For Whom the Dogs Bark

64F, 87% humidity, wind S 10 mph, trying to rain.  Very nice morning for running, I think I said it already but the spring smells that come out this time of the year are a nice change from winter.  It will be colder tomorrow but not that cold.  Got out the door intending to do my big fast run for the week since I am traveling tomorrow and discovered that my Garmin's battery had died again.  Second time in a week.  My son uses it and I think he is putting it back on the cradle without turning it off.  Not complaining though, I am glad to see him running. 

I am calling it 10.22 miles because I ran exactly the same thing as Friday.  Ran it at about a 10:30 pace (according to the clock on my cell phone) in flat shoes, so I am pretty sure I kept my heart rate in the target range.  Another indication is that my legs and Achilles felt good at the end.  Hopefully I can get the fast run in tomorrow before I leave for the airport at 7:00 a.m.  It will be an early start but shouldn't matter because sleep patterns will be screwed up anyway.

46F, 77% humidity, wind N 5 mph.  Ideal running conditions.  Up very early to get it in before leaving for the airport.  Warmed up 2 miles, 9:37 and 8:16, then tried to do 10 at 7:15 but couldn't pull it off.  Never got down to that speed.  Splits were 7:24 (161), 7:20 (167), 7:17 (169), 7:28 (170), 7:21 (171, 7:22 (173), 7:24 (174), 7:24 (174), 7:31 (174) and 7:30 (173).  Overall pace for the 10 was 7:24, legs feel good.  Felt pretty tired, but the limiting factor was speed.  After awhile my legs just wouldn't go any faster, but I wonder if I was a little bit afraid of the run.  Perhaps if I had started out faster I would have been able to hang on.  Good news is it looks like I won't miss the Beaumont half a week from Saturday.  From here on out it is catch as catch can for runs this week.

75F, 90% humidity, wind about 15 mph.  In China this week, ran from a hotel on Hainan Island, which is in the far south of China, so it was pretty much summer temperatures.  Did a low heart rate run anyway, 1:49:35, average pace 10:57 per mile, but true pace was probably more like 10:40 because I went a stretch with no GPS but the clock still running.

85F, 80% humidity, wind about 15 mph.  Still on Hainan Island.  Stayed up most of the night working because I was still too jetlagged to sleep more than 3 or 4 hours at a time.  Had a 6-hour presentation at a conference today with lunch in the middle.  I was afraid I would fall asleep on my feet in front of our clients, so I skipped lunch and went out for a run in the sun.  Was only going to do 6 or 7 then decided to do the whole thing.  Was surprised that I didn't do too badly, Same route as Wednesday, 10.14 miles in 1:28:04, average pace 8:41 per mile, down to the 8:20s by the end of the run.  Most people ignored me, there aren't a lot of runners here, but every once in a while I could tell from somebody's look that they knew I was working pretty hard, this was not a jog, i.e., they were runners, there is a code, we can all tell somehow.  It worked, I made it through the afternoon fine.  Back in Houston tonight, have to go back in a week but it looks like I will make my race this weekend.