A restful half hour in the snow

I ran for half an hour on the Jordan River Parkway. There was about an inch of "lake-effect" powdery snow on the ground, but I had no problems since loose snow isn't slippery. I thought I might be the first one out this morning, but there were a lot of foot prints and dog prints in the snow indicating quite a few people were out before me. The only person I saw was another runner. Lake-effect snow is from moisture from the Great Salt Lake being condensed into snow due to cold air passing by.

The temperature was 15 (F) when I left home, but the sky was almost clear and sunny. A beautiful, winter day. My wakeup HR was 52, slightly higher because I only got 5 1/2 hours sleep night before last due to working on a problem with my leigh.org domain (I have four web sites sharing that domain, including my running site, and I wanted to get the problem fixed).

Going back to four days per week of running

Two weeks ago I added a fifth day of running and have it up to two miles. However, I've been reading http://www.jeffgalloway.org about getting sufficient rest. Jeff suggests that runners over 55 only run every other day. I've done well on four days/week, and I think I will abort the fifth day and only run four days per week. That gives me a 33 mile/week schedule, which is sufficient for half-marathon training, especially at my age.

Rest day today

I was pretty tired on Saturday, so I'm taking a rest day today. I'm hoping to run the remaining four days of the week, but the mileage will be reduced.

Overtraining

I try to listen to my body and adjust my training accordingly, but I missed one message from my body that I was tired from my training and needed to take a break.

The message that I missed was a decreased enthusiasm for training. I was lethargic about non-running tasks that I needed to get done. Being retired, I have a lot of time to do yard work, house repairs, etc., and usually I have a lot of energy and interest in doing those things (once I quit procrastinating and get busy with the tasks, that is). Towards the end of last week I just moped around and didn't get much done. I went out running but didn't have the excitement that I usually have for the running. I recognized that I wasn't getting much done around the house and yard, and I told myself that I needed to buckle down and get busy. Of course, doing that would just make things worse.

Fortunately, I realized on Saturday that my real problem was that I needed a rest from the intensive training I was doing. I was overtraining. So, this week I'm running fewer miles. In the future, I will follow the suggestion from Jeff Galloway and have a "rest week" of reduced mileage once a month.

Here is the link to the page in my running site on Overtraining.

http://www.leigh.org/running/overtraining.html

Here is the link to the page on stress.

http://www.leigh.org/running/stress.html

Here is one of Jeff's articles on rest.

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/resources/rw_archives/mar_2002.html

A "just made it" long run

I did my weekly 2 1/2 hour long run this morning. The temperature was 40 when I left home. The headwind I had last week was gone, and it was a nice day to be out. I felt fine during the first half, but my feet were tired during the last half, and I walked the last two miles to avoid any possibility of an injury.

My wakeup HR was 49.

It's not the shoes

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned my left foot felt weak -- no pain or soreness, just weak, as in not carrying my full weight. I mentioned then that I was going to wear a new pair of shoes to see if the problem was caused by my shoes which are nearing the end of their useful life. My feet felt fine last week, but on the last half of my run this morning, my left foot felt very weak, and my left leg was a little bit stiff.

I don't think the problem is my shoes. I think my feet are tired from all the miles I've been running the past three months since my half-marathon in August. Having weak feet is "normal" for me. Let me explain.

I was born with a stiff skeleton, actually a malfunctioning skeleton. I started running in the early 70s because I was having a lot of pain in my feet. Knowing I had stiff joints, I went to a bone doctor to see if my skeleton could be causing the pain. He said "no". He said my foot was stiff, the opposite of double joints. He also said my muscles were weak, and that I needed to do what ever I wanted to strengthen them. I had done a lot of walking in my childhood and during college--walking 5-10 miles was no problem at all. But, once I finished college, I had a car and drove most places, and my feet started to hurt due to my not walking as much. My feet didn't hurt during normal activities, just when I was on my feet for a long time, such as doing yard work on a Saturday. I've always enjoyed walking, and after visiting the bone doctor, I decided to run to strengthen my feet.

My running has helped my feet. I don't have the pain very often, but I do have the "weak" feeling in my feet. Also, when I sit down, my feet get stiff, and when I get up, I have to walk around a few minutes before they loosen up. I first felt a few weeks ago that my left foot felt weak. I didn't think much about it, because that is a "normal" feeling for my feet. However, when the weak feeling persisted, I began to worry about it and thought that maybe my shoes were causing it. During my run today, I realized that the problem is just that my feet are tired and need a rest.

Going to take a rest week

Jeff Galloway recommends that runners take a rest week once a month to give their bodies extra rest. I've never done that but have thought about it from time to time. I think now is the time for a rest week, so next week, I'll run reduced mileage and let my body and feet rest.

Added another mile to my 5th day

I ran a restful two miles this morning on the Jordan River Parkway. I could tell I was still a bit tired from my two hours yesterday. My wakeup HR was 48 again, and I felt ok. Tomorrow is a rest day, and then my long run on Saturday.

Quite a few runners & walkers out on this Thanksgiving morning

I saw quite a few runners and walkers on the streets and the Jordan River Parkway this morning. I was surprised, because I thought they would be home getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. My wife said maybe they were burning calories so they could eat more....

Not all 50 degrees (F) are the same

The temperature when I left for my run was about 52 (F), and it was 44 (F) when I returned. The sky was cloudy, and it looked like it was storming over Long Peak (elevation about 10,000 feet). I wore my nylon wind breaker during the run, because there was a cold wind (5 mph) blowing. If I ran in the summer when the temperature was 50 (F), I would enjoy the coolness and the relief from the hot summer sun. However, this morning the 50 degrees was cold and I was glad for my second layer to break the wind.

Had a great 2-hour run

I ran for two hours on the Jordan River Parkway. I still had to run against a headwind, but it wasn't as strong as it was yesterday and Monday. I slowed down on the way out so I would be running at my comfortable pace, and I ran faster on the way back for the same reason. My pace varied from about 11:30 to 12:30. I had two e-Gel, one at the beginning of the run and one at the turn-around point.

My wakeup HR was 48. The temperature was 57 (F) when I left and about 60 (F) when I returned. The sky was cloudy with just a bit of sun breaking through. A great day for this late in the fall.

My left foot felt fine today

I mentioned a few days ago that on my longer runs, my left foot felt weak -- no pain, no soreness, just weak as in not being able to support my weight. This feeling would come and go during my two longer runs. I said that I would be wearing a new pair of LOCO Mojo shoes this week to see if the problem was due to my other shoes reaching the end of their life and no longer giving adequate support.

My foot felt fine during my run today. So, I'll see how it feels during my 2 1/2 hour run on Saturday.

A different bird was mixed in with the ducks

After I finished my run, I sat in my car for a few minutes looking at my splits via my Garmin 101. The parkway path was about 200 feet in front of me. I saw a bunch of ducks walking around the path looking for food. I saw a white bird mixed in with the ducks. The bird was slightly larger than the ducks, and it had a longer neck and a smaller head. There were dark spots on the wings, and the rest of the duck was white. It might have been a goose, but it's head looked smaller than the goose heads that I've seen in the past. What ever kind of bird it was, it felt at home foraging with the ducks.

A few days ago I saw a hawk flying not quite directly over me. It would flap its wings for a couple of seconds and then glide into the wind for a couple of seconds. It was a beautiful sight.

Still having the brisk head wind

I felt pretty good during and after my hour run. I had a brisk headwind that felt a little stronger than yesterday. I slowed down going out and made the run another "litter" run. Going back I ran a bit faster but didn't let my body go as fast as it wanted. I didn't want to impact my medium run tomorrow.

The sky was overcast, but the temperature when I left was 60F, and it was a nice day to be out.

My heart is almost 22 years "younger"

My resting heart rate was 45 this morning. I was hoping it would be 44, but it didn't quite make it. This is just the second time in 22 years that my resting HR has been below 46. When I ran marathons in the early '80s, my resting HR was 44, and then one day it dropped to 40 and stayed there until I stopped marathon training.

Had a brisk headwind, and I slowed down

My resting HR was 46, and I felt pretty good before the run but not quite as good during and after the run. I think I was still recovering from my long run on Saturday.

I ran an hour rest run. There was a 10-15 mph headwind, and I slowed down and ran at my comfortable pace. My first mile was 12:10. I decided that with the headwind and resulting slower pace, I would make this a "pick up litter" run, and I got quite a bit of litter that had blown in with the wind.

On the way back, the wind was a tailwind, and I ran faster at my comfortable pace. My last two miles were 11:40 and 11:50.

Running against the wind takes extra energy, and that can tire a person out. I prefer to slow down, such that I use about the same amount of energy, and thus conserve my energy for the latter part of the run when I'm getting tired.

Trying out a new pair of LOCO Mojo shoes

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had a feeling of "weakness" in my left foot. No pain, no soreness, just a feeling of weakness as I run. It usually comes in during my two longer runs. I was thinking about it on Saturday during my long run, and the thought came to me that it might be my shoes. The shoes I'm wearing are the ones I used during the Great Salt Lake Half Marathon in August. They're getting close to 500 miles, and I've been planning on changing them at the end of the year. During most of the miles on those shoes, my left foot felt fine. It's just been the last month or so when I felt the "weakness" feeling.

So, I wore a new pair of shoes this morning. I'll wear them during each run this week and see if they have any effect on my left foot. My foot felt fine this morning.

Ran eight miles fine and then got tired

I ran my 2 1/2 hour run today along the Jordan River Parkway. I ran at a comfortable pace, about 11:15 miles on the average. During mile 5 and 6 my body wanted to go faster, but I said "no" and kept a constant pace. During mile 9, I started to get tired, and I naturally slowed down. When my 2 1/2 hours ended, I still had 3/4 mile to go. I stopped running and walked the rest of the way. My goal for the rest of the year is to increase my Thursday run to 5 miles, and then to hold my weekly mileage constant at 38 miles until February or March. I'll keep saying "no" when I have an urge to go faster. The stress from increasing mileage is enough, and I don't want to compound that with additional stress from going faster.

I forgot to measure my wakeup HR this morning (it was 47 yesterday), but I felt pretty good during the morning and during the first 8 miles of the run.

Need better management of my meals

I usually run soon after getting up and before I eat breakfast. However, I didn't run today until noontime, and I didn't eat breakfast because I expected to be leaving soon for the run. The bottom line is that I ran at lunchtime without having eaten breakfast. So, it didn't surprise me that I became tired during the latter part of my run. I ate a banana just before my stretches, and I had two e-Gel, one when I left my car and one at the turn-around, and they probably helped.

I added a 5th day

I just finished a one-mile run through my neighborhood. This makes 5 days/week that I'll be running. I will add one mile each week to the 5th day, and by Christmas I should be up to 5 miles which is my goal for this day. That will give me three 5-mile runs, one 10-mile run, and one 13-mile run, for a total of 38 miles/week. I'll keep it at that level until Spring. I'll decide then if I want to increase my long run up to 15 miles (adding 1/2 mile increments), or if I want to start some speed training, beginning with fartleks once a week.

Seven or eight months ago I couldn't run two days in a row. Now I'm running four days in a row and a fifth day after a rest day!

My wakeup HR was 46, and I feel great this morning!

A comfortable two-hour run

My wakeup HR was 46 this morning, and I felt fine during my stretches. As I left home to do my run on the Jordan River Parkway, I looked forward to a great run. I wasn't disappointed! I ran at a comfortable pace and felt pretty strong during the run.

My first mile was 11:05, a bit fast for the 10-15 mph headwind that was blowing, so I slowed down for the next few miles. I ran a pace of about 12 minutes for those miles. During my return, I had a tailwind, and I went a little bit faster, probably around 11:30 miles.

There weren't many people on the path. Except for a man feeding the ducks, I didn't see any others during my 5-mile leg out, but I saw a few on my leg back. The temperature was 30 (F) when I got up and 38 (F) when I left home. When I returned, the temperature was in the 40s (F).

Running against a headwind

A lot of people have difficulty running against headwinds. They have problems, because they try to maintain their no-wind pace. To be successful as runners, we must be flexible such that we adjust our training to meet the problems we encounter.

We may leave home not expecting a headwind, but as soon as we discover there is a headwind, we should adjust our training accordingly. Headwinds are like hills. They try to push us backwards. It takes energy to overcome the headwind and make progress in the other direction. Thus, unless we have a lot of energy to spare, we can't expect to run at the no-wind pace. The common-sense thing is to slow down and not waste a lot of energy fighting the wind. During the first half of the run, I did slow down, and I felt comfortable while I ran against the wind. I wasn't frustrated because of the wind. I just accepted it and adjusted my pace accordingly. Similarly, on the way back, the wind was now a tailwind, and I felt comfortable even though I was going about 30 seconds faster.

Feed the ducks, feed the ducks

When I parked and prepared to begin my run, I saw a man sitting on a bench overlooking the Jordan River. There were about 30 ducks on the pathway next to the man. The man was about 100 feet from the start of my run, so I walked up to say "hello". Rather than feeding the ducks bread, as most people do, he was feeding them grain. There were kernels of grain all over the path. He said that many of the ducks inhabit the irrigation canals during the summer and then migrate to the river after the canals dry up for the winter. When I ran the canal roads, I had been wondering where the ducks went for the winter; I assumed they would fly south. Now I know that they fly east a few miles to the Jordan River and mooch off the walkers.

When I passed the bench on my return leg of my run, I looked to see if all the grain had been eaten -- it had. The path was free of grain....and ducks.

Another comfortable hour

My wakeup HR was 48 this morning. I waited to run in the afternoon after my grandchildren had left. Also, it was warmer, the mid 40s. I had a great rest run, running around a 11:30 to 12:00 pace. There was a 10-15 mph tail wind on the way out and a head wind on the way back. It was a beautiful afternoon! Sunny with quite a few clouds. The tops of the snow covered Wasatch Mountains were covered with clouds.

The ducks were already congregating for the night

In my run this afternoon, about two hours before dark, when I passed by the quarter-mile stretch that gives me a good view of the river (as reported in yesterday's post about the ducks), I saw about a hundred or so ducks gathering in the river. I haven't seen them on days that I've passed this stretch earlier in the day. The ducks were apparently gathering for the night.

After I got back to my car, I sat there for a few minutes watching a large flock of birds prepare for the night. I don't know what kind of bird they were, but I'm guessing Starlings. There were probably 200 or more birds in a large flock. They would fly through the air, zig zagging around, and then they would all land in the same tree. The tree looked like a Christmas tree with each bird an ornament. Then they would take off and fly around for about a minute and then land in another tree. After landing in five or six trees, they picked a tree that was out of sight, and they disappeared.

Ran a comfortable hour

Just as it was getting dark, I ran for an hour on the Jordan River Parkway. I didn't run in the morning, as I usually do, because my wife and I took three grandchildren to the South Towne Mall to ride the carousel and the escalator and to have lunch at Wendy's. My pace during the run was a comfortable pace around 12:10. It was dark on the way back, but because the sky was overcast, the clouds reflected light from the city, and I could see the trail as if it were dusk instead of dark.

My wakeup HR was 49, and I felt fine during the day and the run.

I saw a "million" ducks in the river

On the return half of my run tonight, there is a quarter-mile stretch that gives a good view of the Jordan River. Because of light being reflected from the water, I could see the river quite well. I saw many dark objects on the water. The objects were ducks. There must have been two or three hundred of them. They seemed to be swimming against the current just enough to remain stationary relative to the shore. I've seen flocks of birds gather in trees as one large community to spend the night, but this is the first time I've seen large quantities of ducks gather as a community to spend the night. I heard a few quacks here and there, but for the most part, the ducks were quiet.

Ran 2 1/2 hours after dark

I found out in mid afternoon that two of our grandchildren would be visiting us this weekend and that I would be their host due to my wife having to be with her 89 year old mother who hurt her back last week. I thus decided to do my long run this evening instead of in the morning. Since the Jordan River Parkway has no street lights, I ran the long street that traverses the Salt Lake valley for about 25 miles. I've mentioned this street in previous posts. It has sidewalks and is well lit and makes a nice night route.

I forgot to measure my wakeup HR today, but I felt ok during the run. I ran a slow, restful pace and enjoyed the run. I had been on my feet most of the day building a concrete foundation for a heavy water fountain that is in our front patio, and I needed a rest run. When we first got the fountain two years ago, we just put it on the dirt in a flower garden, and, as the months went by, the fountain slowly sank into the dirt and finally began to tilt. About three months ago, we moved the fountain onto the brick patio so I could build a foundation for it. With cold weather coming, I decided I'd better get the foundation ready before the snows come.

It was dark when I left. The temperature was 36 when I left and also when I returned. It was a pleasant evening to be out.

I'm impressed with e-Gel

I don't think I had breakfast this morning, I don't remember eating anything, and I know I had no lunch. In mid afternoon, after I learned I would be tending my two grand children tomorrow, I decided to do my long run tonight. To give me some energy, since I hadn't eaten much if anything, I had a Nature Valley energy bar. Later, I had two more bars about an hour before I left for my run. I had an e-Gel pack just before I did my stretches, and I had another e-Gel at my turn-around point.

The bottom line to all of this is that I left for my long run without much energy stored in my body. I was on my feet most of the day building a concrete foundation for our water fountain, mixing and using 560 pounds of ready-mix concrete. I felt reasonably energetic during the run. My legs started getting tired on the way back, but my body energy remained pretty good. I didn't feel the energy that I would need to do a speed run, but I didn't feel the fatigue that I've felt in the past. I think the two e-Gels had a good effect on me. I like the four flavors of e-Gel, and the gel is easy to swallow. The top of the plastic container is easy to tear off. e-Gel is a nice product, and I'm happy to recommend it to my visitors!

My wakeup HR was 47 this morning

I slept well last night!

e-Gel Electrolyte Energy Gel

I first became interested in gels when comments were made in running.about.com that marathoners who use gels don't hit the "wall" as much as runners not using gels. After reading those comments, I began reading about energy gels, and I've tried two different gels. I decided to go with e-Gel, because it gives me more salts and better carbs than I get with other gels, and e-Gel also gives me some antioxidants and vitamin B6. In addition, e-Gel is isotonic, meaning it is mixed with just the right amount of water to allow it to be quickly absorbed into ones body. Yesterday, for example, within just a few minutes from taking the e-Gel, I could taste the salt in my sweat. Each pack of e-Gel has 150 calories compared to 100 calories from other gels.

It's nice to enjoy a run!

I decided to make this a rest week to help me recover from my 2 1/2 hour speed run on Saturday. I didn't run on Tuesday, and today I only ran for one hour. I didn't run in the morning like I usually do, because I wanted to finish some painting so it could dry during our 70 degree (F) temperature during the day. I finished the run just as the sun was going down. It was a very pleasant and very enjoyable run.

I took an e-Gel pack just before I left, and I felt pretty good during the run.

How I tell I've recovered from a stressful run

A normal wakeup heart rate is a good indicator that our body is overcoming the stress and is returning to normal, but it does not indicate that ones body has fully recovered from the stress and is ready for another speed or longer distance workout. At least with me, a high energy level is the best indicator I've found that I'm ready for more distance or speed. I first look for a normal wakeup heart rate, and then I look for a high energy level. By using both indicators, I'm able to listen to my body and respond accordingly. Sometimes, though, and Saturday was an example of this, I have a good energy level, and even though my wakeup HR is slightly high, I'll still do a stressful workout.

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems

My wakeup HR was 48, indicating my sympathetic nervous system has done it's job in helping me respond to Saturday's speed run and is now slowing down. My parasympathetic nervous system has become dominate and is causing my body functions to return to normal. I could tell, though, that I was still tired. I had no desire to go faster. Tomorrow will be another hour rest run.

When we apply stress to our bodies, our sympathetic nervous system responds and elevates our breathing rate to give more oxygen to our bodies. Our heart rate increases to give more blood. If needed, our sweat glands are activated to cool us off. Our adrenal glands are activated to produce certain hormones to help our bodies handle the stress of running. After we stop running, our sympathetic nervous system slows down, and our parasympathetic nervous system becomes dominate and causes our bodies to recover by returning to normal conditions. Thus, in order to properly manage our running, we need to know the symptoms that tell us we are under stress and the symptoms that tell us when we have recovered from stress.

A much needed and enjoyed rest run

I ran for an hour on the Jordan River Parkway. My first mile was 11:40, and the other miles ranged close to that. I picked up some litter and enjoyed being outside. I enjoyed being able to run a relatively slow, restful pace.

A great tempo run for 13 miles

Even though my wakeup HR was 51, I had a great run this morning. I ran 13.1 miles on the Jordan River Parkway. Here are my splits. I took 30-60 second walking breaks at the beginning of each mile, starting with mile 2.

Mile 1 10:56
Mile 2 10:28
Mile 3 11:47 (walked up the big hill. This mile thus had two walking breaks, the one at the beginning and the big hill)
Mile 4 10:23 (this mile had no walking breaks since the big hill in mile 3 replaced the break at the beginning of mile 4)
Mile 5 10:50
Mile 6 11:03
Mile 7 11:38 (stopped to take another Gel pack and drink water)
Mile 8 10:29
Mile 9 10:36
Mile 10 11:13 (walked up the big hill. This walk replaced the one at the beginning)
Mile 11 10:58
Mile 12 10:44
Mile 13 10:27 (total time for the 13 was 2:21:36 for a new training PB)

Finished at 13.1 miles for a total time of 2:22:50

My time at the Great Salt Lake Half Marathon was 2:21:16, so I came within 95 seconds of beating that time!

From the viewpoint of consistency, those are good splits. Even though my Garmin 101 GPS has a training partner that would help me run at a particular pace, I'm not using that feature of the watch. I prefer to run by feel and thus learn to control my pace by how I feel.

It was a great run, and I felt good during the run and now afterwards. The sky was cloudy, and there was a drizzle for the first third of the run. The temperature was in the mid 40s (F).

Ducks, ducks, my kingdom for a duck

I saw a lot of ducks on the path looking for handouts of food. There were about 30 ducks following a woman and her young daughter up the path.

My first experience with gels

This run was my first experience with gels. I've been hearing on running.about.com that gels are helping runners avoid hitting the "wall", and I thought I'd try them. I took one yesterday to see how my stomach reacted -- no problem. So, I took one just before I left for the 10 minute drive to the Jordan River Parkway, and I took another one after 1 hour 6 minutes into the run. I don't know if the two gel packs helped me with my great run today, but I'll continue using them for a while to see how things turn out. Whatever the reason was, I had a wonderful run today!

No marathons for me -- something better!

I ran four marathons in 1981 and 1982, and I've had a desire to get back into marathoning. However, the marathon distance puts an awfully lot of stress on ones body, and I've decided I don't need that stress. Instead, I'm going to focus on the half-marathon, a distance I've been running weekly for about six months. My goal is to set a new course record for the half-marathon at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah.

The current course record for Men 70-74 is 2:04:17.8 set in 2005. My PB for the half-marathon is 2:21:16 set in August at the Great Salt Lake Half Marathon. I believe I can break 2 hours in the next year or two. To do that, I'll need an average pace of 9:10 My average pace for the GSL was 10:47, so I have a big challenge ahead of me.

My strategy for training is the following.

1. Reach the half-marathon distance. This is important, because in May 2004 I was in a serious auto accident and was in the ICU for four weeks. I was in an induced coma for most of that time. My first run after the accident was 1/8 mile. I accomplished this step when I ran the GSL in August.

2. Extend my running from 3 days/week to 5 days/week. I'm half way there. About a month before the GSL, I added a fourth day and brought it up to 2 miles. After the GSL I brought that rest run up to 5 miles. Within the next month I'll add my 5th day and should have it close to 5 miles by the end of the year.

3. Extend my long run from 13 miles to 15 miles to give me a slight buffer for the half-marathon distance.

4. Begin speed training, starting with fartleks once a week and then later doing intervals once a week or maybe once every two weeks. Prior to the fartleks, I'll continue to just run faster as I've been doing before and after the GSL.

5. In October 2007 make my first trek to St. George for the Senior Games. It's about a seven hour drive.

One good thing I have going for me is the difference in altitude between the Salt Lake valley and St. George. St. George is at an elevation of 2800 feet, while my home is 4700 feet and the Jordan River Parkway where I run is 4300 feet. That elevation change will make a big difference to an old geezer like me.

For those interested, the web site for the Senior Games is

http://www.hwsg.com/

A good two-hour medium run

I ran the Jordan River Parkway for two hours. Here are my splits.

Mile 1 11:48
Mile 2 11:32
Mile 3 12:48 (walked up the big hill into the residential area)
Mile 4 11:18
Mile 5 11:48
Mile 6 12:11
Mile 7 12:38
Mile 8 12:38
Mile 9 13:13
Mile 10 12:50

You can see where I began getting tired. Also, during the last four miles, I took longer walking breaks. I could tell when I did my stretches this morning that I was a bit tired. I tried to start at a slower pace, but considering my condition when I did my stretches, I should have gone even slower. I'm getting to the point where anything slower than a 12:00 pace seems almost like I'm walking. This is a good sign, because it shows my body is getting used to a faster pace than I've done during the past year. Also, I only had about 6 hours sleep last night due to putting two new disks (Raid 1) in my Macintosh that I use for video work, and that may have influenced the run.

A beautiful day for running

It was a beautiful day for running. The temperature was 54 (F) when I left home, and it was nice to be out. Sunny sky with few clouds. Geese flying over and honking. Lots of ducks in the river. I didn't see them today, but on Monday I saw a quail.