Friday morning’s three-mile run was one of the worst in recent memory. Which is odd because Friday afternoon’s six-miler was one of the best. It’s often like that, this running doubles. One just slogs through, then feels great, then terrible again. And boy did I slog on that three-miler. Finishing in doubt, all achy and sore and stiff. Probably from the “speed” work 700s the night before.
The Friday night run, I just took off from my office building directly after work and ran up the Shoal Creek trail. I’d never run that stretch before and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new route. Sort of a cross between Lady Bird and the Greenbelt, but shorter and less crowded. I felt like a million bucks, the trail speeding me on. I attribute a lot of that to the environment, the scenery, maybe just the newness. Glad to be out of the neighborhood jogging doldrums.
Saturday morning Jessica ran so I only managed a late morning five-miler. It’s pretty hot this time of year.
Sunday I toughed my way through a twelve-miler. Didn’t start until 9am or so, and it was another ‘hood run, but I spiced it up with some local trails. Of the twelve miles, probably half of it was on a trail of some sort. For you Southwest Austin folk: from Arbor Trails (Costco) to Villages of Western Oaks to Slaughter Creek and back. Last mile in 6ish range. Plodded through the first 11 and finally said fudge it and started running. Run by feel, that’s what this summer is about. Again, was somewhat warm by the time I finished.
Monday morning, in keeping with the Summer of… schedule, a tempo was on the slate. Not wanting to run the firecracker at an insane 5:30am, I found yet another neighborhood route. The run started, continued, and finished strong. Interesting that I woke up excited to get started, and that lasted through the run. Most morning runs are labors to get going. This morning couldn’t wait to hop to it. The route had something to do with that. Here is the elevation map:
My advisor had suggested I incorporate a weekly run to the top of Red Bud Trail and back, but this was the best I could do in my neck of the woods. The highest point on that graph is Convict Hill, near our new house. The 8 miles accomplished in 56 minutes, with the first three of it around 7:30ish, the last six somewhere under seven. Never felt strained, wasn’t a Gazelles-type time-trial tempo, ’twas more of a true tempo. Most excellent run. Another three last night, 25 minutes (slow eh?), felt the effects of the morning run.
Ten solo on the trail this morning. First half ugh, second half yay!
Of the thirteen runs in the past nine days, twelve have been solo, with the lone exception being the Gazelles 700s last Thursday morning. It’s not that I don’t want to run with others, it just doesn’t work out. Or no one likes me enough to want to run with me. I’m ok with that.
The schedule doesn’t feel like a chore. Yet. The body seems to be holding up pretty well. So far. A few niggles and tweaks here and there. Strangely, the part that pains the most is my left shoulder. Longer runs and it’s quite painful. Attribute it to that stupid medicine ball misadventure from a couple weeks ago. Damn you core! Damn you!
I tried to swim a couple of laps (six) the other day. Arms burning, out of breath, nearly drowned. Yikes.
I eat like a pig. Or a goat. Or whatever omnivorous animal eats PBJs and not enough veggies. I do eat a fair amount of fruits, and avocado is a staple, a stray carrot here, a leaf of spinach there, but other than that it’s all carb-o-licious. No desire to become a slave to diet though.
Glad to see Andre and Michelle back in the blogosphere.
Joshua is funny. Some recent choice bits:
“Mrs. Paidle has good ear-sight.”
“What is that, an egg yog?” (yolk)
“Pandemonium? Is that like an angry mock?” (mob)
Joshua: How do you make friends?
Elijah: I guess if you and someone else like the same things…
Joshua: No, how do YOU make friends?
Elijah: Well, if they’re doing something I like or we’re on the playground, I just go up to them and say, “do you want to be friends?” Why, how do you make friends?
Joshua: I don’t make friends. Everyone else makes friends with me.
If this post seems more bland than usual, I apologize, just trying to chronicle my “Summer of…” experiment. Try to return soon with more witty anecdotes, less training log tedium. Probably no poetry, though I do appreciate it. :)
