Saturday, December 17, 2011

objective
6 mi.@ 731-820

achieved
6.27 mi.@ 8:03

7:52 AM 32° 50% 0 mph snowing

I went out after sunrise this Saturday morning. It had snowed during the night and continued snowing throughout my run. There were a lot of people on the trail this morning. I was surprised given the conditions. Included in among the runners were a couple different groups of CARA - Chicago Area Runners Association runners.

Felt okay this morning.

post run
chocolate almond milk, multivitamin, 2 poached eggs, large chicken sausage link

Friday, December 16, 2011

objective
4.5 mi.@ 7:31-8:20 w/4x30 sec. intervals @ 5:38 mixed in

achieved
4.73 mi.@ 8:03 w/4x30 sec. intervals 5:15/5:32/5:26/5:33

6:19 AM 29° 28% 1 mph
resting heart rate = 50 bpm
blood oxygenation = 97%

Even before leaving our place I was cold. Going outside amplified the sensation and running even more so ... at least for the first mile. Eased my way down to the butterfly sanctuary - which of course isn't active this time of year. On the way back threw in 4 30-second bursts. It actually felt pretty good to "open it up". There was a little ice along the trail this morning so I tried to pick my spots for speeding up carefully to avoid slipping. Even having to think about this cause a bit a tentativeness in my stride. I've essentially resigned myself to the presumption that I'll be falling down sometime this winter. I'm just hoping for a soft landing and that I don't get hurt too badly. I did "give myself" one of these:



for Christmas. If anyone finds my carcass along the path ... at least they'll know who to call!

Upon waking up this morning, I checked my heart rate and blood oxygenation. I had a couple readings of 48 bpm and 98%. I'm always happy when my heart rate starts with a "4". The most common reading was 50 and 97.

pre run
water & pumpkin muffin

post run
chocolate almond milk, multivitamin, pumpkin muffin, 2 eggs & 4 sausage links

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

objective
4.5 mi.@ 7:31-8:20

achieved
4.70 mi.@ 8:06

5:35 AM 44° 54% 0 mph rain

It was raining throughout this morning's run. On runs like this I wish I had my old clear lens sunglasses. Hmmmm ... maybe an idea for a Christmas gift to self ...? I'll have to look for some Banshee's by Optic Nerve. They're cheap sunglasses with interchangeable lenses. I had a pair a few years ago and liked them. One by one the lenses broke at the connection point with the frame. They were good for running and offered UV protection.

This morning I'm heading off to Denver for a day trip. I've got a meeting for work then back later tonight. I was quite pleased with myself for getting this run in ... with the rain and work situation today.

Monday, December 12, 2011

objective
4.5 mi.@ 7:31-8:20
2x20 sec. high knees
2x20 sec. bounding

achieved
4.60 mi.@ 8:11
2x20 sec. high knees
2x20 sec. bounding

5:02 AM 46° 58% 2 mph

Another classic run today. I "vacate" the Houston house in advance of the sale. I find myself surprisingly nostalgic and sentimental. I haven't slept that well the past couple nights as the house is empty and the reality of the situation seems to be hitting me for the first time. This is very strange since it's been known for several months. I think I may feel this way because I don't feel that I'm leaving on my own terms ... more of a "forced move".

I went out over the Stuebner-Airline Loop course then added a loop around the block when I got back to the house. These routes that I developed from home became old standbys over time. I knew the landmarks for each invisible mile mark over course ranging from 3 to 12 miles in 1/2 mile increments. There are loops, keyholes and out-and-back routes. There are variations in routing depending on time of day, season of the year and traffic flows. My body and mind seem to have become so familiar that I could switch on the auto-pilot and generally hit the desired pacing with a little extra kick at the end.

Good-bye Klein, Texas. I've enjoyed running your neighborhoods the past 5 years and 10 months.