Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38:01
Pace: 9:29 min/mi

Comments: I was less achy this morning than I expected after yesterday's late afternoon run but I wasn't feeling perky either. The cold front moved through early and brought some rough weather and then steady rain behind it. I wasn't eager to go out in that but I'm less keen on a sub-freezing run tomorrow morning.

It actually wasn't too awful once I got out there. The blasts of wind were worse than the rain. I thought I was going slow and steady the whole way but my heart rate was rising steady the first half and then dipped and held steady at the turnaround. No idea why but I'll take it.

Training Run

Distance: 6.24 miles
Time: 57:58
Pace: 9:17 min/mi

Comments: Slept a little late and couldn't escape from the office at lunch so I had to do this one after work. The heat and humidity were pretty much on par for early morning summer runs. I'd consider this an acclimation effort except temperatures are set to plummet over the next 36 hours.

I ran this too fast and worked way too hard for it. Every mile until the last full one was hovering around the 9 minute mark. And my heart rate was in the most intense zone for half of the effort. I expect I will be pretty sore tomorrow and loath to get in the four miles I need to do.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:42
Pace: 9:25 min/mi

Comments: Got up and decided to either do this run after work or skip it entirely. After being surprisingly productive to start the day, I dedided to go out and get it done anyway.

It's warmed up quite a bit but still nicely cool before dawn. The humidity is pretty severe though. I didn't really focus on any one thing, just tried to crank it out as it came. My splits were all over the place as a result but my heart rate stayed out of the upper reaches as I hoped.

Long Run

Distance: 9:06 miles
Time: 1:29:10
Pace: 9:51 min/mi

Comments: It's been four months since I put in a White Rock Lake run so I figured it was long past time. The weather was less chilly than most mornings of late so I figured getting out there on the early side would be prudent.

It was pretty dark most of this effort (the sunrise was at 7:22 a.m. but, with the low hanging clouds, it was darker than normal). That meant few, if any bikers; a plus. Overall, I prefer this run when there are fewer folks on the course.

I did the first half deliberately slow and really only picked up the effort on the final four miles. Even then, my heart rate stayed entirely in the "endurance" level and never got into the upper extremes. Hopefully, I can replicate that on raceday.