Fitness Run

Distance: 8 miles
Time: 1:19:01
Pace: 9:52 min/mi

Comments: My intention was to do six miles today. Got started and it was so hot and humid and uncomfortable I thought it was likely I'd have to settle for four. But I warmed up well and decided to stay on track for six. Then, somewhere after mile five I realized I was doing very well and said, "what the heck" and went for eight.

Overall the run went well. It was very humid and I had to survive a swarm of gnats at one point. While 10 minute miles aren't earth shattering, my consistency over the course of the run was rather good, particularly the second half.

The last time I did eight miles was more than a year ago. The last time I did more than 25 miles in a week was April of 2013. I certainly am not setting any speed records but the fact is my strength is coming back. Soon I'll have to focus on stamina. That means speed work.

Conditions
Hour: 5:45 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 78 degrees
Humidity: 83 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 21

Injury update: The stiffness in the right calf continues and the ball of my left foot was sore for a couple miles.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38:23
Pace: 9:35 min/mi

Comments: My first two miles were as consistent as my last two miles, the problem being my pace over the second half of the run was a half minute slower per mile than the first. My legs feel significantly stronger and I'm definitely past the "just hold on and finish the damn thing" phase. But the heat and humidity are conspiring against my uneven conditioning. Still, that's 18 miles this week, the most since January.

Conditions
Hour: 6:00 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 74 degrees
Humidity: 81 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 21

Injury update: Slight but persistent soreness in my left calf.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:18
Pace: 9:19 min/mi

Comments: With the professional haymakers being tossed my way this week my head really wasn't into any kind of run this morning. But I still got the shoes on and out the door.

The temperature and humidity eased up slightly so the effort wasn't as brutal but my time really didn't reflect it. Not surprising since my focus was understandably shot to hell. I still sweat a pretty good deal, though.

So I got my four miles. If everything continues to go to hell in a handbasket, this is my victory for today.

Conditions
Hour: 6:15 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 73 degrees
Humidity: 68 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 21

Injury update: Got an ache in my left calf at one point but it passed.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 36:34
Pace: 9:08 min/mi

Comments: Not a bad effort. I slowed down a bit more than I would have liked on mile three but, overall, this was a solid run after a rough day.

Probably more importantly I finished August with a total of 16 runs -- basically one every other day. There were a couple of overlong days off, the longest being five days, but in terms of consistency, this is the best I've done in a long while.

Overall, I ran for ten hours and fifty minutes over the course of the last 31 days. That's the most in a months over the last year by far. In fact, I'd have to go back to January 2014 for the last month I ran more. Or, more to the point, back when I didn't have a regular job.

Conditions
Hour: 6:00 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 75 degrees
Humidity: 67 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 21

Injury update: nada

Fitness Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 58:28
Pace: 9:44 min/mi

Comments: That was an interesting effort. I started off with a slowish warm-up mile and then hit a very nice pace for the second. The run felt very good at this point and that proved to be the high point. It pretty much got tougher every step after that.

Which is to say the last mile was pretty brutal but for a nice chunk up to about the 4.5 mile mark, I felt reasonably good. Certainly not speedy but pretty solid given the heat and the humidity. And, as I need to keep reminding myself, the speed doesn't matter -- it's the amount of time out there.

Conditions
Hour: 6:40 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: partly cloudy
Temperature: 78 degrees
Humidity: 72 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 21

Injury update: A bit achy at the end including my right knee.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 35:47
Pace: 8:56 min/mi

Comments: I've been pretty inconsistent this week. Lotta factors contributing to that but I really have to prioritize my running more. I'll be cutting things close with my schedule this morning but I was able to carve out the time.

The temperatures have eased up somewhat in the morning and the difference is remarkable. It's still pretty warm and plenty humid but not exactly sauna-like as it has been.

The upshot is I am struggling less and able to focus on the run itself more. This was a nice solid effort with very consistent splits.

Conditions
Hour: 6:25 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 72 degrees
Humidity: 76 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 21

Injury update: nada

Fitness Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 36:35
Pace: 9:08 min/mi

Comments: The humidity is trying to kill me. Describing the conditions out there this morning suggests a rouges gallery of adjectives: swealtering, oppressive, inhumane.

I was a little stiff at the start as expected but warmed up rather quickly, I'm happy to say. As rough a slog as the weather made the run, I felt pretty strong most of the way. The spread on my splits was about 15 seconds which is probably the most encouraging sign yet.

The last four days have been rough but I needed them to get back into my routine. One day off and back at it on Wednesday.

Conditions
Hour: 6:15 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 76 degrees
Humidity: 85 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 21

Injury update: nada

Fitness Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 39:13
Pace: 9:47 min/mi

Comments: First run in the sunlight in quite awhile. That was a mistake with the current balmy conditions. I was slogging as hard as yesterday's run in half the time. At the end, my shirt was completely soaked with sweat. I mean completely.

The good news is that my legs felt strong enough to get me through the worst of it and my energy levels were sufficient to enable them to make it. The problem area was pretty clearly conditioning. The one bright spot there is my splits didn't range quite as far and my last mile wasn't my slowest.

Conditions
Hour: 7:20 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 82 degrees
Humidity: 77 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 21

Injury update: Tightness in left calf.

Fitness Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 59:04
Pace: 9:50 min/mi

Comments: This one was pretty much completely awful. I was slow, sweaty and sloppy. I wasn't particularly motivated at the start and pretty much just held on through the whole unpleasant slog by willpower alone. My pace on the last mile was 1:43 slower than the first.

Still, I got it done. I didn't need to set a land speed record, I just needed the miles and an hour-long effort. And not giving up and walking it in was more than I've been able to accomplish on this particular route in some time.

Conditions
Hour: 7:00 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: partly cloudy
Temperature: 73 degrees
Humidity: 83 percent
Wind: 5 mph
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 21

Injury update:

Fitness Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:03
Pace: 9:15 min/mi

Comments: I should have taken advantage of the cooler temperatures yesterday morning but I didn't. So I wasn't going to let today's slightly warmer temperature get by since it was still cooler than recent weeks. The run went OK. I've been really inconsistent this week and it is showing in my performance.

Conditions
Hour: 6:15 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 71 degrees
Humidity: 92 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 21

Injury update: Stiffness in my right Achilles tendon.