For Whom the Dogs Bark

55F, 92%, W 8 mph.  6.18 miles in 48:18, 7:49/mile as follows:  8:55 (141), 8:03 (154), 7:48 (160), 7:41 (165), 7:08 (176) and 7:18 (180).  Pretty tough run, as evident by heart rate.

No running due to work pressures.

66F, 100%, ESE 8 mph.  8.14 miles in 1:12:58, 8:58/mile, 148/162.  Heart rate way too high for these kinds of speeds, thinking I might switch to the half on New Years Day.

59F, 33%, NNW 18-30 mph.  Translation:  TM.  The wind was whistling through the sliding doors and the trees outside were bent over, very similar to Hurricane Ike a few years ago.  This is a monster cold front.  I wanted to run some quarters, so I made a gametime decision, grabbed some clothes out of the closet, drove to work and did it at the gym in my building.  Worked out fine, the machines were new and remarkably available that early in the morning.  They time out at 30 minutes (what's up with that?), but I just turned it off and started over.  1 mile warmup at 8:57 pace, then 8 x 400 starting at 7:30 pace down to 5:56 for the last 200 (as fast as my legs move), rest for 400 at 8:57 pace, then 1.25 cooldown at 8:00, in my seat at work by 7:30.  Nice little workout for a taper week.  Three hours later, temperature is 45F, 43%, gusts 20-38, which is still too conservative, it is howling out there.  I am on the 46th floor and I can feel movement -- I wonder if I'm above or below the snap point. 

But I could get used to these short workouts.  Wade told my wife last night that he thought he had talked me into running only halfs.  I only said I would consider it, but it emphasizes how many people think I run too hard.  I told her there are some things I think I can try for the Boston cycle.  If there isn't improvement then I would have to agree that it is time to congratulate Father Time and move on to the next hobby (trying to decide between birding and ham radio, have ruled out needlepoint and assault weapons, just don't have enough small muscle control for those).  Just then my son walked in from a leg workout and said he was going vegan, trying to get a reaction.  My wife ignored him.  I hopped right in and said if he did then I would.  Still no reaction.  She long ago learned to ignore her five children (now six) when they are acting up.

29F, 87%, WNW 4 mph.  Back up to 55F tomorrow morning, can't really figure out this weather.  Ran 6.18 miles in 53:45, 8:42 per mile, 147/157.  I don't run well when it is this cold.  The lady who delivers papers in my neighborhood almost ran me over, for about the third time.  She is a menace, drives very fast and is always looking at her chart instead of the road.

31F, 96%, calm and clear.  I thought it was going to be 55 this morning, not sure what happened to that.  I was going to go out to Conroe and run the Day after the End of the End of the World Half Marathon at a relaxed pace.  Smooth and her family are out there so that would have been fun.  Wade went out and ran the Day Before half yesterday morning and ended up doing it at an 8:00 pace, on trails.  He said it just happened naturally and I was afraid of the same thing, so I went to the Y where they were running 12 this morning -- and ran at a 7:55 pace.  They took off and I didn't want to run alone, pretty lame, and probably screwed up my marathon, but I have 10 days to recover.  Aerobically I feel great this morning, but my legs are screaming at me.  It was a progression run, the first mile was 8:42 and the last one 7:33 (175).  One old guy in our group took off and ran 7:14 on the last one, good for him.