Easy Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38:15
Pace: 9:33

Comments: Another sweltering four miles. If nothing else, the runs this week clearly demonstrate that runs during the day in this weather are a really bad idea.

I got out the door about 15 minutes earlier than yesterday and hit that sweet spot where the temperatures are as low as they are gonna get and what sun I had to deal with was at my back.

But the effort clearly took its toll. I was a good fifteen seconds slower per mile. That had a bit to do with getting out of the way of a very young, very scared raccoon caught in between the sidewalk barriers.

Conditions:
Hour: 6:15 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 77 degrees
Humidity: 79 percent
Wind: nada
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Easy Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:08
Pace: 9:16 min/mi

Comments: The minute I stepped out the door, I knew this would be brutal. Temperatures touching 80 degrees by the end with the humidity even higher. I broke out in a sweat locking my door.

Again, the primary goal was getting the four miles. And doing the loop was clearly too much of a temptation to cut it short so I went the out-and-back route again. Another upside of this course is I can gain a little momentum on the decline.

Still. The humidity was like running through the surf. In effort, anyway. I didn't even come close to my usual 9 min/mi pace but was very surprised I kept it under 9:30.

Conditions:
Hour: 6:30 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 78 degrees
Humidity: 83%
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Easy Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38:17
Pace: 9:38 min/mi

Comments: I have made an effort to eat a bit better in order to have the energy to run in the current sweltering conditions. It's clear my times are not going to be worth a damn but I'd like to be consistent on the mileage. The key to that, if I am not mistaken, is having the energy reserves to push through the fatigue.

I also did my there-and-back route today in an effort to ensure I got the full run in. The problem with the circuit course is the ease of cutting it short when I'm finishing each lap. This was a solid run. Nothing fancy. I wanted the miles and I got them.

Conditions:
Hour: 7:30 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 75 degrees
Humidity: 90%
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Easy Run

Distance: 2.5 miles
Time: 23:10
Pace: 9:16

Comments: Hot. Humid. Unpleasant. Slow.

Conditions:
Hour: 6:00 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 77 degrees
Humidity: 88 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Easy Run

Distance: 2.5 miles
Time: 22:33
Pace: 9:01 min/mi

Comments: It's probably time to admit to myself that my running is now a matter of occasional calisthenics and race training is a part of my past. Between the week-long delays and cutting runs short there's not a lot of conditioning being stored up to use in a competition.

So today I got out and ran a few mediocre miles and that was it. I'll try to do a few more tomorrow but it's not likely and my expectations aren't high if I do.

Conditions:
Hour: 6:30 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 80 degrees
Humidity: 76%
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Training Run

Distance: 3 miles
Time: 26:23
Pace: 8:47 min/mi

Comments: The plan was to run six miles yesterday and that didn't happen. So I was going to try that distance again today and only got half of it. This isn't a huge surprise given my diet yesterday; MEAT. Add to that the heat and an all-star performance wasn't in the cards.

The water has receded a bit around here but is still ridiculously high. I stopped to help about five turtles stuck in a construction area. I passed two others that got run over on the road. No snakes, thank goodness.

Conditions:
Hour: 7:15 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: sunny
Temperature: 68 degrees
Humidity: 70 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Training Run

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 44:58
Pace: 8:59 min/mi

Comments: So, wonder of wonders, the sun came out in beautiful clear blue skies today. The temperatures were even rather pleasant. But, despite the bonnie weather, the high water remained a problem. It was actually higher than yesterday as the waters from further north are moving down the watershed.

So my shoes got soaked as I forded a couple of spots. Since I was stopping to take photos they dried enough to not act like lead weights. The pictures from this run are here: http://imgur.com/a/68X2m

Overall a very reasonable effort. I got five miles in which was a nice change. I might even try for six tomorrow depending on how my legs feel.

Conditions:
Hour: 7 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: sunny
Temperature: 68 degrees
Humidity: 75 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Easy Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:00
Pace: 9:15 min/mi

Comments: Yet another deluge arrived this morning but, by about 9 a.m., it had moved on. I waited a bit after and went out for the run. I decided to swing by the Elm Fork of the Trinity River up the road here to see how high the water had gotten. Quite a bit, it turns out.

I've posted a few more photos here: http://imgur.com/a/PbPj5

So the run was marked with lots of stops and pauses. And the route has noticeably more elevation changes than my usual loop. So I was understandably slower than normal but not excessively so. I also figured having a bit of caution would be wise since I'd like to get another one of these in tomorrow.

Conditions:
Hour: 9:45 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: rain/overcast
Temperature: 70 degrees
Humidity: 95 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada

Training Run

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

Comments: This was really the first run in the last week that I've felt halfway decent about. After the usual first mile creakiness I felt like I was actually running. I nailed the 9 minute pace threshold on the nose but, more importantly my splits were all within five seconds. That's the kind of consistency I've been looking for. Now, if I can keep that and work on conditioning I've got a plan going forward.

Conditions:
Hour:
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 64 degrees
Humidity: 98 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: Slight soreness in my right hip.

Recovery Run

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 18:09
Pace: 9:04 min/mi

Comments: I had a suspicion this one would be a chore and so it was. I was a touch creaky at the start and then battling fatigue after that. Weirdly enough, my legs felt much better. So the conditioning is improving but gotta work on the energy levels. In other news, when I started walking in I was beset by a swarm of enormous mosquitoes. Looks like I need to procure some repellent before my next run.

Conditions:
Hour: 6:30 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 71 degrees
Humidity: 95 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada