Hot Run

Today the temperature amped up to about 90 degrees. The wind was rolling across the plains from the south and kept me cool, but it was interesting because the clouds were driven in from the north. It was another day where I was bound and determined to go 6 miles, which I did. But it wasn't all fun and games.

Less than a mile into the run I felt like my left hip was aching, and the good ol' left knee was balky. So I stopped and walked for about a minute to reset my stride. That seemed to help but I thought about calling it a day and heading in. My issue is that I seem to keep getting back to the point where I run my normal 6 miles on a weekday and then something happens to set me back. I want to get past that hurdle. I kept going and at almost the 4-mile mark I slowed to a walk for two minutes. My stride never felt quite right today, but I was persistent. I walked again in the shade and going uphill before I got to 5 miles, this time for about four minutes. That cooled me off enough to finish the run, not in fine form, but at least I finished.

I wore the new shoes again today and I'm about to the point of being committed to them for every run from here on out. Once again I feel like my problem was a result of the shoes I wore during the day. I need to fix that tomorrow and see how it pans out on Saturday. Today I was more casual at work, but it didn't carry over to the run. As of tonight my knee and hip feel fine. I felt like I was running tight and had to keep relaxing my shoulders and stop leaning forward. My run wasn't fast but apparently my posture didn't get the message.

Back to Normal

Temperature today was on the high side of 80 degrees. I didn't mind though since there was a nice breeze and I'm just happy to have good weather. The Wife ran with me for the first mile and then slowed to walk. She told me to continue, which I did, and after my first turn we reconnected again and ran for another half-mile. At that point she peeled off and I continued. I kept the pace at a decent level and made it so I didn't have to walk any of the 6 miles. The left knee still gives me a twinge from time to time, but I feel like it's almost more a problem because of my daily dress shoes than it is from my running footwear. Whatever the case I just enjoyed the run and slowed on the uphills in order to not wear out my stamina.

At one point about a mile from home a line of guys on bikes snaked past on the other side of the road. They were all dressed so spiffy and streamlined. I was laughing on the inside at their outfits and how they have a nice big group and I'm just...me. About thirty seconds later as they were becoming smaller in the distance another guy came along behind them. He was dressed in different colors so it was clear he wasn't part of the team, but I thought to myself, "That's me." I might be doing the same type of activity, but by golly I'm going to be the guy who looks a little different. And probably comes in last. But at least I'm doing it on my own terms.

Manhattan Run

We're in Manhattan, KS, for my nephew's graduation from high school. It's very windy. Nevertheless I found time this morning to get out for a 7-mile run. There's a trail that skirts the south side of town and encounters the river for a brief period. It's called the Linear Trail, which makes sense to someone, I suppose, because it's not really linear. Along with the wind the day was pretty hot, in the 80s I'm sure, and even though the path was pretty level it was also unshaded. Just like my other runs in the past few weeks I was determined to complete my goal whatever the method, and I did so by walking about five times. On the out-and-back route the wind was against me. It reminded me of the Big D Marathon in Dallas a few years ago where the wind was just brutal. Using that as my lesson I opted out of using up all my energy to fight it and walked when I needed to. My tactic worked and I made it back to the van without killing myself. It was a nice run but I certainly would have been grateful for more shade.

Early Summer or Late Spring?

It was over 80 degrees this afternoon, but I didn't care. It's still nice enough to be part of Spring and I'm going to take advantage of it. This was also a 6-mile run on a weekday and it felt pretty good. My left knee still gives me a twinge at times. I'm thinking it's part of the transition from the old shoes to new and the corresponding adjustment. Today I wore the old shoes. Saturday I'm planning on wearing the new ones. I don't know - I've had issues with new shoes and how my kneecap tracks with previous switches. This time it's not horrible, just a few reminders here and there. I've also had this problem with new everyday dress shoes, but eventually it works out. Or not. As I've said before, more to come.

Tough But In a Good Way

The lack of sleep last night almost got me on today's run, but I slogged through it and made 5 miles. The temperature was up into the mid-80's, but a nice breeze mitigated the heat somewhat. I was certainly in a better place than the last time I tried a run in the heat. This was one of those runs where I never felt like I got into a rhythm, but I kept going. Just like the run on Saturday I told myself I was going to make it the whole distance, no matter how long it took or how much I needed to walk. And I did walk for two minutes on the way back on the big hill by the golf course. I could feel I was a little overheated and I was with the wind at that point, which means there was no cooling breeze in my face. As an added bonus I listened to the new Van Halen album, which I got off amazon.com this month for a mere five bucks. Review in a nutshell: not bad. Sounds like one of their earlier albums. I think it needs a few more listens to form a definite opinion.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

That's not right. The fastest person wins the race. Duh. And today I didn't race. But I did run 6 miles and I kept it slow and steady. Before I ran I told myself that it was okay to walk if I needed to, and it didn't matter how many times because I just wanted to go a full six. I kept the pace slow and steady and ended up running the whole way. That was nice since I wasn't sure how it was going to go. I was listening to a really good podcast and I think that distraction helped. Plus it was overcast with a cool breeze, which kept me from becoming overheated. In fact, we had a brief rain shower earlier in the afternoon and when I first decided it was time to run it was raining. I waited a few minutes and by the time I was ready the rain was past. I wore the old shoes for this one. My left knee gave me a couple of tweaks earlier in the day, so using the old shoes was a good thing for today. Next week I'll work the new ones in again.

Thankful

Sometimes I'm just thankful to be able to run. Whether it's a physical thing, the part of the world you live in, or the cycle of life you're in, sometimes it's just not possible to do it. I'm so glad I live in a place where I don't have to worry about being shot or kidnapped while on an outing, and that I am healthy and able to run without limitation. Plenty of people the world overcome their circumstances to run, and when you think about it I have it pretty easy. I don't mean to get too circumspect and gushy, but let's just say it's one of those days I'm thankful. We all need these days once in a while to realize how good life really is.

The weather was great and I ran 5 miles today. I wore the new shoes for the second run in a row. Like I always say, the test of shoes is not really how it goes on the run, but how it goes in the next few weeks and whether or not there are any knee issues. I will wear the old shoes on Saturday and we'll see how it goes.

Much Improved

Compared to Saturday's painful run, today was a walk in the park. The climate was much better for starters, and I also felt a trifle better. Amazing how it doesn't hurt so bad when you've been eating regular food and smaller portions. Anyway, The Wife and I started out together but she peeled off after less than a mile since she's running tomorrow morning with Daughter #1. That left me to complete a 4-miler on my own, which I did with surprising ease. It gives me hope that I can get back in the groove and up the distance to 5 miles on Thursday and 6 on Saturday. I took the new shoes out for a spin again and everything seemed to go well. I plan to try and work them into the mix more frequently over the next few weeks.

Bringing the Pain

Yesterday I ran. It was one of those "been-out-of-town-on-travel-and-ate-and-drank-too-much-the-whole-week-and-this-was-the-first-run-back-plus-the-temperature-was-90-degrees-and-it-was-painful-because-I'm-not-acclimated-to-the-hot-weather-so-I-ended-up-going-only-a-pathetic-2.61-miles" runs. I don't think I can really say much more than that.

Second Day

I wasn't going to run again today but it was one of those times where the weather was so nice it would have been a sin to abstain. Once I hit the trail at Neshimany State Park again I realized it was quite a bit more humid today. I went 3.5 miles total, a little bit of a comedown, but I knew it was better to take it easy than to push it.

On my first circuit around the park I saw a huge ship south of us and heading north. The downtown Philadelphia skyline was in the background and the scene was very picturesque. Wish I'd had my good camera so I could have taken a nice picture. When I came around the second time I thought the ship would be a lot closer but it really hadn't progressed very far in the intervening twenty minutes. They certainly weren't in a hurry. And today that was okay, because I wasn't either.

Philadelphia

I'm in Philadelphia for the week. One time I was here about five or six years ago was great for running since I was within walking distance of Valley Forge. That was just a gorgeous setting for a run. Where I am now is not so scenic - a major east-west thoroughfare, packed tight with concrete, asphalt, and the accumulation of several centuries of urban sprawl. The lady at the front desk suggested Nashiminy State Park as a destination for running, and I took the opportunity to give it a try.

The park abuts the Delaware River, which I found out is at sea level. It's not a river at this point in geography - it's an ESTUARY. I actually found that out from the pamphlet for the park. Anyway, the trail I ran is part asphalt and mostly trail. Dirt and a little bit of sand composed the path. It was a nice change of pace. The day was overcast and somewhat cool so there wasn't a big crowd out for the day. Multiple times I saw a pregnant woman who looked like Anne Hathaway (with a bigger belly, of course), a guy with a halter to which his dog's leash was attached, a lady with a toddler in a stroller, and at the last three guys who were discussing cross country.

The park wasn't in the greatest shape, but I still enjoyed it. The outer loop is a little less than two miles around. I wanted to run at least 4 miles, which I did, but I had to run up a spur and back on the second lap in order to get to the distance. It's no Valley Forge, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. More to come from eastern Pennsylvania this week.

Saturday Run

Ran yesterday with The Wife on another fine day. It was a bit overcast, but the day was agreeable. I went 6 miles total with a brief walk on the big hill near the golf course.

Other than the actual run, my other major running activity yesterday was in trying to find someplace to run in Philadelphia this week. Let's just say that in the area I'll be there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of space set aside for running. Unless you run the circuit around a great big casino several times. In any case, I think I found a place to go but we'll see. The alternative is the treadmill in the hotel fitness center. No thanks.

More Beauty

Yet another beautiful day. Yesterday was a lot cooler than expected, and today started out with temperatures in the 30's. This afternoon shot up to the 60's with sun and very little wind. I can't believe how many nice days we've had this Spring. I can't remember a time since we've lived here with such a quantity of good running and just generally gorgeous weather. As I've said before, if I wasn't a runner a day like today would convince to get out and do so.

Today's run was somewhat herky-jerky. Monday is not normally a running day for me unless I'm training for a race, but The Wife wanted to run since she has a meeting tomorrow night and going out for a run would be tough with such a tight schedule. And hey, I'm flexible. First we walked about a 1/3 mile warmup and then ran a little over two miles. I stopped by the house to pick up Daughter #1. We walked a quarter mile, ran a mile, and then walked another quarter. My total actual running mileage was 3.62 miles, with close to another mile of walking. I could have run more and thought about going for it, but I was wearing the new shoes again and didn't want to push it. I had fun running with my girls. I'll sacrifice speed for time with them any day of the week.

Outstanding Day

What can I say? It was another gorgeous Spring day. I thought about running earlier in the day but The Wife wanted to run with me and she had things to do. I worked on the lawn and did some other things and we finally hit the sidewalk about 4:30. It was definitely worth the wait. She ran a couple of miles with me and then I continued on to get in a good 6 miles. I took it nice and easy and felt good at the end. Seems like we've had so more good running days this year than in all the years combined since I've lived here.

That was a good start to the evening, followed by fajitas and topped off with some Penny Can. All in all it was a good day. Any day that involves sleeping in, running, fajitas, Penny Can, and a baseball game is an outstanding day. Life is good.

Addition

The Wife was in a sleep-deprived state today and didn't run with me, meaning I was free to choose my own route at my own speed. I passed a guy running in super slowmo on my way out of the neighborhood, but other than that there weren't many runners out today in the gusty wind. I planned to go 5 miles and that's exactly what I did. I took it at an easy pace, not pushing too hard against the wind. It was nice to go five again, and as I've said before, I'm hoping to build on that.

I went back to the old shoes today and will probably use them again on Saturday. Mixing in the new shoes is a slow process but I'm hoping to avoid knee problems. It better work this time.

Let Me Entertain You

It was another nice day for a run. With The Wife back in town it was a good opportunity to go for a run with her. She's had a rough time with her diet and exercise lately, particularly with all the company and traveling we and she have been doing lately. This is our week to get back with the program, whatever that program happens to be. All this meant that running wasn't as easy for her today as it has been in the past, so we did some walking along the way. After my crummy outings last week I was more than sympathetic.

One thing that usually helps to distract her is for me to talk and tell her some kind of story. So today I told her some stories about work to start off the run. That worked for a while, but she needed to walk. So we did, and once we reached the top of the hill we started running again on the downhill portion. Then I told her the plot of The Usual Suspects, which I watched this weekend. That tactic kept us going for another 3/4 of a mile. By that point we were close to the neighborhood and I continued by myself. All told I went 5 miles, with about 1.5 of that at a walking pace. I also wore my new shoes again, which I still consider as being in the breaking in period. Even though it wasn't continuous running it was still nice to get out with The Wife.

Slow and Painful

Today's 3.25 mile run was tough. I planned on running more but it was humid and I just had that heavy feeling, like I shouldn't press too much. So I didn't. The temperature wasn't too bad. I probably could and should have walked some and made it the full distance, but I wasn't thinking clearly enough for that to be an option. Time to start fresh this next week and do better.

Unsatisfactory

Today was cool and rainy. I ran inside on the treadmill and it was not good. For some reason I struggled through 1.5 miles and again I think it was related to not sleeping well this week. Seriously, several nights of that stuff catches up to you. It might have gone better if I was running outside, but I wasn't. So I stopped and decided to call it a day. I'm thinking this is just one of those days of listening to your body and figuring out whether or not it's worth it to keep going. Today it wasn't, I'm sorry to report. Hopefully Saturday goes better.

Wish I Was Running a Race

The weather has been so great and I'm feeling so good that I wish I was running a race sometime soon. Today was another gorgeous day here in the Midwest and perfect for running. I ran south and at the turnaround there was just enough of a breeze to help cool me off nicely. I broke out the new running shoes for the second time and concentrated on my stride, trying to make sure I was getting equal push-off from both feet and keeping everything going in a straight line. As I ran I also tried to ensure I was extending my legs far enough behind me, kind of the follow-through if you will, and getting enough motion through the hips to sufficiently stretch them. The overall run was a modest 4 miles, but I was able to work on the little things and hope they'll carry through to future runs.

It's supposed to rain on Thursday. I'm hoping it'll be scattered thunderstorms so that I can get in a run before the weekend.

Easter Run

Yesterday (Saturday) morning I had a plan. The girls were helping with the Easter Egg hunt at church, although I don't know if you can count scattering 35,000 eggs in the grass as an actual "hunt." Anyway, while they were helping I was going to run 6 miles. Rain moved in, though, and it was cold and breezy. The rain wasn't too heavy, but combined with the cooler temperature I decided to postpone. Which turned out to be a good choice.

This morning after church the sun was out and the air was warming up. I took a power nap and then headed out. The day was beautiful and perfect for a run. I went a full 6 miles at a nice, steady pace and felt good. It was definitely better than Thursday's run. Plus I figured that if Peter and John could run from the empty tomb on that first Easter morning then I could certainly go for a run on Easter as well. And now it's time for some baseball.