For Whom the Dogs Bark

46F, 100% humidity, wind NE 8 mph, rain.  Actually turned out to be pretty good running weather.  It looked awful when I anxiously peeked out the window dark and early for a preview, but once I got my feet wet (literally) it was fine, wind wasn't too bad and it was just warm enough to leave gloves at home.  I intended to do only 10 but felt good and had the time so I kept going.  Plus I thought I would be traveling later this week, but that just got cancelled.  Ran 14.13 miles in 2:21:25, average pace 10:01 per mile, low heart rate.  I had a 9:54 average pace through 10, after that the miles started catching up with me but I never got slower than 10:15.  My LHR pace is gradually getting faster again, still not my best but improving, legs felt strong today.

46F, 87% humidity, wind NNW 8 mph, blustery and clearing.  Finally saw the moon and it was dry out there.  Felt pretty stiff from yesterday, even though it was a slow run, but no injuries, so I felt pretty much OK from the beginning today.  Turned out to be a good run.  I planned to run 5 at low heart rate, then six at GMP (7:30) then cool down one.  When I woke up my mojo failed me and I decided to go for 4 fast miles, because I have been having trouble hitting 7:30 lately.  The slow miles were uneventful except for one incident with a small dog.  at 4.75 miles I sped up and hit my stride going into mile 6.  The speed felt hard but not overwhelming and I thought maybe 6 wouldn't be so bad after all.  7:38 (156), 7:18 (163), 7:21 (167), 7:21 (170), 7:16 (173) and 7:18 (175), average 7:22 for the 6 fast ones.  I let up on the gas pedal a little bit because I want to run some more fast miles this week.  Wade and I have decided to run a half in Beaumont on the second Saturday in March.  My nephew, his wife and her father (who is from Beaumont) are also going to run it.  Original plan was to run 7:30 pace but now I think it might be possible to go faster.  One morning doesn't make a race, but today was a good omen.

OK, about this dog.  Some 8-year old girl accidentally let him out the front door and he was relentless.  Very small but wouldn't go away.  She was out there trying to chase him in a house coat, crying in the cold.  I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there while the drama played out.  Not a good situation, but I don't want to be bitten no matter how small the dog.  This one definitely wanted a piece of me and the girl knew it.  I have no idea why this poor girl's parents didn't come out and resolve the situation, some people have no manners.  But it was a small price to pay for a good run.

33F, 88% humidity and calm.  Very nice morning but a little cold on my sensitive Texas skin.  I got out early, eager to run some more fast miles.  The plan was to do 2x2 miles at 7:00.  Didn't make it.  7:15 was the best I could do.  I could feel stiffness in my inner thigh that stayed around after the run.  Probably OK but not the best situation -- that probably held me back some, but this speed felt very, very fast today.  Results were 7:15 (161), 7:13 (169), one slow mile, then 7:15 (166) and 7:14 (172).  The last one felt particularly fast but it was the same.  Overall 12.07 miles in 1:49:38, average 9:05 per mile.  I think to some extent I had hangover from yesterday, legs just weren't quite as strong.  It's OK though, training is not a linear process.

I ordered some new Jingas (the flat shoes I wear almost all the time now, they are made in Brazil but shipped from England) a few weeks ago.  They haven't arrived so I finally sent this message:

"Would much appreciate a status update.  The tracking system says my order was despatched on January 6 and shoes mailed on January 7, now "winging their way toward me", but there has been no landing and no further information.  Even a corked bottle launched from Liverpool would have arrived by now.  Would appreciate knowing when the airplane is expected to run out of fuel and land."

They wrote back immediately with a long, customized and detailed explanation.  It was like I am their only customer.  Something goes wrong with every order:  missing shoelaces, wrong size and now this.  But they are so charming and quirky that I can't get mad, and they always fix it.  So if you want some flat shoes and a little bit of adventure, order Jingas.  They are on sale through January for 30 Pounds Sterling, plus "shipping". 

38F, 88% humidity, wind W 5 mph.  Thought it was going to feel colder than it did.  38 is my new 48.  Ran 12.07 in 1:59:41 average pace 9:55 per mile, low heart rate and flat shoes.  Original plan was to do 3 fast days this week but I was a little worried about my right achilles and heel which have been acting up somewhat the last couple of days, so I took it easy today and will probably do the same for the rest of the week.  Despite some tired legs, all of my splits were under 10 except for the first (10:31) and the last (10:00), so continuing to improve at the low end, still not back to my 9:30 days but that is coming.  My best ever slow run was 9:42 per mile back on December 1.  It was 28F that morning, so the cold isn't the issue.  Anyway, feeling good but gotta go, can't hang around to chat.

Whiffed on the run this morning.  Got on a call at midnight last night, people from Taiwan, Beijing, Singapore, France and U.S., all speaking bad English (but better than my French or Chinese) for 4 hours talking about arcane West African accounting rules -- got to bed just in time to turn off my alarm.  That was fun.  Honestly, I probably need a day off anyway.

52F, humidity 82%, wind SW 5 mph.  Really nice running weather, felt good to run without the usual accoutrements.  I had to be somewhere at 8:00 so I was out the door at 4:30, kind of funny, my alarm clock went off this morning at almost exactly the same time I went to bed Friday morning.  It's one advantage I have being old, sleep is optional.  The plan was to run 20 at 9:00.  First mile was 9:21, so I sped up and the second was 8:34, and I mostly left it there for the rest of the run, dipped into the 8:20s a couple of times toward the end.  I ended up running 20.07 in 2:54:01, average pace 8:40, flat shoes.  Heart rate never broke 160 and it was below 150 most of the run until I sped up a little bit toward the end.  Legs were quite sore and still are, but no particular stress otherwise.  This was basically my marathon pace going into Richmond, so I am improving.