Tripping Breakers

Back inside for today's run due to another dusting of snow last night. And wind. And temperatures below freezing. I set up the treadmill and the iPad to "enjoy" an indoor run. About three minutes into the run the circuit tripped and power disappeared. I told Daughter #1 to not run her heater and reset the breaker. Twelve minutes later it happened again. She said she'd turned off a couple of other things when the power was off and didn't realize her heater was still on. After I reset the breaker - again - I ran for the next 41 minutes without incident.

Sometimes running 6 miles outside is a lot easier.

Unexpected Outdoor Run

I wasn't expecting the temperature to get as far above freezing as it did today. But I'm glad it did. When I checked before my run it was 46 degrees, and any thoughts of running inside went right out the front door. I layered up and started running right away instead of doing my usual walk to the end of the street. I ran 6 miles and my overall pace was 9:15. I missed my run on Tuesday due to truck problems (it's now at the mechanic) and because the temperature was in the low teens. Today I went without music or podcast and just enjoyed being outside. I know this was short-lived, but any time I can run outside in winter is a treat.

Chicken

I probably could have run outside yesterday when the temperature was 9 degrees, but I chickened out. So I ran on the treadmill. It went quickly due to three episodes of Scrubs. It's supposed to be cold for a while, so no telling when I'll get back outside again.

One More Nice Day

The cold front is supposed to come through tomorrow, but in the meantime it was about 60 degrees outside when I started my run. I wore shorts and a long-sleeved technical T. And that's probably the last time I'll get to do that for a while. My pace for the 6 miles was right at 9 minutes. I saw lots of other runners out today, no doubt getting in their last run before the cold hits. I felt loose and easy and left the iPod at home. While running along the fence line on 96th Street I kept hearing scurrying in the tall grass by the sidewalk. I figure the mice were not happy with the little earthquakes caused by my footfalls. As long as they stay away from my house I won't bother them.

Is This November?

For being the last day of a normally cold month it sure was nice today. I worked about five hours to replace some rotted-out wood on the railing in front of the house, and thought about not running since I'd been on my feet for so long. But it was just too beautiful outside and I couldn't resist. I ran 6 miles although I'd originally come into the weekend planning to run more. It was 55 degrees and not breezy at all, with the sun shining brightly. I thought I'd take it slow and easy but it didn't work out that way. I felt good and had more spring in my legs than expected. I finished with an 8:48 pace, a lot faster than I would have predicted. I felt good the whole way and even though I tried to throttle down a few times my body decided otherwise. I'm glad I didn't wait until tomorrow because you never know what will happen with the weather. Take advantage of it when you can!

Trotting

This morning four of us ran the Parkville Turkey Trot. I don't know how many times I've run this particular event but today might have been the slowest outing yet. The older girls ran on their own, although we caught up with the oldest a few hundred yards from the finish. I stayed with The Boy, who had problems and had to walk not even a mile into it. We were way back in the pack and not running fast to begin with, but that's okay. Even though it was tough for me to have to walk, it was more about spending time together than trying to set a PR. I think we accomplished that, and managed to have a good time together. Next year we'll try to have the kids trained better, but I have to hand it to The Boy. He ran the last 1.2 miles or so without stopping even though it was painful. That was a good accomplishment.

Short

I took The Boy out for a run again today, and when he was done so was I. It was absolutely nasty out with an awesome wind out of the north. We went 2.5 miles and that was enough. I had a tiny bit of desire to go back out and get in my six but none of the willpower to accompany the desire. The Turkey Trot is on Thursday and we'll be ready. And hopefully the weather won't be as bad.

Fall

Yesterday was an odd running day. The temperature was below freezing, with a nice little wind out of the north. The kids needed to run in order to be ready for the Turkey Trot this week, but they weren't ready to go when I was. I took off and ran 6 miles and then stopped by the house to pick them up. We started running right away due to the cold and made the turn south. The Boy was crowding us a little bit so I told him to back off. I told them the story of how their cousin did that to his mom (my sister) and caused her to fall and she ended up needing knee surgery. As I was telling the story my youngest tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and fell. She hurt her leg and knee a little bit, but she was done running for the day. We walked her back to the house, and The Boy and I finished up the rest of the 2 miles they were supposed to do. I went 8 miles total, a little disjointed to be sure. On Thursday I skipped the run since it was downright nasty outside and I didn't want to run on the treadmill. yet this winter. Not a good reason, really, but I think it's too early to start on the treadmill and get cabin fever.

Dark

It's getting dark early again, which is not my favorite time of the year. I took The Boy and the youngest daughter out with me for 1.5 miles, and it wasn't too bad starting off. The sun was still out and even though it was a bit breezy the temperature was still good enough for the kids to wear short sleeves. After dropping them off I ran the rest of my 6-miler. I kept a pretty good pace, mostly below 9 minutes/mile, at least when I checked. My overall time was under 10 minutes/mile, which means I must have been running at a pretty good pace by myself since the run with The Kids was more of the 12 minute pace variety. Regardless, I felt good even though I'm not a fan of early darkness. But what can you do? Another month or so and the days will start the cycle of getting longer again.

Oops, Forgot a Title for This One

Yesterday's Saturday run was definitely a windy one. The first 1.6 miles were with The Boy, who had a tough time and we had to walk twice because he was having pains in his side. Once I delivered him back to the house I went out to finish the remainder of an 8-miler. The wind didn't really bother me too much, although I got tired of it. It was coming out of the SSW at a steady pace of 18-20 mph or so, with gusts up to 40 mph. I kept it loose and relaxed, and walked up the hill by the golf course since there was no sense in killing myself running against the wind. I was certainly windblown by the time I arrived home and it was nice to spend the rest of the day out of the wind.

Complainers

I ran the first 1.1 of my 6 miles today with a couple of little complainers. They're young and made it clear they weren't happy to be running in the lead-up to the Turkey Trot in a couple of weeks. I made it clear I wasn't interested in hearing about their aches and pains and that complaining is not what our family does. They made it without walking, even ascending a hill to get back to the house, and they made it without any ill effects. The training will increase over the coming fourteen days, and there will be joy in our house. They may complain, but I know it's better for them than sitting in front of a computer or TV screen.

Mid-Afternoon

The weather here has turned markedly colder. Last night it got down to 16 degrees, a quick plummet to well below freezing. Today the high was 36 degrees, and since I had the day off I waited until it warmed up that far before running. The breeze was very slight and therefore it wasn't too bad. I don't usually run that time in the mid-afternoon, but the wait was worth it. I ran the usual 6 miles and kept it pretty free and easy. My overall pace was 9:12, which surprised me somewhat since I didn't think I was going that fast. One of the kids said something when I got home about running so early, but when I pointed out I was running when the sun was up they understood.

Disappointment

I had high hopes for today's run. I planned to run 9 miles and keep improving my fitness even though I don't have a race planned anytime soon. It was a beautiful morning with lots of sunshine and mild temperatures.

Instead, I had trouble sleeping and woke up about 5:30 a.m. I know from past experience that a bad night's sleep means a sub-par run, and that pattern held again. About 9:30 I went out for my run and struggled to make it 6 miles. The congestion I've had in my sinuses and throat the past few days didn't help, and I felt foggy brained the whole time. I was listening to a history podcast and there were a few times where I had trouble following the story. I probably should have listened to music instead. Even though it wasn't a good run I still did something. I hope by next weekend all this will be behind me and I can have that good run I planned.

Clear

Today the sky was totally clear, a marked difference from Tuesday when I ran in the rain. I wore pants and a long-sleeved technical t-shirt, which seemed not quite enough as I walked down the street. A little bit into the run it was fine, though. Overall I ran the 6 miles at a comfortable 9:20 pace. I was going to say that it was quite unremarkable, and then thought about how remarkable that is. No knee pain, no foot pain, nothing out of the ordinary. It was a just a plain ol' run, no frills and no bumps in the road. Considering some of the minor aches and pains of the past few years it actually feels good knowing that I went on a run and it was...regular.

Rain

Before I left work it looked like there would be a nice long break between storms. Actually, I didn't plan on running because I felt kind of crummy and thought maybe today would be a better day for weights than being outdoors. The temperature was about 60 degrees, though, and I talked myself into a run. A few drops fell on me as I walked to the end of the street and I thought about turning back but it wasn't bad enough to do so. I modified my route and ran by the golf course. On my way back it started sprinkling and then picked up into a full-on rain about 3/4 of a mile away from home.  By the time I got to the neighborhood I was soaked and feeling good. I ended up going 4.25 miles and I'm glad I did. It seemed like the rain gave me extra energy and made me feel a lot better than when I started. When I got back to the house The Boy was walking a friend home and he asked if I had a good run in the rain. I yelled and gave him a high-five. Yes, I did have a good run in the rain.

Breezy Autumn

Today the temperature was definitely autumnal, and the accompanying breeze made the day even more so. I ran 7 miles total at a 9:13 pace. The breeze came out of the west/northwest, making certain parts of the run nice and cool while the opposite was true when running with the wind. For the first time I dug out my stocking cap to combat the cooler temperature. Overall it was a good run. I originally planned to go a full 8 miles but adjusted when I decided I was not enjoying the coolness very much and besides, I'm not training for anything at the moment. Next week I should be able to get in all three of my planned runs and I might shoot for 9 miles next Saturday, depending on the weather of course.

Spooky Run

Actually it wasn't a spooky run because I ran while the sun was still up. I didn't run Tuesday, which was due mainly to laziness abetted by a little rain. When I put out the trash that night it was about 60 degrees and somewhat foggy. I was very tempted to go for a run even though it was 9 o'clock, but I went to bed instead. Oh, well. Today was about ten degrees cooler but the rain was gone and the sun was shining. I did the standard 6-mile run at a 9:20 pace. Now that the World Series is over I can concentrate more on staying fit than on eating and drinking poorly. It's time to get fit before the holidays hit. I didn't even intend to rhyme that, but it works.

A Little Extra

It was another gorgeous Autumn day, with the sun shining, cooler temperatures, and a nice breeze. I kicked in a little extra effort today and made it to 8 miles. Overall it was an easy run and I kept the pace a little slower and constant, finishing at about 9:20/mile. When I left the house it was 46 degrees, and by the time I returned it was about 54. Not a bad warm up. I wore knit mittens and took them off after the first three miles. Again, not a whole lot of people out today. I saw one woman twice, and two guys. That was it. Guess I can still attribute that to the KC Marathon last weekend. Or else there are a lot of fair-weather runners around here, which I don't believe.

Tally

The tally today was 5.7 miles, but I ran the fastest overall pace I've run in a long time, I think. I started out toward the back of the neighborhood, and other than along the front of the neighborhood I took a route I don't normally run. When I was dressing for today's outing I thought it might not go well since I felt a little run down, but it turned out to be a great run. It was hard to tell which direction the wind was blowing since it seemed to change with my location. At one point it felt like it was coming out of the northwest, but by the time I neared home it was out of the northeast. Oh well. My pace was under 9 minutes/mile, helped by several generous downhill portions. I extended the run to the bottom of Killer Hill and could have run another .15 miles and turned around to get to an even number, but what's the point? I felt good and had a good run in 50 degree temps. I'll take that as a win and look forward to Saturday's run.

Finding the Sun

The past several months, aka Summer, I've spent most of my runs in search of shade, looking for the brief respite it provided from the heat. Today was the opposite. The temperature was right around 50 degrees and a very stiff breeze blew from the northwest, making it feel very cool and close to cold. The whole 6 miles I tried to stay in the sunlight, growing annoyed when clouds intervened. I wore shorts and a T, which worked for most of the run once I warmed up. It's supposed to get even colder this week and I broke down and turned on the heater tonight. In fact I just checked and the low tonight is supposed to be 32 - freezing. I guess warm weather really is gone and Winter is on the way. Yuck.