Fly me to the moon...

Around the block with my youngest and then extended school loop.

School loop and around the block. Weather in the 40s.

School loop. I felt good and tried pushing the pace a little more.

Did my Walgreens-Wabash loop plus 0.4 with my youngest. I did 12x1 block strides in the middle to stretch the legs a little bit. It felt good and better than the last time I did this workout. My fitness is definitely improving with the consistency.

I ran my usual school loop but decided to pick up the pace a little bit and time my run to see how it felt and where my fitness is at. I started off pretty easy for the first half mile to warm up and then started to push the pace for the next 2.5 miles. I ended with a time of 21:30 (7:10/mile) for the 3 miles. It felt good and certainly sustainable for a longer distance. While running I guessed my pace was around 7:00/mile, and I think it was pretty close with the slower first half mile. I then ran another mile cooldown.

Half mile warmup with my youngest and then extended school loop. My legs felt tight and sluggish today. The new semester just started, and I hadn't gotten out for a run since Saturday. It felt good, and the weather was a little warmer.

Half mile warmup with my youngest and then housing school loop. Legs were still a little sluggish and sore to start but loosened up by the end. It was sprinkling the entire time but not too bad. I had a kid on a bike ride up on the other side of the street trying to race me near the end of my run, so I sped up and kept pace with him. I don't think he expected that so he sped too. He eventually gave up, or he got to his house. I'm going to claim the first choice.

I had some errands to do, so I decided to drive over to the Lincoln Prairie Grass trail and do a run while I was out. The plan was to do an out and back along the trail, but it was really cold and windy. The temp was in the 30s but it felt like 22 degrees. I was glad I wore my running tights for the first time because the wind was brutal. The wind was almost directly from the west, and I would be running out east and coming back with the wind directly in my face the entire time. I decided to do a loop around the sofball complex so that I would only be doing about 0.75 into the wind instead of the entire time once I turned around. The loop is 1.6 miles long, and I did it 3 times. The first time I turned into the wind it was so cold! My fingers were frozen by the time I got to the turnaround point. The next 2 loops weren't as bad because I had warmed up considerably by that point. My total was 4.8 miles for the 3 loops plus 0.1 to the trail and back to the car.

Extended school loop. It was sunny and warmer today. The legs didn't want to go, but it felt good to get out.

I ran 0.5 warmup with my youngest and then my Walgreens-Odd Fellows Loop. It was deceptively cold with a strong wind and sunny skies.

Housing school loop on a sunny afternoon. Then I ran 0.5 with my youngest.

I tried combining my housing school loop with the extended school loop I sometimes do for some extra miles and variety. It ended up being 4.9 miles. I then ran an extra 0.5 with my youngest. She fell down while running and after a few tears, she was ready to keep going. I though I might have to carry her the rest of the way. If it were my oldest at that age, I would almost certainly have carried her, and I would probably hear about it for the next week. Kids are so different and fun.
 

I ran my Walgreens-Wabash loop and then 0.3 with my youngest. Legs felt tired, and the body didn't want to go today.

We finally got some snow yesterday! It was around 4-5 inches, and it made today's run interesting. I did my Walgreens-Wabash loop again, but most of the sidewalks were covered with snow and ice. It reminded me of running at the Indiana Dunes State Park on weekends in college. We would go there on Saturday mornings as a team and run the trails and along the dunes. It was fun but hard work. Running in the snow is similar. It was a fun, refreshing run.

I did an extended school loop. It was a bit warmer today and very slick.

It was deceptively cold today with sunshine and a strong north wind. I did my housing school loop plus for 4.9 miles. My legs were a little tight, and my left knee was a little sore. They loosened up after a mile or so though. It was a good run to start the week.

Half mile warmup with my youngest and then Walgreens-Wabash loop. I tried doing the loop backwards, and I had to think about which way to go a couple times. I'm so used to doing it one way every time. It was a good run.

I did my housing school loop plus and a couple more blocks to make it 5 miles for the day. The wind was cold, but it was a good run overall. Feet were a little sore, but they loosened up after a couple miles.

I braved the cold weather and did 3 miles. It was 19 F with a wind chill that made it feel like 6 F. It was okay until I turned back north and mostly into the wind. It was a little cold that direction but not too bad with all the layers I had on. I usually like to run in shorts even in the winter, but when it is this cold I generally add a layer of pants.

I decided to do my Walgreens-Wabash loop because it is mostly east-west, and the north arctic wind was freezing. With the wind protection from houses most of the way, it wasn't too bad. Legs felt fine.

I have been doing some indoor exercises with the extreme cold recently. Today I shoveled snow around my car and helped others in the neighborhood dig out from the snowstorm.
 

It felt good to get out for a run. I felt a little like Rocky training in the snow with unshoveled sidewalks with 11.5 inches of snow on them though.

It was beautiful sunny day and nice to be able to run in shorts again. The temperature was in the 40s with a strong south wind, but it felt balmy after the subzero temperatures of last week. I ran my Walgreens-Wabash loop. It was a bit slushy with all of the melting snow.

Temperatures have been in the 50s the past couple of days, so most of the snow was gone. It was a great day for 5 miles on my Walgreens-Wabash loop. I did an extra 0.5 to make it an even 5 miles.

I did my housing school loop plus and then added a little extra to get to 5 miles. It was cloudy, but the temperature was in the mid-40s. I felt good, but my neck and back have been tight recently. Not sure why.

Around the block with my youngest and then housing school loop+. The legs felt great today. I still have some tightness in my neck and back.

It was a beautiful sunny day. I ran in shorts and a tshirt from start to finish for the first time in several months. I did my Walgreens-Wabash loop first with 8x1 block strides in the middle. I then ran a half mile cooldown with my youngest.

Easy school loop in the sun again today. It was a bit cooler so no tshirt but still nice. My left ankle was hurting a little off and on during the run. I really need new shoes. I also had some pain in my lower back, which is different than the stiffness I have been experiencing. I did go to the chiropractor for the first time today, and my upper back and kneck felt much better. My wife goes to the chiropractor every week and swears by it, but I had never been until today.

Another nice run and a nice day. I did my housing school loop plus and added a bit to get to 5. I tried running in some different shoes, and they felt pretty good. I had retired these particular shoes and hadn't worn them for running, but they are in as good of shape as the ones I currently use. My knees were hurting a little bit today. I'm pretty sure it was the shoes, which is why I retired them. I might try a longer run tomorrow.

I wanted to do a little longer run today, so I headed to the Lincoln Prairie Grass trail. They recently paved it all the way from my town to the next town over. It was a nice run. It was a slight headwind all the way back but not too bad. The legs felt fine. They are tired after the longest run I have done in quite awhile, but not bad. We'll see how they feel tomorrow. It was nice and sunny again.

I didn't feel good today. My legs felt sluggish and my stomach was hurting. I think it was a combination of the long run on Saturday, fasting yesterday, no real breakfast, and a lighter lunch about an hour before I ran. I usually run in the late afternoon, but decided to go a little earlier because I want to do some yardwork today. It is a beautiful, sunny day and probably the warmest day of the year yet.

It was cloudy and super windy today but warm. I did my school loop+. I was thinking about doing 5 miles, but my left knee was hurting. It loosened up a little by the end but was still sore. Otherwise, I felt much better than Monday.

My left knee was still bothering me today, and my right knee decided to join the fun. It loosened up a bit during the run but still sore. The pace felt pretty slow because of it, and I turned around early.

I thought a little extra rest would help my knees, but they were still hurting today. My legs were quite stiff starting out and just didn't want to go. I turned around early again and only managed about 2 miles. It was changing my stride some and making my left calf tighten up too. I'm a bit disappointed and not sure what the problem is.

I did some other exercises this week to give my knees some rest. The doctor thinks it is just some tendonitis. I did walk about 2 miles today. Hopefully I can get back to it next week.

After a week off, it felt good to get out and run. My knees felt better today. They were still a little sore but it wasn't changing my stride or slowing my pace, so that was encouraging. I will take it easy this week and see how they feel. I ran out to Walgreens and back plus a 0.5 mile warmup with my youngest.

Among other exercises, I walked/ran about 2 miles. In total, I probably ran about 1/3 of it. My knees felt okay, but were still sore. Interestingly, the right knee seemed more sore.
 

I did my elementary school loop plus a half mile with my youngest. We even convinced my oldest to go with us. My knees felt fine from start to finish. There was almost no wind, which was a welcome change from the past few days of wind and rain.

Half mile warmup with my youngest and then housing school loop. It was a great day, and I felt great.

Walgreens-Wabash loop and then 0.5 with my youngest. It was windy and cooler today. Legs felt fine.

Housing school loop plus 0.5 with my youngest. It was still windy and cool.

It was a beautiful sunny day. I ran my Walgreens-Wabash loop plus 0.5 with my little runner.

It was a warm day with a nice breeze. Legs felt fine, but I think I was a bit dehydrated by the end. I ran my elementary school loop+ a little more to make it 5. I then did 0.3 with my youngest.

I am definitely not used to the hot weather yet. It was sunny, breezy, and humid today. I decided to run the Lincoln Prairie Grass trail for a little bit, and it was nice. That part was 4.3 miles, and then 0.5 with Izzie.

I ran my housing-school loop+ after a 0.5 warmup with Izzie. It was hot again today after a cool, rainy day yesterday.

It was another nice day with a little cooler temps than last week. We had a cold front and rain over the weekend, so I didn't get my garden started. I felt great today during the run. I even decided to do a couple faster surges. The first one was for 0.4 miles and the second was 0.5 miles. I'm guessing they were around 6:00/mile pace. They felt good. I think I could sustain them for longer, but I'm not used to that pace. I seemed to lose focus and slow down some near the end. I need to find my watch, so I can see my pace.

It felt great to get out for a run today. I decided to run on the Prairie Grass Trail out to the power relay station. I missed my turn in town and went an extra half mile, but it was fine. Legs felt fine and pretty smooth today.
 

I did a quick elementary school loop in the afternoon. My legs started out tight and a little sore, but they loosened up.

It was a calm day, but nice. I did my housing school loop plus. My left knee was a little sore, but it wasn't affecting my stride.

Half mile warmup with Izzie and then my Walgreens-Wabash loop. It was windy but sunny and nice today. My left knee was a little sore, but not too bad. I had my health check for work today, and all my numbers looked good.

It was brisk today, but better than the freezing temperatures and snow yesterday. I ran my housing-school loop plus a little more to make 4 miles and then 0.5 mile cooldown with my youngest. My time for the 4 miles was 30:52 (7:43/mile). My left knee was a little sore.

I got my second dose of the vaccine yesterday and have felt tired, achy, and feverish on and off today. It started last night. My arm is super sore too, but that is the same as the first dose. I decided to walk 3 miles. It took me 45:34 (15:11/mile).

Started with 0.5 warmup with my youngest. Then I ran along the Lincoln Prairie Grass trail to the interstate and back. It was a nice run. I felt really good and no lingering effects from the vaccine except a sore arm. When I ran past the softball complex, there was a tournament going on. It was nice to see that since this town is crazy about their softball. It gives me hope that things are getting back to some sort of normal. Smelling the popcorn and hotdogs from the concession stand mixed with cigarette smoke from the stands brought me back to my childhood. This is the longest I have run in awhile. I'm hoping my knees feel okay on Monday.

Started with 0.5 warmup with my 2 youngest, and then ran my housing school loop plus a little extra to make it 4. It was a good run, and my knees felt fine. The wind was super strong from the south, which is pretty rare. It was blowing all of the petals from the crabapple blossoms into my fish pond. I have had lots of fun trying to clean all of that out.

Walgreens-Wabash loop in the early afternoon. It was cloudy but there was a break in the rain, so I got out a little earlier than usual. The temperature was in the 60s, but the humidity was really high. I felt like it was raining after a few miles.

It was an absolutely beautiful day and a great day for a run. I did my Elementary School Loop+LLBlvd route for 5 miles, and I added a little bit at the end. During my run I remembered there was a family moving out today that needed some help. I decided to run past and see if they still needed anything, but they were apparently all done. My legs felt fine.

I did some work around the house today and didn't get out for a run until just before the sun went down. It was another nice day, and my legs felt fine. I decided to push the pace a little bit so I could get done before it got too dark. I'm guessing the pace was around 6:45/mile, but my perception of pace isn't as good as it used to be. It was certainly faster than my usual pace but sustainable. I still haven't found my watch.

Walgreens-Wabash loop in about 33:26 (7:26/mile). It was mostly cloudy and humid, but I felt pretty good.

It was an eventful run today. It was a beautiful day, and my legs felt fine. I was about a half mile from home when I ran past this house and out ran two dogs. Dogs don't really bother me, and I either outrun them or stop and wait for the owner to call them back. I didn't get the chance to do either this time. It all happened really fast, but a big black dog ran right up and took out my legs. I went flying literally head over heels and smashed my face and arms into the pavement. I have had dogs jump up on me and certainly chase me, but I have never had one run under my legs and knock me down. I have a big laceration over my eye that needed a couple stitches and road rash on my arms. I think my glasses smashed into my upper eye and cut it. I also have a couple nasty scrapes on my left hand. My right knee and ankle are a little sore where I think my other leg hit it. The owner of the dogs was really nice and got me some paper towels to clean the dripping blood off my face. He offered to have me come inside and get cleaned up more, but I was able to walk back home and get cleaned up instead. I will probably take a few days off to heal before going out for another run, which is a bummer since I was just starting to get in a good rythm and my legs were feeling good.

It was nice to get out and run after a week off. I was still a little sore from my leg tackle flipping encounter with the dog last Wednesday, but it loosened up and felt okay. Specifically, my right knee was a little sore and my lower back. I did my Walgreens-Wabash loop with a 0.3 mile cooldown with Izzie. It was a beautiful sunny day with low humidity and temps in the 60s. It was perfect for a run.

It was another beautiful sunny day. I decided to run along the Lincoln Prairie Grass trail out to the interstate overpass and back. I noticed someone had painted 0.25 mile marks for a mile on the way out and decided I would use them a little on the way back. I did some 400s at a little faster pace using the marks on the trail as well as the marks on the electrical wire poles. The trail has electrical poles running the entire distance with 0.1 mile marks on the poles. I did the 400 followed by a 400 recovery 3 times in a row. I'm guessing the pace was between 6-6:30/mile. I still need to find my watch. It felt good, but I feel like the week off made me lose more fitness than I expected. They seemed harder than they should have at that pace and didn't feel all that sustainable. I do need more base before doing any kind of real interval workout, but it is nice to stretch the legs from time to time.

It rained super hard last night, and it is supposed to rain most of the afternoon. After I finished entering my final grades for the semester, I decided to get out for a run before the rain started again. I did 0.5 mile warmup with Izzie and then my Housing School Loop+. I added a little at the end to make it 5 for my solo run. It was super humid, and I was extra tired from not much sleep last night, but it was a good run. I'm going to try to run every day this week and see how my legs handle it. I will go lighter on Tuesday and Thursday rather than doing other exercises those days.

Another humid cloudy day, but I felt pretty good. I only did my short Walgreens loop.

I ran my Prairie Grass Trail run to the power station and then ran down to 17th and back for a little extra. The humidity is killing me! The next few days are supposed to be super humid with highs in the 80s. It is too early in the year for this weather. I did 0.5 cool down with my youngest. My legs felt fine.

I just did a quick 3 on my elementary school loop. Legs felt fine.

It was a nice run in the early evening along my Walgreens-Wabash loop. I felt good. I even ran into my wife and youngest daughter visiting some friends. I knew they were going to visit some friends and to drop off a gift, but I didn't know where.

I decided to run in the morning before it got too hot, but it was still pretty hot. The last few days have been too hot for my liking. I didn't really feel good during the run. I don't know how anybody can run in the morning. I don't think I ever had a PR when I ran in the morning. My best 8K in college was on a rare afternoon meet.

I did my Lincoln Praire Trail run #2, and the first half was okay. When I was almost to the turnaround at about 3.1 miles, my left calf starting tightening up. I stopped and stretched it a few times, but it was slowing my pace. I just felt tired as well. Morning running is just not my thing. I've found that I can do it if I wake up well before a race and do some jogging. Then I eat a good meal and hydrate. That seems to wake me up enough and give me energy to run, but otherwise I don't generally do well.

Hopefully my calf feels better on Monday, but I was able to run every day this week. I will try to maintain it for next week.

I was a little worried that my legs would be hurting today after running every day last week, but they felt okay. My left knee felt a little sore in the middle of the run, and I could feel it a little in my calf and ankle, but it loosened up and felt okay. I ran my Elementary school loop+ for an easy 4 miles.

I mostly ran my Walgreens-Wabash loop without going into the housing addition. My legs felt fine.

I did my housing school loop and a little more to make it 4. Then the kids wanted to do a bike ride, so I ran along with them. I think we did about a half mile. Then I walked another half mile with my youngest. My legs felt fine.

I ran my Walgreens-Wabash loop on a cold, windy day. The high was in the 50s after highs in the 80s a few days ago. I was a little cool at the start, but I warmed up pretty well. I walked a little bit with my youngest afterwards and got a little cold though.

I did my elementary school loop. It was a really beautiful day. I almost didn't run because I hurt my knee working in the yard. I elbowed myself on the side of my knee. It was really painful. It felt a little sore to start but loosened up okay. It was pretty tight and sore afterwards though. Hopefully it will feel better by Monday.

I also ran and walked some with my youngest. I thought we were going to run the whole time, but she decided she was too tired and that her knee was hurting. We walked, picked up leaves, identified the leaves, and looked at all the wildlife.

I was worried about this run because I woke up and my knee was still a little sore. It felt better as the day went on, and I decided to run. It felt fine. I did my Elementary school loop plus, but I changed it a little. I added a little bit at the end near the car lot instead of running through the residential area where I met the crazy dog a few weeks ago. I don't fancy another encounter with that dog.

I did my Walgreens-Wabash loop on a cloudy afternoon. I decided to do some strides in the middle. I did 8x1 block with 1 block recovery. They felt good and much better than the last time I tried it. It felt much more sustainable.

Next week I start summer school. I wasn't sure if I would teach it this year, but I think it will be good to get back on campus. I need to find the other guy in my building and see if he wants to run together.

I tried running on the trail today, but I met a guy with his dog off leash. I turned around before I got to them and didn't run as far as I wanted on the trail. I headed back towards town, and then ran down 6th street past the school and finished up my elementary school loop for about 5.7 total. Total time was about 43:10 (7:34/mile).

I did some other exercises today and didn't get out for a run.

I decided to run in the late morning. I actually felt pretty good. It was pretty hot already though. I did my housing school loop plus for 5 and then a half mile with my youngest.

Nice sunny day for a mid-morning run. I wanted to get out before it got to hot. It is supposed to be near 90 F today. I felt pretty good. My left knee was acting up, but it loosened up near the middle.

My legs felt pretty fresh today after 2 days off. I wasn't planning on 2 days off, but I was awake most of the night yesterday trying to get Harry Batdini out of the house. We have had bats in our house before, but this one was particularly elusive and smart. I didn't want to run with only 2 hours of sleep.

The run today was good. It was a little cooler today than recently but still incredibly humid with dew point temperatures in the lower 70s. The legs felt fine.

Today was an interesting run. I started off on my Walgreens-Wabash loop and noticed some dark storm clouds to the east. Storms generally go from west to east following the prevailing winds in the mid-latitudes, so I figured I would be okay. It was actually moving west, and I got stuck in a downpour. I cut my route short, but I still got completely wet. After a short 15-20 minute break standing outside under the porch and wringing the water out of my clothes, I ran my elementary school loop for a total of 6.2 for the day.

It was a super hot and humid early evening run on my elementary shool loop plus.
 

Another scorcher today. I ran in the morning before it got too hot. It was supposed to be in the 90s later in the day. I ran 0.3 with my 2 youngest. Izzie fell near the end on some uneven sidewalk, so we walked about a block home. I then did my Walgreens-Wabash loop plus some more at the end to make it 5 total.
 

It was stormy off and on most of the day. It looked like it was going to be clear for a run when I looked out the back. I got dressed and headed out, but when I went around to the front of the house, a storm was coming. I almost went anyway, but I'm glad I didn't. It turned out to be a pretty nasty storm. I didn't get the chance to go later because the sun was already setting.

It was a little cooler, less humid, and more wind today. It was a welcome change. I did my extended elementary school loop for a total of 5. My right ankle and leg were bothering me a little bit today.

Walgreens-Wabash loop with 8x1 block strides in the middle.

It was another hot, humid day. My right knee and ankle were hurting a little bit today. I ran my housing school loop plus.

Still hot and humid. My left knee and foot were bothering me again. I think the knee may be related to hitting it a couple weeks back. I'm not sure what is wrong with my foot. It is sore around the ankle a little bit but mostly across the top of my foot. I also felt tired today and most of the week. My legs just didn't want to go. I ran along the trail to the power station and back.

Heat index was dangerously high today, and I didn't get out early enough. I wasn't really too motivated to run either. I did some other exercises inside in the afternoon.

I felt much better today in terms of energy. My knee and foot also felt fine. I could tell that they weren't perfect, but it wasn't hurting the entire run like last time. I ran my housing-school loop plus for 5 miles. I'm thinking of doing a local race in July. I'll see how my training is going in the next week or so.

I felt great today. The weather was much cooler, and my legs felt fine. I was busy with getting dinner ready and birthday festivities for my oldest and didn't get out for a run until right around sunset. I am glad it is close to the solstice so I had some light. I haven't run after dark in quite awhile, and it was fun. The cooler temps and nice breeze were refreshing too.
 

I also got to try out my Father's Day gift, a Wyze band. It is a fitness band like a Fitbit. I tried the workout mode which is supposed to track your miles, calories, and time. The mileage was off by almost a mile, but I was able to time my run (34:21 or about 7:38/mile). I thought maybe it was a faster pace than that. It may have been a little slower because I ran about 30 minutes after dinner.

It was another nice day. I ran along the trail to the overpass and back. My legs felt pretty good, but they were getting a little tired near the end. Time was 47:07 (7:36/mile).

It was a little warmer today but not bad. I ran my housing school loop plus. I felt fine. Time was 38:07 (7:37/mile).

I ran in the early evening and the temperature was cool, but it was super humid. It rained off and on all day. I did my Walgreens-Wabash short loop in 24:50 (7:46/mile). I also did some exercises (push-ups, situps, lunges, squats, etc.) when I got home.

It was a little warmer but still really humid with rain in the forecast for today and tomorrow. I did my Housing school loop in 29:23 (7:21/mile). I picked up the pace a little on the last mile to see how it felt. It felt pretty good.

I didn't get a chance to get out earlier in the day, and then we got a bunch of thunderstorms with tornado watches thrown in. I should be fresh by Monday.

I wasn't sure if the rain was going to stay away long enough for a run, but it did. We got about 6 inches of rain over the past 3 days, which caused some significant flooding last night. I could see evidence of the high water on roads, around bridges, and in people's yards where debris or mud was evident. The ground was saturated from previous days, and then last night we got a downpour with about 2 inches in a couple hours. There was nowhere for the water to go, so it flooded a lot. We even got some in our basement where we have never had it before.

The run was good. My legs felt really fresh after 2 days off. It was really humid though, and even though the temperature was in the 70s, I felt like I ran in the rain.

There was a big thunderstorm blowing in just about the time I went out to run. It hadn't hit yet, but I didn't have time for a longer route. I just ran around the neighborhood making sure I was near home in case it hit. I was able to get about 1.8 miles in before it started raining. I then did some extra exercises at home. It was an ab day plus I added some extra leg work and pushups.

I decided to run in the mid-afternoon to get ahead of the predicted thunderstorms for the day. It was cloudy but very humid. The temperature was in the low 80s, but it really affected me. I was planning to do a mile tempo run in the middle, but I met a guy with two dogs on the trail at about the mile marker where I was planning to turn around. He was running with his two dogs off leash, and if I had turned around, I would have had two dogs chasing me in the middle of my tempo run. Either that or I would have stopped and messed up my time, so I decided to just keep going. I got to the interstate turn around point and was feeling pretty good. It was hot, and there was not much wind. About halfway back to town, I started slowing down and feeling really hot. It was probably good that I didn't attempt the tempo run because I felt bad enough that I walked about the last 0.6 miles to home. My watch showed a time of 41:28 after accounting for stopping at stoplights to cross the road. That was for 5.6 miles (7:24/mile). I'm not sure I believe that time though. It didn't feel that fast.

It was much cooler today. The humidity was down and there was a nice breeze. I did my housing-school loop in 29:25 (7:21/mile). Then I did a half mile cool down with my youngest. It had been a while since she ran with me, but she did great. My legs and especially my right hip were bothering me during my run. I had been running in an older pair of shoes that was actually in better shape, but I tried the newer ones. I think they were hurting my legs more.

It was another nice day and another early evening run. I did my Walgreens-Wabash loop in 33:08 (7:22/mile). I felt great, and my legs felt fine.

A quick 4 in the late evening while the Sun was setting. Total time was 30:45 (7:41/mile).

I decided to get out early in the morning before the 90 degree weather hit. I did my elementary school loop plus in 30:23 (7:36/mile). I felt fine. The legs were a little tight to start, but they loosened up okay.

I did a half mile warmup with my youngest in 6:31. Then I ran my housing school loop plus in 36:45 (7:21/mile). It was hot and humid, but my legs felt pretty good. I passed a guy running in the housing addition, and he said, "Man, you're making me look bad." I didn't think that at all. It is rare to ever see anybody out running at all around here.

Just after I started running I remembered I wanted to get a drink before I headed out. I ran my Walgreens short loop and then returned home for a drink. I ran that part (2.5 miles) in 19:40 (7:52/mile). I then ran a couple more miles in 15:40 (7:50/mile). I'm not sure why the times were a little slower. I had been working outside in the yard for a bit and got out for a run in the late evening. It was humid but a little cooler.

I got out in the late evening again. It was cooler with a nice breeze. I did my Walgreens-Wabash loop with a little tempo run in the middle. I wanted to try a little tempo run in the middle, so I ran out to the housing addition on this run and ran the loop around it. It gave me a nice smooth route with no traffic to contend with. I was figuring about 3/4 mile, but it was a little less. I ran it in 4:27 for a 6:11 pace per mile. It felt pretty good and sustainable. I was guessing it was around 6 minute pace, so I was a little off on my estimate. My total time for the 4.5 was 32:47 (7:17/mile).

It was cooler today, and it felt nice. I got out in the early evening again and decided to run along the trail. I did my power station run with a little extra for about 5 miles in 36:59 (7:24/mile). The legs felt pretty good today.

I did a quick three around the school. I got out a little later because I was working on dinner and didn't have time for a longer run. It was cool and humid from the rain and felt like running in Vancouver when I lived there. It was a nice run.

It has been rainy the past few days and apparently will be rainy the rest of the week, but I was able to get out between storms. I did my Walgreens-Wabash loop in 32:25 (7:12/mile). I got some new shoes and was able to try those out today. They felt great.

It has been more humid and hot. I wanted to try running in my old shoes to see how it felt. It has definitely been contributing to some of the little aches and pains in my legs. I did my housing school loop plus for 5 miles in 37:05 (7:25/mile). I then ran 0.5 with my youngest in 6:47.

I did a repeat of my workout from last Thursday with the 0.72 mile loop in the housing addition as a tempo run. I had my new shoes on, and it felt really smooth. I felt a little more tired than the previous week, but my time was 4:16 for a 5:56/mile pace. It didn't feel quite as sustainable as last week, but it feels like some progress. It was hotter today, and I had just mowed the neighbor's yard and my yard before my run. By the time I finished the 4.5 miles, I was pretty tired. Total time was 31:52 (7:05/mile).

I got out for a quick three in between thunderstorms. I didn't bother with the watch. It felt good, but the top of my right foot and the arch on my left foot have been sore the last few days.

Once again, I got out between storms. I ran in the early afternoon. It has been cooler the last few days with the clouds but super humid. I haven't been rained on, but it feels like I have with the humidity. I was planning on going 5, but I was tired. My legs just didn't want to go. Total time was 29:41 for 7:25/mile. It didn't feel like that fast. I felt like I was dragging along by the middle and all the way to the end.

It was another late afternoon/early evening run. The humidity was still super high. I decided to run a loop, get a drink, and then run another loop. I did the 3 mile elementary school loop in 22:21 or 7:27/mile. I was going to just do another 2.5 but ended up going farther. I ran my 3.6 mile Odd Fellows-Walgreens loop in 25:31 (7:05/mile). I really liked getting a drink in the middle of the run. I pushed the pace during the last half of the second loop to try to beat 26 minutes. Both runs felt good. I wore my new shoes for the first loop, but I think they are making my left foot hurt. Not sure why. I switched shoes for the second loop.

There was a race in town today that I seriously thought about running. After looking at the times for the 5K, I really wish I had run it. I think I could have won it even at my fitness level. The winning time was only 18:46. The 10K was a bit more competitive though.

It was a nice evening for a run. I ran along the trail to the power station and then added a bit at the end for my extended version of the power station run. Total time was around 36:59 (7:24/mile) for the 5 miles. I picked up the pace a little bit in the middle trying to keep up with an older guy (~80 years old) on a bike. I was keeping up just fine, but I didn't want to get too close and make him think I was chasing him. It turns out I met him along the trail right at my turn around point. I don't think he ever noticed me following him, but I didn't want to scare him.

My left ankle and foot were still a little sore. They were sore all weekend long too. It loosened up pretty well by the end.

I did a quick loop around the school to see how my ankle was feeling. It hurt and was pretty slow going. I'm not sure what is wrong, but I plan to take it easy the next few days. I came back and did some exercises at home.

I did a half mile with all 3 kids in 7:13. Then I did another half mile with my oldest in 5:13. I finished with 2.3 in 18:23 by myself. My left foot was still hurting some.

I walked about 1.5 miles with some jogging mixed in. My left foot is still bothering me.

Walgreens short loop in 18:33 (7:25/mile). Left ankle and arch were still hurting.

Three miles on elementary school loop in 22:31 (7:30/mile). Left arch was still sore and right knee was also hurting a little, but it loosened up by the end.

I had a hard time getting out every day this week, so all my runs were when the Sun was going down. This one was the latest of all. I got out late for various reasons, but it was discouraging to have built up to some decent mileage only to have my legs hurting. My ankle/arch felt much better today. My right knee was hurting more, but it did loosen up nicely. Time was 19:31 (7:50/mile) for 2.5 miles.

It has been much cooler and low humidity the past few days after some super miserably hot weather. My legs felt great today. No pain in the left foot or the right knee. Total time for 3.2 miles was 24:44 (7:44/mile).

Elementary school loop in 22:24 (7:28/mile). My legs felt good until about the last half mile when I felt a sharp pain in my left ankle and leg. It felt like the same thing I have been struggling with. I though I was good after running most of the time without any pain.

A repeat of Monday on the Walgreens-Wabash short loop. My legs felt great. No problems with my ankle. My time was 24:03 (7:31/mile).

I got out for an early afternoon run after the rain in the morning. It was still cloudy and cool. I ran my elementary school loop in 21:59 (7:20/mile). My legs felt good today, and I was surprised at the time when I finished. I didn't feel like I was going any faster than last time.

I decided to do a rare morning run before it got ridiculously hot and into the heat advisory for today. It was still super humid. My legs felt good on my Walgreens-Wabash short loop in 24:23 (7:37/mile). I ran about a block with my youngest and then walked a few more blocks for about 0.75 total with her.
 

I ran 0.3 with my girls. Then I ran another 0.7 with my oldest. I ran 1.6 miles on my own in 12:40 after that. It was an evening run just as the sun went down because that was the first chance we got to do it. It was still super hot and humid, but my legs felt fine.

School loop in the evening. I felt fine.

About three miles total. I ran some with my oldest in the afternoon first. Then I ran a little with my youngest with some walking, and I finished with a little extra by myself. The kids started school yesterday, so I got some extra walking in taking them to school and picking them up.

I ran 1.2 with my oldest in 15:24. We did some walking as well in the middle. She is trying cross country this year, but the school hasn't received her physical yet. I have been doing some running with her to try to get her into shape. This is the first sport she has ever done with the exception of dance classes when she was younger. I hope she enjoys it.

I ran my Walgreens short loop in 18:40 (7:28/mile) a little later. I had to mow the neighbors lawn first. With that plus the walking to take the kids to school and pick them up, my Wyze band registered 21,683 steps for the day. It claims it was 11.79 miles. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it was a lot nonetheless.

I ran around the park with my daughter, and then did some plyometrics with her. We were trying to replicate what her CC team did in practice. She couldn't run with them yet, but she watched.

After the workout with her, I ran my 3 mile school loop in 21:48 (7:16/mile). My legs have felt fine, but my neck and shoulders have been tight.

I decided to try something different today. While my oldest was at her YW meeting, I drove out to Loxa and started along the trail. A few months back, she had an activity where they walked along the trail in that section. I thought it looked good for a run. I had a half hour before I needed to head back to pick her up, so I decided to run out 15 minutes and then turn around. It was a nice section of the trail with the Sun setting. I ran past a golf course I never knew was there.
 

I wasn't sure how I would figure out my distance, but there was a road that crossed the trail at about the 15 minute mark. I figured my pace was about 7:30/mile making the road about 2 miles out. I picked up the pace on the way back and hit 29:08 (7:17/mile) for the 4 miles. I mapped the route after my run and it was 2 miles out to the road. I ran 15:06 on the way out and 14:02 on the way back. I felt like I was going faster than 7:01/mile on the way back. It was a slight uphill on the way back, and my mileage has been lower recently with my foot hurting, but it felt harder than it should have at that pace.

I didn't do any running, but I walked 4 miles total in dropping off our car and picking it up from the mechanic. I also did lots of walking taking kids to and from school as usual.

I did a little warmup with my oldest. Then we did some strides and a little cooldown. It was about 1.5 miles total. I then ran another 3.2 miles in 24:11 (7:33/mile). I felt fine.

Nothing for today. My oldest had a fever and chills. We hope it isn't Covid. She has a test tomorrow. She is vaccinated but the younger kids aren't.

Another big zero for today. It was my first day back to classes. No word on my oldest, but she is feeling better. We kept the other 2 kids home from school today because of possible covid exposure. My poor daughter is stuck in her room by herself with the door closed for the past couple days. She only comes out to use the bathroom and go outside for fresh air. I wish we had her results back.

I am trying to catch up on entering my workouts. It is September 1st when I am trying to do this, and this week was a long one with pretty sporadic workouts. I think I did my elementary school loop in 23:08 (7:43/mile).

Short Walgreens-wabash run in 25:02.

I ran some with my kids at the park. We did some plyos and running relays. They liked that. Then we played with the frisbee for awhile. After that, I went for a run down to the elementary school and back. I ran a little over 10 minutes on the way out and 8:40 on the way back. I tried to push the pace a little bit and was under 7 minute pace (~6:56/mile). It felt good, and it is slightly uphill on the way back.

This was a nice run and the longest I have run in awhile. It felt good. Time was 30:40 (7:40/mile).
 

I ran my Walgreens-Wabash loop in 32:45 (7:17/mile).

I ran 1.6 with my oldest in 18:50. She is getting in better shape now. Hopefully her first cross country meet will go well next week. I then ran 2.5 by myself in 19:04.

Ran some warmup with my oldest and then did some strides to work on her form. Did a cooldown for about a mile total. Then I ran on my own around the school and did 3 more miles in 21:43 (7:14/mile).
 

I ran the Oklahoma avenue out and back (1.6 miles) with my daughter in 17:15 and then ran more on my own. She ran it faster than the previous time and continues to improve. I ran my Walgreens 2.5 mile short loop in 18:17.

I ran 2 with my oldest. She has her first cross country meet coming up this Saturday and had never run 2 miles straight, so we did that to give her an idea of the distance. She ran it in 20:34. I then ran my elementary school loop in 22:04 (7:21/mile).

I did my Walgreens-Wabash short loop in 23:35 (7:22/mile). It was a really nice day. I then mowed the neighbors lawn.

It was late, but I wanted to get out for a run. I did an out and back to the school. The out was a 1.25 warmup in 9:44. I decided to do a tempo run on the way back to test my fitness a bit. I entered a race on the 22nd, and my goal is to go under 19 for the 3 miles. I think it is doable, but I don't know. My total time was 17:36 (7:02/mile) so I went 7:52 on the way back. That is a 6:18/mile pace. It felt fairly sustainable. I haven't had as much mileage recently so I will see how it goes in the race.

It had been awhile since I ran my housing school loop, so I did that today. It felt good. Total time was around 28:30.

A quick 3.2 on my Walgreens-Wabash short loop. It has been really nice the past few days after temps in the 90s. The idea of cities and towns being heat islands was evident today. As I neared the edge of town where there is a big open soybean field, it was noticeably cooler. When I turned left into the subdivision, I could feel the heat again. I also met some dogs at the end of my run and didn't get a final time.

I ran my Lincoln-Prairie grass power station route plus I added another mile in the middle. It was a run as the sun was going down again. I felt pretty good.

I think it was 3, but my Wyze band is not cooperating right now.

I did my Wabash Walgreens short loop. I haven't had a side stitch or side ache in quite awhile, but I got one today. It started down low on my left side under my ribs and switched to my right side under my ribs. Not sure what that means.

It was about 2.25 miles total. I did a warmup some stretches and plyos, and then did 4 strides. I am running a 3 mile road race in town tomorrow. I haven't raced in quite awhile. I think the last time was a 1600, 800, and 200 on the track in May 2019. My oldest did a track camp that summer, and they had a track meet on the last day that families could participate in. I think my 1600 time was around 6:30 off of about a week and a half of training with no running for months before that. That hurt, and I was sore for awhile after that. I was most sore after doing the 200 that I jumped in at the last minute. I was trying to get my daughter to do some running event, but she chickened out. I hope to go under 19 tomorrow, and I think it is doable. I haven't had as much mileage as I would have liked, but I have been fairly consistent for several months. Not sure if there will be any competition. It should be fun either way and whatever time I get.

This was a fun race. It was well organized and well marked. It was the first race I had done in quite awhile, and I think it was a good one to get back into racing a little bit.

My family dropped me off near the start line a little over an hour before the race start. Before my race, they had an invitational for Mattoon high school cross country, so there were several teams warming up. I got checked in, got my number pinned on, and walked around a bit. I did about a mile warmup, did some stretching, and used the restroom. The high school races started a little after that. They were doing the same course as us, which was apparently a course they used for the invitational for several years in the past. It had moved to a grass course at Lake Land College, but they moved it back here a couple years ago when they brought back the homecoming parade in 2019. It is part of the homecoming festivities, and the parade started about 15 minutes after my race started.

I made my way to the start line and started sizing up the competition. There were a few younger guys that looked like they could be trouble and some that looked about my age. I did some strides and more stretching and got ready to go. The starter was Craig Vergin, a 3-time Olympian in the 10,000 meter and 2-time World cross country champion, so that was really cool. The race started and there were about 4 guys who separated from the pack pretty quickly. After about a half mile, there was a guy in front of me and another behind me, and that is basically how it stayed the rest of the race. I think the guy behind me is a teacher at the high school because of some comments people said and the abundance of cheering he received. I wanted to stay under control for the first mile and not get out too hard and hit the first mile in 5:53. The guy in front of me had started to build about a 10 meter lead on me. It was a bit windy, and I knew I needed to maintain contact with him and try to get on his shoulder, but I couldn't muster a surge to get up to him. The second mile is always the hardest for me, and I knew I needed to focus to keep my pace, but I dropped off quite a bit hitting the second mile at 12:24 (6:31). The guy in first had increased his lead a little bit but was still within striking distance. I started to pick it up to try and catch him. I got about 5 meters from him before he looked back and saw me with about a half mile to go. By the end he had built the lead back up to 10 meters. I probably could have pushed a little harder and made it interesting at the end, but I just didn't feel like pushing myself. I don't have the same competitive drive I once did. I was well ahead of the 3rd place guy and didn't feel like killing myself. I finished in 18:04 (5:40), which was a pretty good last mile at the end of the race.

My goal was to go under 19 minutes, and I almost got under 18 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised with the result given my low mileage the past few weeks. I really didn't know where my fitness would be for a 3 mile race. I had done some tempo runs at 6 minute pace but never for anything that long. I ran about a mile cooldown before the awards ceremony. They did awards for the high school races first. The winner for the boys was in the 14:50s, and the girls was in the 17:50s. I didn't get anything for second, but I got a medal for first in my age group and got to shake Craig's hand. After the awards, I ran back to the start to get my stuff and then back to the car to meet my family for about another 1.5 miles.

I ran about 2 miles back and forth cheering on my daughter and her team at the conference CC meet in Charleston. It was a nice flat course, but my daughter didn't do very well. Her heels have been sore, and she was super nervous at the start. She ended up walking at the beginning but found her groove a little bit into the race. If she had run her best time, she would have easily been 7th on the team. This was only her 3rd race ever, and she has never done any sports except a couple years of dance many years ago. She also got started a little late into the season. She has one more race and can hopefully do even better next time.

I ran my housing school loop with a break in the middle to pick up trash at the elementary school. The trash was almost entirely discarded facemasks and candy wrappers. My quads were a little sore.

I ran my extended school loop.

I ran about a mile cheering on my oldest at her cross country meet in Robinson, IL. She ran a PR by almost a minute. Her coach invited her to run in sectionals in a week and half because of her performance. She is really doing well and improving.

I came home and ran another 3.2 miles on my Wabash-Walgreens short loop.

I ran 1.6 miles with my oldest along 9th street and then headed out along the trail for another 4.3 miles on my power station course. It felt okay. My left ankle has been acting up, and my knees have been a little sore too. They usually loosen up just fine though.

I did about 1.9 miles with my oldest and then added 1.6 more on my own. I have run some over the past two weeks, but my ankle and knee have been bothering me some. It felt a little better today.

Ran some with my oldest and some by myself.

It has been hit and miss over the past couple weeks. My legs and ankle have felt better with the lower mileage. They actually have felt fine.

I ran 1.8 with my oldest and then 2.5 by myself.

1.8 with my oldest. It has gotten colder the past few days. I don't mind the cooler weather and actually enjoy it.

Did a little warmup and some plyos before doing a few strides. Then a short cool down. My oldest has been wanting to go out and run every day this week. It has been fun getting out with her.

A nice quick run with my oldest.

It was a nice sunny day. I did 4.5 on my own on my Walgreens-Wabash loop in 33:30 (7:27/mile). It had been awhile since I ran that loop. My legs have felt fine, and this has been a pretty good week so far.

I did our out and back to Oklahoma with my oldest. She was having some troubles and wanted to walk quite a bit. I then ran another 2.5 by myself in 19:00 (7:36/mile).

I ran 0.5 with my two oldest and then 0.9 with my oldest. I then added another 1.5 on my own. Thanks to the time change, it was already dark by the time I did my run.

Started with 0.3 around the block with all the kids in 3:02. Then did 1.6 with Symph in 16:39 and 1.2 by myself.

Started with 0.3 with the kids and 1.2 with Symphany. Then did 3 by myself in 21:40 (7:13/mile).