For Whom the Dogs Bark

77F, 94% (DP 75F) and calm. Out at 4:50 a.m. Wade is back in town and caught up with him about 5:30. Ran 2 wu and 3 fast ones before meeting Wade, then finished out at normal speed around 8:00 to 8:10/mile. Oveall 10.0 miles in 1:19:43, 7:58/mile, 160 bpm average, 178 max. Fast splits were 7:24 (160), 7:19 (167) and 7:14 (174). Finished with stretching, weights, jump rope and lunges.

Over the weekend I installed a weather station that I bought 2 years ago. I have been waiting for some work in my backyard to get done. Here is the outside unit. It has solar panels that point south in order to calibrate wind direction correctly.

Then it sends a signal to a receiver set up in the other end of the house, where I get a detailed readout.  Pretty cool.

I have long mis-trusted the weather information on the computer. This morning, for instance, the Weather Channel app had a readout of 78F, 92% (DP 75F), wind SE 3 mph. Local Channel 13 had 75F, 100% (DP 75%), SE 4 mph. What is interesting is that dew point is exactly the same on all three, not sure how that happens.  But overall not too far off on a calm morning. My guess is that when the atmosphere is active the data points at my house are going to be quite a bit different than the official ones.  I am actually looking forward to the next rain event to see how the rain guage works, which is certainly an unhealthy wish given our recent history around here.

81F, 89% (DP 77F), calm. Got out late and paid for it. Started out fine, second mile was in the 10:30 range with heart rate below threshold, then quickly into the 11s and stayed there. Overall 10.0 in 1:51:03, 11:06/mile, 122 bpm average. Legs didn't feel dead, felt good in fact, despite doing weights yesterday, but heart rate was not to be controlled. Probably just the heat but I also missed a meal yesterday and I wonder if that is a factor. Shouldn't be, since I am supposedly burning more fat than glycogen at this heart rate.  I will probably go hard again tomorrow.  

This summer is a search for speed, which I think is to be found, if at all, in losing yet a little more weight and achieving a longer stride via a strenuous weight regimen.  I have posted it before, but my goal is this stride, which my son reposted on Father's Day on his Facebook account.  No dignity in my family, but I will say that I won that race, my only W ever.

74F, 95% (DP 73F), calm.  Slightly better weather, but not a particularly good run.  Got an early start, 2 wu, 8:40 and 8:07, then 5 @ 7:20 goal pace, didn't quite make it.  Fast ones came in at 7:25 (162), 7:26 (170), 7:19 (174), 7:16 (181) and 7;25 (183), 7:22 average, maximum heart rate 186.  Monday's fast splits were 7:24 (160), 7:19 (167) and 7:14 (174), so today was not up to Monday's level.  It was OK though, I got 5 in the heat at a fast pace.  I told myself that if split #4  came in over 7:25 I would quit. Unfortunately it came in at 7:16 so I did all five.  Overall 10.0 in 1:20:49, 8:05/mile. If I can get to 10 in the heat at 7:20 I should be in good enough shape to knock another 10 minutes off my PR.  But to really knock it out of the park on my half marathon in October I need to get this down to 7:00 instead of 7:20

77F, 91% (DP 74F), calm and clear.  Air felt fresher this morning even though it isn't actually much cooler.  Measurement at my house was 3 degrees hotter than the local TV station.  Ran 10 at LLHR, 10:48/mile, 121 bpm, much better than Tuesday.  Wade was out there for about half of it.  

We spent the whole time arguing about why we are doing this.  Right now I could revert to a daily 6-mile run at 9:00 pace, do it every morning for the next 25 years, be in optimal health, and never think about racing again.  But racing is like a drug.  I frequently wake up in the night thinking about Boston, or whatever my latest race happens to be.  Sorting through splits, thinking about my age group placement, wondering what would make me faster, planning the next workout.  Go too long and I have to find a race somewhere.  Not sure what would make me walk away from that, even though I am not fast, and even if I were it would mean almost nothing to anybody else.

Finished with stretching, weights (donkey kicks (180#), squats (135#) and good mornings (40#)) and body weight lunges.  Love the names weightlifters have for some of their routines.  I'm not going to do any weightlifting routine that doesn't have a cool name.

79F, 90% (DP 76F), calm and clear.  Hot morning.  Goal was to run 8 x 1K, only got 5.  They were 7:50 (161), ?, 7:14 (168), 7:12 (174) and 7:16 (177), 181 bpm max.  Felt wiped out, presumably from the heat and from yesterday's weight session.  Overall 10.0 in 1:23:13, 8:19/mile average pace.

79F, 92% (DP 76F), SW 4 mph. Very warm. Met Wade at about mile 4, but he had run a couple of the 1K repeats with me yesterday and was short on sleep and felt wiped out in this heat. So we called it a day early. 12.0 miles at 9:04/mile, 144 average heart rate, 155 max. Wade and I came back to my house and cooled off in the pool, which I highly recommend over running. We are toying with the idea of doing a Mt. Whitney/Boundary  Peak (i.e., California/Nevada) double in October. It's not like we have to train for it.