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.

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.