Crank the Heat

I waited until 5:30 this afternoon before going out the door, by which time it was only 99 degrees. With a heat index of 107. The reason for waiting was that there was more shade, and that was the key. Actually it didn't feel that bad since there was a stiff breeze out of the south that didn't feel like a blast furnace. I did my 5 miles with the usual walking. The only concession to the heat was right before the last interval when I walked about a tenth of a mile extra to run into the wind. Other than that it actually was a pretty good outing.

Sogginess

On today's regular 5-miler I thought about trimming off a mile due to the humidity. Plus that run on Saturday kicked my butt. The first mile today was a little tough since it rained about midday and was still cloudy and a little wet. Fortunately I felt better after the warm-up and went the whole distance. It would have been nice if there was more of a breeze but today felt kind of still. At the end I felt good and even tried to add a little speed toward the end of the last interval. That part was marginal at best.

Humidity and Mosquitos

The humidity here in Wisconsin really kicked my butt this morning. Temperature was in the mid-70s but humidity had to be over 80%. Maybe. I don't know, I'm just making up a number. Actually I just looked and right now, about 45 minutes after the run, it's 75%. Which means I'm not off from the actual number that much.

Anyway, I went 5.6 miles total. I'd planned to go 6, but I forgot that the further south you go on the trail the more flies and mosquitos there are. I started getting swarmed and decided I'd rather turn around then spend all my energy flailing at flying critters. Overall I went a longer distance than on Thursday but probably walked more and ran less. The humidity really got me on the way back so I walked about two-thirds of the last mile, with some other walk breaks before that. It was very scenic but I was very soaked by the time I got back to the hotel.

Menomonie Run

Missed my run on Tuesday due to it being a travel day. Today was nice, 75 degrees, but plenty humid in the lovely state of Wisconsin. I went a total of 5 miles along a nice trail. I'd run part of it before, but only about the half-mile before I turned around. Overall I probably ran about 4.75 miles of that, which is a first for that total distance in oh, I guess a really long time. It felt fine, including a nice long incline on the way back. River, trees, the sounds of nature...no complaints here.

A Nice Six

Yesterday morning was nice out, in the low 80s with scattered clouds and a breeze. I went 6 miles, doing the walk/run routine. I saw lots of cyclists out on the streets and a few on the paths, but not as many people walking or running as I expected at that time of day. The humidity wasn't too bad and overall it was a nice outing. Of course it got a lot hotter later in the day, but hey, I love Texas in the summer.

Similar

Today's weather was similar to Tuesday, and so was the distance of 5 miles. The difference was that I walked a couple of different portions because there were people around and I didn't want to appear like a stalker when I made the turn at the halfway point. That required me to walk a different stretch and then run up the hill onto Hardin. Which was actually okay and felt fine. I do have to say there aren't many runners out around dinner time when the temp is still in the upper 90s. But that's okay, I'm still feeling good.

Betterer

Even though today was in the way upper 90s after a couple of days over 100 degrees, it was still a better run than Sunday morning. First, the humidity was not as high. Second, there was a nice breeze out of the south. And finally, Daughter #3 went with me for the first mile walk/run, and that was nice. It was good to have an exercise partner for the first 15 minutes or so. After she turned back I did the rest of my usual 5-mile route. I'll probably keep on this routine for the foreseeable future, mainly because of the heat. Once it gets to the point of cooling down, maybe by October, I can get back to my regular distances with less running. The other thing to consider is that this heat forces me to walk regularly and not overdo it, which aids my recovery from injuries whether I want it to or not.

Soggy

Lots of moisture in the air this morning. I went the 5-mile route again and had a couple of small extra walks. Temperature was only in the low to mid-80s but once again humidity was off the chart. It was still a pretty good run. And it was nice to be done early in the day so I could have a good breakfast and relax on the back patio with my coffee.

A Little Hot

Today I went my 5 miles again, same routine. Not many others out today, though. Maybe because it was 96 degrees with a heat index of 108. I did pretty well, about the same as Tuesday. There was a good stiff breeze out of the south which definitely helped. I enjoyed every bit of shade along the route, but other than that it was a normal day in July in Texas.

Mugged

The temperature was deceptively low today, about 90 degrees, which should have felt cooler. And I suppose it did, but I got mugged by the humidity. It rained yesterday and a little this morning. That means a lot of evaporation going on once the sun was out. I did my 5 miles and walked the normal spots. I was thinking when I started out how nice it was that I'm now running without pain. Let's keep it that way.

Independence Run

This morning was pretty nice, temperature in the low 80s. I got out by about 9:45 into sunlight and humidity. My goal was to go 6 miles overall, and I did. Probably a little over two-thirds of that was running. It's been awhile since I made it to the lacrosse fields in the park. Lots of people out today, enjoying the weather. I was pretty wiped out by the time I made it back but it sure did feel good to get back to what I used to run three times a week or more.

Humider

Today was definitely more humid than even three days ago. Even so, the temperature wasn't horrible, in the low 90s. I went the 5-mile route and did pretty well until the last interval. That one I stopped about .2 miles early, mainly because it was against a strong wind out of the south. And I was done. Overall, though, I'm happy with the lack of knee pain and other issues that have plagued me over the past couple of years. If I can keep adding more miles then I can do that half in November.

In the Soup

Drove home from NM yesterday and this morning it was only in the 80s but soupy on the humidity scale. I did my 5-mile walk/run, of which a little less than four is running. My pinky toe is feeling better and didn't really impact my outing. It's nice to be home and actually get a good night's sleep. Plenty of people were out on this Saturday morning. I was thinking it's nowhere near as crowded as someplace like Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, which is good, but it's also good to see lots of people out and about.

High Altitude

I smashed my left pinky toe last Friday night when I was moving the smoker further under the patio roof when a rain storm popped up. I thought about running Saturday but determined that was not a good idea. Sunday didn't work either with rain. Which means it was Tuesday before I ran. That happened to be in New Mexico at a higher altitude, but it was okay because I got to run with my sister and our youngest daughters. We went about 3 miles total, with a little bit of walking in there, too. It was fun and very scenic. Plus low humidity, always a plus.

Steady as She Goes

It was another good 5 miles in low 90s with rampant sunshine and a good breeze out of the south. I'm hoping to add another mile on Saturday if I can get out early enough to avoid the afternoon heat. Also hoping to keep making progress and avoid any of those nagging injuries.

Regular Afternoon

I went 5 miles this afternoon, just like on Saturday. The temperature was in the low 90s and nice and humid. Overall I'm still feeling good. When I walked out the door I realized my right knee has not ached at all today or even late yesterday, not that it was doing much before but I was at least aware of it. After the run it's still feeling good. I'm grateful for that.

5 for Saturday

I thought about doing an additional mile yesterday but 5 seemed good enough. Especially since I was running in mid-day and there wasn't a ton of shade. Regardless, the run went well. Plenty of people were out, especially cyclists. It was a nice Texas summer day with a little breeze out of the south. Still feeling good as I get back into running shape.

A Little More

Pushed it a little bit today with a 5-miler. Same pattern as last Saturday and temperature was only 90 degrees. Overall I felt it went well, no soreness afterward. If tomorrow goes okay then on Saturday I'd like to try six miles. I miss the standard runs on the weekdays and longer on the weekends. I'll get there.

Hotter Yet Cooler

The temp was 97 degrees when I headed out this afternoon for the 4-miler with intervals. It was also quite windy, which drove the humidity down and actually made the run feel cooler - or at least not has hot - as some of the more recent runs. I felt good throughout. The right knee has felt slightly sore over the weekend, about a 1 on a 10 scale, but no issues during the run and none as I cool down and write this.

Once More Into Summer

Yesterday morning I headed out a little after 9 a.m. The sun was out, temperature was in the 80s already, and it was huuuuuuumid. I buckled down and went 5 miles. Overall it went pretty well. By my estimate I probably ran about 3 3/4 of that distance, or close to it. The thermometer got into the mid-90s in the afternoon. By all appearances summer is here in Texas.