Wednesday, October 11, 2017

WWU - 6 Miles, No Whammies!

There really is no reason why my 6 mile run on Saturday went so well.  Or, should I say, there really was no reason why my 5 mile run the previous Saturday felt so rough?  Running.  It's a conundrum, that's for sure - so hard to predict how it will be on any given day.  The weather was darn near the same, so that wasn't a factor - still quite warm and very humid - and I actually had worked out more leading up to it, so I can't even say I was better rested and ready to run, but whatever.  It was a good run!

Diane and I met up with Cary about 30 minutes before the rest of the group, so Cary could do part of her run with us before heading back to switch baby duties with Brian.  We did our usual intervals and before we knew it, we'd hit about 1.5 miles, which meant it was time for Cary to turn around.  Diane and I kept going, stopping once to adjust her fuel belt and leaping around another time when we ran into a massive spider web...yes, the spider web dance happened big time!  We reached our turnaround point and kept expecting to see the rest of the Renegades, but we didn't, for quite a long time.  Finally, we saw a blinking light in the distance, but realized it was on the ground - oops, it belonged to Diane, and had gotten knocked off when we fixed her fuel belt.  Good thing it was still blinking so we found it on the way back!

Eventually we started to see our Renegades.  I heard later that they were all just hanging around, chatting, and finally realized they needed to get running - ha!  They started about 10 minutes late.  Right after we passed everyone, Diane and I made the turn into the fancy neighborhood.  I like this area to run in, but the entrance, which is about half a mile long, is a gradual slope that doesn't look bad on paper, or even in person, but it's a challenge to run and elicits many curse words from me as we run it.  And lest you think I'm just being a baby, Diane and Karen cussed it out, too.  At the suggestion of Diane after last week's rough run, I had my music set and ready to go if I felt like the run was getting hard, and I turned it on when we started down that road, which was at mile 4.  Not gonna lie, that part still was hard to get through, but after that the rest of the run felt surprisingly good, with the last 2 miles being the fastest of the entire run!  So maybe there is something to using music when the going gets rough.  I don't put a lot of emphasis on my pace, especially on my long runs - to me, it's mostly getting the miles on my legs - but it was nice to see negative splits for a change!

You can order official In Training t-shirts from Houston for their race; everyone's shirt arrived before Saturday so naturally we all had to wear them.  I love the color and it's super soft, just the perfect thing to change into after a long run.

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Yesterday morning, a cool front started blowing in when Jeff, Diane, and I went for our early-morning run.  It felt so nice, and even though I was a little tired from my long walk the day before, plus some extra exercise, not slogging through 100% humidity was wonderful.  This morning, I'll be going for another long walk with Cary and I think I may actually need to start off with a light jacket!  I wouldn't need that if I were running because you do warm up pretty quickly, but walking is a different matter.  I'm sure our humid mornings will return soon because Texas likes to tease when it comes to cool weather; in the meantime, I'm getting out and enjoying it these lovely cool mornings!

13 comments:

  1. Hey remember me? Sorry I have been MIA for a while, been too busy. Decided to start fresh with reading blogs because the list was too long. Sorry I haven't commented on your blogs lately.

    I believe I did see you're back in training for a half, correct? And do you walk more now with Cary? I still don't run but I keep walking, haven't missed a day yet this year.

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  2. I am pea green with envy for your cooler weather! It is still so hot down here been in the 90's daily still.
    Glad your run went well on Saturday. Those kind of days keep us going all year long.

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    1. I wish I could share the cooler weather with you, Susan!

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  3. You know, I actually think walking is good training for running. I think it keeps your legs conditioned without fatiguing them in the same way. I'll be interested to see as you keep walking if your running feels better.

    Isn't it funny how the slightest incline - that you wouldn't even notice in a car, for example - can feel like a huge hill during a run. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill hahaha! I blame the brain.

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    1. I am interested in seeing how the walking plays out as a benefit to running - Cary won't be going back to work for a couple more months now, so we'll be getting in plenty of walks.

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  4. I"m so glad to hear your run went well! It's amazing what a little cooler temps can do for a runner's confidence.

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    1. It's like we become completely different runners when the weather finally turns cooler!

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  5. Whoo boy--hearing that a cool front was blowing in--I could almost feel it myself! And your description of the hill? I totally believe you, but it just made me jealous of all the other parts where you are running and/or walking on nice straight flat ground. I long for flat ground pretty much every day now :) And when I lived in Texas? Yes, I was dreaming about the wonderful hills I would find in California...

    So happy for your good run. That blue t shirt with the black pants is very attractive!

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    1. I know, our version of hills is silly, but once you are accustomed to flatland, anything slightly steep feels hard!

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  6. Yay for a good run!!!!! I should order those Houston shirts for my friends doing the marathon again :)

    A jacket?! SAY WHAT?!

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    1. Get them the shirts! They are such a good reminder of why we are doing all of this. :)

      And I did need a long-sleeved layer - it was downright chilly in the shaded areas!

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  7. Our weather is crazy right now too. It was 87 on Monday and 62 on Tuesday. Today should be about 76 and back up to 89 on Sunday.

    I love your little running stories! Its nice to have a group that is so motivated.

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