Windy and Running with Daughter #3

I was going to do a hill run today, but right before I went upstairs to change Daughter #3 told me she was going to run. I asked where and she said toward the path where I usually run. Spending time with her trumps a hill run any day of the week. We went the first mile together and then she turned around and headed home while I did the rest of my 6 miles. It was nice to run with one of the kids.

The wind was out of the southeast, which made for a fun run out and not as bad on the back except for the last mile. Fortunately the day had warmed up enough to compensate for the wind. More breezy days expected this week but that's what happens in Texas this time of year.

Learning Deutsch on the Run

I went 9 miles on a cool Saturday morning, and listened to almost 90 minutes of German. I've been learning over the past few months, with some of it a refresher from high school, since I'm heading to Europe in about four months. It's a good way to pass the time on a run. The run went well and there were plenty of people out on a cool breezy day.

After I got home I pressure washed part of the garage floor as well as the front porch. It looks way better. Plus I carried some bins up to the attic and then put dishes away. By the time dinner rolled around I was pretty tired. Can't complain, though, since no one would listen. In English or Deutsch.

Lovely Afternoon

The temperature this afternoon was about 60 degrees, sunny, and a nice breeze from the southeast. I went to the pub for lunch but showed restraint since I knew I had to run. Fortunately I did *not* taste fish and chips and Guinness during the run. I went my usual 6 miles at a pretty good pace, and picked it up at the end. I've been suffering a little from the Texas crud which pops up every year around this time. Not sure if it's cedar or what, but the allergies constrict my breathing to some degree. Regardless, I ran through it and enjoyed the lovely day.

Early and Cold

A schedule packed full of work calls today so I got up early and ran. At least the sun is starting to come up earlier and heading out a few minutes after 7 a.m. isn't total darkness any more. I passed all the high school runners heading back to school just north of McKinney Boyd and then saw barely anyone else the rest of the way. I ran 6 miles, once again with abbreviated warm-up and cooldown walks. The temperature said 41 degrees when I left but I don't think it was that warm. The past 3-4 days had been very windy and I'm glad that died down to almost nothing today. That would have made the run a lot different.

Nice Warmth, Strong Wind

Two days after running in near-freezing temperatures it was back up to 65 degrees today. That included a very strong wind out of the south, so much so that I walked up the big hill on Lake Forest rather than trying to run it. I went 7 miles and it felt like more because of being battered by the wind. I also probably ran too fast since my pace was in the low 9's again, with one of the miles coming in at 8:46. When I saw that on my GPS I said no way since I felt like I wasn't running that fast. Nevertheless it was a good run.

Texas Freeze

Back home in Texas and the weather is chilly. At least the sun was out and we broke above the freezing mark. I ran the usual 6-mile route, although I shortened my warm-up and cool-down walks so I could use the end of the block as the marker and avoid a little time in the breeze. The cold really helped my pace, though, and I finished at 9:04/mile. Definitely not the norm for me around here unless it gets this cold.

Saturday in Vegas

Made the annual trek to Las Vegas for our Sales Kickoff this past weekend. My intentions always outweigh the results. I ran Saturday and got in my 6 miles in 65 degree weather. It was a little bit of a slog but that was probably because of the altitude. It was good to get it in before all the meetings started.

I put my clothes out Sunday night for an early morning Monday run, but took awhile to get to sleep and woke up once at 2:30, all no doubt because of a cup of afternoon coffee. I reset my alarm during the trip to the bathroom. After that there was no real chance to run so all I got was the one on Saturday. Missed a run early in the week but was still glad to get one done.

Windy January

The wind picked up over the last couple of days and made today's outing a little more interesting. I probably overdressed but it was still cool enough to layer up. I could have gone with a little less but it worked out okay. I ran the usual 6-mile route, listened to some German lessons along the way, and made it a decent pace in spite of the wind. I'd have to go back through my posts to see the last time I ran on a Wednesday. Also when was the last time I did a long run on Friday, like I'm planning for this week?

M-W-F

I modified the usual running schedule this week because of a trip out of town on Saturday. That means today was the first run of the new week, a 6-miler in a nice cool breeze. It was still warm enough to wear shorts and a t, and I kept up a low 9's pace although it seemed like somewhat of a strain at times. I dialed it back once or twice but the needle on my pace stayed pretty constant. Overall a decent run even though I didn't feel the best.

A Nice Saturday

Went 8 miles on a sunny Saturday. There was a breeze out of the south that was okay, especially since the temperature was in the 50s. I actually sweated on today's run, a seeming oddity during the winter. I've been listening to German lessons on some of these runs, and today I listened to almost three modules. Plenty of people around today and I tried to tone down the parts where I was repeating the phrases out loud.

I got a couple of new technical t-shirts for Christmas and today I wore the second, the first one used on my previous run on Wednesday. It's nice to have some new gear, including socks, and I also ordered a new pair of shoes which should be here tomorrow. The ones I'm using right now have plenty of mileage from my marathon training. I found a good deal online and ordered them on my phone from the plane after we landed in Dallas on Thursday evening. Gotta love some of the conveniences of living in the 21st century.

First Run of 2018

Traveled yesterday, my normal running day, and so my first run of the year was in San Francisco this morning. I got up early and hit the Bay Side Trail well before dawn. I wish I'd brought my light since there were a few sections that were pretty dark. Fortunately I'd run it before and knew it well enough to not stumble and fall off the path. Unfortunately I ran out of path just south of the airport. By the time I got back to the hotel it was right at 5 miles, which I considered good enough.

The temperature was about 50 degrees and almost cool when I started off but when I warmed up it was fine. A good start to  the year. I'd like to run again in the morning but it's raining and it's supposed to continue into tomorrow. Guess this will be a week with less mileage.

Last Run of 2017

It seemed fitting to run 10 miles for the last run of the year of my tenth marathon. So that's what I dd.

The temperature definitely helped. It was about 40 degrees, which as I've said before is actually pretty good running weather. Plus I did three German lessons on my iPod. One way or another I'm gong to be ready for the trip next summer.

Cold and Hills

The temperature climbed up to 39 degrees today. Funny to think about how relative these things are. When I lived in KC a temperature like this would have been a warm day compared to single digits and negative wind chills like they're experiencing now. In Texas it's just cold and I layered up for today's 6-mile hill run.

Once again the cold actually helped out as I attacked the hills. It was nice to go a different route for a change. Another good run to help close out the year.

Cold but Good

Temperature this afternoon reached a high of 37 degrees. I went out earlier to get a battery for the van and it was misty, windy, and cold. At least the mist and wind settled down an hour or so later, and even though I considered taking the day off there really wasn't any reason to do so. After all, I've run in worse and I also have cold-weather gear still. I re-started my German lessons on this one since there was basically nobody else out today. I went my usual 6-mile route and it was a good outing. When there's no wind that's actually a bearable temperature if you're dressed right.

Christmas Eve Eve Run

I waited until the afternoon and a nicer temperature than the freezing weather of the morning. It was upper 40s, maybe even 50 degrees, when I ran my 8 miles. It turned out to be great weather for running. My pace stayed in the low 9's and I enjoyed the cloudless sky and lots of sun. A few people were out, but not many, mostly people walking their dogs. I saw several runners multiple times as I circled the park south of Virginia twice. The breeze was out of the north but even with the coolness I was able to break a little bit of a sweat. Hard to believe there are only a few more running opportunities left this year.

Winter Solstice Run

I missed Tuesday's run due to a quick trip to Austin and back the next day. Today I was off work and went running about 10 a.m. before the temperature went up all the way to 72 degrees. It was a nice easy 6-mile run with an overall pace in the low 9's. Guess I'll find out one of these days when I sync my GPS. I'm enjoying these runs in cooler weather.

Saturday Outing

Yesterday was a smoking day but before I put the pork on the smoker I went for a 9-miler. The morning started out pretty cool, probably in the low 40s, and I wore a hat and gloves. By the time I got to mile six I was heating up as the sun came out and warmed things up. That's why we dress in layers, kids. After the run and on my cooldown walk in the neighborhood I saw The Wife out with the dogs. She'd just left the house and I smiled because she was way overdressed. She gave me her scarf and gloves as well as the sweaters the dogs were wearing. They were probably happy to give those up. If dogs could look embarrassed at being dressed up like that was the expression they wore.

Winter Sun

Another nice Texas winter day, although it's not officially winter yet, yesterday. I ran the usual 6-mile route. Even though I wasn't quite as speedy as Tuesday it was still a good run overall. Not much else to say about it other than I enjoyed getting out on a nice sunny day with cool temperatures.

Loving Texas

This is one of those December days where I love living in Texas. The temp was cool, around 50, with a north wind that made it feel about 5 degrees cooler. But the sun was out and overall it was good. My pace was fairly quick, at least for me, in the low 9's with an overall pace of 9:16/minute for the 6 miles. Even fewer people out today than Saturday, which is not unusual. Felt good and enjoyed the nice day.

A Good Day to Run

On this fine Saturday I waited until almost noon to run since it was much colder at dawn. The strategy paid off. The sun was out, the temperature was up to 52 degrees, and the even the northwest wind didn't slow me down. All things considered it was a good day for a long run of 8 miles. That might be pushing it after several off days in the past three or four weeks, but the conditions were right and I could have gone more. Not a whole lot of people out, which was odd at midday on a nice Saturday, but that's their loss, not mine.