The Long Run

3.15 mi, 29:06, 9:14 avg, HR 145 bpm

Short run, just one loop and a little more in Westlake Village. I've been ignoring my heart rate for some time now while running the "fooling myself this is my easy pace" runs.  I wore it today  finally, end result was not good, reported VO2 max of 44.  Last I could remember it was about 50-52.

I looked back over history and saw a peak of 52 in March, a low of 49, and just a couple weeks ago on June 20 a value of 51

This morning was particularly a little hotter and humid. In fact, stepping outside felt like hitting a wall of discomfort.  I've gotten used to running on warmish and humid mornings but this was a notch above this morning.

5.18 mi, 57:09, 11:01 avg, HR 130 bpm

Decided to go back to basics today and run closer to where I should be for heart rate.  Stuck by it for the first three miles and got a little bit above for last two with mile 5 at 135 bpm (instead of 127 where I should try to be).

Out and back from my house to just past Lake Dan

VO2 max same as yesterday, 44

4.38 mi, 38:21, 8:45 avg, elev gain 192 feet, HR 138 bpm

Did three of the short loops (1.25 mi)  in Westlake Village, miles 2 and 3 were a little slower than mile 1 on purpose - wanted to get into a groove and then back off, and then finally mile 4 was about the same pace as the first mile.

VO2 max up 1 point to 45 (good to know not stuck at new low of 44)

3.25 mi, 27:49, 8:34 avg, elev gain 246 feet

One quick loop through Westlake Village, and then a little bit farther out and back into a second loop so I'd at least get over 3 miles.  Vo2 max up one more point to 46.  Slowly coming back up.

8.7 mi, 1:20:16, 9:13 avg, HR 144 bpm

One loop inside Foxwood (1.7 miles about), then down the new trail, past Lake Dan until reaching Keystone Rd.  This was much longer than yesterday and at an overall slower pace.  4th mile was the slowest where I went slow enough to keep my heart rate at 127, which turned out to be an 11:16 pace (after running the previous 3 miles around a 9:15 average pace).  After the slower mile went back to 9:15 pace, then a couple miles fater than 9:00 with final mile very close to 9:00 (9:02).

Vo2 max at 47 today

11.76 mi, 1:53:53, 9:41 avg, elev gain 182 feet, HR 152 bpm

Start time: 8:54 am

This was a very hot run.  Wanted a long run or at least a longish run but no set distance, just anything at least 10 miles.  For variety I started at Anderson Park.  For a warmup, I ran up the hill towards shelters 2 and 3 and back down to where I parked, then left the park going north on 19.  Ran to Keystone Rd and crossed over at Jasmine Road to the wide sidewalk which soon merged up with the East/West portion of the Pinellas Trail.  Not much shade here, and for a while no breeze.

Forecast called for some rain, so I was hoping for a light sprinkling, but it wasn't  happening.

Just past mile 4, I reached the (warm) water fountain at the corner of East Lake and Keystone, topped off on water and headed north to a little bit past Trinity Blvd.  Found a tree shaded parking lot to stop and cool down.  I had been running paces between 9:11 and 9:21, except for mile 4 which was 11:13 because I walked some of it while taking a phone call.  After the turnaround, I had three miles over 10 minute pace, before picking back up a little for the last two miles.  Reached my car and cooled down with the ice I had brought and some big gulps of the cold gatorade I had been dreaming about.  Then reapeated up and down the hill that I had warmed up with.

As I was leaving, some people getting into a car near me were giving me some strange looks, was wondering why.  As I started to pull out, one of the guys came toward my car.  I had left my hat on top of my car and it fell off.  Glad they told me, it was maybe my second favorite hat.