Perfect Day?

Was this a perfect day? I don't mean my running, of course. I mean the weather. The sky was blue. The wind was a slight breeze from the south. The temperature was 72 degrees.

I mean, seriously? This was a gorgeous day. It's a Wednesday, for crying out loud. I don't run on Wednesdays. But I did today.  And I ran 2.75 miles out of the 4-mile outing. It was one of those days where I would have been mad at myself if I didn't get out. 

And I also saw The Wife twice in the exact same place on Raincrest. She was coming back from the grocery store the first time, and the second time she was coming back again because they'd overcharged her six dollars on three items. You'd think they would learn their lesson.

Sunday Wind

Yes, I was extremely behind this week in getting back to exercise. It took a few days to stop waking up at 4 a.m. at least once a night and going back to sleep. On the plus side, during one of those waking sessions I came up with a new book idea and started writing it on Thursday morning. So that's a good thing, and completely unexpected.

Yesterday I smoked a brisket and sat outside in the wind all day. Today is equally windy, but I went out for 4 miles. The temperature was 84 degrees, maybe our last hurrah before storms move in tomorrow. I ran half of that distance, intermittently of course, a half-mile or so at a time. The sun was shining and there were only a few people out for a walk. Maybe they got their exercise in yesterday while I was being lazy.

Walking in Ireland

Spent the last two weeks in Ireland and we walked like crazy. We never walked less than 10,000 steps a day, and there were several days we walked 7-8 miles. We saw a lot of great stuff and enjoyed ourselves, of course. I'd have to say all that walking helped keep off some of the usual vacation weight gain.

We started in Dublin, then drove around the island. First to Cork, then Kinsale, Killarney, Dingle, Galway, Sligo, Donegal, Ballycastle, and finally Belfast. With a lot of points in between. I keep saying it was the trip of a lifetime and I mean it. The island was gorgeous, the food outstanding, and the people friendly. Now it's back to Texas and getting into the routine of walking and running.

Out for a Bit

I walked 4 miles on Wednesday, and then yesterday (Thursday) I did another 4 miles. That one was half running, half walking. It's been a little while since I actually got in any running, but the temperature was down to 81 degrees so it seemed like the right thing to do.

I'll be out for the next couple of weeks, mostly walking but probably not posting anything here. See you on the flip side.

Lots o' Walking

On Saturday I walked twice, both morning and afternoon. Yesterday (Monday) I went 4 miles on a walk. And today was about 2.5 miles. I would have gone for a run on a normal Tuesday, but it's getting close to vacation time and I need to break in my new boots. So The Wife and I went over to Creekview and walked along the path there. My boots are Clark's and probably don't need to be broken in, but the time to find out I should have done so is not when I'm wearing them constantly in Ireland. The good news is they fit just fine and I think they'll be okay.

99 in September

It's still summer here in Texas. I was ready to run a bit yesterday but the temperature was 99 degrees. I think we're almost to the end since it plummets into the upper 80s by Monday, but for now it's still walking weather. I walked 4 miles yesterday, still getting in my steps. Today being Friday was a no-go on more, but tomorrow I'll make up for it.

Also, still liking the Apple Watch almost a month in. I was sitting in the cigar shop late this afternoon and it said my pulse was over 100, which it was not. So maybe not always entirely accurate, but I like checking it on my walks/runs.

Two for One

Yesterday I had meetings until almost 6 p.m. Needless to say, it was a long day and I was not up for anything else. This morning I changed things up and went for a walk at about 6:10 a.m. It was the normal-almost-3-miles course that I normally do on Mondays and Wednesdays. The local cross country team was out and about. If only they knew that guy walking along the sidewalk before the sun comes up has run ten marathons. Not that it would make a difference.

After work I did a 4-mile walk. I'm so slow. Or at least, walking is so slow compared to running. Not that I'm fast, but a walk drags on in comparison. By the last mile I was speed walking. I thought about running, but that's for tomorrow. Plus the temperature here in the last half of September was 97 degrees. I consider this part of getting in shape for the upcoming Ireland trip. After that, let's see how we can maintain or do even better.

Humid Saturday

Yesterday I wasn't sure how the outing would go. It was humid, more than I expected, but I was game. I ended up going about 4.3 miles, and ran half of it. It really wasn't as bad as I thought, or else I was just oblivious. Either way, the run/walk was a good one. The temperature is still in the 90ish range every day, which means summer is still hanging on by a thread. That's okay by me, and most evenings have been very nice around here.

Some Running

It's taken awhile to recover from being sick, and feeling at about 60% of myself this week. Today I felt a bit better and went for an early afternoon walk/run due to late meetings. Overall I went about 3.75 miles and ran about half of it. One segment of running was .9 miles. That's good as I work on building back the mileage, my long-term goal over the winter months. I just have to not be a weenie when it's "cold" outside. This is Texas, for crying out loud.

Walking in Pittsburgh

Spent the weekend in Pittsburgh for a baseball series, which the good guys (the Cardinals) won two of three despite getting their butts kicked in the first game. No running while I was there, but a LOT of walking. I think that and the pace at work caught up with me and I ended up sick the last day and missed the last game. Overall, I really enjoyed the city. It was beautiful, clean, and scenic. It would be good for running along the river, while it wouldn't take much of a diversion off those paths to get in some hill work. The baseball park did not disappoint. It often shows up on the top of the list for best baseball parks, and I can see why. I had a great time and would love to go back someday.

As for today, I decided to walk to get in my steps. Running was not in the realm of possibility due to recently being sick and still feeling like I'm recovering. I needed some sunshine and walking seemed to be the best way to get it.

Two Fer

Just realized I didn't post my Saturday run/walk, so this becomes a two-fer. I went that morning about 10 a.m. for a total of 5 miles. It was a nice morning and good outing. I know it's been rare that I've gone that far recently so it was nice to go that extra mile.

Today was humid after more rain yesterday evening, but as always, no complaints. It was another run/walk since the temperature was in the low 90s. It felt like a Monday but fortunately I realized it was a day to mix in running during the 4 miles. I think with the rain I'm feeling a little bit of allergies as plants come back to life after the rainless summer. I also realized it was the ninth day in a row I've had an outing. I'm looking to keep the streak alive.

Rainy Walk

I walked Wednesday, and then yesterday was supposed to be the normal run/walk day as of late. Rain moved in late in the afternoon, but it wasn't heavy and there was no lightning. So I donned a windbreaker and went out for a walk. Overall it was about 3 miles and I probably could have done the run thing, too, but at least I got out. We're doing a step challenge at work this month and I didn't want to post a zero the first day. Instead, I made the 10k step mark and got in some sweating. This morning I went for a walk with The Wife and the kicked off the holiday weekend with some exercise. It was nice.

Storm on the Horizon

When I left the house today I thought a storm coming in from the northeast would miss us. Still, dark clouds moved closer and I decided to go 3 miles instead of 4. That turned out to be the right choice. As I turned into our part of the neighborhood it started raining. The Wife was backing out of the garage to go someplace, so I talked to her briefly and got a little wetter. Not too bad, though, and it came down even more after I made it inside. Again, this is Texas, we need rain, and no hard feelings on my part. For the outing, I bookended it with half-mile walks, with a 1/2 mile run, 1/4 walk, 1/2 mile run, 1/4 mile walk, and 1/2 mile run in the middle. That means I ran half of it, which was pretty good for a very humid day at 88 degrees.

More Walking and Running

I went 4 miles again today, and here's how it worked out: walk 1/2 mile, run 1/2 mile, walk .4 miles, run 1/2 mile, walk .1 mile, run 1/2 mile, walk 1/2 mile, run 1/2 mile, walk the rest of the way home. Even though the temperature was just below 80 degrees, the humidity was (and is) very high. I got in about 8k steps through all that. I saw plenty of people walking, running, and riding. The most curious was the guy on the powered scooter who whizzed by. Kudos to him for getting outdoors, but does that actually count as exercise?

Stepping In

Last time I mentioned the step challenge at work coming up in September. Not a fan of carrying the iPhone everywhere in order to count steps (21st-century problems, I know), so today I ordered an Apple Watch. Due to the program we have at work for rewarding co-workers and people who make a difference, I had enough accumulated to get one. Except for fifty cents that I had to pay out of my own pocket. Again, those 21-st century problems.

With today's 4-mile run/walk, where I ran half of it in different segments, I'm close to 10k steps. Not that I'm that anal retentive about it, but I haven't done this since I had a FitBit back when we lived in KC. That's been 7+ years ago. And as for today's outing, it was good. Above 90 degrees, but the hundreds seem to be out of the picture for the time being. Until we get below 80 I'll still be walking from time to time.

Post-Rain Outing

We finally got a ton of rain yesterday. We were supposed to be doused on Sunday, but the weatherman whiffed on that one. Near downtown Dallas it flooded, but in our area it was dry until early Monday. It even drizzled a little bit most of the morning and into the afternoon today. I was thinking about running the whole way this afternoon but the temperature got into the mid-80s and it was huuuuuumid. I went 3 miles and ran half of it in three different sections.

At work we're doing a step challenge in September. I've been carrying my phone recently to listen to podcasts but it wasn't tracking my steps. Let's just say it was harder than it needed to be to find out how to turn it back on to track. I'm good now and did over 7k steps today. If I was training for a marathon I'd probably win the challenge hands down.

Rain at Last

We finally got a ton of rain on Thursday. It was so nice. The temperature plummeted into the mid-70s as it rained for two hours and rivers of water ran down the streets. As opposed to last time, this time there was too much for the dry ground to absorb and there was water in the creek this morning. I went 3 miles with intermittent walking and running since it was quite humid. We have more rain coming in the over the next few days, so I'll get in my exercise as I can.

Work and Walk

Interesting outing today. Went for w walk during the last call of the day, which really was a fyi for me. I didn't have to participate until about 2 miles into 3 total. And since I walked it all I could pause in the shade and say my piece. After that I listened to the podcast the rest of the way home. According to the forecast this might be one of our last 100 degree days. I'm going to have to find some future motivation because I love the heat.

Half Run

I went 3 miles again today, half of it walking and half running. The temperature was above 90 degrees and plenty humid, so alternating walk/run seemed like the right thing to do. It went pretty well, especially considering I did it later in the morning. I needed breakfast and coffee first today, though, hence the delay. I saw a few people out but there were probably more earlier in the morning. I considered waiting until tomorrow but decided I didn't really want to. I've also been listening to a new podcast, or at least new to me, called History That Doesn't Suck. The guy starts with American colonies and moves quickly over the first few episodes into the battles that marked the start of the Revolutionary War. So far, so good. I'm enjoying it.

How About Some Rain?

Yesterday I went for my normal off-day walk, and it went pretty well. It was cloudy, and when I checked the radar everything was sliding past us to the west. The wind picked up, and toward the end I saw lightning about a mile away. That's usually my signal to head for cover. I ended up a little under 2 miles. When I got home it went like usual for a while. The storm was heading toward us and then split to completely go around. It's like we were an anti-magnet. That finally ended about 6:30 when we had actual rain for the first time in months. For an hour or so. It was fantastic. And the temperature dropped to 75 degrees. This might be normal elsewhere but not around here, and not lately.

Today would normally be a running day, but that didn't happen. I walked 3 miles, thought about running a few times, and decided against it. The temperature was 98 degrees with heat index of 102. What was interesting was the condition of the creek I normally run past and then run next to several times. I thought after yesterday the water might be higher and moving a little, but instead it was muddy pools along the creek bed. Apparently the rain we received yesterday was so needed that the ground just sucked it up and runoff was non-existent. Here's hoping for more rain.