CTS 828: No longer cold-acclimated

OMG. Short run today made brutal by 44 degree weather. Ugh.

CTS 827: The cold is back

Chilly, windy day this morn. Slept a little late, so made the run short, a grocery-getter. Had to bring out the long-sleeved gear.

Time: 12:45 p.m.
Temp: 46 degrees
Gear: CFLST (William's run), SST (Airport 5K), shorts, AP/D2.

CTS 826: Effortless effort

I'm liking my daily 3+ mile runs down around the park and back up again. It's strange since normally i don't like being repetitive in routes but this gives me a kind of consistency for easy days.

I also like it when I'm able to piggy back my bike commute. I learned in the Competitive Runner's Handbook by Bob Glover that the time spent in other activities like cycling should count as an alternate means of miles.

That is, I don't count them toward my weekly running mileage but know that I've done the equivalent of extra running miles via walking or cycling.

Today's run was pretty much effortless. These are the kinds of runs you always want to have. The focus is good, the legs are good, the breathing is good and the time just goes by.

The one drawback was that when I started out this morning it almost seemed like it was going to be too hot to run. Turned out perfect.

CTS 825: Yard sales

Every now and then there are yard or estate sales in my neighborhood and of course a cat can't resist seeing what's out there.

I went to one on Virginia Ave. and then headed to Piedmont Park. But there was some kind of walkathon going on there, so I rounded the high school and then made my way over to two other garage sales.

At the third one I found a copy of Freakonomics ... and something that I needed but wasn't looking for, a mirror to replace the one that fell and broke off of my bedroom door. I'm happy I was able to replace that for ... $3. lol

My right knee felt a little bit funny during the run but nothing that would keep me from running tomorrow.

Time: 11 a.m.
Temp: 62 degrees
Gear: SST (Bridge to Bridge run), shorts, AP/D2.

CTS 824: Park run, a haircut

Ran in the extremely cool weather today. No problems with the right knee but 1.5 miles into the run, the muscle above my left shin was acting up again.

It went away after my haircut.

Am thinking of using the last part of the ING half marathon (Park to Ga Tech, up to Marietta) as possibly part of longer training runs.

I'm pretty happy though with my mileage. The other day I checked myself on the scale and I had dropped 7 pounds. w00t.

Time: noon
Temp: 58 degrees
Gear: SST (Beltline), shorts, AP/D2.

CTS 823: Bragging rights

Today the weather was perfect for running -- kinda misty, kinda cool. I went out and cut it short because my right knee felt banged up and I didn't want to push it.

Today at work a colleague who didn't run in this year's half-marathon asked me how it went. He asked my time and mentioned that he ran the course a minute earlier when he ran it last year.

I had to point out that my time when we both ran the course two years ago still was more than two minutes faster than that.

I'm pretty sure had we both been running in this version of the race and I saw him, that minute lead would have dwindled to nothing. I guess I'm competitive like that.

But it's fair to say this year I won -- he DNP. Last year he won -- I DNP. Two years ago, I smoked him by 17 minutes.

Truth is I am happy I just did the race. Maybe I should train harder to be able to run the half in the same time that I would a 5K or 10K.

But I just like running. It's not the time that matters.

CTS 822: Back to normal

This morning's run around the park was the first run that I've had since the half marathon where my legs didn't feel spent.

I'm pretty happy about how things went. Would love to just increase my mileage. Am thinking of getting a year pass to Stone Mountain Park and running the trail there.

Would love to have trail running shoes again...

Time: 12:15 p.m.
Temp: 64 degrees
Gear: SST (Race for Research), shorts, AP/D2.