakfast out with Daddy. Then we had Easter rehearsal, and while the girls were getting in costume and makeup I squeezed in a 5-mile run. I finished just in time to dry off and make it to the practice. I ran on North Oak Trafficway, up and down, up and down on the rolling hills. By the time I made it back to the church I was d-u-n, done. The temp wasn't too bad but it was definitely a little humid. Still, it feels good to be back on the road, injury-free, and enjoying myself. I thought about running 6 today but realized before I even started that it would be best to keep it to 5. Sometimes I'm a freaking genius.

Back to 4 Miles

I ran 4 miles today, and it's good to be increasing the mileage. The next week or so is incredibly busy, so any more mileage increases will be slight, if at all. Still feeling good and no knee problems at all. The mowers were out on Shoal Creek but the allergies didn't bother me at all, which is another good sign. Wow, if the good signs keep up this way I might have to consider doing something extreme, like planning on a race before fall or something.

A Spring-like Day in Spring

A little rain moved through this morning and cleared out by afternoon. The temperature was mild with just enough of a breeze to cool me off when I was running against it. All in all I can't complain about our Spring so far. I ran a mile with The Wife and then continued on for a total of 3.5 miles. As much as I'm enjoying the weather I can feel the tendrils of my old foe, Allergies, trying to bring me down. After last year I'm wary of how bad it might be, but so far not too bad. I just remember how much stinking pollen there was last year, especially in June around Mother's Day. Maybe this year will be different since the winter months were so mild and the pollen will be more evenly distributed. Making me miserable longer, of course. Really, though, other than some minor sneezing and snot it's a good start. As always I'm not going to let that keep me from running.

Relative Multitudes

Okay, so multitudes is maybe the wrong way to describe the number of people out enjoying this beautiful Spring day, but relatively speaking I'm not too far off the mark. Lots of runners and bikers were out when the kids and I went to the store, and plenty more when I was on my run. On my way back on Shoal Creek right by the golf course I got behind a mom and her son on bikes. They were going up the big hill very slowly and I almost caught them, but they got me on the downhill. And it's not like I was burning up the sidewalk with my awesome speed. Further up the street I started catching up to them again on the long, gentle uphill before the traffic circle. It was funny because the kid was going serpentine on the sidewalk and every so often he'd look back over his shoulder to see where I was and then would start pedaling faster for about five seconds before going back to his winding ways. But hey, it was a nice enough day for a slow bike ride just as much as it was for a slow 4-mile run.

The Sky Came Crashing Down

At about 3 p.m. today, which was a day off work, I sat on the couch and thought to myself that I could take a power nap or I could go for a run. For purposes of this story, let's just say I chose the nap. And remember, actions have consequences.

A little after 4 p.m. I set out on what I planned as a 3.5-mile run. Dark skies to the south made for a scenic, if somewhat threatening, run. I was just shy of hitting my 2-mile mark when it started sprinkling. I thought about going to my turnaround point but decided I should probably just head back to the house, even if it meant cutting my run short. As I ran west the clouds behind me started catching up and the rain slowly increased. By the time I made it back to the neighborhood it was raining - for real. I kept going amid some thunder from the clouds, hoping that we wouldn't start experiencing some cloud-to-ground lightning. I ran (quickly) up the hill I usually walk up as a cooldown, something I normally don't do. By the time I made it to the top the wind had really picked up and sheets of rain were blowing across the road.

So I got a little wet. No big deal. But if I'd gone out when I should have I could have seen the storm from behind a window. Oh, well. I still ended up going 5k in total, and at a little faster pace than I'd planned.

BTW, my new shoes came in yesterday and it's time to start wearing them around and breaking them in. I put them on briefly yesterday and walked a little around the house. I can already tell there's a difference in how the shoes help my feet track through a stride. I'm going to have to integrate these into my running at a slow pace.

Rain Run

When I stepped outside this afternoon the clouds were merely spitting at me. By the time I finished they were shedding water on me like they really wanted to get me wet. Fortunately they never opened the floodgates and I got only mildly wet. It had rained harder earlier in the day as well as yesterday, so I can't complain too much. I ran 3 miles and felt pretty good. My pace was under 10 minutes/mile, so I feel like I'm getting back on track just fine.

Tomorrow my new shoes arrive. My plan is to wear them around for walking before taking them out for a run. The reviews I saw said they seemed stiff until after the first run, and one guy said he got a blister on his ankle but shrugged it off as expected. Sorry, not in my book.

The Road Back

This morning I got to run with one of my nephews, which was a nice treat. We have a host of people at the house this week from The Wife's side of the family, and one of the nephews who came in last night likes to run. He hasn't run for a while but he kept up for 4 miles with pretty much no problem. Must be nice to be young. We walked up one big hill and kept the pace slow, no doubt more for my benefit than his.

I need some new shoes and I'm looking at changing since I had such bad luck with the last pair of Nimbus that I bought. I'd also like to spend a little less than a hundred bucks every time I have to get a new pair. I'm interested in the Gel Blur 33 from Asics, which I can get for a good price on Amazon. The reviews look good so I think I will head over to a local sporting goods chain today and try some on before committing.

Summer Already

Today it was above 80 degrees. Since we didn't have much of a Winter and it almost feels like we're skipping Spring I guess you could call today Summer in March. Crazy, but I'm not complaining. After several days of non-running due to company and extreme laziness, I hit the road again this afternoon. I struggled through 3 miles with somewhat dead legs, but I blame some of that on the humidity. Strange to have humidity already, but once again, I'm not going to complain. I'm finally feeling good again and hope this time I can keep up the momentum. Seems like nothing but fits and starts the past year. I'm ready to move on.

Running and Ford

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous. It's nice to be healthy enough to get out and run on days like that. I didn't have a chance to run while I was in Philadelphia, so Friday I was off work and knew I needed to get out. It worked out great since I had to take my truck to the dealership for a recall notice. I drove my truck down there and then ran home, which turned out to be about 3.25 miles. It was tough since it was up and down the hills of Flintlock, but it was so nice outside that I didn't mind as much.

But wait, there's more! The Wife was out with the other vehicle and the timetable for her return was unclear. Since it kept getting nicer after lunch, I told The Boy we were going to take a walk and get my truck. To his credit, he never lagged or acted tired. Maybe it was the promise of a milkshake plus lots of guy time that kept him going. Whatever it was, we walked back to the dealership and had a good time doing so. I was a little sun-tired by the time we got back and you could see a little bit of red on my forehead from the exposure, but it was worth it.

Running to Flight

I was going to run outside this morning before catching a flight to an eastern metropolis, but the wind was blowing like crazy. I chose to run on the treadmill instead. For some reason it was pretty tough to get going and I ran only 3 miles. I had to stop every five minutes for a brief bout of catching my breath, which is weird for me. I'm hoping it was just the early morning timeframe, which I haven't done in quite a while. Now it's off to one of my favorite places (not) - the airport.

Four Seasons in 48 Hours

Let's just say that Thursday was like Summer, with bright sunshine and a relatively warm temperature. I count it as Summer because I ran in shorts and a t. Then yesterday (Friday), it snowed in the morning and Winter came roaring back into the picture. But by afternoon the snow was gone, the sun was out, and the temperature was 50 degrees, making a nice Spring-like day. Add in this morning with the thermometer hovering around 40 and a strong wind from the northwest driving the wind chill below freezing and we were back to Autumn. It's amazing how the weather varies so much and so quickly. Wow.

I planned on running to Target and back today to get in a 5-miler but I adjusted the route due to the wind. The Wife ran the first half of the route with me and I continued on my merry way to get in the whole distance. Even with the wind blowing so hard I saw a number of people out, getting in their exercise. I guess we're all a little hopeful that the warmer weather will come back and stay.

Is This March?

Wow. Temperature up around 70 degrees today. All I can say is how much I love global warming!

I saw a lot of people out walking as I was on my way home. And once I joined the crowd I saw several more. I probably should have run only 3 miles but I went for a 4-miler just because it was so nice. I kept the pace slow again and today was much better than Tuesday. I think earlier in the week I was still recovering from giving blood on Sunday. Today was much better although my pace was still a glacial 10 minutes/mile. But that's okay. I'm just glad I've been able to get back to running while the weather is nice. Sometimes jealousy is a great motivator.

Sweat

Today was weird. It had rained most of the day, but when I arrived home it had all but stopped. Rather than running inside, needlessly, I suited up and ran outside. I don't know if I'm still fighting off something, if it was humid from the precipitation, or both, but I finished up with a clammy kind of sweat. That's not normal. And it's not like my pace was super-fast. I finished the 3-mile run at a blistering average pace of 10:15. Guess I'm just getting back into it. Sweat or not, I'm still glad to be back to running.

Starting Over

This has been a weird couple of weeks. Early last week I was having abdominal pains, like really bad ones, and I went to the doctor. The Wife knew it was serious when I made an appointment. The long and short of it is that my appendix was swollen but I did not have appendicitis. The thought of the medical people was that I had contracted some sort of virus that affected my lymph system and therefore caused problems with my appendix. I was just glad I didn't have to go through surgery, although at the time having it out would have been a relief.

My doctor told me to take it easy for a while and to eat bland foods. I've done both of those with varying degrees of success. Two weeks without exercise was way too long. Especially with the gorgeous mild winter we've been having. I suffer incredible envy every day I drive home from work and people are out on the sidewalks enjoying the weather. Today I figured it had been long enough so I got out for a 3.5 miler. That was a half mile longer than planned since I ran ahead of The Wife and then doubled back to get her. She had slipped up a side street and didn't realize I was coming back for her. Oh, well. It was great to get out in the sun even though it was a little cold and breezy. I'm keeping an "eye" on the appendix area. I can feel a little something and I'm hoping there's not a muscle tear or something else in the area. Today felt like the first day I've ever been out for a run since it's been so long. I've had enough of this starting and stopping and am hoping I can keep going without interruption for a change.

Hemming and Hawing

I spent a lot of the day going back and forth in my mind about whether or not I wanted to run. As is my custom on Saturday when there's not something else going on, I slept in. Then I had breakfast and knew I'd have to wait an hour or so before running. But I delayed, got busy working on a computer program, went to lunch with The Wife, ate too much, took a nap, did some more programming and some writing, and then it came down to decision time. I got out my shoes and put them back. Then I got them out again and finally decided to do it.

Not sure what the problem was other than I was just lazy. It was cold and breezy outside and I knew I wouldn't be running in that. I guess the thing that finally tipped me onto the treadmill was the fact that I took a nap and decided I would have trouble getting to sleep if I didn't do something physical. This was definitely not my normal way of doing things. But as always, I'm glad I got my act together and ran. This was a 6-miler and it felt fine the whole way. Still no signs of knee problems. And also still no sign of my new issue of Runner's World. Where is it? I renewed my subscription last month so it should be here by now. Maybe that's the inspiration I've been missing.

Today

It was another not-so-nice day outside. I suppose I could have toughed it out but I chose to run on the treadmill and avoid the drama. This involved watching more of WS Game 3 and a bunch of runs for the Cardinals. A LOT. Which was good. I ran 5 miles, but my next decision is whether or not to watch the next two games where the Rangers win or skip to Game 6, which was one of the best World Series games ever. Tough decision.

Where's the Snow?

A little bit of snow was in today's forecast but never materialized. And I'm okay with that. It was still cold and just wet enough to keep me indoors for today's run. I did 4 miles on the treadmill and watched some more WS Game 3. I was just getting into the fun part where the Cardinals started scoring a bunch of runs. I knew it was coming but I had to get through the first three innings, but yeah, it was worth the wait. The Knee is still feeling good, and that's a positive sign.

Time Just Flies

It's amazing how quickly time goes by depending on the activity in which you're involved. Since that sentence is just screaming for an example, I will oblige. Running for an hour sometimes seems like sixty minutes of Chinese water torture. Other times you blink and realize an hour has rocketed past. Today's run was somewhere in between, but more toward the fast hour. Even more amazing, this occurred while I was running on the treadmill.

I've watched multiple episodes of a half-hour sitcom while on the 'mill, and it's pretty easy to mark the passage of time with commercial breaks. Today I was watching Game 2 of the World Series, and yes, there are breaks between each half-inning or pitching change, but those aren't scheduled at regular intervals due to the nature of the game. The pitchers were flat-out dealing and the batters were not having a good day. In the bottom of the seventh the Cardinals scored a run and almost got some more except for an exceptional play by the Rangers' shortstop. The innings flew by and before I knew it my time was up. I thought about extending it by a few minutes so I could watch the ninth, but decided I knew how it went and avoided the pain of a blown game for today.

The weather today was cold and drizzly. I saw a few people out running before noon but knew I wouldn't be one of them. I ran 5 miles with no pain. This is a trend I hope continues. The same with time flying by while running, whether it's inside or out.