Late-Morning, Post-Coffee

The Wife and I went out to breakfast this morning, which was nice but delayed my exercise by a few hours. I went for a 4-miler and ran 2.5 miles of it in .5, 1.5, and .5 mile increments. The temperature wasn't too bad, nor was the humidity, and a nice breeze out of the southwest hit me at some good moments. I still feel like I'm doing well on the road to increasing mileage back to what it was a few years ago.

94?

The temperature says 94 degrees but it doesn't feel like it. Maybe it's because I went out for my walk/run after 5 p.m. as the sun was getting lower. I ran half of the 3 miles in half-mile increments, as I've done before. Even sprinted the last few hundred yards for a literal change of pace. There wasn't much breeze, which again makes me wonder why it didn't feel as hot as the thermometer said. Oh, well, I'll take it.

Sunny Walk

We finally got some rain Sunday night, which cooled things off briefly, but today we're back into the low 90s with lots of sun. I determined this was another good time to walk instead of running. It was a brisk pace, especially since usually I take a little bit to warm up. I can tell we're heading toward the end of the year as the shadows from the fences and trees grow longer. Overall, 3 miles and nothing unusual about it.

Normaler

Today seemed like a normal Saturday, temperature this morning in the upper 70s. I went 4 miles total, running half of that in half-mile intervals. I got out before 8 a.m. so I could come home and eat breakfast and drink my coffee at a leisurely pace. Running felt fine, although at the end I upped the pace and got the heart rate up nice and high. Yeah, that's normal, too.

Skating Fail

This was a new one on me today: almost a mile into my walk and a girl went by me on old-style four-wheel skates. She got about five steps ahead of me and fell. Poor kid, she was probably a high school sophomore or so, wearing backpacks both front and back. I helped her up and she said something about the weight of the backpacks, but I didn't really hear since I was wearing earbuds. Anyway, she seemed okay and skated off. Guess I did my good deed for the day.

Other than that the 3-mile seemed routine. Temperatures still in the low 90s but very breezy, and this might be our last week of hitting 90. We'll see. On Saturday's outing I'll try some running again.

A Little Walking, A Little Running

Today I got out for a 3-miler with storm clouds on the western horizon. I walked a half-mile, ran a half-mile, walked two-tenths of a mile, and was going to run another half but stopped after a quarter. All I can say about that is my knees felt...rickety. Not sure the cause, but I decided to walk the rest of the way. They feel fine now, a couple hours later, and whatever was going on was apparently temporary. I also mowed the back yard after returning home, where I got a few spits of rain but not much else. Youngest Daughter and I went out for dinner and I used the windshield wipers on the truck a little, but again, not much to report from the "storm."

40 Degrees

What a difference 40 degrees makes. A couple of weeks ago I was walking in 107 degrees and this morning started off at 67. Wow.

I missed Thursday's outing due to allergies. They kicked my butt starting Tuesday and by Wednesday I felt like I'd been beaten up multiple times. Seems like the allergy attacks have been more intense the past few years, almost putting me down for the count for multiple days. It sucks. Yesterday I felt almost back to normal. Today I was going to run as much as possible, but in the second interval I felt the effects of the allergies with breathing, so I stuck to 3 miles and ran half of it. Here's hoping the allergies take a hike and I can enjoy running more in the cooler weather.

Seriously

Today the temperature not only stayed in the low 80s but we also got a trace of rain this morning. Which means, of course, that it's time for my allergies to make a grand entrance. Seriously???????

About noon I felt sinus pressure and my head felt stuffy, and then as the afternoon wore on the mucous started running. Again I ask, seriously? So much for getting a chance to enjoy the nice weather.

Regardless, I went out for a walk. I'd planned on running but walked 3 miles instead, with plenty of snot rockets along the way. I got in my exercise, but seriously???????

Broken

The heat broke today and it looks like summer is on the way out. Mostly. Today's high is still 94 degrees but it was only 74 when I headed out for a walk/run. I ran 2.25 miles of the 4 miles and gotta say it felt pretty good. With milder temperatures I should be able to run more frequently and build up the mileage. I'd like to get back to the days of doing six-milers on a regular basis and getting back to the point where I can run a half marathon. It's been awhile but that's my plan over the coming months.

Is This It?

Is this the last time this year I'll be out for a walk where the temperature is over 100 degrees? Could be. Today was 105, tomorrow is supposed to be 107. I'm not walking tomorrow. Then Saturday's high is 99 but I'll be out in the morning before it reaches that point, and after that it trends to the low 90s before plummeting to a high of 78 on Tuesday with rain in the forecast. I went for a 3-mile walk today and it honestly felt like a blast furnace. Maybe it was just the thought this might be the end of the high heat. Whatever the case, I'll start enjoying some cooler walks and runs. At least until next year.

More Summer

Today we made it back over 100 degrees, with a lovely reading of 101 when I went out for a walk after work. Supposedly, this week is it for the high temps. As I've started before, we'll see. I enjoyed a nice 3-mile walk, listening to a podcast for a change. Nothing remarkable about today and the walk. Sometimes you're just in the groove and it all goes according to plan.

Another Delay

Yesterday I smoked a brisket and some other fine meats, meaning I didn't get out until today. Which was a little sad, since the temperature was 68 degrees yesterday morning.

Today wasn't bad, though. We clocked in at 80 degrees when I headed out, and I kept it to 3 miles since I ran half of it. Once again, it was nice to get in a little bit of running in half-mile increments. I also mowed the lawn and cleaned off the patio. Now it's rest time.

Lunch Walking Again

The temperature is actually below 100 degrees in Texas and that called for a midday walk. Still thinking about running and now that my new shoes have 10 miles on them I think it's almost time. Today I walked the usual 3 miles and did so at a pretty fast pace: just over 16 minutes/mile. I know, if I was speedwalking that wouldn't be very impressive, but normally when I walk the first mile is well over 17 minutes/mile. At least it was a nice day and as always it felt good to get out.

Delayed Walk

Yesterday I had a work activity in the afternoon and a concert in the evening, leaving no time to walk. I took the rare Wednesday walk instead. What a difference 10 degrees makes. The temperature was only 96 degrees and for a portion of the return journey the sun hid behind a cloud. I went 3 miles as usual and felt less worse than normal when I got home. The forecast has us hovering around 100 degrees over the next ten days but maybe the season of 106+ degrees is over. We'll see.

Saturday Outing

Once again I walked the 4-mile route where I kept to the shade for a good portion in the middle part. I thought about running since the temperature this morning was in the 80s, but I was breaking in a new pair of shoes and decided not to. It looks like we're in for temps lower than 100 in the coming week, so maybe I can start mixing in some running again. We'll see since I don't actually trust the forecasts.

Earlier Weekday Walk

I walked earlier than normal today since I have plans tonight and didn't want to rush around to get in some exercise. The added benefit included getting out before the temperature went over a hundred degrees. Fortunately, I have a gap in my calendar today between meetings so I went out for a 3-miler. I considered running but even the temperature was only 94 degrees the humidity was pretty high. I decided the best course was to walk. So I did.

Weird items by the side of the road observation: a pair of crutches in the grass along Lake Forest and a baby bottle in the drainage area right inside Creekwood. I wondered if the crutches had been cast aside because someone was miraculously healed, but the reality is probably that one of the McKinney Boyd students threw them aside on the way to school. The baby bottle? Not a clue.

Still Sweating

Today's high was only 102 degrees. "Only." The long-range forecast looks like we get down to the upper 90s for highs next week and then back to the century mark for Labor Day weekend. Like they know.

The breeze today felt good even thought it was hot. I walked 3 miles and when I walked up my street the neighbor next door was putting out his trash bins and asked me how my run was. I laughed. I ain't running in this. I'll continue this pattern and trying to keep up at least a minimum level of fitness until I can run again.

Saturday Morning Walk

The weather app I use cracks me up sometimes. The message this morning was that today is forecast to be cooler than yesterday. Ha ha. Yesterday was 109 degrees, today's high will be 107. WAY cooler.

This morning I walked 3.5 miles. I could have and probably should have gone the extra half-mile, but I wanted to get home for some coffee. Seems lazy of me, doesn't it? Right now I'm on my last cup and at the moment it seems like I made a good choice.

Midday Shade

I had a break between calls after lunch plus a late call on the calendar, so I took the opportunity for a midday walk. I wondered how it would go with the noonday sun, but it was actually okay. The shade under the trees was actually better in some areas. I went out while the temp was in the upper 90s, as opposed to 106 degrees now when I would've had to go out. I walked 3 miles and was happy to see minimal work emails had arrived in my absence. Maybe I should do this more often.

Break in the Heat

For the first time this month we didn't get to 100 degrees today. It topped out at 93 degrees and you could feel the difference. A temperature almost 15 degrees lower than the usual is noticeable. I walked 3 miles total and ran a mile of it in two half-mile increments. It took a little to get back into the rhythm and not feel like I was dying. The breeze helped. I know this won't last but it was nice to get in a little running.