3 and 3

I thought I was going to get lucky like I did on Saturday and run some of this in the rain.  I thought wrong.  In fact, as I started, I felt a drop or two, then the clouds parted and the sun rained down its cruel rays upon my noggin.  87 degrees isn't fun in the shade and is even less fun out in the merciless burning ball of gas that moves through sky.

Inside, it's a different matter.  72 degrees with three (four if you count the HVAC vent aimed at where I run on the treadmill) fans blowing on me and no shirt = fairly comfortable.  Denali is somewhat traumatized by seeing me without a shirt, but I'm sure with the proper counseling, she'll be fine.

Tomorrow: 5 @ 10:30 pace

Ending on a high note

I was grinding this one out - the temp was fairly comfortable at 70ish with a little mugginess - when on the last 3/4 mile, the skies opened up and the rain fell.  I took off my shirt and reveled in the soaking!  It was awesome to finish in a steady downpour, not to mention, soothing and cooling.

Next week, I should be able to get in all scheduled 36 miles, with 12 of them on my long run next Saturday.

Monday: 6 miles @ 10:30 pace.

You knew it was coming

Ah, the first week of training, and I'm already cutting runs short.  That's my modus operani: Set the bar low and fail to achieve it.  Woot.

Now for a list of valid excuses:
I did not have enough of a base of running in the previous weeks for 35 miles this week.

I didn't want to cut short my 8 mile run tomorrow.

It's too dang hot! (79 degrees F and humid)

And the invalid excuses:
I didn't want to show up my father in law, who, on his 67th birthday (July 2nd), ran 26 miles in Boston qualifying time...on a training run!

I didn't want Denali to miss me for a whole hour, so I cut it to a half an hour.

I didn't want to take my shirt off to cool down and scare the children be shot for a zombie.

Anyways, I don't feel too bad about cutting this run in half; hopefully I'll be able to get in all of the runs for the rest of the schedule now that I have two consecutive weeks of higher mileage.

Tomorrow: 8 miles @ 11:00 pace.

I didn't wanna

But I did.  It's 76 degrees out, "feels like" 80, and I don't feel too bad.  Of course, I only had to spend 40 minutes out in it, and unfortunately, I didn't get rained on as the skies threatened to do (Oh, Plueeeze don't throw me in that briar patch!)

Anyways, Happy 4th of July to all you Americans and Happy Just Another Day in July to everyone else.  It's a good thing to look back and read one of our greatest founding documents, The Declaration of Independence, and I highly encourage you all to do so.

Tomorrow: 6 miles @ 10:30 pace

Erk

Sunny and 78 out today with a slight breeze from the south.  Thankfully!  If it wasn't for that breeze (and pouring my water over my head), I might have bailed after three miles and did the rest on the treadmill.

I'm just not one for the heat, and yes, I realize, 78 is not hot to most people.  I ended up taking my shirt off for the last half mile to frighten the children stay cool.

Tomorrow: 4 miles @ 10:15 pace.

It's not the heat...

(let's all say it together)...It's the humidity!  Current temp is 74 degrees F, but HooooEeeee, it's muggy.  Weather like this just saps the energy out of me; I really had to push myself those last two miles.  Thankfully, the sun went back behind the clouds, or I'm sure I would have melted down somewhere along the way.

Tomorrow: 5 miles @ 10:30 pace.

And so it begins

I highly recommend listening to either the LotR, the Hobbit, or any of the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks while reading this post; it will only add to the epicness that is the beginning of my marathon journey.

In fact, just plan on throwing one of those on for all my future posts.  When you see Frodo, you'll think of this nutjob, and I'm ok with that.

Anyways, I breezed through this run; I hit both pace alarms (at 10:50 and 10:10) as well as my scheduled target.  The last two miles seemed to be the easiest; I'm not sure what to make of that.  shrug.

Tomorrow: Same as today.  6 @ 10:30.