High-Octane

Ran out and back on Old Lehmann. I don't run this often because the second mile has a very large hill and all of the first three miles are quit a bit uphill.

My weight is down to 155. 61 degrees, 89% humidity (very foggy), 58 dewpoint.

4 miles at 9:11 pace. 74 degrees, 90% humidity, foggy...summer is back!

Wanting to run a longer (12-15) miler but the weather is not cooperating! 75 degrees early in the morning with 90% humidity.

This run hurt...too HOT!

75 degrees, 85% humidity.

Ran a very hilly route in Gatesville while visiting my mom.

Just couldn't run another day in the heat so waited and rode my bike for the first time in a long time. 92 degrees, very windy.

18 miles @ 16 mph.

Despite the 71 degree temperature, I tried to run a faster 7 mile run.

Finally a cool front blew in, it was really windy though. I broke this run into four 3.5 mile sections trying to manage my effort. I ran my small loop twice so the hills skew the times somewhat. Don't think I'm in as good shape as I have been in the past but at least I know I can cover the 13.1 miles!

Trying to run a little faster.. The weather was good, 53 degrees.

Came to Gatesville to see my mom and do some business. Good weather again, 61 degrees.

16 mile run 8:02 pace overall ... Longest in quite a while. Hoping for much cooler weather but had to get it done. Last long run before the Half Marathon next Saturday. Not a spectacular run but good to be on my feet for this length of time. Now just a few shorter and hopefully faster runs this week.

Time for some faster stuff. Not usted to pushing this hard. My left calf said hello after the run. (not bad but could feel it) One more 4 mile run on Thursday and that's all before the race on Saturday. Time to do some calculations to see what this translates to for racing. The weather is going to be warm on race day. :-(

Last and Short run before the race on Saturday. Nice to get a couple of fast miles in but it hurt my lungs (not really my legs).

Tough race day for me. We missed good weather by 1 day. A cool front is blowing in this afternoon and will drop the temperature about 30 degrees. It was a hot and muggy 71 degrees/67 dewpoint and a 10-15 mph wind to start and 78 degrees/67 dewpoint and a strong 10-15 mph head wind at the end of the race. 

My original hope was to run a 1:34 but after mile 3 I knew that wasn't going to happen. I started back in the pace a ways as I always like to do and kept mile 1 fairly easy as planned and indicated by my HR. But into mile 2 I has already started to sweat profusely and pretty much know my 1:34 was going to be out of the question. Miles 3,4,5 all came in at exactly 7:36 with me trying just to keep a consistant pace. I was suprised they were all the same as this is not a flat course. At mile 6 I walked a little talking to another runner and assessing what my goal from this point on should be. I decided, at this point, that I had better really listen to my body and not do anything stupid and bonk. From my HR I knew I was running on the edge. Back to 7:35 for mile 7, 7:36 mile 8, 7:39 mile 9 and then the dreaded mile climb on mile 10 at 8:17. Again back to 7:36 on mile 11 and some more uphill on mile 12 and a 7:45. Last year I was increasing my pace nicely after 10 but I just couldn't do it this year. Mile 13 is mostly a gradual down hill and I hit that at 7:04 but was dissipointed I couldn't break into 6 at this point. Lots of runners were overheating, I could see that coming with many that I passed. I would talk to them for a bit and tell them they were doing great but as usual they would try to hang with me for a while and I would hear them begin to labor and I knew at that point they were going to bonk. (I talked to three of them after the race and confirmed my belief.)  I wish I could calculate the equlivant effort to a better weather condition because I really thought 1:33 - 1:34 was not out of the question. 

I ended up 10th overall, the best I've ever done in this race of about 1,000-1,200 but didn't feel like I did that great. 1st in my age division. I talked to the old guy that won 2nd in my age division and I think he though he had me beat but he didn't realise I has started in the middle of the pack and came and caught him! :-)

Hopefully this will be a springboard to good marathon training in the next few weeks but it really didn't build my confidence. This was my 3rd slowest Half Marathon.

Back at it after my race on Saturday. What a difference in the weather. Today was great at 49 degrees, 90% humidity, 47 dewpoint and 15 lbs.

My legs feel fine as if I hadn't run a race at all. I was going to run only 5 but felt so good I decided to go ahead and run 7. Since I was feeling so good I decided to run the last couple of miles at a littl faster pace. Soon I'll be throwing in some 6's...! :-) I like where my HR was on this run.

149 HR Average and only 4 seconds per mile different from my Half Marathon last Saturday .... WOW what a difference good weather makes. (55 Degrees, 30% Humidity, Dew Point 30)

This was basically an easy run for me except for the last 4 miles where I kicked it up to a consertively hard effort, even hitting a 6 on the last mile.

I'm not overly excited about training right now and have had to drag myself out lately but I guess I should set a goal marathon and get a little more serious about this.

YOU GUYS HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING ... !!!

No running today, just decided to bike. 30 miles @ 15 mph.

Nice running today at 48 degrees, 97% humidity, dew point 45, weight 155. Started out slow but after mile 5 I started to feel pretty good. (Mile 4 has a couple of large hills. Very low HR througout the run except for the last where I picked up the pace.

Wanted to run but couldn't this morning so I rode my bike 17 miles in 1 hour this afternoon. The speed is increasing!

I was a little tired from biking yesterday evening but the weather was great 63 degrees, 55% humidity, dew point 47 and my weight was 153 to start and 151 at the end. Nice to see a below 8 avg run with only 140 HR.

Wow...wow...wow...Today's run wS a bust! Planned a long run. St arted out not feeling good and it just got worse. Trid to run at about 8:30-8:45 pace and did so for 14 miles then the wheels fell off. I began to feel horrible light headed, feeling dehydrated, hungry and just plain miserable. I wasn't sure I was even going to make it back home the last 2 miles. I jogged, walked and rested several times. I can only remember one other time I felt this bad on a run.