91

It was 91 degrees when I went out for a run this afternoon and I changed up my strategy. Again, this is an idea I should have thought of long ago. I decided that rather than running the usual 6 miles I would run/walk for a set amount of time. I set out to run 8 minutes and walk for 2 of every 10 minutes. It kept me from heating up too much. I was aiming for 60 minutes total or just under, but this being my first time to try it I was off by 4 1/2 minutes. I ended up going 5.75 miles. Next time I'll adjust a little more and shave off that extra bit. Didn't see too many other people out in the sun today, but that was no surprise.

Evening Run

Today was an odd day. The air conditioner has frozen up a few times in the past few days, and I thought we had the problem solved with a new filter on Saturday. However, today it froze up again. The Wife texted me about it so I talked with someone at work who's an HVAC expert. He said it was probably the A-coil and told me I needed to get some evaporator cleaner. I spent two hours getting to the interior of the unit, spraying the coils, and putting it back together. Naturally The Wife also had a meeting here tonight. The temperature hasn't gone down much yet but I can't tell if that's because of the a/c or because we have a lot of people in the house.

That's the intro to why I ran at 7 p.m. tonight instead of a couple of hours earlier. That actually turned out to be okay since it was over 90 degrees today. It was still in the upper 80s when I was out but the sun was going down and there was a little bit of a breeze. Unfortunately I forgot to drink something between working on the a/c and running, or it probably would have gone better. In spite of that I still ran the 6 miles at a 9:30 pace. Needless to say, I've been pretty thirsty since getting home.

I Ran on Saturday

Today is Sunday, but I ran yesterday and didn't log it until now. It was a nice 6-miler, run without iPod or Garmin. Also without contact lenses, which I probably should have worn but thought if I was going all-natural I'd go all the way. There were probably a couple dozen other people out running on a nice, cool Saturday morning. No telling how fast I actually ran but it felt pretty good and unstrained. I should have run Thursday in St. Louis but the Virtual Running Partner had work calls and I wasn't particularly motivated to get up early. I keep thinking I need to pick a race to run this fall but haven't done it yet. I was talking with someone at church this morning about races this fall, which should serve as another reminder that I need to get it done.

Two 3-Milers

This morning the Virtual Running Partner was in physical presence instead of the usual virtual reality. He's been nursing an almost-sprained ankle and could only go 3 miles today. He ended up on a phone call for work so I headed out for a solo 3-miler and then came back to get him for the second part of my run and all of his. We kept the pace reasonably slow, clocking in at just about 10 minutes/mile. The sky was overcast and the temperature was in the mid-60s when I started. It was a very nice day for running, and of course it's always good to get together once in a while with my Virtual Buddy.

Neighborhood Run

This morning was mild and sunny. For a change of pace I headed north in the neighborhood, a way I haven't one in a long time. The developers are opening up a new phase and the big earth movers were out putting in sewer and water lines. I used to run this route back in the day when I would loop around the neighborhood several times. Apparently it's been a few years. The street at the north end of the development where I would turn east is now the third street from the end. A lot of homes and families now live in the area, and I had no idea. Before I knew it I'd run a mile and a half and I was still in the neighborhood.

I ran 6 miles all together and took another route through the development to the east of ours that I also used to run. It has a big hill up the middle and then I used to run down one side road or the other. It was nice to change things up so much and kept me from being on the main routes the whole time. By the time I made it home the temperature had risen to 76 degrees, but in August that's certainly nothing to complain about.

Give Me a Break

Today was another of the sporadic breaks in the heat, with plenty of cloud cover to boot. In other words, it was nice. I felt like I was running pretty fast, but that's relative since my overall pace turned out to be 9:37/mile. Not real speedy, but certainly faster than the recent runs during the heat. My pacing was also affected by a lack of sleep last night, I'm sure. Late goings on at work with a crappy computer system meant I had to stay up late on the phone, and then of course I woke up before the alarm went off. Not much fun, but at least tomorrow is Friday. Saw a few people out running today, but not as many as you would think with the cooler weather. I wore the old shoes again as part of my rotation to integrate the new pair, but also because there were some sprinkles on the way home and I didn't want to wear the new ones if it rained.

Wet Air

Thankfully there was plenty of cloud cover for this afternoon's run. In fact, the sun came out just as I finished, a great example of perfect timing. The temperature was 88 degrees and the heat index was 96. Due to the clouds I was able to run, slowly, almost the whole 6 miles. I walked about three minutes on the way back by the golf course. That was because what little wind there was blew from the south and at the time I was running north. Not only did the air feel wet, it felt like a still, smothering blanket. The walk cooled me down enough  to make it the rest of the way home. I saw about five other runners out today, a pretty low number but understandable on a warm, humid day.

Humidity is Tough

This was another day where the temperature was lower but the humidity was sky-high. When I left this morning about 8:30 the temperature was 73 degrees. Right before I started the sun came out and that steamed up things. I ran 6 miles at a decent enough pace, just under 10 minutes/mile, but at times it seemed like things were dragging. I ran over to the Interstate to change the route and came back uphill against the breeze, and I was fine with that. There's a serious lack of shade that way but the wind was definitely a part of my plans. Saw a few people out running, probably a dozen or so, but not nearly as many as when it was cool out. I wore the old shoes again and next week I will rotate in the new ones for two out of the three runs.

August Arrival

The first day of August arrived today with some heat and humidity, but not to the extremes they could be. In fact, this afternoon the high was 89 degrees. I probably should have taken a bottle of water with me, but I didn't. I walked three times from mile 4 on, and although I wasn't in desperate shape it was just me trying to be smart and manage the heat. 89 degrees obviously isn't the same as 100, but it's still pretty darn hot for a runner. The breeze was out of the south, meaning the last two miles were with the wind and therefore not as cool as running into the wind.

I wore the new shoes again and I can definitely tell they're different. I don't like that shoe companies make such major changes between models of the same shoe. If my knees start hurting then I'm going to be ticked.

A Modest Run

The temperature today was in the low 80s but it was plenty humid after some rain the past couple of days. I got about two houses down the block before realizing I left my Garmin at home. I turned back and then decided I'd do this run at my own pace. That was probably a good idea since it kept me more sensitive to speed, which was important with the higher humidity. A few times I felt like I was running too fast and slowed down so I could run the whole 6 miles, and it worked. At the turnaround on Shoal Creek I walked for about 15 seconds but that was to wipe sweat off my face. Other than that I kept the pace at whatever felt comfortable. I wore the old shoes today to alternate with the new ones I wore Saturday and will wear again on Thursday. It's my usual way of breaking in new shoes and getting used to the changes, especially since this model of the Cumulus feels different.

Break in the Heat

Today was a great running day. The temperature this morning when I ran was in about 63 degrees. What a big change from 90+ degrees. I started out slow but picked up the pace as the 6 miles passed under foot, and finished with an overall 9:10 minute/mile pace. The sun was out but not unbearable with such an early Fall-like feel to the day.

I probably saw two dozen other people out running, which has to be the most I've seen in ages. There were even more runners than bikers today, which has not been the case lately. One precept I keep is that I never make fun of other runners in how they run, what they look like, or their attire. I saw one lady today that I've seen before and she's obviously overweight and a little bit older, running at what looks like a 15-minute pace, but you know what? She's out running and I give her credit for that. That's what makes running great in my book. Anyone can do it - you just have to get up off the couch and out the door. You don't have to be fast or even run in a race, but if you get out there then you're a runner. It's not complicated.

More Hotness

Today was again hot, as is usually the case in July, and plenty of humidity to go along with it. Since it was only 85 degrees I split the running to walking ratio as 9:1. It worked just fine and I got in a full 6 miles. I thought about not taking my water bottle with me but I'm glad I did as it came in quite handy. I drank most of it and it was almost completely melted by the time I returned home. Still haven't tried the new running shoes yet - maybe next week.

Lower Temperature, Higher Humidity

I thought it would be better to get up early and run in a lower temperature. I was wrong. I woke up about 7 a.m. and the choice was between running then at a lower temp or waiting until later and knowing I'd sweat it out in the hot sun. The lesson to learn here is that even if it's only 80 degrees outside but the humidity is 70%, it's about as bad as 95 degrees and 50% humidity. Or at least it seems that way. I varied my route and ran up to PVBC, doing two laps around their parking lot so as to stay on relatively level ground for a greater amount of time. That was only mildly helpful as the lightest of breezes was blowing out of the north so any time I was running with the wind it was almost stifling. Even the mostly downhill route back to the neighborhood was tough with the high humidity.

I got a new set of running shoes this past week. I wore them all day yesterday at work for a casual day. One or two more times of wearing them about seems like a good way to break them (and my feet) into the new mold. These are the new model of Asics Gel Cumulus, and they're definitely different than the model I was wearing. The fit seems to be smaller, especially in the upper and in the forefoot. We'll see how well they feel on a run this coming week.

Dog Day

The dog days of summer are definitely here. Today's temperature was 96 degrees and I decided to trim the mileage accordingly. I ran 4 miles and did my run/walk thing on the hills. I headed straightaway to Shoal Creek since at least there's some shade there. This was one of those runs that felt like a lot of effort. In fact I've had 10-mile runs that were easier than this. Even though the mileage wasn't up to my normal outing it certainly felt like more.

Hot Hot Hot

Today it was hot when I ran 6 miles. Like 93 degrees hot with a heat index close to 100. I sweated a lot and walked several times. And then God sent a big cloud overhead for the last 1.5 miles and I was okay.

The fact that I'm getting older and seem to keep waking up at an earlier time than my regular sleeping late each morning actually worked in my favor this morning. Here in mid-July I would expect the temperature to climb rapidly every day but today it rose slower and not as high. I woke up by 7 a.m. and was on the road at 7:45. I varied the usual route and went 7 miles. I did walk about three and a half minutes up the big hill on Flintlock but otherwise did pretty well to keep in the shade of the trees and houses along the route. I went without music and enjoyed the quiet of the morning before it got busy. Another good easy run during a summer that hasn't been too bad so far this year.

90 Is Not 100

My water bottle still had ice in it when I finished. It's amazing how much difference 10 degrees can make. I did the walk/run thing again but spread it out a little bit and not as often. I went 19 minutes and then walked one, and then about another 15 minutes before walking up a hill. Then it was just walking up a couple more hills but for the most part I kept it going. I went the full 6 miles this time and felt decent at the end. My overall pace, including the walking, ended up being about 10:50/mile. That seems about right for a guy who was out for an easy run, not trying to kill himself. I'm enjoying the hotter weather. Apparently not so much with other runners since I don't see many out this week and probably won't next week as well since it's going to stay hot.

Heated Up

To merely call yesterday's run a hot one would be a disservice to actual hot days. It was 97 degrees, sunny, and humid. So naturally it was perfect for a run. I took my water bottle, which was filled with frozen solid ice. I told myself I would run as far as I could with as many walk breaks as I needed. And I needed plenty. The first three miles or so I did the run eight minutes/walk two minutes routine, and it worked pretty well. Once I got into the bigger hills I walked the uphills, and that seemed to go okay as well. I decided 5 miles was a good enough distance, and by the time I got home I'd probably walked a quarter of it. By forty minutes into the outing my ice was completely thawed and starting to become closer to the outdoor temperature than to freezing. I did see one other runner and two walkers (not zombies, fortunately). I don't mind the heat too much. It's summer; this is how it's supposed to be.

Red Cedar Run

In Wisconsin for the weekend and took off down the Red Cedar State Trail this morning. It was reasonably warm and plenty humid. I like this trail since it's mostly shaded and meanders along the Chippewa River, which creates pleasant, relaxing sounds on its way over rocks and submerged treefalls. The mosquitoes were out but not too bad, just mildly annoying. For a Saturday morning I expected to see more people. A dad and his two sons took off from the parking lot on their bikes shortly after I did, and I saw a couple of other bikers, a couple out for a walk, and two other runners. I went 6 miles and averaged right at 10 minutes/mile. I enjoy running this trail but have to admit any time I'm here I imagine it covered in snow.

Moving Break

Last week I helped The Parents move and I have to admit it kicked my butt. I helped on Thursday, my normal running day, and it wore me out. The temperature was about 90 degrees, not too bad, but the humidity was high. That night I woke up in the middle of the night and my back was killing me. We finished moving them on Friday and I knew it was wise to skip running on Saturday as well. I thought about running yesterday, which was a Monday, but we were up late Sunday night at Shakespeare in the Park and I felt like dog crap all day. Today, though, I was ready to get back to it. The temp was a mild 83 degrees and a few big clouds covered the sun for about 2/3 of the 6 miles at various intervals. Since the weather was cooler than last week and I was mostly running in shade I went the whole distance without walking and finished at a 9:40 pace. It was nice to get back into the groove.