Running Aimlessly Around the Countryside

This week it was a matter of time. Work and life collided, making it difficult to find the time to get my normal workouts in. I did get in my Monday lunch time run, which went really well, and the Thursday night group ride, which also went well. I didn't fret too much about missing the workouts because my leg was feeling a little sore. Maybe some rest was what I needed and was part of a greater plan.  I think Jil and I are finally done with our back to school meetings. I don't remember a year with as many as we have had to attend this year. Sometimes I have actually thought we were going to school as much as the kids were! But now the sports schedules are in full swing. Will is continuing football and . Anna had her first cross country meet of the season. She ran well for the beginning of the season, but the team got second by 3 points. It looks to be a strong girls squad this year, so they will be fun to watch. The middle school dropped the cross country club for the 5th and...

As I'm looking at my training log for August, I'm feeling good about what I've been doing. I haven't done big miles, either running or on the bike, but I've gotten in a lot of workouts. I've continued to slowly build up my running miles, with 4 on Monday, 3 on Wednesday, and another 4 on Friday. My calf held up for the entire week, with only a little tightness on Friday. The start on Friday I felt really good, but when I got to my turn around point I realized why as I turned into an 18-25 mph wind for my return trip. While I'm encouraged by seeing that I logged 11-12 miles, that is what I planned to be doing a couple of times a week at this time in the year. But I've long ago accepted that the marathon is out for this fall and I just need to get healthy so I can at least run a half marathon. If I stay deliberate, and keep having success on Wednesdays, I should be able to get in a good race this fall. With the first week of school, Will's football s...

In the past week or so, summer finally arrived in central Indiana. After enduring a cool and non-sticky July, the humidity and temperature finally jumped up. To coincide with the change in the weather, the kid's fall activities kicked into gear. Football for Will and Cross Country for Anna. All of this just meant placing more thought into when I could and would workout. Since I am doing shorter runs, I was able to keep running at lunch time. I was able to get in 3 1/4, 4, and 3 1/4. And really all of them felt really good. I'm starting to get my fitness back and the calf hasn't been bothering me for the most part. Toward the end of the week it started to get a little sore, but after a couple of evenings of ice massage it seemed to feel much better. Note to self: more consistent ice massage. Evenings were either left to playing taxi driver for the kids, or riding the bike. On Monday, Will and I went out for a 20 miler. Still trying to build up his strength for longer rid...

It was back to work this week after my too short time off to visit the old hood and spend some time with my parents. Back to work meant back to the routine, which, although it may sound like it, isn't all bad. Routine meant being able to get my lunch time run and strength exercises in. My runs are at 3 miles now and I'm starting to feel more comfortable  throughout the run. This means my fitness is coming back, which is a good thing. I've also been free of post run soreness from my leg. Things are definitely looking up. On Thursday, Will was finally free from swim practices and not quite into football so he finally got to join in on the group ride. I wasn't sure if he could keep up with the 3rd group, so I figured on starting him out in the recreation and fitness group - a little slower and a little shorter than the 3rd group. Well wasn't I surprised. From the start of the ride he wanted to be up front. The problem is that neither of us knew the route, so we could...

The week started off normal, getting in my short lunch time runs on Monday and Wednesday. I had fairly good luck with my leg, with little irritation. The runs, however, were torture. I have lost so much conditioning it isn't even funny. The second half of the week was interrupted by a family trip to my parents home. We hadn't visited with them in my home town for almost 2 years, so our visit was over due. As we drove into town, I just had a calm come over me, it felt so comfortable to be back. It was nice to spend a couple of days with no schedule, no meetings, no appointments, just do what we want when we want. Aah...a perfect prescription. The only thing that was planned was a family run. In hindsight, this was probably not the best plan. I let Will lead out and couldn't keep him from going out too fast. That took the wind out of Jil and Will. Around 2 miles, I sent them back to the house, and I received the full wrath of Anna, who thought a vacation run was a really...