Fitness Run

Distance: 4.35 miles
Time: 43:44
Pace: 10:03 min/mi

Comments: My goal starting the week was to get three regular runs in and then a longer one this weekend. To get the first half of that, I had to double up and get one in today. I wasn't feeling particularly fresh this morning so an afternoon run it is.

This one wasn't a hell of a lot of fun but it was a damn sight better than yesterday -- as low of a bar as that is to clear. I felt like I was halfway running rather than just staggering to get finished. The good news was I didn't ache nearly as much as I did yesterday. But that might be a passing fancy.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.32 miles
Time: 47:22
Pace: 10:57 min/mi

Comments: Skipped two days but I was determined to get this one in today. Not the best idea for a number of reasons. My legs are stiff as the bejesus following my run on Monday. It's uncomfortably warm for a December day and unpleasantly windy as well. There are more hills in my new route which is slightly longer than my old usual one.

Anyhow. Got it done.

I was slow and lacking the smallest fraction of grace in my form. It's not fun being back in the suck-it-up-and-finish-however-you-can phase but here we are.

Fitness Run

Distance: 3.18 miles
Time: 33:25
Pace: 10:30 min/mi

Comments: Three full months without a run. Ugh. getting back into this is going to suck so hard. Lotta reasons for the layoff, most notably moving, but the time for excuses needs to be at an end. 

It was my first time running this route. A portion of it is similar to my old one but I wasn't sure the exact distance. Now I have an idea I'll play around with it to get it to four miles.

The weather is great (so great there are tons of other runners out) which helped. The hills still suck though. 

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.09 miles
Time: 43:23
Pace: 10:35 min/mi

Comments: My ability to get back into a reasonable running routine has been woeful the last month or so. My intention was to get at least three or four runs in last week but that didn't happen. I got one in today. I'm just gonna try and get one in tomorrow and we'll see how that goes.

No big issues with this one. I focused on cadence and keeping everything business-as-usual. Not too many folks out to compete with so that really helped my head space quite a bit. It's a bit cooler, and that helped too. But, yeah, fall can't get here soon enough.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.11 miles
Time: 48:09
Pace: 11:41 min/mi

Comments: A two-week break was not my intention but that's what occurred all the same. Some of it was work. Some of it was exhaustion. Some of it was apathy. I'm not happy being behind my year goal but we'll see how much I can make up over the next four months.

It was a touch cooler today with the storms rolling through but the humidity was up there. No intention of anything fancy with this one and I nailed that pretty much on the nose. The GPS device is officially wacky so I can't trust the readings at all. But, right now, the only one that matters is the time out there running.

Fitness Run

Distance:  4.0 miles
Time: 41:41 
Pace: 10:26 min/mi

Comments: Welp. I didn't plan to take a week off but it seems to have happened anyway. I don't want to back into one of those prolonged non-run periods after this much work but a break from the grind wasn't unpleasant.

Morning temperatures are a bit nicer this week so that should help get back into the routine.

The GPS went weird on this effort but my overall pace was pretty much back on the mark. Heart rate was smack dab in the long run range and the run never felt like a complete slog. Hills were as unpleasant as ever, of course.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.17 miles
Time: 43:24
Pace: 10:24 min/mi

Comments: Another early run. It ain't easy but it makes the rest of the day a lot easier. Hopefully I'm building a strong routine for the rest of the summer.

Legs felt kind of blah today, start to finish. It didn't really affect my effort but it was not pleasant. I'm guessing it's weather related since I ate and slept worth a damn yesterday. For a change.

I'm still getting used to the new gear and analysis. The heart rate seems to suggest most of this was at long run pace even though it's a bit faster than my training plan calls for. 

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.14 miles
Time: 41:52
Pace: 10:06 min/mi

Comments: My legs felt very lethargic today. Particularly during the warm-up portion of the run and on the big hill. Not sore or achy. Just... drained, weary. I slept pretty hard last night. Maybe that's it.

Whatever the case, I ended up doing this one a bit faster than I expected. The second mile in particular was pretty quick. According to heart rate, the vast majority of this run was in my long run range. So, hopefully, that means progress.

I am way behind my 80-miles-per-month schedule for August. I need to look at how to catch back up in the next week or so.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.13 miles
Time: 41:38
Pace: 10:04 min/mi

Comments: I played around with the GPS tracker yesterday and sorted a few things out. Got a decent reading for today's run but it still is measuring the run irregularly. So it looks like I am running farther and faster than I actually am.

Whatever. I'm just trying to track my progress, not set a land speed record or anything.

Today's run started rough, which isn't much of a surprise. I warmed up pretty quickly and felt reasonably good the rest  of the way. The last mile was tough but "normal" tough.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.24 miles
Time: 41:09 
Pace: 9:41 min/mi

Comments: First run with the new GPS device. This morning was a mess so I got out much later in the morning than would be ideal in the middle of summer. The temperatures were hot, but not as hot as it got later in the day. The humidity as pretty low so that helped quite a bit.

Just tried to keep it slow and steady and not overheat too badly. For the most part, I accomplished that. But since I couldn't sort out the GPS function, the run got truncated and my times skewed. I probably ran this faster than I should have but not a full minute per mile faster.

Still. A nice effort after an irregular few weeks of runs.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.2 miles
Time: 43:00 (approx)
Pace: 10:14 min/mi

Comments: I almost certainly ran this one significantly slower but GPS went haywire on me. It claimed I did almost five miles and my fastest split was 5:26 min/mi pace. Not likely.

Basically this was a normal weekday run. My legs were a little bit weary at the start but warmed up pretty good. Got out earlier so it was mostly other runners and a minimum of amateur hour stupidity.

It's humid again. I missed the (relatively) cool window of weather. Just gotta  get up earlier.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.17 miles

Time: 42:40
Pace: 10:14 min/mi

Comments: Ran this one with an exaggerated cadence to account for my recent injury issue (see below). So, effort-wise, this was not as exhaustive as one might expect for the relatively robust overall pace. My first two miles were probably a little overfast but my whole focus was not screwing up the big hills on the final mile.

In the wake of the the unexpected three-day rest, my legs felt pretty strong. It also helped that the temperature and humidity are relatively nice for this time of year. On the downside, there was a surfeit of Karens out on the course this morning. 

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.15 miles
Time: 39:57
Pace: 9:37 min/mi

Comments: I was pretty stiff yesterday after the hill effort on Wednesday. The first mile today was a bit uncomfortable as well. But things fell into place after warming up for the most part.

My splits were all within ten seconds of each other including the hills, so that is pretty good in terms of consistency. But the 9:37 min/mi average pace is probably a bit on the fast side. Something I seem to be tending toward now I'm not using GPS.

Going into the weekend, the goal is run both Saturday and Sunday with an eight mile on the latter if at all possible.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.41 miles
Time: 42:43
Pace: 9:40 min/mi

Comments: Alright. Switched to Strava for tracking my runs and it seems to have worked pretty well. Not fond of using the phone for this service but it's the workaround for now.

It was super humid out there but with a bit cooler temperatures it was bearable. I felt pretty strong after warming up and finished with a very nice overall pace. Even better, my final three miles were all within 10 seconds -- including the hills

This was the fourth day in a row with a run. I'm taking tomorrow off so I decided to push that big hill on mile four and got a PR on it. The 3:11 on the 80-foot span (4% grade) beat my last best time by 11 seconds.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.23 miles
Time: 41:15
Pace: 9:45 min/mi

Comments: Although Garmin is supposidly back up, I could only get my data by manually extracting it from my device. After wiping the device and resetting it I found it still wouldn't record distance and would hang up eternally when resetting. It's in a garbage can now.

I ran for 20 years  using a basic stopwatch. There is no reason I can't do so again.

That said, today's run went really well. I went a little overfast but there was a gorgeous sunrise. I'm pretty happy I was up early enough to see it.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.03 miles
Time: 43:48
Pace:  10:52 min/mi

Comments: Garmin, as you will be unsurprised to learn, continues to suck. Once again, my workout doesn't record, my information cannot be uploaded and there is zero information from the company about the shitstorm. The most impressive feature of this $250 brick on my arm is the contempt the company has for its customers.

This run went reasonably well. I started overslow, focused on cadence and tried to keep the effort reasonable. I felt pretty strong on the back half but my overall pace seems unimpressive.

Long Run

Distance: 6.9 miles
Time: 1:14:00 (approx)
Pace: 10:43 min/mi

Comments: Welp. I was being patient with Garmin due to this system outage but today was the last straw. The GPS on my device now doesn't function. It's basically an over expensive stopwatch. Except for the fact you can get the information from a stopwatch. I can't even do that with this piece of shit.

Probably time to go find a new fitness tracking device handled by a company with a commitment to reliability and accountability. Garmin clearly doesn't care that much about those things.

Tough run. Very warm and the sun was brutal on the final mile.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.03 miles
Time: 43:18
Pace: 10:44 min/mi

Comments: I actually caught the temperature at the lowest point of the day, for all the good that did me. The degree of difference came with a surfeit of humidity. Still, minimal sun and that matters this time of year.

I felt a lot better than yesterday but starting out was not pleasant. My heart rate was almost entirely in the endurance run levels. Which is interesting when you consider my grade adjusted pace was more than  a minute faster than my actual pace.

Still on the fence about running tomorrow.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.01 miles
Time: 42:13
Pace: 10:30 min/mi

Comments: Needless to say, I did not want to do this run and, having done it, didn't feel like it was any degree of pleasant at all. That was my own fault, of course, so I went and got it finished anyway. Ugh. Done.

My final average pace ended up pretty decent though. My splits were all over the place and my cadence was a wreck. So I guess that was blind luck or just wanting to get it over with.

The overall effort was not super intense according to the heart rate figures. Which is odd since my grade adjusted pace was spot on my race pace.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.03 miles
Time: 43:40
Pace: 10:50 min/mi

Comments: Got up early but still not out the door quite as quickly as I would like. The result was a bunch of geriatric dog walkers all over the street. Running into traffic is such a delight first thing in the morning.

Almost this entire run was in Zone 3 heart rate; long run level. That was sort of my plan given I want to try for four days in a row. But looking at the overall exertion, it was probably taking it a shade too easy.

Cadence was strong. Every lap but the third was pretty close. So consistency seems intact.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.04 miles
Time: 44:09
Pace: 10:55 min/mi

Comments: Skipped yesterday's run so this one became a priority. I would like to get a solid week of recurring runs so the goal was to not overdo it today. My pace was significantly slower as a result.

Cadence was pretty good almost the whole way. My splits on the flat two miles in the middle of the run were pretty much identical. That speaks well of my consistency. Heart rate never got into the highest range as well.

Now that we are in full-on summer mode, the key to survival is early runs. Gonna have to work a bit harder on that.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.03 miles
Time: 42:10
Pace: 10:28 min/mi

Comments: Pretty solid run despite the later than I would like start. The last time I went out this late I had to cut the run short due to the sun/heat. I made a point to stick to the shade and keep my expectations low.

That said, my average pace was reasonably strong, my cadence was consistent and I only had a bit of the run in Zone 5 heart rate. The middle two flat miles were pretty much exactly the same split but the first and last miles were a mess.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.04 miles
Time: 43:43
Pace: 10:49 min/mi

Comments: Up and out the door pretty early for once. Warm and humid but the timing and clouds kept it from being a hellslog. My legs still seem to be a bit worn out from the mid-week long run though.

Half of this run was in Zone 3 heart rate which should be my long run goal. The first and last miles were a bit slow but the middle two -- the flat ones -- were about half a minute faster (about 10:30 m/mi).

I'd like to do another four-day run this week. That means keeping it slow and steady.

Long Run

Distance: 8.03 miles
Time: 1:26:12
Pace: 10:44 min/mi

Comments: Much better. Finally got in the long run I have been meaning to do the last few weeks. Not fancy in any way, shape, form or fashion but a solid run nonetheless.

Got out earlier than yesterday but later than I intended as I had to go vote. The temperature was a few degrees cooler but, more importantly, the shade was substantial up until the final mile or so. Also, got my hair cut for the first time in five months and it feels spectacular.

Really focused on cadence for this one and the amount of exertion. Really didn't look at the pace at all. Still, it fell in that regular range I've been hitting. Heart rate was in that same range as well with only a small portion in the highest zone.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.03 miles
Time: 42:23
Pace: 10:31 min/mi

Comments: Not my finest effort. It been oppressively hot lately. I thought getting out by 9 a.m. would be late enough to skip the worst of the heat. Then I decided to try for the six miler I cut short yesterday. That was asking a bit too much.

The run itself went fine enough. My legs felt better than yesterday although I was probably a bit dehydrated. I kept a solid cadence and my pace didn't sag badly at all. But at mile four I pulled the plug. The extra miles aren't worth overheating or wearing my legs out needlessly.

Resting tomorrow. We'll see what the rest of the week brings after that.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.62 miles
Time: 49:35
Pace: 10:44 min/mi

Comments: The plan was to get up early and knock out a solid long run. A front blew through and, while it was still warm, the humidity was a bit more reasonable.

I was hoping for eight miles. At about half a mile in, it was pretty clear that was unrealistic. My legs just didn't have any juice at all. I scaled back to a 6 miler and then even that seemed ambitious. I settled for the 4.6 mile loop.

Whatever had me dragging ass didn't really affect my performance. Overall pace was about right and heart rate was right at my long run range. I'm guessing it was a diet or hydration issue.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.03 miles
Time: 42:36
Pace: 10:34 min/mi

Comments: Up early and out the door early-ish. It looks like 7 a.m. is the latest to head out and miss the bulk of the walkers. The few out there were pretty conscientious, which is a nice change.

Throughout this one I toyed with both the idea of going for a longer effort or taking another shot at my PR on the hill. I eventually ditched both for a normal run with a pretty high cadence. Today ain't the day to get fancy if I want a strong effort this weekend.

So the workout was pretty tame considering. One weird thing though, I spent a good 20% of the run in the Zone 1 heart rate. Not something I do that often.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.03 miles
Time: 40:42
Pace: 10:06 min/mi

Comments: Felt the hard hills from Tuesday in my quads yesterday so took yesterday off just to be cautious. No issues this morning so that's good. Got out a bit late so it was warmer but the humidity had started to drop so that helped. The last mile was not fun though.

Just focused on cadence the first half of this one and then consistency on the hills of the second half. About a third of the run was in Zone 5 heart rate so that suggests a solid effort. Didn't feel worn out at the end, which is promising as well.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.07 miles
Time: 39:26
Pace: 9:42 min/mi

Comments: Alright, trying to get back into the three-in-a-row midweek. Up and out the door reasonably early but not before the hordes of walkers and leashless dogs were out. Gonna have to get going in the dark, it seems.

The splits today varied wildly as I found myself pushing the pace at spots. I felt pretty good despite the heat/humidity so decided to push it on the Oak Cliff Drive hill. Matched my 3:22 PR for the .37 mile stretch with about 4% rise.

Gonna wait and see how my legs respond to this effort before planning the rest of the week.

Long Run

Distance: 6.77 miles
Time: 1:09:32
Pace: 10:16 min/mi

Comments: I keep complaining about the heat and humidity thinking it can't really get worse... and then it does. I didn't help myself by waiting till later in the morning to get this done. And then it was one of those wonderful runs where you get rained on in the sun.

Anyhow, the first portion of this actually went quite well. I felt pretty strong and in control of the effort. It got tougher on the second uphill half but I never felt completely fatigued. Well, the last half mile was kind of shitty, but other than that.

About a third of the run was in Zone 5 heart rate and almost a half was Zone 4 so I feel that was a pretty good long run effort. We'll see if I can keep that balance as I try and up the mileage in the next few weeks.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.56 miles
Time: 48:13
Pace: 10:39 min/mi

Comments: Up early and out the door. First pre-sunrise run in quite awhile. It helped with the heat a little bit, but not much. Nothing will until Fall. But being out of the sun was nice.

This wasn't anything fancy. I just wanted to get it done. None of it was in the Zone 5 heart rate and just more than half in Zone 4. So that's pretty much the definition of a moderate pace. Temperature made it feel harder, of course.

Still on the fence about the running schedule for the weekend.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.03 miles
Time: 43:56
Pace: 10:54 min/mi

Comments: Finally got my ass out the door early and now it's too damn hot and humid to make a difference. The summer has arrived in all it's glorious suckitude. I felt like I was slogging through knee high surf the whole way.

The irony is I didn't do too badly overall. Most of the run was in the Zone 4 heart rate and I had a really strong cadence through the middle two miles. The hills on mile four whipped my ass but, even then, that mile was faster than my first one.

I let myself get a little slack in June. The goal is to get back into the routine and make a little progress in July.

Fitness Run

Distance: 6.73 miles
Time: 1:10:13
Pace: 10:26 min/mi

Comments: Well, this month was a significant pull back from what I've been doing since January. For the first time I finished with just under 80 miles -- my monthly goal -- for the whole month. A bit disappointing but not so much so that I'm gonna dash out there for .8 mile to make it even.

Until today I had not done a 10K distance for the month either. So, despite the heat and humidity, I decided to try and get it done. I succeeded but that final mile and a half suuuuuuuuucked.

About 40 percent of the run was in Zone 5 heart rate and about 40 percent was in Zone 4. So, yeah, this was a workout.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.02 miles
Time: 40:52
Pace: 10:10 min/mi

Comments: I seem to have fallen into an run day/off day routine this week. I had every intention of getting a good run in yesterday but a couple cooking projects engulfed my morning. Then it was too hot in the afternoon.

Wrapped up the projects this morning which delayed me getting out the door but I did it anyway. It was already swealtering out there. I was a wet exhausted mess by mile three.

This has been a bit of a pull-back month. I'm not happy with it but I'm not going to be upset either. It's probably wise to keep from running so much I burn out by fall.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.04 miles
Time: 40:10 min/mi
Pace: 9:56 min/mi

Comments: So the blast of dust from the Sahara arrived yesterday. The result is a brownish haze over everything. I'm also sneezing pretty regularly as well as a runny nose. Still, it's not so bad to keep me from getting the run in.

I've got a number of projects in the kitchen this weekend and spent part of the morning getting things set up. As a result I was a bit slow getting out the door and that could be a problem here on out. The temperatures are about as warm as I like it but the humidity was opressive.

Still, the extra off day gave me a little more pep in my step so the run went reasonably well.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.05
Time: 41:36
Pace: 10:16 min/mi

Comments: Skipped yesterday's planned run. Had to run errands first thing but, to be honest, I didn't really feel like it. So getting it done today was a priority. Despite that, I got out the door a little later than I would have liked and that was not the best move.

It was very warm and extremely humid this morning. I felt OK the first mile but after that it was like wading through a sauna. I tried to pull back on the effort but keep the cadence but even that went out the window on the last mile.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.63 miles
Time: 46:44
Pace: 10:05 min/mi

Comments: Had to push the run back to noon due to work and regretted the hell out of that action. The temperature was actually decent, the morning rains cooled things off and the cloud cover kept it from popping back up into the 90s. The humidity though.... ugh.

I was a soggy sweaty mess by the halfway point and it only got worse from there. Weirdly, my legs weren't drained like can often happen in that situation. I actually felt strong enough that I never wanted to just cut bait and walk it in.

Exertion-wise, this one was almost exactly the same as yesterday. Except it was a longer distance and faster pace. So who the hell knows?

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.02 miles
Time: 43:57
Pace: 10:56 min/mi

Comments:The daily rains have played a bit of havoc with my running schedule. I ended up pulling the plug on the planned long run yesterday and then had to wait till late morning to get out today.

The temperature and humidity were significantly greater than I would prefer but, once I got running, were less of a challenge than I expected. They still weren't fun though.

Tried to keep it slow and steady which, of course, ended up with me really cranking it on cadence. Still, I don't think I went overfast even though about 14% was in Zone 5 heart rate.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.56 miles
Time: 46:10
Pace: 10:07 min/mi

Comments: Felt a bit better today. It could be better rest. It could be eating well. It could be cooler temperatures. Whatever, I'm just happy about it.

Went the slightly longer route and put in the exposed portion of it on the front end. It was just humid enough to get uncomfortable in the sun but the shady miles on the back end were much more pleasant.

None of this one was in the Zone 5 heart rate even though I came pretty close to clearing 10 min/mile. More importantly, I didn't feel completely drained at the end. Hopefully that carries through tomorrow.

Fitness Run

Distance: 2.14 miles
Time: 22:12
Pace: 10:21 min/mi

Comments: This wasn't pleasant at all. I didn't feel great to start with. I got out the door later than necessary so it was uncomfortably hot and muggy. And then there was a ton of people out and about. So I decided to cut it in half. I still was a soggy mess at the end. Better luck tomorrow.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.03 miles
Time: 40:57
Pace: 10:10 min/mi

Comments: The end of the first three-days-in-a-row this week. I got up pretty early and the temperature/humidity wasn't completely awful so that was helpful.

Overall, this was a weird little run. I didn't plan on focusing on cadence but it kind of happened by accident. I did want to keep from overdoing it on the effort and kept pretty much the whole run in Zone 4 heart rate (none in Zone 5).

But it got a little tough on the final hills and I never really felt I hit a groove.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.56 miles
Time: 49:00
Pace: 10:45 min/mi

Comments: It's  definitely hotter and more humid now. Even heading out early didn't help much. Probably made it a little worse since the humidity drops a bit when the temperature rises in the morning.

So this one felt like a bit of a slog and I was drenched in sweat by the halfway mark. The mile or so with no shade weren't fun either. Still, none of this was in the Zone 5 heart rate so I'm not doing anything too stupid.

I hope.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.02 miles
Time: 41:51
Pace: 10:24 min/mi

Comments: I have gotten so far out of sync with my running schedule despite the best of intentions. I skipped the long run yesterday and really had to make myself get out there this morning. I don't want to slide into break in the routine so I better clamp down on this shit now.

Today's run went better than expected. Getting out late meant it was warmer but the relatively low humidity still played in my favor. I got a pretty good pace although I made it a point of not overdoing it. The extra days off seem to have helped get my legs rested, if nothing else.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.54 miles
Time: 46:52
Pace: 10:19 min/mi

Comments: Up pretty early but got busy with bread prep. I was a bit concerned about dealing with other runners/walkers/dogs so I took a slightly different route. Downside? More traffic but it's early enough in the morning that wasn't completely terrifying.

Slow and steady effort. I focused more on keeping consistent on the uphills which were pretty much constant on the second half of this effort. I never got into Zone 5 heart rate so that suggests I had it under control. Pace wasn't earth-shattering but that wasn't the point anyway.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.06 miles
Time: 43:39
Pace: 10:46 min/mi

Comments: Up reasonably early and out the door. Weather is as good as it can get this late in the year. Which means more morons out there to deal with as I try to get my miles in. In that respect, I am ready for the swealtering heat.

A bit stiff to start but warmed up pretty quickly. I was aiming for a solid effort but nothing extreme. Pretty much the whole run was in Zone 3 heart rate so that's about as on the nose as one can get.

No real issues outside of that. Felt in control the whole way and never like I was straining.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.05 miles
Time: 41:20
Pace: 10:13 min/mi

Comments: After the abysmal effort on Sunday, I decided it made sense to give myself an extra day off. I have run a lot of miles this year and I would prefer not overdoing it. There have been a number of low-level issues -- soreness, lethargy, lack of motivation -- which I don't want to blossom into something major.

The timing was ideal as a cold front pushed through making this morning's weather rather pleasant again. I made it a point to focus on cadence and keeping the exertion level very manageable. Still got a quicker overall pace than I was expecting though. Almost the whole run was in the Zone 4 heart rate so that's about what I wanted.

Fitness Run

Distance: 3.56 miles
Time: 40:05
Pace: 11:15 min/mi

Comments: This did not go well at all. I got up early and out the door in good order. I felt OK and figured all I needed was to warm up and get to it.  But, starting out, my legs felt completely KAPUT.

I struggled through the first mile and it was clear nothing was improving. It was a bit warmer and  more humid than I expected and I didn't see how I would survive the later portions of the run in the full sun. So I cut it short.

I don't know if this was the conditions today or something more substantial. I'll keep tabs on it over the off day.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.05 miles
Time: 42:10
Pace: 10:24 min/mi

Comments: Got decent sleep and ate reasonably well yesterday and it made a difference. I didn't have the empty legs or vague discomfort on this one which I have been feeling a lot recently. I also wasn't a total sweaty mess finishing up.

Which isn't to say I wasn't sweaty and messy. It was plenty warm and humid (although the latter could have been a LOT worse). The goal was a solid but not brutal effort in advance of tomorrow's long run.

Pretty much checked all the boxes and finished feeling solid, not worn down.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.03 miles
Time: 39:44
Pace: 9:52 min/mi

Comments: Last of the mid-week runs so I wanted to put a bit more into it. After a solid warm up mile, I decided to try and get the pace under 10 min/mi. Mission accomplished.

The other thing I decided to do was push it up the long hill on the fourth mile. This is .37 mile with a 4% grade so it ends up being an 80 foot climb overall. The 3:22 effort was my best on the segment (but now Strava put the history behind paywall, I got no idea what my old PR was).

Anyhow, it was a good effort.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.04 miles
Time: 41:35
Pace: 10:18 min/mi

Comments: So it turns out today is Global Running Day. Which makes it nice that I had a run scheduled. I guess.

My legs felt pretty tired the first half mile and again on the last half mile. The latter probably due to the hills. The rest went reasonably well despite the warmer conditions.

Effort-wise this was pretty much in the same range of most of my recent runs.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4.06 miles
Time: 44:12
Pace: 10:53 min/mi

Comments: After a rough Monday it felt good to get back into the routine. I was a bit stiff getting started (and took an early stop to clear back a persistent shrubbery) but warmed up pretty quickly.

So the first mile was overslow and the second one probably overfast. The last two were pretty much in line when you factor in the hills involved. The humidity wasn't fun but it wasn't awful either. Probably as nice as it's gonna be for awhile.