Shuffling Along (Is that considered running?)

Ouch.  The run yesterday beat me up more than I thought.  I started uphill, and felt ok, but over the first 3 miles, my body rebelled.  I  put in 7.  It didn't help that I started late, ensuring that there would be plenty of heat.  9:53.....and I am getting slower every day.

Rest day after a big weekend.

Start off very sore and tight, but loosened up after a couple of miles.  Increased my pace over miles 3-6, and held the pace though mile 7.  Mile 8 was a struggle, but I pushed it through to the end.

I run a 2 mile loop, and the first time I was chased by a dog.  He ws a little dog and was not scary, but he was annoying.  On the next lap, I met him again at a dfferent point.  This time he became my running partner, and ran with me for a quarter mile rather that attacking me.

My legs felt strong at the start.  I took the first two miles out hard, running mile two in under 9 minutes.  During mile three fatigue kicked in, so I settled into a little slower but more consistent pace.  My times mimicked yesterday's times.  The heat was a bigger factor than yesterday, as I started a little later.  I finished strong (for me) and was about 6 seconds faster per mile.  I can feel my body adjusting to the increase in miles from 6 to 8 over the last few weeks.  I am not hitting "survival" mode until around 6.5 miles, where three weeks ago I was hitting it in mile 5.

A good run for me.  It seemed hotter today, but I felt OK.  The wind was blowing fairly hard from the west, and that helped.  In one direction, the heat baked but when I utrned into the wind or hd a cross-wind it was really cool.

I averaged 9:24 for 8 which does not show improvement but does show consistency, which is my goal at this point.

I am traveling To Tucson this weekend, leaving after work tonight.  It will be about midnight when I get there, so I am not sure I will run tomorrow.  I know I won't be running on Saturday: 21st wedding anniversary, and Sunday I will be driving back to Las Vegas.

I rolled into Tucson a little after 12am last night/this morning.  I talked to my wife for a while, then got ready for bed.  At about 1am, I tried to sleep.  No dice.  I can never sleep after a long drive.  I am too wired.

I laid in a half sleep/half wake state until about 2am.  I drifted off.  At 4am, my youngest dog, apparently wired because I am home, decided he couldn't sleep.  He kept me awake.  A little before 5am I got up.

With two hours sleep, I hit the road.  I felt remarkably good.  The path was an 11 mile loop, and it has a lot of long slow climbs and descents.  I wasn't fast, (9:46/mile), but I finished.  That was my longest run ever. 

Now I am going back to bed.

Rest day