For Whom the Dogs Bark

No running today, left ankle bothered me a little more over the weekend than it should have.  I ran some long hard (for me) miles last week and probably overextended it a little bit.  I ran a little bit in my bare feet this morning just to test out the ankle.  It feels better running than walking, not sure what that means.  But I am reasonably confident it will be OK.  Trying to be mature this time and take care of things ahead of time, maybe lose only 1 day instead of 5.

76F, 85% humidity, wind SSW 11-21 mph.  Really strange, lovely morning out there.  Mid-summer temps and spring winds.  Low for Friday is predicted at 45F, so we are having our typical wild swings in temperatures here, unlike last week which was steady eddie, same temperature every day.  Funny thing is, no rain predicted for the entire week.

I ran 10.15 miles in 1:51:28, average pace 10:59 per mile, low heart rate and regular shoes.  I really slowed down at the end in the heat, not a good run but was glad to get it in.  Left foot didn't bother me much during the run, and it felt better when I got up than it did yesterday, so hopefully I am on the downhill side of that one.  Won't know for sure until later today when my joints aren't warm anymore.

I really enjoy this time of the year, getting ready for holiday get-togethers and enjoying cooler weather.  It's our reward for making it through the summer.  This morning was obviously an aberration, helps us appreciate the cooler temperatures that we have had already and the ones still coming.

76F, 91% humidity, wind SSW 5 mph, another very comfortable morning to run -- for half a mile.  Must be losing my heat/humidity mojo already, this one hammered me.  I ran 10.11 miles in 1:38:58, average pace 9:47 per mile, regular shoes.  Planned to run low heart rate for the whole thing to keep my left foot condition from regressing, but at about mile 4.5 I was already hitting an 11-minute pace in increasingly soggy shoes, so I decided to fight back.  I took off at marathon pace for 3.5 miles, 8:30 (first half mile), 8:27, 8:27 and 8:11, then jogged it in.  My heart rate skyrocketed, 178 at the end, much different day than the 10 MP miles I got last Friday at 160 bpm or below.  I guess it's the heat and the heavy shoes, hard to believe it makes that much difference, felt like I was carrying an anvil.  I'll find out soon enough, because the low is projected for Friday morning at 41F, basically swinging from mid-summer average to January/February average in two days.  Good news is my left foot seems fine.

71F, 21% humidity, wind N 14-22.  Wind coming from the north blew out all the humidity, don't ever recall seeing the it this low in Houston.  Thought it was a typo but when I got back it said 15%.  Nevertheless, it should have been a lot cooler by now, I am thinking tomorrow's 40F forecast is going to be more like 50, and Saturday even warmer.  Hey, at least we don't have snow.

I got a late start after getting home at midnight from work, so it was almost light when I left the house.  Ran 10.12 miles in 1:31:06, average pace 9:00, regular shoes.  After warming up a couple of miles I held marathon pace at 160 bpm for about 4 miles then it went over and I bagged the idea, just ran harder.  Average for the fast miles was about 8:36, range 8:13 to 8:56.  I decided to kick in the last mile and it came in at 8:30.  Some kick, legs felt lactate-y.

51F, 37% humidity, wind NNE 4 mph.  I lie not.  Wasn't quite the 40F that was forecast but still a 20 degree drop from yesterday, cannot describe how good it felt this morning.  I slept in and went for the flat shoes, a day early, strapped them on and away I went.  First mile 10:56, trying to start easy to avoid pulling something, which I am prone to do with colder temperatures.  Soon sped up, though, and everything else was in the 9s except for the last one, 10:02.  Overall I ran 10.15 miles in 1:40:21, low heart rate, average pace 9:53.  I really don't expect to see many more lows over 60F.  My hands were frozen solid by the time I finished, they felt better after a long, hot shower.  I know y'all are laughing at me down here, but please allow me some time to grow a winter beard and let my blood thicken, it's been a long summer and I am officially declaring it over as of this morning.

39F, 85% humidity, calm and early.  Got minimal sleep, left the house at 4:45 and ran a few miles in my neighborhood then ran to Wade's and picked him up.  We ran down to the Y then back to his house.  He had to get home early.  I kept going and never got overly tired in these magical running temperatures.  Was planning on 25 at 10 pace just to build endurance but the pace never slowed down so I started pushing it a little bit.  Got plenty tired but not exhausted, then did the immature thing and ran an extra 1.22 at marathon pace just to say I ran a marathon.  Total time 4:11:59 (better than my New Years Day marathon), average pace 9:36 per mile, regular shoes.  Heart rate was under 150 through 20 and under 160 until the last mile, so this was a good run.  I love the concept of negative splits.  That is what I always used to do when I was a teenager, starting at the back of the pack and moving up.  It feels good to finish a run faster than I started it.  Also took a flask of something called EFS.  It has 400 calories of various concoctions, tastes a little bit like a vanilla milkshake with chalk mixed in.  But I tolerated it, trying to be better at getting nutrition on long runs.  Took it at 5, 10 and 15, might have made a difference just not sure.  It warmed up to 55F by the end of the run, still plenty cool but I could feel a difference.  Off to Temple to visit the grandkids, happy weekend all.