Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 36:01
Pace: 8:59 min/mi

Comments: Not a fan of rain runs. I hoped the showers would hold off for just a half hour but no such luck. The first mile was no problem but it pretty much came down constantly after that with one solid quarter-mile stretch featuring a full-on downpour.

So this was wet, hot and miserable. I also was tired from yesterday's run, a few beers and not eating worth a damn over the past week. Thus the real victory was not giving in to the pretty much constant impulse to cut this sucker short and get inside like sensible people.

Conditions:
Hour: 11 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: rainy
Temperature: 72 degrees
Humidity: 95 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Recovery Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 36:38
Pace: 9:09 min/mi

Comments: The rains eased up this morning and the cold front had the temperatures down to rather pleasant conditions. There was a bit of mist (and rather unnecessary sprinklers) which made this one rather similar to my runs in Lima.

I was determined to finish this one so I eased up at certain points I thought I was pushing a bit too hard. So I missed my 9 min/mi target pace but pretty much nailed it on the first and last lap. So, overall, a rather encouraging effort.

Conditions:
Hour: 6 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 62 degrees
Humidity: 91%
Wind: 5 mph
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Training Run

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 18:03
Pace: 9 min/ mi

Comments: With the layoff, the humidity and the heat (not to mention the most ideal diet the past few days) I deliberately took this one easy and cut it short. I actually felt pretty good at the two-mile mark but I would like to go out every day this week if I can to jump start my training. So I walked it in and made plans for tomorrow.

Overall, this went pretty well. I deliberately kept slowing myself down but, even with that, I finished with that benchmark 9 min/mi pace I seem drawn to. I'll try to keep it no faster than that all this week.

Conditions:
Hour: 7 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 70 degrees
Humidity: 96%
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Easy Run

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 18:11
Pace: 9:04 min/mi

Comments: For as much as I hate the return to the running regimen, you would think I would make myself stick with it better. After another month hiatus I finally went back out and it was as awful as I expected. I am sloppy, slow and unable to finish my usual four miles.

Right now the weather still allows some good mornings to run. I really need to take advantage of these to get back into a semblance of conditioning for when the temperatures get truly brutal.

Conditions:
Hour: 8:30 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: cloudy
Temperature:
Humidity: 60 degrees
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: just out of shape

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 34:25
Pace: 8:36 min/mi

Comments: I am definitely feeling the progress in terms of conditioning and concentration. I started with a solid sub-9 min/mi pace and got progressively faster every lap. The final mile was a half minute faster than the first one. Concentration was also very improved. I found myself losing focus only a few times over the course of the whole run.

Conditions:
Hour: 5:30 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 62 degrees
Humidity: 79 percent
Wind: 7 mph
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 36:02
Pace: 9:00 min/mi

Comments: Today was the first day in a long looooong time I went out and ran because I felt like it rather than because I had planned to. When I woke up and felt pretty good (i.e. not worn out or exhausted) I put on the shoes and got out the door before I got distracted with anything.

The whole run felt really good except for a spot in mile three I had that old "just pack it in" feeling. The last mile felt exceptionally solid.

I pretty much hit my training run target pace which is more than I expected when I started. Although, given how well I felt it went, I was hoping to have been a bit clearer under the line.

Conditions:
Hour: 7:00 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 52 degrees
Humidity: 98 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 35:00
Pace: 8:44 min/mi

Comments: Long night last night so getting up and out the door really wasn't an option. But the weather is rather Lima-esque -- meaning pretty much any time would be good to run today. Unless it was pouring down, of course. But that wasn't forecast until later in the afternoon.

This one turned into a nice payoff for the work earlier this week. Running it I didn't feel it was an overly special effort or that I was even close to the top of my game conditioning-wise. But it was a solid workmanlike effort that came in with every split comfortably under the 9 minute mark.

Conditions:
Hour: noon
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast/drizzle
Temperature: 59 degrees
Humidity: 100%
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: A slight soreness in my right achilles tendon after the first mile.

Easy Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:02
Pace: 9:15 min/mi

Comments: And that was a lot better.

The Tuesday run was not only brutal, it wiped me out for a good 24 hours. It was tough getting up the next day and it wasn't till mid-afternoon that I seemed to finally catch up with the exhaustion. So when I woke up this morning and my legs felt a little tired, I considered adding another rest day to be on the safe side.

At 6 a.m. I changed my mind and headed out. The big reason being I really want to get back into the running routine. Even a shortened run would be important for that.

Starting out, I didn't have a bit of the soreness like Tuesday and by the end of the first lap around the block I felt warmed up and rather good. I still didn't push myself out of caution (thus missing my training run threshold) but the last lap around the block felt as good as any run as I've done this year.

Conditions:
Hour: 6:15 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: light rain
Temperature: 60 degrees
Humidity: 100%
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Recovery Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38:36
Pace: 9:39 min/mi

Comments: And that was a thousand flavors of awful.

I was rather achy after Sunday's run and actually intended to go out this morning but had to get the oil changed in the car. A real shame because the sunrise today was spectacular.

I was noticeably sore in my quads all day but, after getting home and starting dinner, I decided to put the four mile in. The first step was deeply unpleasant and it got worse from there. I spent the first half mile just gritting my teeth to get through it and the next half mile warming up enough that my pace didn't suggest I had a sharp stone in my shoe.

The whole run was a real struggle. I surprised myself and actually stuck it out the whole distance I intended. That's a real victory at this stage in my return to the routine.

Conditions:
Hour: 7 p.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 76 degrees
Humidity: 72%
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 35:39
Pace: 8:54 min/mi

Comments: Between the move to a new apartment, the winter weather and the usual work weirdness, running pretty much came to a full stop in February. Some of this was legitimate. I pulled something in my upper right calf during the move and had to walk with a limp for a week and a half.

Most of it was not, though.

So I've completed the move, gotten things pretty much in order and the temperatures are just about ideal. At some point the excuses have to give way to get'er done. I went out today with no greater intention than grabbing four miles no matter how awful it got. It wasn't pleasant but went far better than I expected. I even kept it under the 9 min/mi threshold.

Conditions:
Hour: noon
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 60 degrees
Humidity: 86 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada