Bret

AM - 7 miles with Dan and Finn through Tullamore.  Very warm today and bad AQI.    Doesn't bode well for Peachtree on Tuesday.   

AM - just 3 miles this morning with Fin through the neighborhood before church.  Felt like I should do less distance before Tuesday's Peachtree but who am I kidding - my aching Achilles has not let me train for a number of months the way I would normally be able to train and so the "race" is more likely to be an experiment of just how well I can run in really hot and humid conditions with a gimpy Achilles at nearly age 57.   My run with Dan yesterday was fine but it took more effort than I had planned and so today I kinda just needed a reprieve.   Bought a new pair of Nike VaporFlys yesterday and wore them this morning.   They are a half size too small but they did not have my size and I wanted to run in new shoes Tuesday because my current Alphaflys have over 300 miles on them.   The new ones felt good but I noticed on the downhills that my toes were hitting the front of the shoe.  I will likely regret the purchase when I lose a toenail or two on some longer downhill runs if the shoes don't stretch out a bit.   

AM - 5 easy miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs - each of us are working today before the Independence Day holiday tomorrow.   I expect a lighter workload by the afternoon as my calls and e-mails from Europe and Asia drop off and folks in the states are enjoying their afternoons leading into a day off.   

2023 Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta - quite surprisingly I ran better than I expected.  I was about 10 seconds faster than last year and the last 3 years have basically been the same mid 45 minute range.   This year was more relative effort - the temps were warm but there was cloud cover for the early waves which was good, but the humidity and dew point were quite high and so I measured my effort in the early downhill portion in order manage my more challenging uphill miles in the second half.   Never blew up but was also very aware of the effort.   Had a little snafu getting to the race - the plan was  to pick up Dan and his daughter Lily (college aged) and from there to pick up my son-in-law Marcus.   The three of them were in the F wave and I was in the earlier A wave.   We were nearly to Marcus' house when Dan and Lily realized that they had left their numbers at home and so we had to circle back to get them.  This added about 15-20 mins to the trip which then got a little delayed with the Marta train taking us to start from the North Springs station.   Basically got off the train and when we exited I did my warm up of about a half mile to the starting corral - arriving just as the National Athem started.   Two minutes later the gun went off.   So I had very little time to think or get focused on the normal aches and pains - particularly the Achilles tendon issue.

Yesterday I went to the doctor/walk-in clinic to see if they'd give me a cortisone injection in the Achilles, but after some miscommunication in which I thought they would provide that service, it turns out that they would only provide a general anti-inflamatory injection.  I went ahead with it, and it did result in less swelling in the Achilles - which translated to less discomfort, but unfortunately it also had a side-effect of insomnia - the night before the race! 

Anyway - I was pleased with the result given the limited specific training and training volume for the last several months and also considering I am not getting any younger - the fact that I can still run 7:15 pace for a 10k in the middle of the summer - is something I am good with.   

Dan, Lily and Marcus all ran together to Lily's pace at just under 11 mins per mile and I met them after they finished and we headed to the Marta station to get the train to take us to the car.  On the train ride the skies opened up to quite a storm - and when we got home there were text messages from the race that they had to cancel the event due to lightning - safety concerns.  

Happy Independence Day!

AM - 3.5 very easy miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.  Taking things easy after yesterday's race.  Wore the Green Rides as the Achilles was feeling favorable to the normal shoes, hoping the anti-inflamatory oral meds continue to provide relief beyond the dosage and not just a temporary reprieve.   Very warm and humid again this morning - suspect that will be the case for the next several weeks of summer.  

AM - 5 miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs.  Had a little bit more muscle soreness today when we started - perhaps delayed onset from the race effort on Tuesday.  Dan is leaving this evening for a long weekend at Disney with his family as a birthday celebration for his middle daughter who turns 21 this early next week.   So I will be solo the next few days unless Greg has returned from vacation on Saturday.    

The achilles was slightly more noticeable this morning.  Could be that the anti-inflammatory injection is wearing off.  I am doing the medrol pack too - oral prednisone and the swelling is much less than it has been.   

AM - 6 miles with Finn through WC and across Birmingham Hwy into the Grove neighborhood.  Very humid and warm which I suspect will likely be the case for the next month or two.   Took it very easy the first couple of miles and ended with a little more pace.  Hoping the meds for the Achilles sustain a long term reprieve of the swelling - I have a couple more days of the script - as it has certainly taken the edge off of the early discomfort in the morning runs. 

AM - 7 miles with Greg and Finn on the Forsyth Greenway.  Got a late start and it was very warm and humid.  Felt poorly early on and even Finn started to fade by mile 5 - and I stopped a couple of time for him to get water.  I was definitely dehydrated but managed to grind it out.  Greg is back from a vacation in Hawaii and shared some stories of his trip.  

AM - 3.5 very easy miles before church today.  Got a recplacement pair of Vaporfly Nikes in the correct size and as bad as I felt after yesterday's dehydration run - some easy miles was a good plan to test out the new racing shoes.  May try a few miles on the treadmill later today.  
 

PM - 8 easy miles on the treadmill in the afternoon.  

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail in a steady to light rain.   Legs were a bit heavy from the additional volume and second run yesterday - but not injured; just a bit of fatigue.  If I can manage it, I will try to add a couple of miles as a secondary run a few days per week if the legs/achilles can tolerate the additional volume at a completely aerobic effort.   

AM - 5.5 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood.  Feels like I have turned the corner so to speak with the achilles tendon - which I suppose I would primarily attribute to the steriodal anti-inflamatory that I got last week, with the follow-up oral medrol pack.   It is not 100% but as close as I have been in 5-6 months.  I will be a little nervous that the swelling may return, but for now I am going with the attitude that the injury is nearly over. 

AM - just undert 6.5 miles with Finn this morning through the North Valley neighborhood across Thompson and into the Potter Stone neighborhood.  Quite hilly with nearly 1000 ft of elevation gain.  Felt like too much of an effort during and after the run even though the pace was not really quick.  It was humid but not really as warm and close as it has been for a few days last week.   Take some solace in the fact that perceived effort is important to consider in the summer time - even if the pace doesn't necessarily reflect it.  Legs felt heavy as well.  But, in the scheme of things the discomfort in the Achilles and hamstring were not material or significant, though not non-existent; which is actually a positive over the last several months.   Looking forward to some autumn cooler temps in a few months...

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's house onto the trails of Summit and Brittle.  Had some GI issues overnight and felt "off" before the run this morning - but seemed to not be impactful to the run.   He leaves tomorrow for vacation in Maine for a week.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the trail.  Very warm and humid today - and the trail was a big overgrown particularly in the lower backwood area with lots of thorns, resulting in a fair number of scratches on my legs.  Decent run nevertheless considering how much stronger my achilles felt today.  

AM - 9.25 miles with Greg and Finn on the Forsyth Greenway.  Greg’s easy pace is usually closer to 8 min pace or faster.  It was extremely humid and warm this morning but we went out before 7 am so it was better than last week when we started and hour later and it was a struggle.   

AM - 3.25 miles very easy in the neighborhood with Finn before church.  

PM - 10 miles on the treadmill in the afternoon to avoid the heat outside and to keep my effort at a true long run heartrate.   Achilles pain returned yesterday afternoon after the morning long tempo-ish effort with Greg and some extended yard work.  Had to grind through some discomfort a few moments here and there - but I was watching the 15th stage of the Tour and watching as the riders experienced their own discomfort on the mountain stage and it seemed to elicit a misery loves company type of response which aided my run; which is not to say the run was miserable, just a few points in time where the tendon discomfort was more noticeable than others.    

Also, watching the Tour when it makes its way through the different climbs in the Alps reminds me of the cycling tour I did over 10 years ago in that region - and I love it when the days' stage may include a climb or a town that I rode in that region.  Today's stage was one of those Les Gets, Closes, Forclaz around Lake Annecy and Col des Aravis were featured.  Great memories. 

AM - 4.25 miles with Finn on the trail - took it easy following the 23 miles of running on the weekend - and did not run into the lower wooded section but instead opted for a coupole of loops around the pond.  Achilles was not terrible after the first uphill quarter mile at the start.  

AM - 6.25 miles with Finn on Brittle Summit and Wood roads by the horse farms.  A pleasant run but not too quick on the pace.  Legs felt a little flat for most of the morning, but very little pain in the Achilles - so I was pleased.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Finn in the neighborhood.  Quite warm and humid again today which is impacting my pace - but the effort is there and consistent.  

AM - 5 miles with Finn; ran to Nix and looped back through White Columns - the heavy air and warm temps are just energy-sapping the last few days.  The effort is there, not particularly enjoyable, and the pace is nearly pedestrian.  Having said that, I know from memory the climate in Florida where I lived much of my life, is considerably worse both in intensity and the length of time to endure it.   Here, we probably have a month or so of this kind of weather until things start to ease.   School resumes for students here in less than 2 weeks.  Summer is nearly over.  

AM - 4 miles in a thunderstorm with Finn on the Milton trail.   Probably should not have gone out, but the weather radar appeared to me to show that only the edge of the storm was near me and that most of the heavy stuff had already blown over; but the first mile or so, was let's say "not ideal" in terms of wind, rain and lightning.   But it got better as the run progressed until the end when another round was beginning to hit, and I cut it short to go home.  

AM - 12.25 miles total today.  Morning run of 4.25 miles with Finn on a very humid steamy day.  Had to get back to assist Tracy who was doing a party at our house for the ladies of the church and she needed help setting up.   

PM - 8 miles on the treadmill at the club during the party at my house which was a women-only event.   

AM - 9 miles early before church - ran Nix to Taylor Rd and the Batesville through Triple Crown.  I thought the route was 10 miles from memory but it was barely 9.  Quite hilly too.  Decent run but not quite as far as I had planned. 

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.  Felt sluggish today - good to run and talk with Dan after he returned from a week's vacation in Maine.  We cut through a gated area which is a normal route for us, but the grass and weeds were overgrown and obscured some barbed wire that was loose at the end of the fence line.  Finn got tangled with the leash on the barbed wire and I got some scratches on my arm and legs trying to extract ourselves.  No real harm done.  

AM - 5 miles on the trail with Dan and Finn. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's house along the dirt roads of Summit and Brittle past the horse farms.   Wore the Alphafly's and the run was much more enjoyable with less Achilles discomfort.  

AM - 5 miles through the neighborhood and a bit on the golf course with Dan and Finn.  Slow pace but good effort and conversation.  

AM - 5.5 miles with the guys and Finn from Redd.  Very warm this morning - effort was solid - but the pace was dismal.  Early start too due to an early morning meeing at the office.  

AM- 5.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail. 

AM - travelled to WV to visit Tracy's folks; got food poisoning or a 24 hour stomach bug overnight and was in rough shape in the morning - managed to get 1 mile in to preserve the run streak. 

AM - 6.25 miles on a run along the Ohio River from Moundsville WV up to Glendale.  Good number of deer with antlers out this morning - literally the width of the trail next to them - and they seem to know that they are in a no hunting area - because they have no inclination to run or to even bother stopping their grazing as I passed.   Slightly cooler temperatures than GA but still very humid.  Feeling much better today.