run, run, run

Houston, TX 8:00 pm

Pace: 8:31

I got bumped off of my flight yesterday so I spent the night in Salt Lake City. I got up at 4 am to catch a flight and then spent a very weird day at the Houston Chronicle. Since I didn't run this morning and with a hurricane on its way in, I really needed to get out there tonight.

It turned out to be a very nice run -- except for the hot and humid weather. The bank near the hotel said the temperature was 94 when I left. I took off down the Bayou and then took a loop around Rice University. It is a very nice campus.

I didn't look at my pace at all during the run. I just wanted to take off and try to push myself a bit but still have enough in the tank to make it in the heat. 

Houston, TX 7:00 am

Pace 8:24

I tried to get out this morning before Tropical Storm Eduard hit. It was rainy, but not much wind yet. It actually felt good to not be so hot.

I kept it at a comfortable pace most of the run. I didn't want to push it too much because the pavement was kind of slick. I did a couple of loops around the Astrodome. I thought it was a good idea to stay away from the waterway this morning. 

Houston, TX 7:45 pm

Pace: 8:46

Here's a tip. If you are training for a marathon, avoid spending August in Houston, Texas.

It was a very hot run. I went up along the Bayou and into some neighborhoods just west of Rice University. I have this rule (that I break a lot) of not running after dark in a neighborhood that I've never been in. Once I got out there though, I was less concerned with getting mugged as I was afraid of being picked up by the police for being rif-raf. Apparently I stumbled upon the headquarters of the intown Houston south side millionaire's club. It was a very nice neighborhood.

The heat and humidity were pretty bad. The thermometer on the bank read 85 when I finished around 9pm and my clothes could not have been wetter if I had jumped in a pool. 

Humble, TX 8:00 pm

Pace: 8:41

I'm staying in a hotel closer to the airport tonight. At work I mapped out a run that I thought would work, but the main road I chose was pretty busy and had no shoulder. So I did a few loops around the neighborhood behind the hotel.

It turned out to be a nice tree-lined neighborhood and apparently it's pretty safe because on one of the loops around I ran by three police cars lined up to tell a group of kids to take their dog home. The only bad thing (besides the weather) was a couple of houses. One smelled like a backed-up septic tank and the other smelled like a dead animal. And isn't it sad that I can tell the difference?

The run was pretty slow. Maybe I'm just a wus, but the heat and humidity down here are really wearing on me. It will be nice to go home for a few days. I'll take tomorrow off and then go out for a 20-miler on Saturday morning. Then back to the heat on Sunday. 

Boise, ID 6:00 am

Pace: 8:54

It was nice to get out of the heat and humidity of Texas, but putting in a 20-miler isn't exactly a break. I went up Cloverdale to McMillian to Maple Grove and down to the Greenbelt then turned around and went back when the iPod told me I was at mile 10. A good route. The only hill is at mile 16 and it really didn't bother me. The best part is that I am going East before sunup and as it gets later in the morning the sun is at my back.

It was an ok run, but I didn't really feel good about it. My legs felt good, but my insides were kind of churning. Last night I went to a party and ate a bunch of junk food.  I need this run to serve as a wake up call. With three weeks left before the Pocatello Marathon I have to stop eating so much garbage. I could stand to lose a few pounds, but that's probably not a practical goal while training for the marathon. What I need to do is just get the calories in but eat good food that makes me feel better.

So, there it is, I'm going back to Texas tomorrow and NO WHATABURGERS. I can do this.

One odd thing I saw along the greenbelt was a raccoon sitting there along the side of the trail. Staring at me. And I think he was pooing. You don't see that everyday -- at least I don't.