Running toward summer...June runs

[Jolt]

I thought we needed a new thread! Yesterday I did a 5K rail trail race in my new town, time was 27:54 putting me about in the middle of the pack as usual. Found out about a weekly group run that I might check out (although it sounds like it might be a bunch of speed demons where I will be the straggler). Today's run was about a half hour on the beach...would have been longer but I forgot to check the tide chart and, Murphy's law, got there right at high tide and had to turn around after 15 minutes because I got to a stretch where the whole beach was underwater and there was no convenient way around it. After my run I decided to go in the water...it was COLD, I stayed in about five minutes, and a guy on the beach commented that he couldn't believe I did that . It took a while to warm up...next time I will bring a thermos of hot tea to drink after doing shenanigans like that.

ETA: Just looked up the water temp at Wells Beach for today and it is 50 degrees according to surfline.com--yikes!

[Crankin]

Can't believe you went in that water. It sounds like a nice place for running, though.
How is the new job?

[skhill]

That cold ocean water sounds wonderful-- we're mired in a heat wave here... Running on the beach must be great!

Today, I headed over to the track for some speedwork. This time, I brought along the mp3 player, and the music really helped. Did a mile in 7:28, my fastest ever as far as I know. Then I pretended to be Tyson Gay, who's both the fastest American ever and the fastest fellow alumnus of our high school. He's probably run on this track, as it's the only one in town not behind a locked gate... Of course, he can run the 200 faster than my best 100 this morning!

At 6:30 am, it was hot and humid enough that I was seriously contemplating taking off my shirt, but couldn't bring myself to do it, even though there's women/girls walking around the neighborhood in tops skimpier than my sports bra... I was absolutely drenched with sweat when I got home.

[Jolt]

Can't believe you went in that water. It sounds like a nice place for running, though.
How is the new job?

The new job is great--I like the team I am working with and things are coming along nicely as far as learning the ropes. After work today I did that group run...should have gone with the group going 3 miles and not the 6-mile group! It was kind of hot, I'm not used to running with other people, and it was a not-too-exciting out-and-back route along busy roads; between all these factors it wasn't my best run and I felt bad about being the slow person. The good thing is that there are some people in the running group who are training for triathlons and doing some open-water swimming, so I might be able to join them on some of their swims.

[limewave]

I had a slow, intermittent jog yesterday. This heat and humidity is killing me! I'm supposed to do 6 hilly miles today . . . we'll see . . .

[Crankin]

I went for a trail run this morning. My options were a 42 mile road ride in a semi-urban area in the 90 degree heat/bad air, run on the road, or trail. So, I walked down to the neighborhood trail, about half a mile on the road for my warm up and ran to the end of the connecting trail in the next town. So glad I chose this option! The beginning of the neighborhood trail has 2 wet areas and rolling logs, so I immediately looked like an adventure girl, but after that, it becomes wider and drier. Funny, how the same place looks different when you're doing different activities. Even though I was going slowly, it flew by. On the return, I wanted to avoid the wet, so I took the very steep trail that comes out about 3 doors down from my house. I was able to jog up all but the steepest part, about 1500 feet. I then ran down the side of the road on the dirt to my driveway. Door to door it's 4 miles, but I think I probably ran 3, walked 1. I really should do more of this. I like it much more than running on the road.
Now to wash the DEET off of me.

[skhill]

Joy of joys-- I cut my run short this morning because of an approaching thunderstorm!! It's been more than 2 weeks since we've seen a drop of rain... The storm petered out before getting here, but we got a little rain, and there's chances for more today/tonight. Cut the run short at 4.5 miles, and it's all good-- my tight calf can probably use the rest anyway.

[limewave]

Major blahs this morning.

15 mile progressive run late last night.

And because my schedule is so wacky, I got up at 4:30 AM to run the scheduled 6 miles this morning. I was worried I would cheat and cut it short, so I did the Bear Lake loop with is closer to 7 miles.

22 miles in 10 hours. I'm beat.

[katluvr]

Ok, so I ran (well sorta) 16 miles yesterday. I will try not to sound tooooo whiney. Some of you may know/remember that I am training for Pikes Peak Ascent. It's only 13.2 miles...but avg 12% incline and not much oxygen. So as part of my training here in Florida I am doing treadmill work, hill repeats and going the distance with a marathon training plan. So yesterday was 16 miles. I have only done that distance once before when I did train for a marathon. I started at 7 AM (or a little after). We drove up to do multi-use path we bike on and did the "hilly section". Mostly small rollers, a few longer-steeper ones. I am slow, and I know that. My goal is to avg an 11 minute mile. I can say overall I actually did that. But mentally it is tough (duh & physically). It was hot & humid (I am hoping this helps make me tough since I'll have tougher things to deal w/ on the mountain). I did take walk breaks...more than I wanted to...longer than I wanted to. My quads were VERY tight and heavy by mile 10. Does anyone ever run 16 miles and feel good? Will I?? I was so tired after. (Not to mention HOT).

So on the good side...I DID IT! I met my lowly goal of 11 min miles. I did some "hills". Only 1 blister. Quads tight today but I am moving. I am VERY hungry today! My 1/2 marathon time was about 2:24. So my BEST HM is 2:10, so not bad for a hot training run. I expect my PPA time will be X2 of my normal HM so that is about 5 hours (I have 6 1/2 hours to complete it). So I guess I am meeting my goals. But I admit I am envious and in awe of some of the runs, speed, distances, etc that you ladies are doing and reporting here!

So a little over 2 months, getting my training really in gear! Next weekend is a shorter 10 mile or so run before I ramp back up to 16 and then 18 miles. All I can do is keep trudging along. Thanks for letting me vent and thanks for all the inspiration on this forum!

K

[Crankin]

Just came back from another trail run. Very wet and muddy. Not sure how far I went, since I went in a different direction on one of the trails and turned around and headed back, since there was construction noise coming from the direction of my usual route. Probably 3.5 miles.
Again, very slow, but I enjoy it so much. And nothing hurts the next day.

[skhill]

katluvr, I'm in awe of anyone who can go 16 miles in Florida heat and humidity-- that's awesome! I've been struggling to cope with the KY version of summer...

Today was a nice little tempo run, 1 mile warming up, 4 fast, then 1 gently going home. The 4 fast miles averaged 8:08, with a 7:55 thrown in. Any sub-8 minute mile and I'm grinning like a maniac! There were more folks walking/running around the park today, and it's nice to have company out there. The incentive of passing people is helpful too!

[skhill]

Today was going to be a rest day-- but my cats did not approve of sleeping in, my newspaper was late, and it's looking like it's going to rain this afternoon so no bike ride.... So I ran anyway. Took a wandering route through the poorest part of town, then through the obstacle course that is the sidewalk reconstruction downtown. Ended up going about 5 miles, at a pretty quick pace. And when I got home, my newspaper was waiting and I heard the first peal of thunder just as I stepped onto my porch.

Now I have one cat trying to crawl into my skin and the other 2 are hiding under my bed-- they really, really don't like thunderstorms. But the garden needs the rain.

[indysteel]

I ran/walked about three miles Thursday and again on Saturday. I am not tolerating the heat and humidity very well at all. Merely from a running perspective, I'm looking forward to cooler weather again (don't shoot me!).

[jessmarimba]

Merely from a running perspective, I'm looking forward to cooler weather again (don't shoot me!).

Haha, I know how you feel. I'm not really a morning person but since my room faces east and I don't have curtains or blinds at the moment, I've been waking up incredibly early. And the beautiful thing about Colorado is that the weather is remarkably conducive to running/biking in the early morning. Too bad I'm slow as molasses in the am.

[Bike Chick]

I had a 4 AM wake up call yesterday morning by tornado sirens, weather radio and 60 mph winds. It was a wicked storm. After it passed, I took off on my 5 mile run before the heat and humidity kicked in. I did 5 miles of hills and felt great. It was cool to be out right after the storm too. It was a good run but my hamstrings are sore today.