SlamthePavement Sunday

Streak to the beach - Day 90

Time :1:33:20 Minutes
Distance : 9.5 Miles 
This Week: 30.75 Miles

Total: 308.15 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 34

Week 5: 30.75 Miles  
Total: 148.9 Miles

Busy day, I started out with a 9.5 mile run at 7:30 AM.  Even at 7:30 I could feel the heat and humidity, it made for a stifling run.

After the run the family went to a live performance of les miserable, then walked the dog, and finally broke out the bike for day 2 of “le tour challenge”. I rode 7.6 km in 22.37.

I ran down to the river and through a part of the flood zone for the first time. The impact of the flood on the river banks and the flows was remarkable. The pathway was covered in silt in places, fenced off in places and just missing in others.

The river is still very high, but has receded significantly, the news is reporting that flows are still above the peak 2005 flood levels. This link is to a picture from June 8 and this is the same picture today.

The run was good, I was feeling some soreness from the bike ride yesterday and took a little longer fort he warm up.  Then I even held back and tried to run closer to a 6 min / km pace. I had one little incident where I was bushwhacking thru a fenced off area(the one in the picture above). I hooked my foot on a loose piece of wire and fell getting a little road rash on the heel of my right hand.  It was not hard enough to do damage but man it smarted for a few minutes.

A busy Sunday.

Plod On.

Switchemup Saturday

Streak to the beach - Day 89

Time : 28:31Minutes
Distance : 3.0 Miles 
This Week: 21.25 Miles

Total: 298.65 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 33

Week 5: 21.25 Miles  
Total: 139.4 Miles

Beautiful Hot Sunny day today and I decided to cross train. I broke out my bike for the first ride of the year and in honour of the first day of “le tour” put on my yellow (ish) jersey.

I rode about 6 miles and then due to muscle soreness from using some previously neglected muscle groups and my daughters sleepover I packed it in.

I was feeling it enough later in the evening that I decided to forgo a treadmill run and rest up for tomorrow.

Plod On.

Frustrating Friday

Streak to the beach - Day 89

Time : 25:00 Minutes
Distance : 2.7 Miles 
This Week: 18.25 Miles

Total: 295.65 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 33

Week 5: 18.25 Miles  
Total: 136.4 Miles

Well today was a write off. I drove through the flood are for the first time today and saw the devastation first hand.  It is gonna be a long haul cleaning up. Other than that felt off all day, I was feeling light headed every time I stood up and was generally lethargic.

Which is why I chose to do a slow run on a treadmill and put in a minimal effort to keep the streaks going. Not only that but it finally dawned on me that the MapMyRun.com le tour challenge starts tomorrow. I will try to ride my bike for 20 minutes on every day there is a stage of le tour.  last year I made it until I got a flat tire. So for a few days starting tomorrow I will have three streaks going on at the same time.

Tonight’s run was simple, I set the incline at 0.5%, set the speed at 6.3 mph (9:40 pace) and strode out for 25 minutes. I was playing it by ear and was willing to drop out after 1 mile but felt Ok so continued on to the 25 minute mark.

Junk Miles are still Miles.

Plod On

Tanning Thursday

Streak to the beach - Day 88

Time : 43:56 Minutes
Distance : 5.0Miles 
This Week: 15.55 Miles

Total: 292.95 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 32

Week 5: 15.55 Miles  
Total: 133.7 Miles

Another good day. It was a little cloudy when I snuck outside at lunch time to catch some rays.  It got hot enough today that the house was uncomfortable by the end of the day.

I waited until almost sunset to run tonight. It was starting to cool down as the sun was dipping below the horizon. I decided to run through the off leash area as it was late enough that most dogs would at home in bed. There is also a great view of downtown from the end of the park which is even better as the sun sets.

You can see the start of a thundercloud hanging over downtown, kind of an ominous sign given our recent history.

The route tonight was an extension through the dog park added onto the loop route from my front door. I love the slight uphill section that runs along the ridge trails in the off leash area.

It is a nice route with an uphill right off the bat and then a dip in the center and a nice downhill finish. 

I took it easy from the start and gradually picked up the pace throughout the run. When I was running through the off leash area I picked up about 50 little vampirish friends that swarmed around me as I ran.  When I stopped to take a picture several of them lighted on me for a snack. This is a good incentive to keep moving.

It was a nice run on a trail of good memories.

Plod On.

Watchful Wednesday

Streak to the beach - Day 87

Time : 30:00 Minutes
Distance : 3.3 Miles 
This Week: 10.55 Miles

Total: 287.95 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 31

Week 5: 10.55 Miles  
Total: 128.7 Miles

Finally a perfect day, bright and sunny all day and temperatures in the mid 70’s. Perfect for running.  But alas, I chose to run on the treadmill tonight.  I wanted to have a controlled run on a flat course to see if the pain in my calf continued for a third run.  The treadmill is perfect for those criteria.

The run itself was simple.  No incline and starting pace of 9:30, then after 10 minutes I changed the pace to 9:00 and then after another 10  minutes I changed the pace to 8:30 and held that for the rest of the run.

I felt some tightness in my right shin but my calf felt ok for the entire run.  So it might just have been stressed from the hills.

I may have been running on a treadmill but my mind was running here.

Plod On.

Trekking Tuesday

Streak to the beach - Day 86

Time : 31:49 Minutes
Distance : 3.75 Miles 
This Week: 7.25 Miles

Total: 284.65 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 30

Week 5: 7.25 Miles  
Total: 125.4 Miles

Will things ever settle down weather wise? Today was beautiful and sunny in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon and the evening was punctuated with heavy downpours and thunderstorms.

When I ran this was the view of downtown, bright and highlighted by the late afternoon sun.

Less than an hour after I finished we were hit with a massive thunderstorm.  When I look outside now (several hours later) I can still see lightening flashes to the east.

Planning routes has been difficult since the flooding, some routes are closed, some routes by the river are not safe  and some are just not accessible.

The route I chose is a variation of my common routes. I ran from my doorstep around the neighbourhood and home.  It either starts or finishes with (depending on if Irun counter clockwise or clockwise) a trail run. Tonight it started with the trail run.

It is fairly dense for a few hundred meters the opens up under the power lines. No matter what direction you run it has gradual uphills for about a third of the run at the beginning and then has a fast downhill finish. Always a good way to end the run.

Tonight’s effort was tough, I had a slow first mile when I stopped to take pictures, then ran the uphill fairly fast and smoked the downhill section with 2 miles at under 8 minute miles. Not fast for a younger version of me but fast for the aging me.

The only complaint that I had was that my right calf was aching on the uphill section and then for the remainder of the run. Kind of an fatigued tightness in between the soleus and the gastrocnemius. I had the same feeling during last nights run after the big hill.

A dry run on a wet day.

Plod On.

MissingMojo Monday

Streak to the beach - Day 85

Time : 37:15 Minutes
Distance : 3.5 Miles 
This Week: 3.5 Miles

Total: 284.65 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 29

Week 5: 3.5 Miles  
Total: 121.65 Miles

Day 5 of the flood watch in Cowtown, the water has receded and people are moving back into their homes and beginning the arduous clean up.  It could take a while.  I took this picture of the river tonight and it is down quite a bit from Friday (Picture Here) but is still very high.

The sun was out this morning which just causes all the standing water to evaporate and form the clouds for the late afternoon and evening which is when I ran.  I decided to run a portion of the Douglass fir trail, then run up the road from Edworthy park and follow the City streets home.  The objective was to get some trail running in and avoid the flooded areas.

It was a good plan, but there were a few problems.  The trail conditions were not great.

In fact it was a bit of a slog and when I reached the valley floor the trail disappeared under a large pool of standing water.  This required a bit of bushwhacking keeping on the downslope until I could make my way around the water and back to the trail on dry ground.

I was not running fast and between the exploring and the picture taking it was really slow for the first mile.  The second mile had a very long and very steep uphill section that pushed my limits and was slow. Then it was an easy downhill run home.

Some nights it just is not there, this was one of those nights. Maybe my mojo will be back tomorrow.

Plod On

Stripped Down Sunday

Streak to the beach - Day 84

Time : 1:35:00 Minutes
Distance : 10.0 Miles 
This Week: 28.05 Miles

Total: 281.15 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 28

Week 4: 28.05 Miles  
Total: 119.35 Miles

Runner’s world published an article on running naked (without gadgets) here. Today I inadvertently did just that, I forgot my phone at home and that meant no map, no camera, no precise timing, no splits, no nothing.

Due to the flooding a lot of the routes I usually run were still closed. I chose a 17 km route that stuck to city streets and skirted the flooded reservoir but on paths that are well above the level of the water.

This is a nice 16 km route with some serious long hills and a good mixture of city streets and scenic pathways, (even though the river looked more like the Ganges wide and silty).

This is what it looks like in the winter, today was much different but due to the technology nakedness I had to rely on an old picture.

The run was good, I took some slow down sections and ran the hills hard and my legs were very tired at the end of the run. This was the longest distance that I have run this year I must be building to something!

A long run and a fun one.

Plod On

Flooding Friday

Streak to the beach - Day 82

Time : 20:00 Minutes
Distance : 2.1 Miles 
This Week: 14.05 Miles

Total: 267.15 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 26

Week 4: 14.05 Miles  
Total: 105.35 Miles

Well a very exciting day in a city that shut down, some 20 communities (100,000 people) are under a mandatory evacuation order and most roads that include a bridge are shut down.  Driving anywhere is difficult to say the least.

Silly people panicking emptied the grocery store shelves of water and some food stocks even though there is no indication of any interruption of services. This is the view of the river that I posted on June 10

And this is the same view of the river today

Quite the difference eh?  Anyway the sun has come out and the waters will start receding and we will get back to normal.

I elected to run inside on the treadmill again. I did a simple run for a Friday night and set the treadmill for 9:30 minute miles and ran for 20 minutes and felt crappy the entire time. I’ve gotten to the point where I am started to count the days to July 4 and take a rest day.

Another day another couple of miles.

Plod On.

Torrential Thursday

Streak to the beach - Day 81

Time : 30:00 Minutes
Distance : 3.5 Miles 
This Week: 11.95 Miles

Total: 265.05 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 25

Week 4: 11.95 Miles  
Total: 103.25 Miles

This morning started with heavy rains and fog that continued through lunch, then the afternoon was on and off.

The Emergency Broadcast System came on around supper time, 2 days in a row, today we are under a flood watch. Apparently the heavy rains for the last 2 days combined with the melting snowpack in the mountains are causing the rivers to rise to “unprecedented” levels with anticipated flooding in low lying areas.  The results are mandatory evacuations in 15 communities in the city and several of the small towns in the area.  An exciting day to say the least.

The day was punctuated with thunderstorms rolling through the city with periods of dry in between but really weird looking skies all day long.

This unpredictability made it difficult to plan an outside run. Every time I got dressed and was ready to run the skies opened up. So eventually I just headed downstairs to the treadmill (again) and cranked out a half hour run. Nothing to comment on set the treadmill at 9:00 min miles and bumped it up to 8:30 after 10 minutes and just strided out.

It was a fast (ish) run but it still felt like junk miles.

Plod On.

Weak Wednesday

Streak to the beach - Day 80

Time : 20:00 Minutes
Distance : 2.2 Miles 
This Week: 8.45 Miles

Total: 261.55 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 24

Week 4: 2.2 Miles  
Total: 99.75 Miles

It was a tough day.  My energy levels were waning and my motivation was even worse.  In the evening when I was contemplating the run, the Emergency Broadcast System came on with a potential tornado warning, we were already under a heavy rain warning and were currently in a band of thunderstorms. So running outside was out.

 

So it was off to the treadmill for me.  Tonight’s plan was a recovery run, just enough distance to loosen the legs. It was the first time I came close to running the minimum.  I set the treadmill at 9:30 min mile pace and ran for 10 minutes. I then bumped the pace to just under 9:00 min miles and finished the run.

Some days it is just not there, tomorrow is another day.

Plod On.

Twilight Tuesday

Streak to the beach - Day 79

Time : 28:57 Minutes
Distance : 3.25 Miles 
This Week: 6.25 Miles

Total: 259.35 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 23

Week 4: 3.25 Miles  
Total: 97.55 Miles

It was another wild day, raining buckets at noon, sunny in the early evening then cloudy and grey as the sun set. Well I did not run in the rain and I did not run in the late afternoon sun so that left the twilight for me.

Now if today had been Monday the title for this post would have been Mosquito Monday.  As soon as I stepped outside they were swarming around, and when I paused to take this picture I thought I was going to be eaten alive or at least carried off by the buggers.

I chose a route in the neighbourhood that is a shorter version of a 4.5 mile run that I have done frequently. It combines trails and gravel, residential streets and a few hills. 

Tonight there was a little surprise on the route, one of the fields I usually run through had this sprout up on it.

It is time for the Hellenic Festival where the local Greek Orthodox Church hosts a weekend of Greek culture and cuisine.  Every year it is a great weekend party that literally rocks this section of town.

The other surprise was that as I turned onto the street in front of my house a black cat went scurrying across the street and a young buck with it’s velvet horns took off in the other direction. I went back to take a picture but the deer was long gone.

My plan was for a shorter recovery run and I held off  for a while but the pace picked up for the middle part of the run. Overall I ran an easy pace and just grooved out to running in the almost dark. It’s kinda cool for me as the darkness removes all the distractions and lets me focus on the run.

A great night and a fun run.

Plod On.

Moody Monday

Streak to the beach - Day 78

Time : 26:10 Minutes
Distance : 3.0 Miles 
This Week: 3.0 Miles

Total: 256.1 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 22

Week 4: 3.0 Miles  
Total: 94.35 Miles

Today was another day of sun and rain. Afternoon thunderstorms rolled through and cleared off for a nice evening. Buying a loaf of sourdough bread offset the dentist’s visit and a visit to the British pantry to stock up on English treats and tea was just a bonus.

I decided to do a treadmill run tonight to go for the low impact workout and give my connective tissue a little break. After yesterday’s long run it was hard to get motivated to workout tonight. I went down to the treadmill thinking 10 minute miles for one or two miles.  As usual the first few minutes were a tough haul then things eased off so when 5 minutes rolled around I bumped the pace, then at 10 minutes another bump and at 15 minutes another bump and at 20 minutes I settled into a 7:40 pace for the last 6 minutes. In the last interval I could feel my knee start to hurt, so maybe I should back off on speed for a while.

So recovery turned into progression, an all too common experience.

Plod On.

Scary Sunday

Streak to the beach - Day 77

Time : 1:13:31 Minutes
Distance : 8.25 Miles 
This Week: 29.90 Miles

Total: 253.1 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 21

Week 3: 29.90 Miles  
Total: 91.35 Miles

What to say about today? It had it’s highs, it had it’s lows, it was exciting, it was relaxing and most of all it was scary. The day started early with the traditional Sunday pancakes made by me. Then my daughter heading out the door for a cheer thing, and I headed out for the Sunday group run at the Running Room. As is the usual case recently I ended up doing my group run alone.

The afternoon was exciting and scary. My son decided to ride his bike through a yellow light and was knocked over by a car.  this involved Police, EMS and Fire trucks. One closed intersection, a traffic ticket and few scrapes and bruises later everything was OK.

The run was the high point of the day.  I ran the same route (sort of) that I ran last week but in reverse.  I decided to do a little exploring (read I got LOST twice) and added a little distance.

Running in reverse meant that I ran along the edge of the ridge and was bombarded with distant and pleasing mountain views to the west.

And a Pond that I ran right by last week without seeing it.

It is hard to imagine missing something that pretty.

All in all a good day and a very lucky day.

Plod On.

Sudden Death Saturday

Streak to the beach - Day 76

Time : 25:41 Minutes
Distance : 2.8 Miles 
This Week: 21.55 Miles

Total: 244.85 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 20

Week 3: 21.55 Miles  
Total: 83.10Miles

Another Schizophrenic  day weather wise.  The morning started out nice so I busted out the lawnmower and put a some easy miles on trimming the grass in the weather window.  Almost as soon as I finished the thunderstorms rolled in and the rest of  the day was rain on and off. I lit the BBQ in a weather window and ended up grilling dinner in the rain.

I put off the run watching the hockey game, then 9:00 rolled around and the game was going into overtime.  I had a choice to make either watch  the game or run. Then an epiphany! I could do a sudden death run while watching the OT period.  So the rules became run either the minimum or run until a goal was scored to end the game, whichever took longer.

I set the treadmill at a 0.5% incline and 9:30 pace and started up as the players hit the ice.  25:41 minutes later Boston scored and I stepped off the treadmill.

Weirdest run I ever did.

Plod On.

Freaky Friday

Streak to the beach - Day 75

Time : 34:29 Minutes
Distance : 4.2 Miles 
This Week: 18.75 Miles

Total: 242.05 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 19

Week 3: 18.75 Miles  
Total: 80.30Miles

Friday is typically an errand day, we usually spend the morning avoiding the cleaning lady. Today was a weird day today, one minute it was sunny and the next it was thunder, lightening and pouring rain. I took the opportunity in between the evening  deluges to get my run in.

I chose a route that is relatively flat, with a gradual uphill for the first 2.5 km and then mainly down hill for the rest. I planned a fairly easy run, more or less junk miles to keep the streak alive. It turned out a little different the down hill section blazed by with some good striding. 

I don’t know why but the police were out in force in the area, I saw three patrol cars one with people pulled over and the cops with hands on guns, it made me a little nervous.

This was taken on the down hill showing a beautiful tree lined street in the sunshine.

Then a few minutes later looking across the valley at the football stadium (the lights GO STAMPS) it was cloudy and rainy. Time to head home.

A good day, I’m happy with the time and pace.

Plod On.

Tardy Thursday

Streak to the beach - Day 74

Time : 30:00 Minutes
Distance : 3.35 Miles 
This Week: 14.55 Miles

Total: 237.85 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 18

Week 3: 14.55 Miles  
Total: 76.10Miles

The day seemed like a rush, I felt like I was late for everything and always hurrying. Even my run was put off until the kids had been rushed to bed. It was a big day for my son as his school soccer team battled for the gold medal in their division on a cloudy and rainy day.

Unfortunately they came up a little short and had to settle for the silver medal. This picture was taken as I was sitting in the relative heat and comfort  in the car whilst they were not!

I had a little nap while watching the tube and then got up in time to put the kids to bed and at 9:00 headed down to run.  My motivation was this youtube video.  I was tired and my legs were rubbery but the thought of 1/2 hour for exercise out of 24 was god motivation.

The treadmill run was kinda boring, at least there is a TV in there.

But it did what the treadmill does best and forced me to run the pace that I planned.  Tonight I did a quick warm up at 10 min miles then set the pace at just under 9:00 and held it there for the majority of the remaining run.

A good recovery run on a cold and rainy night.

Plod On

Wild Wednesday

Streak to the beach - Day 73

Time : 41:47 Minutes
Distance : 5.25 Miles 
This Week: 11.25 Miles

Total: 234.50 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 17

Week 3: 11.25 Miles  
Total: 72.75 Miles

A perfect day for a run 21 degrees and mainly sunny. I decided not to head for the running and to run in a flatter area on even surfaces to destress my knee.

It was meant to be a recovery run, but it turned out more like a tempo. I wanted a long slow run on a flatish course to give my knee a little break. I thought it started out that way I was running a slight down hill (as the river flows) at a very comfortable pace. But the splits were coming out at 5;10 /km.  I made the turnaround point and started the hard part of the run and still was getting decent splits had a vary strong finish and a very decent run.

I took this picture to provide a comparison to the last time I ran this course in April.

The picture from my Run for Boston Run was taken in a location close to this spot and shows quite a contrast.  6 weeks makes a big difference.

Perfect day, almost perfect run.

Plod On

Tweaked Tuesday

Streak to the beach - Day 72

Time : 25:10 Minutes
Distance : 3.0 Miles 
This Week: 6.0 Miles

Total: 229.25 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 16

Week 3: 6.0 Miles  
Total: 67.5 Miles

Busy, busy, busy. A full day today then a travel studies meeting at the school making it a full night tonight. Then after all that a 10:00 PM treadmill run because I did not want to run outside in the cold and dark.

The run was simple, set the treadmill at a 0.5% incline, set the pace at 9:00 minute miles then every 5 minutes bump the speed up a bit and finish with 5 minutes at 7:40.

Unfortunately at about 24:30 I felt a twinge in my knee and it persisted until the run finished. Luckily it feels OK now, I’ll wait and see how it feels tomorrow.

A hard run but a great feeling.

Plod On.

Multitasking Monday

Streak to the beach - Day 71

Time : 29:10 Minutes
Distance : 3.0 Miles 
This Week: 3.0 Miles

Total: 226.25 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 15

Week 3: 3.0 Miles  
Total: 64.5 Miles

It was another beautiful day in the neighbourhood. It started out sunny and clouded over around lunch time.  After work I threw together a Turkey meatloaf and threw it in the oven.  What do you do while waiting for a meatloaf to cook? Why run of course!

I wanted to run something different had about 1/2 hour of run time available so did an abbreviated river loop. This route is mostly flat however,  there is a very steep downhill to get to the river then a shortish flat and then a very steep uphill to get home.  See the dip in the red line above.  Other than that it is a great run.

 

This is the view from the start of the down hill, the path runs almost straight down the hill and comes out across from the little island in the lower right of the picture. My knees were really feeling the down hill. The uphill is almost as steep and my lungs were really feeling the climb.

I got home, steamed a pot of vegetables, the meatloaf was ready and voila dinner was served.

A Multitasking Run!

Plod On.

SoAlone Sunday

Streak to the beach - Day 70

Time : 1:11:20 Minutes
Distance : 7.5 Miles 
This Week: 28.8 Miles

Total: 226.25 Miles

Runner’s World Summer Streak - Day 14

Week 1: 32.7 Miles
Week 2: 28.8 Miles 
Total: 61.5 Miles

I lay in bed this morning, huddled under the blankets enjoying a slow and relaxing start to the day. I had  my kindle fired up reading a trashy adventure novel and then I looked at the clock and decided I had time to make the Running Room for a group run.  It was hard getting motivated to get out of bed as my legs were tired and somewhat sore from the last 2 runs. Friday I challenged pace a little and on Saturday I ran some difficult hills. I decided that today would be a 10 or so km slow recovery run.

The thermometer in the car said it was a chilly 9 C, the skies were overcast and the air was damp. A perfect day for a run. Unfortunately when I showed up for a group run no one else did so I found myself running in a group of one. It is a little disappointing as I can run alone from home and save 1/2 of driving.

I chose a route that I love. It runs on the gravel paths through Griffith Woods park and then along the city streets back to the store.

I find that running on trails is easier on my aching legs than concrete and pavement So when I am feeling it I try to make softer surfaces a part of the run. Today I got to run on some trails that were shared by deer.

I saw the fresh deer foot tracks but alas I did not get to run with the deer today. But that did not mean that there were not sights worth seeing on the trek through the forest. 

It was so calm that there was not a ripple on the water in this beaver dammed part of the creek.

On the way back to the store I deviated from the usual route and decided to explore some of the bike paths through the neighbourhood. Unfortunately this lead to running up and down the ridge a couple of times but it is always nice to run a different route. Fortunately I did come across a couple of deer grazing on the hillside that I was running UP.  From the top of the ridge there were some great views of the houses below leading into the park and the river and it extended the part of the run that was not on city streets.

Nuff said, a lonely but fun run.

Plod On

Slowdown Saturday

Streak to the beach - Day 69

Time : 40:49 Minutes
Distance : 4.1 Miles 
This Week: 21.3 Miles

Total: 226.25 Miles

They say timing is everything, and tonight timing worked in my favour. I put off my run until the early evening and then as I finished it started to rain (as in thunderstorm).

The plan for the run was just a recovery run.  Put in some slow miles and keep the legs loose. I decided to run down to the river on the bike path which follows the old Quarry Road.

This was a good choice for running down the hill as the grade is not that severe and the footing is softer and easier on the connective tissue (read knees).

The river is showing the effects of two weeks of rain filling the channel from bank to bank and flooding some of the little islands.

The run back up the hill was steeper and on a route I have not run before.

Not to mention that there was a remarkable contrast between the gravel quarry road (above) and the major road I paralleled here.

All in all it was a good run and a nice change.

Plod On.

Floating Friday

Streak to the beach - Day 68

Time : 26:20 Minutes
Distance : 3.1 Miles 
This Week: 17.2 Miles

Total: 222.15 Miles

Another beautiful day in cow town but it almost ended with summer thunderstorms.  It started to cloud over late in the afternoon and the thunderheads started to build. I guess just not quite hot enough to spark the big storms. I was up early working in front of the computer, then went for lunch and had a beer or two which made it easy to have an afternoon nap. It also lead to a 10 PM run on the treadmill.

This is the view that I see when I run on the treadmill. Tonight I went downstairs without a plan and actually thinking that I might just do the minimum and run one very slow mile.  I ended up doing a progression run for 3.1 miles (5 km).  It started with a short warm up and then ran at a 9:30 pace. I bumped the pace every 5 minutes and finished at a 7:30 pace.

My knee is still hurting when I bend it or kneel on it. I feel it for the first few minutes of a run and then is seems to settle in. Still hoping I can run through it.

Day 12 of the Runner’s World Summer Streak is in the books and it was a fun run.

Plod On

Takeabreak Thursday

Streak to the beach - Day 67

Time : 23:40 Minutes
Distance : 2.5 Miles 
This Week: 14.1 Miles

Total: 219.05 Miles

What a beautiful busy day.  The sun was shining, the temperatures were perfect and I was stuck in my dungeon in front of a computer (I did take a minute to eat my lunch outside). Then after work rushed to the soccer pitch to watch my son play, then home to eat and rush to the school for Jr./Sr. High awards night. All this got me home and on the treadmill at 9:30 PM.

It was a keep the streak(s) alive kind of day.  I set the treadmill at a 0.5% incline and 6.5 mph and strided out 2.5 junk miles. On the down side I am feeling some pain in my right knee and it is increasing in intensity. It  looks like my runner’s knee is coming back, which means some research and some exercises.

And that was Day 11 of the Runner’s World Summer Streak.

Plod On.

Whimsical Wednesday

Streak to the beach - Day 66

Time : 37:12 Minutes
Distance : 4.2 Miles 
This Week: 11.6 Miles

Total: 215.55 Miles

Today was sunny, cloudy, sunny, cloudy well it really could not decide. At least it was not raining. For national running day I laced up and headed to Edworthy park and ran along the almost flooding river.

I wanted to do a nice flat slow 5K run after yesterdays hard hill run.  The red line looks like it was a hilly course but the total gain was only about 10 m.

It was not a tough run and the pace was a little quicker than I planned but I did not push the pace and was comfortable for most of the run. The route is an out and back that terminates at one of the oldest bridges in town.

The bridge is a steel framed with a wood deck and is in service as a pedestrian bridge across the river. A modern concrete bridge was built right beside if for cars. I love the Bridge.

It was a good run on a cool nigh and a change from my regular routes.

Happy National Running Day to our southern neighbours.

Plod on.

Tanning Tuesday

Streak to the beach - Day 65

Time : 40:41 Minutes
Distance : 4.3 Miles 
This Week: 7.4 Miles

Total: 211.35 Miles

What to say about today. I woke up this morning to the sight of the sunshine streaming in through the morning fog. It seems that all that rain was evaporating and turning to fog in the cool morning air.

The sunshine stuck around for most of the day. I enjoyed lunch outside sitting in the sun working on my tan. In the afternoon there were errands to run. And then a window of opportunity for a run while my son played soccer. Bonus, it was an opportunity to run a route that I had never done before.

As you can see from the red line at the bottom of the chart this route is the opposite of Sunday’s.  It goes down tidley down down and then up tidley up up.

The run was great but the sun was gone and the clouds rolled in.  At least it was cool enough that we did not get any thunderstorms.

It is so cloudy that you can’t even see the mountains in the distance. 

The run was challenging,  The start was up a hill and then I cut through a gated community that I once almost built a home in and ran down a very aggressive hill then started back up. It was a very hard finish, but was timed just right, I arrived back at the soccer pitch right as the game ended.

Nice to be running outside again.

Plod On.