I ran twice today to get some more mileage. Those two runs couldn't be more different. Even though the first one was a short 4 miles, it wasn't as enjoyable as the longer 8 miler in the evening.
I am struggling mentally right now. I always get my runs in, but I put it off and off. The idea of running in this heat and humidity has just become such a big turnoff. I'm so sick of it.
It was supposed to be less humid and I guess it was. However, it was still humid. I was pretty sweaty by the end of my 4 mile afternoon run. I went shirtless as usual. The breeze wasn't too big of a help. I guess I wasn't running on a shady path, so that was an issue.
I headed out for a short 4 miler in my neighborhoods. I figured any running would be better than nothing. Again, I was surprised that the legs didn't feel sharper. I went to the neighborhood on the other side of the school. I thought about running at the school for a bit. I elected not to.
I figured if I ran the two dead end out and back segments, I'd be around 3 miles at that point. I could then just add on. The first mile was faster than most first miles at 7:59. I rarely begin that fast unless I'm pushing the issue.
I went down the first dead end road. That was nice going out, but a little tough going back. It is a slight uphill. After that, I went back up the main hill. I turned around at the end of the neighborhood. Mile 2 was a solid 7:28.
I headed back and took the second out and back. That was tough too. I mean this run was only 4 miles, so it wasn't super hard, but it was more difficult than it should be. Going back toward the school was nice, since it was downhill.
The third mile was an even faster 7:22. I wasn't going any harder. I got back to the school around mile 3.5. I looped around the school parking lot once and then did a partial loop to finish up. I didn't plan to run faster, but the last mile was a 6:58. It was a nice and short, productive run. I was glad I got out the door.
It poured shortly after the run was over. It was just a passing shower. I wanted to get out again for a second run after supper. I decided to head to my go to place, Riverview Park. I don't know why I never get tired of that place.
I actually debated even running again. Finally, I headed out after 7. I didn't have much time to run before sunset. The rain cooled things off significantly. I still ran shirtless and was glad I did. The plan was 6-8 miles, but really I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do more than 4.
I headed out toward Easton, as usual. The start was nice and relaxed. I didn't even look at my watch. I was enjoying myself for a change. I finally took a peek at mile 1. It was a slow 8:48. That was fine, as I was in no rush. I only had about 3 hours to recover from the first run too.
I ran by the geese in their usual spot. There were a lot of them out. I was glad they weren't blocking the path. One had chased another a bit, so that had me worried. I was relaxed and cruising along, just enjoying a nice evening.
These first two miles seemed to go by like nothing. As I was nearing Easton, I got passed by another guy. That was a huge surprise. I'm never, ever passed around here on runs. I can't remember the last time that happened. He wasn't going that fast, but I had no desire to keep up. I was going slower than usual and enjoying the run.
As I got to the bridges by Easton, there was a guy fishing. His dog was on a leash. I had to be careful because a families was biking in the other direction too. There were no issues getting by.
I ran south of Easton for a short distance, to get to mile 3. Now, I'd at least have 6 miles when I got back to Riverview. Getting by the dog on the way back wasn't too bad.
My miles were quite slow. It was good to get to mile 4. The legs began to feel it a little though. They were getting kind of sore. I ran by the geese again and couldn't believe how many there were. It had to be between 30 and 50.
I was going to loop around Hugh Moore park. I started running there, but a short time later, another huge pack of geese were in the road. I just decided to turn and head back.
It was good to get back to Riverview. I had almost stopped near mile 6, because I felt like I had to go to the bathroom. That went away though.
I was around 6.2 miles at Riverview. By now, I figured I was going to get my 8 miles in. I ran out the other direction for a bit. I passed a family with a couple dogs. I decided I didn't want to come up from behind on them, so I ran out farther.
I went out to 7.25 miles and then turned around. There were a lot of people walking around this late. It was weird, because it was nearly dark out. I enjoyed the final mile. I came back in and finished right before Riverview.
It was good to be done with 8 miles. I had a solid 12 miles for the day. At least I found out that I can enjoy a run during cooler weather. If only we had more of it coming.
Melissa was complaining about the weather too. Therefore, I asked her to run. We are going to meet tomorrow morning at Sand Island at 7 AM. That will be tough for me to get up, but having someone to run with will help. She's running 16 miles. I'm just going to run the last 10 of them. The company should be good for both of us.
Afternoon Run 4 miles - 29:48 (7:27 pace)
Evening Run 8 miles - 1:06:39 (8:20 pace)
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