It always feels good when it's over

Somehow scraped myself out of bed this morning to go run Hershey Hills. After a 1.2 mile warm up I did 4 hills in 2:55, 2:52, 2:50, 2:46. A slow 1.2 mile run home made 6.4 miles total in 45:13 (7:04 ppm). I'm happy with my times this morning.

I didn't run yesterday because I spent the morning finishing up my application for this job.

Hershey Hills

1.2 warm up + 3 Hershey Hills in 2:55, 2:53, 2:55 + 1.2 cool down for 5.4 total in 38:00. Was going to do 4 hills, but it was close to 90 degrees out and I was getting the chills after the third one. I'm glad I stopped because I barely made it home!

weighed 172 before run and 169 after.

Night run

I was on the road all day today and ran at about 8:30 pm after getting back from Wheaton. Ran three Hershey Hills in 3:00, 2:58, 2:52. Actually felt pretty good tonight. Total mileage was 5.4 in 38:51.

Hills

Mini hill workout today. 1.2 warm up in 8:51, then 1 Hershey Hill in 3:06. Easy rest of the way back for 3.4 total in 24:47. The slow and steady build up continues.

Weighed 176 this morning, down about 2 pounds from where I was when I started working out. I'm also averaging about 1 lb a week in weight loss. Would like to get down to about 165.

Lowest recorded weight last summer was 167.5 on August 20, but that was after a 6.6 mile hard run in 88 degree heat.

On September 21, I weighed in at 169.5 after a run, so I probably put on 6-7 lbs. over the winter.

Hershey Hills

6 hills this morning, 3:01, 2:53, 2:55, 2:53, 2:52, 2:49. 1.2 warm up and cool down. 8.4 miles total in 62:02 (7:23 ppm).

Am pretty exhausted now and shin is sore. Temp rose 10 degrees through the course of the run. Lost 5 lbs. from the run.

Last run in Bellaire

8 M-88 hills this morning. 1:54, 1:53, 1:53, 1:54, 1:52, 1:54, 1:51, 1:50. Left at 7 a.m. 61 degrees and foggy so about 100% humidity. Cool enough though where it didn't really matter.

Happy I ran the last four faster than the first four, and my overall average was faster than last week. 7.15 miles total in 52:26 (7:20 ppm).

M-88 Hills

7 hills in Bellaire. 1:53, 1:56, 1:57, 1:57, 1:56, 1:56, 1:52. Much slower average than last week when I did this same workout (only did 6 last week), but have been doing tougher workouts this week leading up to it. 6.5 miles total in 47:02.

Another hot day here: 84 and not a cloud in the sky. I am happy to be done that is for sure.

Hills

1.25 mile warm up, 6 x .33 mile hills on north end of town. 1:53, 1:50, 1:50, 1:50, 1:50, 1:48. Started getting difficult after three reps. About .9 cool down. 5.85 miles total in 42:19 (7:14 ppm).

82 degrees and sunny but humidity wasn't too bad. Went at about 5:20 pm. Felt ok. Don't have much leg speed right now.

6/8 hills, long run

5.5 mile Vandemark hill loop (which features a 1.6 mile straight climb up a glacier-carved hill from mile 1.1 to 2.7) plus an extra mile. 6.5 miles total in 48:37 (7:28 ppm). 41:13 after 5.5, so 7:24 last mile.

Had to pee whole time. Thought about stopping and going in the woods but didn't want wang to be devoured by a bajillion mosquitoes. Bad news is that caused me to cramp up a bit last half of the run. Not too hot but very humid. At the top of the hill was literally running through a cloud.

Calves a little sore. Shins so-so but I fret now over every little twinge. If I wasn't obsessing over it I might not have felt it. Didn't feel them all day or yesterday, then mysteriously right before I left to go run started to feel something.

First day in new shoes, Asics DS-Trainer 13. The DS-Trainers are as old as my running career and I've had at least one pair of all 13 of them. They felt great today. A couple years ago I started using insoles for more cushion when I started getting shin splints. Even though I'm having trouble with my shins now I'm not using the insoles in my new pair based on the theory that the insoles flattened out my arches thereby causing my shins to actually absorb more shock. The insoles also caused the shoe to be heavier and less flexible, which I think made my foot strike harder and caused the shoes to wear out more quickly. This is my theory anyway, and the insoles obviously haven't been working in the last two years so I'm sticking to it.

The shoes felt like a million bucks today without the insoles, much lighter and more flexible, and reminded me why I've only used these shoes my entire running career. Hopefully my theory pans out. The fact that my calves are sore and they've never been sore before after doing this run makes me think I'm getting more muscles involved.

BTW: Last week's total mileage was 18.5. I took yesterday (Saturday) off.