Run for time and get a great 100 minutes

I completed my medium run, and felt good but tired at the end. I was out about 10:30, not as early as I would have liked but early enough to still have some good shade on the path. The shade temperature during my run was in the high 80s (F). It was a typical run, with nothing spectacular happening. School has started, and I didn't see many youngsters on the path.

I did see a lot of quail on the path. I approached one flock of about 20 quail. They ran across the path to one side. Then a few seconds later, they ran to the other side. They repeated this several times. Then, as I approached them, they disappeared into the bushes.

A great rest run

I felt great when I woke up. I went to bed earlier than I've been doing, and I woke up at my "normal" time, resulting in about 8 hours of good sleep. I forgot to take my wakeup heart rate in my desire to go running earlier in the morning. Having quite a lot of shade on the path felt great!

I ran a bit faster on the way out but came back slower, although I ran a bit more than 3 miles during the 60 minutes. I ran slower on the way back, because I was getting tired. I remember, a few years ago, that I would run 5 miles in 55 minutes. Now, I run 3 miles in 60 minutes. Ah, the joys of my younger years.... I'm just glad to be alive. Since my days of running 5 miles in 55 minutes, I've had my only injury (a minor knee pain that didn't keep me from running) and blood clots that were a side-effect of an auto accident 5 years before. On Saturday, two days before the blood clots, I ran 7 miles to end a 22-mile week. On Monday, I could only walk 100 feet. Recovery from those clots has been very slow. The problem was that a filter that was put in my vein after the accident, ceased working after 5 years and blocked my blood flow. My body has had to create new veins around the filter, and that has taken time. However, I really can't complain. There are many people much worse off than me. I'm alive at age 76 (almost). I have good health. I have low blood pressure. I sleep well (when I get to bed earlier). My only prescription med is Warfarin. I'm running and walking 10-15 miles per week. I'm optimistic and look forward to each day. Life has been good to me, and I've been good to life.

The early bird gets the worm and runs in cooler temperatures

I was on the Jordan River Parkway path at 9:02 this morning, and I completed my long run of 2 hours 20 minutes (about 7 miles). I enjoyed the run, although I got pretty tired during the last mile.

I didn't see many runners and walkers on the trail, but I saw a lot of cyclists. Some of them were probably from a Scout troop. There was an adult at the front of the cyclists and one at the rear. In between the two men were about 10 or 11 young boys. They were probably working on their cycling merit badge.

The Jordan River is continuing to go down. The water marks on the supports of the new 11400 South bridge show the water at that point has gone down about 12-15 inches. When I got to the tunnel under 12300 South, I could tell the river was significantly lower, because I could see a lot of rocks in the tunnel that have been covered with water. Just before I stopped at the tunnel, a lady came huffing and puffing and said she wanted to touch the bridge to get her reward of reaching that point.

When I first got to the East Pavilion in South Jordan City to begin my run, there was a 5K in progress. I don't know who was sponsoring the race, but the timing display showed 44+ minutes had elapsed since the race began. I don't do a lot of racing, but it is fun to hear from new runners who have just completed their first race. They are excited about doing something they never thought possible.

The temperature during my run was in the low 100s (F, sun temperature). The good news is that because I was out earlier, there was more shade on the path.

Today was a hot 60 minute run

My outdoor thermometer said 101 (F) when I left and 108 when I returned. Those numbers reflect direct sunlight not shade conditions. I drank 4 cups of water in 2.7 miles. It felt like the hottest day we've had this summer. Even though my wakeup was 56 and I felt pretty good, I took it easy and stopped several times for a brief rest in the shade. When I got home, my wife asked how it went, and I replied, "I melted".

Tonight is the free book drawing

Just a reminder that the drawing for the free book 50/50 by Dean Karnazes, who ran 50 marathons in 50 days (one in each state), will be held late tonight. You still have a few hours to get your entry in for the drawing. See the left-side bar for details.

My article for Marathon Nation is online

I wrote a guest post on the 10% rule.

I aborted my mid-week run after 2 miles

I started a medium run but aborted it after about 2 miles due to being tired. The party for our grandchildren that was held on Tuesday was pretty stressful. I did get close to my 7-hours sleep each night, but I was on my feet a lot and was in the hot sun a lot during the party. Some of the grandkids left after the party, and the last four left Thursday afternoon. I'm glad to have the grandkids come and visit, but I'm not as spry as I used to be, and I get tired from all their activities.

Eased back into running with a 60 minute rest run

I completed my 60-minute rest run, but I was tired during the run. I've been getting more sleep that I did during the first part of last week, but it takes a few days for my body to respond. We're having a big party tomorrow for 10 of our 11 grandchildren, so I'm not sure what will happen to my mid-week run.

Ended the week with a tired almost-long-run

I ran 6 miles as my final run for the week. I ran 6 miles instead of the normal 7 miles, because I was tired during the run; but it was still a nice run. I didn't get enough sleep during the week, but for the past two days I've gotten close to my 7 hours.

My guest-article is online

I recently was invited to write a guest article for the Diet, Nutrition, and Wellness Journal. My article has been posted and is online. The article summarizes my thoughts about why I run, why I've run for so many years, and why I've only had one minor injury from running.

A great medium run

My wakeup heart rate was 56. I didn't get out until noon, so I ran in the heat, but I had a great run. I ran noticeably faster than I've been doing. I'm still alternating running and walking, 1 minute each. Eventually I'll start to increase that time. During my run, I felt fine and only took a rest break at the Draper City playground. I drank 5 bottles (cups) of water. There weren't many clouds in the sky and not much shade. So it was 100 minutes of sun. The sun-temperature was about 100 (F), and the shade temperature was about 90.

On my way down, when I was about half a mile from the Draper playground, a girl stopped me and asked if I had seen a cell phone on the path. I said, "no". She continued toward the playground asking each person if they had seen a cell phone.  Then, her companion saw the cell phone about 5 feet off the path. She was, of course, happy to have her phone back, and she and her friend continued their trek (on skate boards) toward South Jordan.

While I was stopped at the playground, a small girl, about 4 years old, tried to enter the restroom door. The door had a sign stating the restroom was closed for maintenance, but the girl was too young to read, and she kept trying the door. Her mother was talking on her cell phone and didn't notice the girl. After the mother stopped talking, she saw the girl, and she took her home.

The water level in the Jordan River is continuing to drop. I'm seeing sand bars in the river that were covered water during July. Of course, our potential flooding from the Jordan River is nothing compared to the flooding of the Mississippi River. But this is Utah, and what might be a relatively small flood elsewhere is a big deal here. And, if you're the property owner whose house is caught in a flood, it doesn't matter where you live.

A new week, another rest run

I was on the Parkway path at 10:16 this morning. Most of the path is without trees, but there are places where there are Russian Olive trees, and I was out early enough that the trees gave significant shade. I enjoyed the shade, a relief from the hot sun of previous weeks. I completed my rest run of 60 minutes. Because I ran a little faster than I originally planned when I changed from distance to time, I had to run a little extra distance to finish the last 1 1/2 minutes of my goal.

I felt fine during the run/walk. I drank 3 bottles of water (1 per mile), and did sweat some due to the sun temperature of close to 100 (F) and the shade temperature of the high 80s. I passed a few other people, but the path was relatively empty of people. Many of the people who use the path do so during their noon lunch break (they work in nearby businesses), and I was finished by the time they would have left their offices.

I saw one quail on the path and swarms of English sparrows. I began to wonder how the quail survive the winter. Do they migrate? Hibernate like bears? Or, just find nesting sites in thick bushes in which the cold wind won't penetrate.  Their bodies are covered with feathers, of course, and that gives them some protection. The quail might be active in the winter, I don't know. I've never seen quail in the winter.

English sparrows are considered "junk" birds because they have no color in the bodies. They were imported from the UK and quickly adapted to their new home. I like them, though, because they are living animals, and I value life.

I ran a medium run of 95 minutes

I felt pretty good this morning; my wakeup heart rate was 58. So, I filled 5 bottles with water and drove to the Jordan River Parkway. I did pretty good for most of the run, but I did get tired during the last part of the run. I took a couple of rest stops and walked most of the last mile. In other words, I hadn't completely recovered from my weakness and tiredness on Wednesday, but I felt a lot better today than I did on Wednesday. Hopefully, with another rest day tomorrow, I'll be fine on Monday for my rest run of 60 minutes.

The shade temperature was about 91 (F) this afternoon, still hot but not as hot as it was in July. There was a 10-15 mph headwind blowing from the South that made running more difficult, but it was nice on the way back as a tailwind.

The water level in the Jordan River is slowly going down. The level under the new 11400 South bridge is down about a foot.

Trying to figure out why I was so tired and weak on Wednesday

I've been trying to figure out why I had to abort my run on Wednesday.

I've been sleeping well, so a lack of sleep wasn't the problem.

Last Saturday morning I spent three hours spraying Roundup and a broad leaf spray on weeds, and I spent another hour on Tuesday with the broad leaf spray. I wore rubber gloves to keep any spills from getting on my skin, but I could smell the spray, indicating I was breathing chemical fumes. However, I had a good run on Monday, and that implies the three hours I spent on Saturday didn't affect me.

On Saturday I got soaked from a rain storm, and that could weaken my immune system. Maybe that was the problem. I was home about half an hour before I changed out of my wet clothes. Again, the good run on Monday sorta negates my being soaked on Saturday.

Another factor was that my diet hasn't been great. Also, I was dehydrated on Wednesday.

Rest seems to have helped with the problem, what ever it was.

During the past 4 weeks (not counting this week) I ran 15, 10, 15, 10 miles, so maybe I was just tired and needed a rest week. I had planned to make the upcoming week a rest week, but the week just ending ended up being a rest week :)

Started a run but then aborted...

I started my run with the goal to run/walk for 100 minutes, but after 10 minutes, I aborted and walked back to the car. I had no energy, and with each step I felt like my body was falling apart. My wakeup heart rate was 58, and I felt OK, but by 2:30 when I started my run, I felt weak and tired. I'm not sure why I felt that way, but what ever the reason, today is not a day for me to run. If I feel better tomorrow, I'll try it again. The air temperature is in the mid 80s (F), and there are lots of clouds in the sky. Weather wise, it is a good day for running. I'm going to take a nap and see if that helps.

Singing in the rain, singing in the rain while I ran

I completed my rest run of 1 hour, but I was soaked when I finished. We had light rain during the night and early morning. Then, while I was doing my stretches prior to running, we had a heavy rain for a few minutes. When I left to go running, the rain had stopped. No rain fell while I did the first mile and a half, and then it started to sprinkle. Then it started to rain. Then it started to pour, and I ran the last mile in a heavy, really heavy rain. I didn't mind getting wet. The air was warm but not hot (70s F), the rain drops were warm, and my body felt fine. I was glad to finish the run, because I was really soaked. When I returned home, I spent about 10 minutes in a warm shower, and that felt great! I ran a little faster and got about 3.2 miles in the hour.

My wakeup heart rate was 56, and I felt good.

During my run I saw a flock of red-winged blackbirds. In the past, I've seen individual birds, but this is the first time I've seen a flock of the blackbirds. This picture from the web shows a flock of red-winged blackbirds.

I also saw 5 quail running down the path. Since 4 of them were together, that implies they were in the same batch of baby birds earlier this Spring. I usually see a number of babies following their mother during the Spring, but this Spring I didn't see any babies. It just depends, I guess, when I go running and when the quail go walking. This picture, from the web, shows a family of quail.