Took last week off from runnng; now, back into it

My wife and I did 2 miles around noon-time, going north on the Jordan River Parkway from the 100th South parking lot. Today was a beautiful day, and a lot of people were on the Parkway path, enjoying being outside. The temperature was in the low 50s (F), and there were beautiful clouds in the sky but lots of sun. The Midwest up through Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and New England are continuing to have freezing rain and snow. Those folks are really suffering this winter! Unless we get more snow in our mountains, Utah will suffer next summer with a scarcity of water. Northern Utah has a series of reservoirs that store rain and snow-melt water, and, so far, the reservoirs are below normal levels.I run along the Jordan River that connects Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake, and I can see the water flowing in the river; that level has been low for over a year.

Last week my left leg swelled up and became sore when I bent the leg. The swelling was in the upper part of the leg, below the knee. I had started taking a new supplement that provides two enzymes that are used by my body to create energy, and I wondered if that supplement was causing the swelling. I stopped taking the supplement and also stopped running for the week. The swelling went down within a couple of days, and most of the soreness was gone. I don't know for sure if the supplement caused the swelling, because I also had been careless about stretching before and after my run. The recommended dose of the supplement is 2 capsules per day. I restarted the supplement today and will take only one capsule per day. It will take a week or two to see how my body reacts to the capsules. Earlier, I took the supplement for about 10 days before the swelling occurred.

Walked 3/4 mile with two grandkids

We had two of our grand kids visit us for about four hours, and during that time, I walked with them about 3/4 mile. My leg felt fine during that time. Last week I had a lot of swelling in my left leg, and I took most of that week off to give my leg some rest. The swelling was gone by the weekend, and the short walk this morning hasn't brought the swelling back.

Rain is coming, so ran 2 miles today

Normally, I would run tomorrow, but the forecast is for rain and lower temperatures. My wife asked if I would run today, and I said, "yes". We drove to the South Jordan East Pavilion and went south for a mile and then returned. I'm not used to running consecutive days, and I could tell my body was getting tired as I neared my car. I took a couple of short resting breaks on the way back.

A great day! We need the water, though, so I'm glad for it in any form. Lately, we've had rain in the valley and snow in the mountains. The best of both worlds! Our mountains and ski resorts have had a lot of snow during the past couple of weeks, and that is helping. We still need more, though.

Another great day and another 2 miles

I ran the Jordan River Parkway today for 2 miles, using the same route I used on Saturday. The air temperature was in the mid 50s (F). Quite a few people were out enjoying the above-average temperature. I had a good energy level, but 2 miles was long enough.

Ran/Walked the Jordan River Parkway for 2 Miles

Today was a nice day for running. Temperature in the 50s (F), cloudy, but no wind and no rain. I didn't see other runners today, but I did see a lot of walkers and skaters. I've been running 2 miles at the local rec center, and I ran that distance today. I felt good and had a relatively high energy level. The important thing to me is my energy level.

Ran/walked for 40 minutes at the rec hall (about 2 miles)

Today was a relatively cold, windy day with likely rain, so my wife and I went to the local rec center, and I ran/walked for 40 minutes. I'm using Galloway's run/walk/run method, and when I'm at the rec center I run or walk for 1/2 of a loop around the indoor track. It takes me about a minute to do each phase. The temperature outside was in the high 40s (F), so it wouldn't have been bad to go outside today. However, the conditions outside were ideal for hypothermia, and with the forecast of rain, we decided to stay inside and keep dry.

I had cooked oatmeal for breakfast about an hour before we left for the rec center. My body needs more time than an hour to handle heavy food like oatmeal, and my stomach didn't feel very good for most of my workout. I felt fine, though, towards the end of the workout and afterwards while we were shopping at Costco.

I cringe when I read the weather reports for the NE and southern portions of the US. Those people, especially in the south, are really suffering from storms. I used to live in Massachusetts, and I know what it is like to be without electricity for days at a time; we did burn wood, though, so we had heat in our house. Electrical outages occurred every year. After coming to Utah, I worked part time for three years doing outdoor telephone work, and I know what it is like to be working outside during cold, stormy weather.

I ran outdoors year around during my 17 years in Massachusetts, and I enjoyed running in the winter time. I was in my 40s and had a lot of energy. It was common to have sweatcycles hanging down the back of my hair during my runs. My PB for running in the cold was -18 (F). That temperature was measured at my house before I left to go running. It was early in the morning before daylight, and there was no wind blowing. I camped every month with my scout troop, and my coldest campout with measured temperature was -10 (F). However, there was one campout where the temperature was below zero (F), and the wind was blowing 40 or 50 mph. The ground was so hard that the scouts couldn't use stakes to keep their tents from blowing away, and they used granite rocks for that purpose. It was so cold that we packed our things the next morning and went to a place where trees provided protection from the wind. I slept in my hammock, and it was kinda fun to sway in the wind while I was sleeping. I'm in my late 70s now and don't go outside as much in the winter.

Ran 2 miles on the Jordan River Parkway

Today was a beautiful day for being outdoors. My wife and I went north from the 100th South trail head for 1 mile and then back. The temperature was 41 (F) with a slight breeze blowing. We passed a few walkers, but there were not many on the path. I went faster than normal going out, and I started getting tired and slowed down on the way back. I took a 2-minute rest break at the turn-around point and a 30-second break on the way back.

The water-level in the Jordan River is very low. There was one point where the water was going through a small channel, and the rest of the river-bed was a giant sand bar with weeds growing on it. Normally, that sand bar is under water.

We're supposed to have rain Wednesday and Thursday, so we'll probably go to the rec center for our mid-week workout. I'm not sure what the forecast is for Saturday, but that day is far enough in the future that the forecast might not be accurate, anyway.

Went to the rec center and ran/walked 2 miles

We've had good air during the past week, and the air is good today. However, my wife and I went to the rec center instead of the Jordan River Parkway, because we thought the path might be slick due to snow last night. Also, even though the sky was blue and the sun was shining, the wind was blowing about 30 mph, and the air temperature was below freezing (about 30 (F)), causing the chill factor to be in the 20s. We each did 2 miles. I took a one-minute break about half way through my run.

Another 2 miles in great weather!

Our air today was beautiful. I live in the western part of the Salt Lake valley and normally have a beautiful view of the Wasatch Mountains. However, lately the mountains haven't been very visible. Today, however, was a big relief. The mountains were beautiful, the sky blue with a few clouds, temperature in the high 30s to low 40s, My wife and I did the same route I did on Saturday, each doing 2 miles. She walks faster than I jog/walk, and she finished when I still had about 1/3 mile to go.

We're expecting snow tonight, and the temperature will be colder during the next several days. The rec center is a good place to run when I can't get outside, but I really enjoy the outside more than in the center.

The following picture, taken from the web, shows Sugarhouse park in Salt Lake City, further north of where I live but the same mountain range; the tall snow covered mountain at the right side of the picture is of Twin Peaks which is east and slightly north of where I live.

Ran 2 miles, about 40 minutes

The current storm cleared out our bad weather, so I went to the Jordan River Parkway and ran 2 miles. There were snow flurries during my run, but the ground temperature was slightly above freezing, and the snow didn't accumulate on the ground. I saw several other runners, including cadets from the Police Academy, and a couple of walkers. It was nice to go outside for my run. I'm still using 50 seconds of running and 60 seconds of walking.

My nose has almost stopped generating mucus. Another couple of days, and my cold will probably go away.