The Long Run

After dinner (we biked to a nearby restaurant), I took the boys and Sammy for a quick run, a little bit faster than the last 1 mile run because we were all warmed up from the bike ride.  Then we jumped into the pool and swam for a bit.  This was a nice way to end the day since it had pretty much been raining all day off and on.

Biked up to the Y this morning.  Stretched then got onto the treadmill for 4.1 miles at about an 8:30ish pace.   Then I headed outside for a few more miles, it was getting hot but it was going to be a quick run so not such a big deal.   Ran 3.3 miles at 7:48 average pace.

Went back inside, finished up with some weights, then biked home.

 Yesterday, my brother called me and was telling me about his trip to Clevelend - but the real point of the story was that someone there was telling him about the marathon and half marathon in Niagara falls in October.  He said he was thinking about doing it.  Then I said if he signed up for it then Jenny and I would, too.  So, he did sign up for it (the half marathon) and I signed up for the full marathon and Jenny for the half.   This will be his first half marathon - he's done a few 5k's over the past year or so.   It looks like a pretty interesting course.  The full starts in Buffalo, crosses into Canada and runs along the Niagara river, and ends in downtown Niagara Falls on the Canadian side.  It's pretty flat with the last 2 miles slightly downhill (nice).    The half covers the last 13.1 miles of the full marathon.

I can kill two birds with one stone - a marathon in a new state and one in another country.   This is also supposedly the only international marathon in the world.   I think they have the customs situation straightened out so we won't have to stop when crossing the border.
 

After a quick warm up on the bike, I started for my run, leaving from home.  It was warmish with pretty high humidity.  The run felt hard but not terrible (ok, maybe it wasn't hard but it certainly wasn't easy).   Pace was pretty even and I got the job done so I'll have to call this one a success.  I was drenched by the time I got home so I got into the pool for a bit which was nice and cool.

 Average pace: 8:14
 

Had to hurry a bit to get to work, another job interviewee to talk to.  Last one hopefully, glad I don't have to do that all the time. 

No running today.  But, I did bike to the Y, did upper body weights and then biked home.

Today's run was pretty nice.  It was a few degrees cooler this morning than the past few mornings.   So, although it was still humid felt much nicer out.  I wasn't sure how this run would go since last night was meet the CFO night who was in town visiting.  This meant a trip to WingHouse for free beer and chicken wings and other food not good for running.

But I managed to get up pretty early and got moving without too much delay.  I did my usual loop around the neighborhood on the bike followed by some stretching.  Then I put on my water belt and headed out the door, out the neighborhood to 54, and then up Starkey Blvd.   I started out slowly but it turned out to be slightly faster than my usual starting out slowly pace.   Just after the turnaround point a good song came on my ipod so I did a few strides then settled back into my pace.  I stopped and said hi to Karen who was out walking her dogs then I got going again.  This was probably good since otherwise I might have gone into an impromptu tempo run.  Picked up the last two miles with a good feeling final mile.

Average pace: 8:12

It was still reasonably nice out and since I wasn't too late in getting back, so Jenny went outside to do her run so she wouldn't have to drag the kids to the kid's gym at they Y while she did the  treadmill. 

Biked up to the Y this morning, did some stretching and core work then got onto the treadmill for 4.3 miles, averaging about an 8:25 pace. Finished up with some lower body weights and then biked home.

So, nothing too exciting. I'm getting used to the biking and am starting to enjoy it. This morning I rode by a group of Sandhill Cranes rooting around in someone yard and earlier this week I saw a small alligator drifting slowly in one of the ponds. I've been biking past the same turtle who not too long ago thought he was invincible but found out otherwise while trying to cross the road.

PM - 1.2 miles with Noah and Andy in 13:10

Met up with Randall this morning just after 6:30.  Weather was not bad at first but it slowly got warmer out as we ran.  I hadn't run with Randall for a while so it was good to catch up with him.  We ran from the 7-11 through Lansbrook to the lake park then out of Lansbrook and up to the high school.  By this time the heat and humidity were starting to wear on us.  Headed back down the bike path along East Lake back to where we parked.  We had thought about tacking on another 1 or 2 miles but decided that 10 would do for today.

Average pace: 8:40

 Met up with the rest of the group inside John Chestnut park and enjoyed the after run social hour.