For Whom the Dogs Bark

78F, 91% humidity, wind WSW 3 mph, completely clear.  Very nice morning for running, didn't feel that hot today, maybe because the humidity was under 95%, doesn't seem possible.  I ran 10.00 miles in 1:29:56, average pace 8:59 per mile, flat shoes.  First three were at low heart rate, average pace 10:40, then I ran the last 7 at marathon pace, actually a little bit faster, 8:15 per mile average.  I intended to do a slow run today but had to get done in time to take my daughter to the bus stop, today is the first day of school.  Plus I didn't work that hard on Saturday, so there was really no reason to hold back.  Feet and heels seem fine, so no harm done.  All the other parents gathered at the bus stop but not me, I just dropped her off and went home, I must be a bad parent.  She was fine with it, though.  8th grade now and targeting early HS graduation, so she isn't my little girl anymore, even though she will always be the youngest.

I looked at the wear patterns on my flat shoes.  They have very thin soles but have held up fine for several hundred miles, it is the uppers that are tattering.  Left and right have about the same pattern, most of the wear is on the balls of the foot and toward the outside, which is good.  I don't know why the heel wears, though, I don't feel like I come down on it, but I must be.  I think I was doing that more early on.  I like these shoes and I'll probably get a new pair soon -- I wonder if the new ones will wear the same way. 

75F, 94% humidity, calm.  Very nice running weather.  Ran 10.12 miles in 1:52:56, 11:10 per mile, low heart rate and regular shoes.  Trying to give my ankles, calves and feet a break from yesterday's fast run in flat shoes.  That is the killer, but the flat shoes are faster and I want to work up to using them most of the time.  Was sore for a couple of miles but then it went mostly away.  Today's pace was quite a bit faster than last week's low heart rate pace, by more than 40 seconds per mile.  I seem to go through cycles on this.  My feet are feeling a little funny today.  I hope they are OK, will know more in the morning, time for bed now though.

73F, 97% humidity, clear and calm.  Nice running under the full moon then the rising sun, love these kinds of runs.  10.19 in 1:54:49, average pace 11:16 per mile, low heart rate and regular shoes, a little slower than yesterday for some reason, but OK.  Pretty uneventful, which was what I was hoping for, no further heel and calf issues and didn't feel a need for ice after the run.  I'll know more as the day progresses.  I ran through the next neighborhood down to mix things up a little bit, nice to get a change of scenery. 

My runs are starting later right now because I have to take my daughter to volleyball tryouts.  I am worried, she is on the cusp and will be bummed if she doesn't make the team.  Of course, she isn't at her best when she is under scrutiny.  The coach is keeping statistics on everything and it is distracting to a 13-year old who knows nothing about performing under pressure, not sure I do either.

73F is as cool as it has been in a while.  Saturday is forecast the same, except the humidity is projected at 83%.  Hope my nose doesn't dry out and my skin peel.  Could be a nice long run this week-end.  Must be getting cold in Utah by now?

73F, 80% humidity, wind NNE 4 mph, clear and cold.  Moon is still out, great morning for running.  I ran 10.00 miles in 1:35:52, average pace 9:35 per mile overall, regular shoes.  Warmed up for 3 miles, then had designs on a 10K at 7:45 per mile.  In the heat and regular shoes, my 10K quickly turned into a 5K, heart rate was up around 184 so I didn't try to push it further.  The three fast miles were 7:37, 7:44 and 7:38, average pace about 7:40, which was faster than the 5K race I did in March, not a lot faster but still. . . .  The magic threshold for me is to get 10K at 7:45 in the heat, don't know if that will happen but if it does I should be ready for Hartford.  I then cooled down for about a mile and a half then took my heart rate back up to 160 for the rest of the run (about 9:30 pace at that point), finishing the 10 right at my doorstep.  Good run, would have liked to finish the whole 10K but this was OK.

69F, 84% humidity, calm at start, 71F, 70% humidity, wind NNE 5 mph at end, clear.  Great morning for running, a little frigid.  Cannot believe how much difference these temperatures make.  69F is only 4 degrees below normal for this date, but I have been running this month mostly at 5-8 degrees above normal, with humidity levels near 100%.  I could tell immediately that I was in a different gear.  I ran 10.25 miles in 1:47:00, average pace 10:27 per mile, just 3 seconds off my fastest low heart rate run on April 16 of this year.  My best split was 10:02, which is the fastest I have done.  I ran the first half in regular shoes, last mile already up to 10:32, then switched to flat shoes and the pace quickened considerably even though it was the second half of the run.  I got the 10:02 in mile 7.  Not sure how long this will last, summer is not over here for six more weeks, but any further heat waves will be of lesser duration I believe.

My neighbors were out in droves this morning, everybody was out walking or running.  I think everybody is like me.  They see somebody running and think I can do that.  Then when a good morning rolls around like this they call their buddies, strap on shoes and head out.  It was great, almost more runners and walkers than cars.  Even the dogs were in a good mood.  This is how Fridays were meant to be.

71F, 80% humidity, wind NW 5 mph.  Another great morning to run.  Went to a new neighborhood about 10 miles away with my friend Wade and we ran 20.00 miles with several groups on a combined run, 3:07:58, 9:24 per mile average pace, regular shoes.  The group only ran 18, so we hung out for a while after we finished until Wade's brother and sister-in-law came in.  She has run one marathon and is registered for St. George with Wade.  She said she wouldn't run St. George if she couldn't get 20 today.  She was sky-high when she came in and wanted to do two more to get a full 20, so out we went.  She ran 5:05 in her first marathon and is looking to blast that one out of the water.  Up until that time we had an average pace of 9:19, so that gives you an idea of how well we did on the last two, very stiff when we got up to run again.  Wade cratered last week on a hotter day, when we ran about 17 at 10:49 pace, so he was sky-high as well.  He kept up with me every step of the way and had a lower heart rate, so he is back in the saddle.  My own plan was to do half of the run at 9:30 then the second half at 8:30, but we were in a strange neighborhood and didn't know our way around, so we had to hang around other runners.  I don't think Wade quite wanted to run that fast anyway, and it is up for debate whether I could have finished the run at that speed.  I had a little bit left, though, maximum heart rate was 172.  Maybe next week.  I am thinking I need to get a little bit better to get my BQ in Hartford.

We found ourselves running for most of the time with a solid, beefy, young guy.  Turns out he played football for TCU until 2007.  Had a fun conversation about the Mountain West.  He thinks BYU should stay in and it is looking like that is what will happen, if you believe the leaks coming out of Denver.  Probably for the best but they have to fix that TV contract.  BYU fans everywhere need to be able to see the games, it is our constitutional right, or at least it could be.