They all can't be "easy" runs.

Venetian Waterway Park. 5:45 am start. 81 deg., 88% hum., 77 d.p. I am having a hard time figuring out when to run in this summer weather pattern. Yesterday there were 10 straight hours of the day where it was "feels like" 99 degrees. I have been running in Florida summers for a long time, but this year feels more difficult, and fairly dangerous. I started today before dawn. But that is when the humidity and dew point are the worst. It's not a better answer, just different. 

0.9 up, 2 @ 15:16, 1 easy (+ 0.65 out and back, desperately sprinting to an emergency bathroom stop, where I barely made it), 2 @ 17:32, 0.9 down. 

1.65 mile North Bridge Loop, then 5 miles on the West Venetian Waterway Park. Then 1.65 mile North Bridge Loop. 8 am start. 90 deg., 83% hum., 76 d.p. No breeze for the first 3 miles. Slight breeze after that. I'm just trying to survive these runs right now. I pushed the pace on the uphills, but the rest of the run was slow pace. We are supposed to get some slight relief on Thursday. 

Venetian Waterway Park. 7 am start. 77 deg., 89% hum., 73 d.p. What a difference the temperature change made! I was starting to think I was doomed to run in Mother Nature's flatulence for the next 3 months. I have put on wet shoes for the last week. Yesterday, I wrung out my socks after the run, and made a puddle. Today, I could not. I just have to continue taking what the day gives me.  

1.8 up with bathroom stop (my usual up x2, because I really wanted to make sure I wouldn't have another emergency bathroom stop, like Monday. Those moments can leave you with PTSD), 2 @ 14:43, 1 easy, 2 @ 14:27, 0.9 down. 

I'm super psyched about this run. 

8 am start. 2 to the boys and girls club track. 400m easy. 400m in 1:24. 400m easy. 400m in 1:28. 2 miles home. I was planning on 4x400m, but there is a group of  people with cognitive disabilities that are in a school in the building near the track. They were guided to the track in the middle of the second rep. So I was kind of slaloming through these folks on the second 400m. So I decided to go home. I've been running on this track for about 15 years. This was a first. I think Track Thursdays are going to replace the 100m+ grass sprint Thrusdays, at least for a while. I can't run in the woods with no breeeze right now. I'll get back there someday, I guess. 

hood route at noon.

PM: 4 games of pickleball with my brother and some friends from the 1990's. My brother has really got into pickleballs lately, and he is looking to make this our thing. I'm not really feeling it. But I do like hanging out with these people.  

16.25 miles. Hood route to Legacy Trail to Circus Bridge and back. I really struggled on the way back.

1.65 mile North Bridge Loop X 2, then 5 miles on the West Venetian Waterway Park. 7:30 pm start. Sun was down by finish. I did the hill stuff today because I realized too late that I forgot my watch. I'm thinking about changing this workout to just the 1.65 hilly part over and over. Or maybe run up and down the same portion of bridge X10, with some warm up and cool down. 

Venetian Waterway Park. 8 am start. 76 deg., 88% hum., 72 d.p.

0.9 up, 2 @ 15:06, 1 easy, 2 @ 14:50, 0.9 down. 

West Venetian Waterway Park. 4:30 pm. I was trying to catch a run in the rain, and I missed it. Instead I got "feels like" 97. 

1.2 up. 2 miles @ 15:37. Then surviving 3 miles. Then 0.9 down. 

I don't know why I keep trying to run in full sun right now. I need to have some discipline to get up before dawn, or just let myself wait until near sunset. There should be no more running for me between 9 am and 5 pm. But I'm dumb enough to try it again, probably tomorrow. 

7 am start. 2 miles to the track. (4) x 400m, w/ 400m AR, 1:31, 1:30, 1:29, 1:25, 2 miles home. 

Hood route to Legacy Trail over the SWOM Bridge and back. 8 miles. 6:30 am start. 84 deg. 86% hum, 77 d.p. I came home soaked. Wrung out my shirt and socks. Really, after the first mile, I kind of settled into something slow, but that I could maintain. Tomorrow's long run will be different. I know that my toes will be pruned by 10 miles. 

16.25 Miles. Hood Route to Legacy Trail to Circus Bridge and Back. 2:47:22 (10:18 pace, really even pace). 7 am start. 84 deg., 98% hum., 76 d.p. at the start. 89 deg., 65% hum., 75 d.p. at the end. 

Mom's 83rd birthday party. Her actual birthday is tomorrow.

Then 5 miles on west Venetian waterway park. 8:15 pm.

Then at around 11 pm, grandson got a big fever, and we spent many hours in the ER.

Venetian Waterway Park. 6 pm start. "Feels like" 100.

0.9 up, 2 @ 15:40, 1 easy, 2 @ 15:10, 0.9 down.

Baby is fine. Bad ear infection.

5.9 miserable miles of run fail on west Venetian waterway park at 6 pm.

Venetian Waterway Park. 7 pm start.

0.9 up, 2 @ 15:26, 1 easy, 2 @ 15:04, 0.9 down.

8 miles. Hood route to legacy trail, over the SWOM bridge and back. 7 am start. Assume that if I don't mention the weather that it is Florida summer weather. I don't want to complain about this any more. 

So there is a 5k at the Braves Spring training facility tonight. My young friend that signed up for the Greenbrier River Trail Marathon with me is running it and asked me to go. It's another 5k that I have chickened out of. It's really hard to sign up for a race, knowing it will be your personal worst time. But I'll have to do it at some point. 

In other news, The Greenbrier River Trail Marathon has changed the race course since I signed up. It WAS a point to point, mostly flat, net downhill course. It is NOW an out and back, slight uphill first half, slight downhill second half course. I understand the reason for the change. It is a very remote course. To get volunteers to all of the aid stations must have been a challenge. But I'm a big fan of the point to point races. It is still the flattest race in WV. 

16.25 Miles. Hood Route to Legacy Trail to Circus Bridge and Back. First half 1:14: 24 (9:09 pace) Next 6.625 miles - 1:10:45 (10:41 pace). I run / walked the last 1.5. It's getting to where I realize running with a shirt is like running in a wetsuit. 7 am start. Florida summer temps / conditions. 

Last night, 20 year old Noah ran his first 5k in 22:19. That's good enough for 20th overall out of 800 runners, 3rd in his age group. He was dissapointed in the time. For a guy that has only really been running consistently for 3-4 months, I feel like that is a very respectable time. Plus, I have the perspective of old man runner. Now we have a measuring point, to create a plan for WV.

I met some of his friends in the Wellen Park run club. And I saw my college roomate's parents. He (82 year old) was running his 16th 5k this year. They all were pressuring me to run the firecraker 5k at the new wellen park high school. I guess it's time to get my measuring point.  

8 miles. Hood Route to Legacy Trail, over the SWOM bridge and back. 7 am start.

7 am start. 2 miles to the track. (8) x 400m, w/ 400m AR, 1:35, 1:33, 1:30, 1:29, 1:29, 1:30, 1:29, 1:30, 2 miles home. 

Then I signed up for the Firecracker 5k. This will be (I think) the first event at the newly constructed Wellen Park High School. 

Venetian Waterway Park. 6:45 am start. Florida Summer. 0.9 up, 2 @ 14:20, 1 easy, 2 @ 14:22, 0.9 down. 

6:45 am start. 2 miles to the track. (8) x 400m, w/ 400m AR, 1:33, 1:34, 1:32, 1:33, 1:31, 1:32, 1:31, 1:33, 2 miles home. 

I thought about doing 12 reps, but these felt easier than monday, even though the weather was more humid today than monday. I thought it was better to end with a good feeling about the run. 

This weather is not kind to distance runs, so this seems like a good time to focus on intervals. I'm out of town this weekend and will not be able to run friday or saturday. I really don't know what I want to do running-wise tomorrow before leaving. 

5.5 miles. hood route. 7 am start. This easy run felt faster than usual. 

Now off to Jax. State University in Alabama. I mapped out a run I can do up there for the next couple of days. We'll see if I actually do it. 

I helped my neighbors pick some lychee fruit off their tree last night and they gave me some for my efforts. Not my first time eating that stuff, but it is sure tasty. I brought some around to my family. It seems I like it more than everybody else. I'm dissapointed in nearly everyone's reaction. But I guess....More for me. 

7 miles on Chief Ladiga Trail in Jacksonville Alabama. I'm glad I did this. Very scenic trail, at least where I ran it.

7 more miles on Chief Ladiga Trail in Jacksonville Alabama. 10:30 am start

7 last miles on Chief Ladiga Trail in Jacksonville Alabama. 8:30 am start.

Last night's preview show was great. We're going to have lunch with Johnny, and then drive back to Venice. Should be 11ish hours drive.

7 am start. 2 miles to the track. (4) x 400m, w/ 400m AR, 1:32, 1:38, 1:39, 1:39, 2 miles home. Things were a struggle today. Maybe because of yesterday's car ride, Maybe because there is a lot of smoke in the air because of the fires at Carlton Preserve, maybe because of Florida summer. 

Venetian Waterway Park. 5:45 pm start. Florida Summer. 0.9 up, 2 @ 14:22, 1 easy, 2 @ 14:28, 0.9 down.

Good run. Tough day.