For Whom the Dogs Bark

78F, 95%, SSW 1 mph.  12.0 miles in 1:54:51, 9:34/mile, 53 RHR, 142/152.  Good run, could barely walk when I got out of bed but a stretching session helped and I was on my way at about 5:40.  Last few miles were in the sun and heart rate started to climb, highest single-mile average was 149 bpm, each of the last two miles.

Went out again at noon from work without a watch, 20 minutes out and 18 back, probably 9:30 and 8:30 pace respectively.  95F, 47%.  Actually felt better the second time, but that would have changed if I had tried to go 8 or 10.

77F, 94%, SW 3 mph.  6.18 miles in 1:00:12, 9:44/mile.  47 RHR, 135 bpm, 141 max.  Heart rate is starting to drop now, finally.

73F, 96%, ENE 1 mph.  10.00 miles in 1:39:51, 9:59/mile.  52 RHR, 132 bpm, 141 max.  Felt really good after this run. 

PM:  95F (100F heat index), 45%, S 10 mph.  Left work in the late afternoon, then took a phone call just as I was starting out.  It was 5:00 before I started, took it very slow, out the Buffalo Bayou trail west from downtown between Allen Pkwy and Memorial, crossing from side to side to avoid construction.  All the way to Memorial Park then around the loop and return.  Didn't have my Garmin, but according to the computer it was 11.96 miles, took about 2 hours.

On the way back I was crossing the bridge over Waugh Dr. and there was a body in the road.  He had been hit by a car.  Some of the runners around said they saw him run a red light when he got hit.  People were talking to him so I assume he was alive.  There was nothing I could add so I continued on, EMT arrived about a minute after I left, don't know what the final result was.  I've gotten to the point where I don't cross in front of any car unless the driver is looking at me, right of way is irrelevant.

77F, 94%, SW 4 mph.  Was planning to do 20 this morning but too beat up, decided to consolidate my gains and run a little less today.  I have a fast finish long run on Saturday; the goal is 9:15/8:15, 8:15 being the speed I have to run to both qualify and actually get in to Boston, as best I can tell.  So I thought I would try the 9:15 end of it.  Ran 10.00 in 1:29:55, 9:00 per mile, so a little fast.  RHR was 53, averaged 147 bpm, max 163.  Was very tired from the beginning, but my heart rate stayed low so I was happy -- we'll see what happens when I have to tack on an 8:15 second half.  Presumably the strength will come back into my legs with a little rest.

75F, 97% and calm.  10.00 miles in 1:42:51, 10:17/mile.  53 RHR, 133 bpm, 141 max.  Thought I had regressed but I compared it apples to apples against some recent runs and it was OK.

I made an appointment at a sports performance lab.  I really want to know at what heart rate I stop burning fat.  Probably a continuum but it would be nice to see the curve.  They do other stuff too, though, like lactate threshold, VO2max, HRmax.  Also something called running efficiency, which measures how much oxygen and fuel you burn to achieve a particular output.  It really isn't that expensive, should have done it long ago.  Plus the guy is English -- whenever I hear that accent I figure he is way smarter than me.

75F, 98% and calm.  Today's schedule was a fast finish long run.  Have never been able to do these very well and today was not an exception.  The plan was to do 12 at 9:15 then 8 at 8:15 -- yes, that is now my fast finish program, if I can do it I'll probably qualify for Boston and maybe even get in, so don't laugh.

First part went fine, came in about 9:13 average at mile 12.  Made a conscious effort not to speed up much beyond 9:15, though mile 12 came in at 9:00 flat.  Heart rate performed well, didn't hit 150 until mile 8 and mile 12 was 156.  But the speed wasn't there when I tried to knock it down for Part 2:  8:28 (165), 8:38 (165), 8:18 (170) and done.  WU/CD 1 mile, practiced my crawl for the CD and I'm not a tri-athlete.

Interesting part was my heart rate, it never got out of hand despite the heat.  I have run a full marathon at higher heart rates than these but couldn't sustain it today.  The problem is probably twofold: haven't really been doing many hard days, and still trying to get back into shape.  I'll try again in two weeks, there is at least some hope because I am improving right now.  If it doesn't work then I probably won't try to run the August marathon.

I set up an "aid station" with Gatorade (powder mix) and water, stopped every 5 miles.  That part of it worked pretty well.  Don't know how I am going to replicate powder in a race, though.  Maybe take my water bottle and stop to get refills, mixing it on the fly.  Not sure it is worth it but it was nice not to have stomach issues.  Overall a good week, just couldn't tie a ribbon on it.